Byron Mac Cutcheon (May 11, 1836 – April 12, 1908) was an

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 ...

officer,

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

recipient and politician from the U.S. state of

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

Early life

Cutcheon was born in Pembroke, New Hampshire May 11, 1836 but his parents died and he became an orphan at a young age. He worked in a cotton mill in Pembroke to earn money so he could attend school and at the age of 13, he began attending

Pembroke Academy Pembroke Academy is a public secondary school in Pembroke, New Hampshire. History Pembroke Academy was incorporated on June 25, 1818, as a private school, and on May 25, 1819, the first building was dedicated. The academy opened with 48 students o ...

. At the age of 17, he was a teacher in the same school but in 1855, he moved to

Ypsilanti, Michigan Ypsilanti (), commonly shortened to Ypsi, is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 20,648. The city is bounded to the north by Superior Township and on the west, south, and ...

, continuing to study and teach. In 1857, he was invited to take charge of

Birmingham Academy O2 Academy Birmingham is a music venue located in Birmingham, West Midlands, England. Former venue (until 2009) Live music on the site of the O Academy Birmingham's former Dale End venue dates back to 1964 when the venue was first opened as ...

Oakland County Oakland County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the Metro Detroit, metropolitan Detroit area, located northwest of the city. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 Census, its population was 1, ...

as principal, though he intended only to remain long enough to secure means to further progress in his own education. The following spring, he entered the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

and in the fall of 1859, he worked as principal of the Oak Grove Academy, in Lenawee County in order to support himself. As soon as he had acquired sufficient means, he again entered the university, and graduated in 1861. Before graduating he had become the principal and was a professor of ancient languages, higher mathematics and mental and moral philosophy in the Ypsilanti High School, 1861 and 1862.

Civil War positions

He resigned his school post to enlist 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 ...

following the outbreak of the

and raised a company for the Twentieth Regiment, Michigan Infantry who mustered him into service as a

Second Lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

. On July 29, 1862, he was made captain of his company and on October 14, 1862, he was made

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

of the Twentieth Regiment. On November 16, 1863, he was promoted to

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 ...

, and by order of the

U.S. War Department The United States Department of War, also called the War Department (and occasionally War Office in the early years), was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army, a ...

, he was made colonel on November 21, 1863. He was transferred and made

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

of the Twenty-seventh Michigan Infantry, November 12, 1864. He was mustered into the United States service as colonel, December 19, 1864, and was

brevet Brevet may refer to: Military * Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay * Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college * Aircre ...

ted colonel of U. S. Volunteers, August 18, 1864, for gallant services at the battles of the

Wilderness Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plural), are natural environments on Earth that have not been significantly modified by human activity or any nonurbanized land not under extensive agricultural cultivation. The term has traditionally re ...

and

Spottsylvania Court House Spotsylvania Courthouse is a census-designated place (CDP) and the county seat of Spotsylvania County, Virginia, located 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Fredericksburg. Recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census designated place (CDP), t ...

. During his service in the American Civil War he was in the battles of Fredericksburg, Virginia;

Horseshoe Bend Horseshoe Bend may refer to: Places Australia * Horseshoe Bend, New South Wales, an inner city suburb in the City of Maitland in the Hunter Region * Horseshoe Bend Station, a pastoral lease that operates as a cattle station in the Alice Sprin ...

, Kentucky; the siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi; the Assault on Jackson, Mississippi; the battles of Blue Springs, Tennessee; London, Tennessee; Campbell's Station, Tennessee; the siege of Knoxville, Tennessee; the Assault on Fort Saunders, at Knoxville; Thurley's Ford, Tennessee; Strawberry Plains, Tennessee; Chuckey Bend; Wilderness (for actions during which he would later be awarded the Medal of Honor); Ny River; Spottsylvania Court House (in which he was wounded, while leading a charge of the Twentieth Michigan and Fifty-first Pennsylvania). He remained at the hospital about two months. For gallant conduct on this occasion he received a commission as brevet colonel. He was next in the siege of Petersburg, July, 1864, the Weldon Railroad, Reams Station, Virginia; Poplar Spring Church, Virginia; Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher's Run, and the siege of Petersburg, from November 1864, to March 1865. On October 16, 1864, he was assigned the command of the Second Brigade, Fifteenth Division Ninth Army Corps, and remained in command of that brigade until March 6, 1865, when he resigned on account of sickness in his family. He was brevetted

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 ...

of U.S. Volunteers, March 13, 1865, for conspicuous gallantry on the field of battle.

After the war

After the war he returned home and entered into the law office of his brother, Sullivan M. Cutcheon, in Ypsilanti. At the time, Sullivan was Speaker of the

Michigan House of Representatives The Michigan House of Representatives is the lower house of the Michigan Legislature. There are 110 members, each of whom is elected from constituencies having approximately 77,000 to 91,000 residents, based on population figures from the 2010 ...

and later became U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. He entered the University of Michigan Law School in 1865 and graduated in March 1866. He was admitted to practice in

Washtenaw County Washtenaw County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the population was 372,258. The county seat is Ann Arbor. The county was authorized by legislation in 1822 and organized as a county in 1826. Washtenaw ...

in January 1866. In the Spring of 1866 he was appointed the state agent of the Michigan Soldiers' Monumental Association. When the association was inaugurated, in 1865, addresses were made on that occasion by Gen. Cutcheon, Hon.

Austin Blair Austin Blair (February 8, 1818 – August 6, 1894), also known as the Civil War Governor, was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan, serving as its 13th governor and in its House of Representatives and Senate as well as the U.S. Sena ...

, (Michigan's war governor), Hon.

Jacob M. Howard Jacob Merritt Howard (July 10, 1805 – April 2, 1871) was an American attorney and politician. He was most notable for his service as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from the state of Michigan, and his political career spanned the Amer ...

and Gen. Orlando B. Wilcox. In this work he traveled all over the state, making appeals to the people and securing their aid in this grand undertaking. In fall 1866, he moved to

Ionia Ionia () was an ancient region on the western coast of Anatolia, to the south of present-day Izmir. It consisted of the northernmost territories of the Ionian League of Greek settlements. Never a unified state, it was named after the Ionian ...

to resume the practice of law. In July 1867, he moved to Manistee. He was appointed a member of the State Board of Railroad Commissioners, 1867-1883. In 1866 he was also appointed president of the Michigan Soldiers' Home Commission,

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Henry H. Crapo Henry Howland Crapo (pronounced ''Cray-poe''; May 24, 1804 – July 23, 1869) was a businessman and politician who was the List of Governors of Michigan, 14th Governor of Michigan from 1865–1869, during the end of the American Civil War and th ...

. He served as a

Presidential elector The United States Electoral College is the group of presidential electors required by the Constitution to form every four years for the sole purpose of appointing the president and vice president. Each state and the District of Columbia appo ...

from Michigan in 1868, casting votes for the ticket of

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

and Schuyler Colfax. He was elected to the Board of Regents of the

in 1875 and served until 1883. He was the city attorney of Manistee, 1870–1873; prosecuting attorney of Manistee County in 1873 and 1874; and postmaster of Manistee, 1877-1883. In 1882, Cutcheon was elected as a Republican from

Michigan's 9th congressional district Michigan's 9th congressional district is a United States congressional district located in parts of Oakland County and Macomb County in the southeast areas of the State of Michigan. It includes the communities of Ferndale, Royal Oak, Hazel P ...

to the 49th Congress. He was re-elected to the three succeeding Congresses, serving from March 4, 1883 to March 3, 1891. He served as chairman, Committee on Military Affairs in the

51st Congress The 51st United States Congress, referred to by some critics as the Billion Dollar Congress, was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Rep ...

. In 1890, Cutcheon lost to

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

Harrison H. Wheeler Harrison H. Wheeler (March 22, 1839 – July 28, 1896) was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. Biography Wheeler was born at Farmers Creek in Lapeer County, Michigan and attended the common schools. He taught school until 1861 and th ...

in the general election. In 1887, he was the Moderator of the Congregationalists' "General Association of Michigan" annual meeting held in Lansing He was also a companion of the District of Columbia Commandery of the

Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS), or simply the Loyal Legion is a United States patriotic order, organized April 15, 1865, by three veteran officers of the Army. The original membership was composed of members ...

and a compatriot of the Sons of the American Revolution.

Family and later life

Cutcheon was married at

Dexter Dexter may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Dexter, the main character of the American animated series ''Dexter's Laboratory'' that aired from 1996 to 2003 * Dexter, a fictional character in the British Diary of a Bad Man#Main, web series ''Diar ...

, June 22, 1863, to Miss Marie A. Warner, of Ann Arbor. They raised five children, four sons and one daughter, named, respectively, Frank Warner, Charles Tripp, Max Hart, Frederick Richard, and Marie Louise. Cutcheon was awarded a

on June 29, 1891, "for distinguished gallantry at the

Battle of the Wilderness The Battle of the Wilderness was fought on May 5–7, 1864, during the American Civil War. It was the first battle of Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against General Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Arm ...

", Virginia on May 7, 1864. He was appointed civilian member of the Board of Ordnance and Fortifications by

U.S. President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

Benjamin Harrison in July 1891 and served until March 25, 1895. He was editorial writer for the '' Detroit Daily Tribune'' and the '' Detroit Journal'', 1895-1897. He resumed the practice of law in

Grand Rapids Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the second most-populated city in the state after Detroit. Grand Rapids is the ...

and died in Ypsilanti, where he is interred in

Highland Cemetery Highland Cemetery in Ypsilanti, Michigan is a cemetery founded in 1864. It was designed by Col. James Lewis Glenn in 1863. The cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2020. History Ypsilanti had earlier cemeteries, est ...

.Congressional Medal of Honor Society
/ref>

Works

Notes

References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cutcheon, Byron M. 1836 births 1908 deaths People from Pembroke, New Hampshire Union Army generals United States Army Medal of Honor recipients Regents of the University of Michigan University of Michigan Law School alumni American male writers American lawyers American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor 1868 United States presidential electors Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Michigan 19th-century American politicians People from Ypsilanti, Michigan People from Manistee, Michigan Sons of the American Revolution Burials at Highland Cemetery Military personnel from Michigan