Charles Hamlin (September 13, 1837 – May 15, 1911), from Bangor, Maine, was an attorney and a

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 of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

officer 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 ...

, attaining the rank of major. He was nominated for appointment to the grade of brevet

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 volunteers by

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Andrew Johnson on January 13, 1866, to rank from March 13, 1865, and the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

confirmed the appointment on March 12, 1866. He was one of the sons of Vice President

Hannibal Hamlin Hannibal Hamlin (August 27, 1809 – July 4, 1891) was an American attorney and politician who served as the 15th vice president of the United States from 1861 to 1865, during President Abraham Lincoln's first term. He was the first Republican ...

and a brother to

Cyrus Hamlin Cyrus ( Persian: کوروش) is a male given name. It is the given name of a number of Persian kings. Most notably it refers to Cyrus the Great ( BC). Cyrus is also the name of Cyrus I of Anshan ( BC), King of Persia and the grandfather of Cyru ...

, a Union Army brigadier general.

Biography

Hamlin was born in

Hampden, Maine Hampden is a town on the Penobscot River estuary in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The population was 7,709 at the 2020 census. Hampden is part of the Bangor metropolitan statistical area. History The town was originally called Whe ...

, and graduated from Bowdoin College in 1857. During the

, Hamlin served in the Union Army as a major,Hunt, Roger D. and Brown, Jack R. ''Brevet Brigadier Generals in Blue.'' p. 257. Gaithersburg, MD: Olde Soldier Books, Inc., 1990. .Eicher, John H., and Eicher, David J., ''Civil War High Commands.'' p. 276 Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. . and was awarded the honorary rank of brevet

United States Volunteers United States Volunteers also known as U.S. Volunteers, U.S. Volunteer Army, or other variations of these, were military volunteers called upon during wartime to assist the United States Army but who were separate from both the Regular Army and the ...

, to rank from March 13, 1865, by

U.S. Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

confirmation on March 12, 1866. Hamlin began his military career as a major in the

1st Maine Heavy Artillery Regiment The 1st Maine Heavy Artillery Regiment was a regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It suffered more casualties in an ill-fated charge during the Siege of Petersburg than any Union regiment lost in a single day of combat througho ...

. He gained a staff position as major and assistant adjutant general in the

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the principal Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the surrender of the Confede ...

. He fought in the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of the Po ...

among other engagements. Hamlin served as assistant adjutant general on the staffs of Generals Hiram G. Berry and Albion P. Howe. While serving under Gen. Howe in Washington, Hamlin was in the audience at Ford's Theatre when President Lincoln was assassinated. Hamlin was mustered out of the U.S. Volunteers on September 14, 1865. On January 13, 1866, Hamlin was nominated by

Andrew Johnson for the award of the honorary grade of brevet brigadier general United States Volunteers, to rank from March 13, 1865Eicher, 2001, p. 747 for faithful and meritorious services The

confirmed the award on March 12, 1866. Along with his sister Sarah, Hamlin was at

Ford's Theater Ford's Theatre is a theater located in Washington, D.C., which opened in August 1863. The theater is infamous for being the site of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. On the night of April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth entered the theater box ...

on the night of the

Lincoln assassination On April 14, 1865, Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, was assassinated by well-known stage actor John Wilkes Booth, while attending the play ''Our American Cousin'' at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. Shot in the hea ...

. After the war, Hamlin became a companion 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 ...

. A lawyer in civilian life, Hamlin returned to his home in Bangor, Maine after the war. He became the City Solicitor of Bangor in 1867. In 1883 and 1885 he was elected to successive terms in the Maine House of Representatives, becoming its Speaker in his second term. He also served as president of the Eastern Maine General Hospital (now the Eastern Maine Medical Center).''Guide to the Hamlin Family Papers,'' Folger Library, University of Maine Orono

Notes

References

* Eicher, John H., and Eicher, David J., ''Civil War High Commands.'' Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. . * Guide to the Hamlin Family Papers, Folger Library, University of Maine Orono. * Hunt, Roger D. and Brown, Jack R. ''Brevet Brigadier Generals in Blue.'' Gaithersburg, MD: Olde Soldier Books, Inc., 1990. .

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hamlin, Charles 1837 births 1911 deaths Children of vice presidents of the United States People from Hampden, Maine Politicians from Bangor, Maine Speakers of the Maine House of Representatives Union Army officers People of Maine in the American Civil War Republican Party members of the Maine House of Representatives 19th-century American politicians

Biography

See also

Notes

References

External links