Bernard Laiboldt or Bernard Laibold (b. 1827) commanded the

2nd Missouri Volunteer Infantry The 2nd Missouri Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment, formed from a voluntary regiment using the same name, that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. 2nd Missouri Volunteer Infantry A voluntary infantry regiment evolved ...

in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. Born in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, Laiboldt came to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

with his family as a child. He joined a Missouri infantry unit during the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

. At the start of the Civil War, he became

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

of the 2nd Missouri and led the regiment at Pea Ridge. He commanded a brigade at the

Siege of Corinth The siege of Corinth (also known as the first Battle of Corinth) was an American Civil War engagement lasting from April 29 to May 30, 1862, in Corinth, Mississippi. A collection of Union forces under the overall command of Major General Henry ...

and the

Battle of Perryville The Battle of Perryville, also known as the Battle of Chaplin Hills, was fought on October 8, 1862, in the Chaplin Hills west of Perryville, Kentucky, as the culmination of the Confederate Heartland Offensive (Kentucky Campaign) during the A ...

. He assumed command after the brigade commander was killed at

Stones River The Stones River (properly spelled Stone's River) is a major stream of the eastern portion of Tennessee's Nashville Basin region. It is named after explorer and longhunter Uriah Stone, who navigated the river in 1767. Geography and hydrography T ...

and led the brigade at

Chickamauga Chickamauga may refer to: Entertainment * "Chickamauga", an 1889 short story by American author Ambrose Bierce * "Chickamauga", a 1937 short story by Thomas Wolfe * "Chickamauga", a song by Uncle Tupelo from their 1993 album ''Anodyne (album), Ano ...

. He led the 2nd Missouri at

Missionary Ridge Missionary Ridge is a geographic feature in Chattanooga, Tennessee, site of the Battle of Missionary Ridge, a battle in the American Civil War, fought on November 25, 1863. Union forces under Maj. Gens. Ulysses S. Grant, William T. Sherman, a ...

Calhoun John C. Calhoun (1782–1850) was the 7th vice president of the United States. Calhoun can also refer to: Surname * Calhoun (surname) Inhabited places in the United States *Calhoun, Georgia *Calhoun, Illinois *Calhoun, Kansas *Calhoun, Kentucky ...

, Rocky Face Ridge, and

Dalton Dalton may refer to: Science * Dalton (crater), a lunar crater * Dalton (program), chemistry software * Dalton (unit) (Da), the atomic mass unit * John Dalton, chemist, physicist and meteorologist Entertainment * Dalton (Buffyverse), minor cha ...

. He was never promoted to

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

and he left the army in December 1864. He was St. Louis Police Commissioner in 1865–66 and later County Marshal.

Early career

Laiboldt was born in the

Grand Duchy of Baden The Grand Duchy of Baden (german: Großherzogtum Baden) was a state in the southwest German Empire on the east bank of the Rhine. It existed between 1806 and 1918. It came into existence in the 12th century as the Margraviate of Baden and subs ...

in 1827. When he was six years old, his family emigrated to

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

where many other

Germans , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...

also settled. In 1846, he volunteered to fight in the

Mexican-American War Mexican Americans ( es, mexicano-estadounidenses, , or ) are Americans of full or partial Mexicans, Mexican heritage. In 2019, Mexican Americans comprised 11.3% of the US population and 61.5% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% ...

, first serving in Company F of the 1st Missouri St. Louis Legion. He then transferred to the 3rd Missouri Santa Fe Infantry. In 1852, he enrolled in the Missouri Riflemen Militia Company at St. Louis and became its

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

. The militiamen presented Laiboldt with a custom sword and scabbard, of which the scabbard survives in the Missouri Civil War Museum.

Civil War

1863–1864

At the start of the Atlanta Campaign, Laiboldt commanded the 2nd Missouri which was assigned to Francis T. Sherman's 1st Brigade, John Newton's 2nd Division,

Oliver Otis Howard Oliver Otis Howard (November 8, 1830 – October 26, 1909) was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the Civil War. As a brigade commander in the Army of the Potomac, Howard lost his right arm while leading his men agains ...

's IV Corps. However, the regiment was detached at

Dalton, Georgia Dalton is a city and the county seat of Whitfield County, Georgia, United States. It is also the principal city of the Dalton Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Murray and Whitfield counties. As of the 2010 census, the ci ...

on May 14, 1864. On August 14, the garrison of Dalton was summoned to surrender by

Joseph Wheeler Joseph "Fighting Joe" Wheeler (September 10, 1836 – January 25, 1906) was an American military commander and politician. He was a cavalry general in the Confederate States Army in the 1860s during the American Civil War, and then a general in ...

's cavalry. Laiboldt replied, "I have been placed here to defend this post, but not to surrender". After two hours of skirmishing, Wheeler's Confederates drove Laiboldt's skirmishers within the fortifications, which were atop a hill east of the railroad depot. Wheeler's troops attacked and were repulsed. Afterward, the Confederate general sent a flag of truce. This soldier was warned that he would be fired on if he approached again and skirmishing continued. Wheeler deployed two artillery pieces and shelled the Union positions at 8 pm and again between 11 pm and midnight. Wheeler retreated at 5 am the following day. In the

Second Battle of Dalton The Second Battle of Dalton was fought August 14–15, 1864, between Union Army, Union and Confederate States Army, Confederate forces in Whitfield County, Georgia, Whitfield County northern Georgia. Battle Confederate cavalry, commanded ...

, Laiboldt commanded 288 fit men and 94 convalescents from the 2nd Missouri, 52 troopers from the

7th Regiment Kentucky Volunteer Cavalry The 7th Kentucky Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 7th Kentucky Cavalry Regiment was organized at large and mustered in for three years at Paris, Kentucky, on August 1 ...

, 30 wagon drivers, and 20 scouts. Casualties numbered five killed, 12 wounded, and 23 captured. The 2nd Missouri was mustered out of service on September 27–29, 1864. Laiboldt was relieved of duty on December 8, 1864.

Notes

References

* * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Laiboldt, Bernard 1827 births German emigrants to the United States People from the Grand Duchy of Baden People of Missouri in the American Civil War Commissioners of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department American military personnel of the Mexican–American War Union Army colonels Year of death missing