Elisha Hunt Rhodes (March 21, 1842 – January 14, 1917) was an American soldier who served in the

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

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 Confedera ...

for the entire duration of 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 ...

, rising from corporal to colonel of his regiment by war's end. Rhodes' illustrative diary of his war service was quoted prominently in

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documentary '' The Civil War''.

Early life

Rhodes was born in Pawtuxet, Rhode Island, to Elisha H. Rhodes and Eliza A. Chase. He had several sisters and two brothers. At age 14, Rhodes attended Potter and Hammond's Business Academy in Providence. His father drowned when his schooner, the merchant ship ''Worcester'', was sunk by a hurricane on December 10, 1858. He was buried on Linyards Cay, Abaco in the Bahamas.

Civil War

Rhodes served with the 2nd Rhode Island Volunteer Infantry throughout its service during the

. Rhodes enlisted in the war with his mother's permission. At first he believed war to be an adventure. During the war, he advanced from

corporal Corporal is a military rank in use in some form by many militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. The word is derived from the medieval Italian phrase ("head of a body"). The rank is usually the lowest ranking non ...

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 ...

in command of the

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

. He enlisted on June 5, 1861 and was appointed to the rank of corporal. He was promoted to sergeant major on March 1, 1862 and to 2nd lieutenant on July 24 of the same year. On April 15, 1863 he was promoted to 1st lieutenant and placed in command of Company B. He became the regiment's adjutant, with the rank of 1st lieutenant, on November 6, 1863. He served in this capacity until the regiment was reorganized on June 17, 1864. On June 21, 1864 he was promoted to captain and assigned to Company B but was also ordered to command the regiment, which he did for the remainder of the war. He received a

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 ...

(honorary promotion) to the rank of major on December 5, 1864. On February 6, 1865 he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and placed in command of the regiment. On April 2 he received a brevet to the rank of colonel in recognition of his service in the Petersburg campaign. He was mustered out of service, along with his regiment, on July 13, 1865.

Postbellum career

After the war, he became a successful businessman and became active in veterans' affairs. He never missed a regimental reunion of the 2nd Rhode Island Volunteer Infantry. He married Caroline Pearce Hunt (1841–1930) on June 12, 1866 and had a son, Frederick Miller Rhodes and a daughter Alice Caroline Rhodes Chace. He was appointed as collector of U. S. Internal Revenue in Rhode Island in 1875. From June 25, 1879 until March 21, 1892 he served as the commander of the Brigade of

Rhode Island Militia The Rhode Island Army National Guard (RIARNG) is the land force militia for the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It operates under Title 10 and Title 32 of the United States Code and operates under the command of the state governor while not in fede ...

with the rank of

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 ...

. During his time in office General Rhodes helped transform the militia into a more professional organization and established the state training ground at

Quonset Point Quonset Point (), also known simply as Quonset, is a small peninsula in Narragansett Bay in the town of North Kingstown, Rhode Island. Its name is widely known from the Quonset hut, which was first manufactured there. ''Quonset'' is an Algonqu ...

in North Kingstown.

Memberships

Rhodes was very active in the

Grand Army of the Republic The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (U.S. Navy), and the Marines who served in the American Civil War. It was founded in 1866 in Decatur, Il ...

(GAR), the largest of several organizations for Union veterans. He was Adjutant of Prescott Post, No. 1, in 1867, Commander of the post the next year, Assistant Adjutant General of the Department of Rhode Island in 1871, Commander of the department in 1872–73, member of the National Encampment in 1874–75. He served for one year (1877–78) as the GAR's national senior vice commander. He was also Vice President of the Society of the

in 1877, and president of the Second Rhode Island Volunteer Association. He was also president of the Rhode Island Soldiers' and Sailors' Historical Society since its formation in 1873, and in 1879 was Vice President of the 6th Army Corps Association. In 1892 he was elected as a companion of the Massachusetts 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 ...

(MOLLUS) — a military society composed of officers who had served in the Union armed forces during the Civil War. He was assigned MOLLUS insignia number 9476. An active

Freemason Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

, having joined the fraternity while home on leave in 1864, he served as Worshipful Master of Harmony Lodge, No. 9, in Cranston, Rhode Island. He was later elected Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Rhode Island for 1892-1893.

Death and burial

Rhodes died in Providence on January 14, 1917. He and his wife are buried at the Rhodes family plot in

Swan Point Cemetery Swan Point Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Established in 1846 on a 60-acre (0.24 km2) plot of land, it has approximately 40,000 interments. History The cemetery was first organi ...

in Providence.

Legacy

Elisha Hunt Rhodes is most remembered for his wartime journal and letters published as ''All For the Union'' by a great-grandson, Robert H. Rhodes. This diary reflects Rhodes' ideas about the Civil War, including his unwavering belief that the Union must be preserved, as well as his Christian faith and belief in God. At the end it shows a somewhat conflicted young man who wanted to be home with his family after trials of war but who also found life in the Army very agreeable to him. His writings were made famous by their incorporation into filmmaker

' PBS-TV documentary series ''The Civil War''. His large collection of personal relics and mementos is now owned by the

Rhode Island Historical Society The Rhode Island Historical Society is a privately endowed membership organization, founded in 1822, dedicated to collecting, preserving, and sharing the history of Rhode Island. Its offices are located in Providence, Rhode Island. History Found ...

in Providence.

Notes/references

Bibliography

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External links

GAR veterans bio of Rhodes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rhodes, Elijah Hunt 1842 births 1917 deaths American diarists People of Rhode Island in the American Civil War Union Army generals Burials at Swan Point Cemetery Grand Army of the Republic officials