Grenville Mellen Dodge (April 12, 1831 – January 3, 1916) was 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 (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...
officer on the
frontier
A frontier is the political and geographical area near or beyond a boundary. A frontier can also be referred to as a "front". The term came from French in the 15th century, with the meaning "borderland"—the region of a country that fronts o ...
and a pioneering figure in
military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that uses information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to assist commanders in their decisions. This aim is achieved by providing an assessment of data from a ...
during the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, who served as
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 ...
's
intelligence chief in the
Western Theater. He served in several notable assignments, including command of the
XVI Corps during the
Atlanta Campaign.
He later served as a U.S.
Congressman
A Member of Congress (MOC) is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The term member of parliament (MP) is an equivalen ...
, businessman, and railroad executive who helped direct the construction of the
Transcontinental Railroad
A transcontinental railroad or transcontinental railway is contiguous railroad trackage, that crosses a continental land mass and has terminals at different oceans or continental borders. Such networks can be via the tracks of either a single ...
. Historian Stanley P. Hirshon suggested that Dodge, "by virtue of the range of his abilities and activities," could be considered "more important in the national life after the Civil War than his more famous colleagues and friends,
Grant
Grant or Grants may refer to:
Places
*Grant County (disambiguation)
Australia
* Grant, Queensland, a locality in the Barcaldine Region, Queensland, Australia
United Kingdom
*Castle Grant
United States
* Grant, Alabama
*Grant, Inyo County, C ...
,
Sherman
Sherman most commonly refers to:
*Sherman (name), a surname and given name (and list of persons with the name)
** William Tecumseh Sherman (1820–1891), American Civil War General
*M4 Sherman, a tank
Sherman may also refer to:
Places United St ...
, and
Sheridan."
[Hirshon, pp. xiv]
Early life and career
Dodge was born in the Putnamville section of
Danvers in
, to Sylvanus Dodge and Julia Theresa Phillips, a descendant of the Rev.
George Phillips who settled
Watertown, Massachusetts
Watertown is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, and is part of Greater Boston. The population was 35,329 in the 2020 census. Its neighborhoods include Bemis, Coolidge Square, East Watertown, Watertown Square, and the West End.
Watertown ...
in 1630.
From the time of his birth until he was 13 years old, Dodge moved frequently while his father tried various occupations.
In 1844, Sylvanus Dodge became postmaster of the South Danvers office and opened a bookstore. While working at a neighboring farm, the 14-year-old Grenville met the owner's son,
Frederick W. Lander
Frederick William Lander (December 17, 1821 – March 2, 1862) was a transcontinental United States explorer, general in the Union Army during the American Civil War, and a prolific poet.
Birth and early years
Lander was born in Salem, Massachu ...
, and helped him survey a railroad. Lander was to become "one
fthe ablest surveyors of the exploration of the West," according to Charles Edgar Ames in ''Pioneering the Union Pacific''.
Lander was impressed with Dodge and encouraged him to go to his alma mater,
Norwich University
Norwich University – The Military College of Vermont is a private senior military college in Northfield, Vermont. It is the oldest private and senior military college in the United States and offers bachelor's and master's degrees on-campus ...
(in
Vermont
Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...
) where he was a member of
Theta Chi
Theta Chi () is an international college fraternity. It was founded on April 10, 1856 at Norwich University then-located in Norwich, Vermont, and has initiated more than 200,000 members and currently has over 8,700 collegiate members across Nort ...
fraternity. Dodge prepared for college by attending Durham Academy in
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
.
In 1851, he graduated from Norwich University with a degree in civil engineering, then moved to
Peru, Illinois
Peru is a city in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States. The population was 9,896 at the 2020 census, down from 10,295 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Ottawa, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area. Peru and its twin city, LaSalle, make up ...
. He started working as a surveyor and then an ax man for the
Illinois Central
The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, was a railroad in the Central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois, with New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama. A line also co ...
surveying team, then switched to working for the Peoria division of the
Chicago and Rock Island Railroad
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
. He settled in the
Missouri River city of
Council Bluffs
Council Bluffs is a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The city is the most populous in Southwest Iowa, and is the third largest and a primary city of the Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Area. It is lo ...
. For the next decade, he was involved in surveying for railroads, including the
Union Pacific
The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...
.
He married Ruth Anne Browne of Peru on May 29, 1854. He was also a partner in the Baldwin & Dodge banking firm, and in 1860 served on the Bluffs City Council.
Civil War
Dodge joined 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 ...
in the Civil War. At the beginning of the war, Dodge was sent by the Governor of
Iowa
Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...
to Washington, D.C., where he secured 6,000 muskets to supply Iowa volunteers.
In July 1861, he was appointed
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
4th Iowa Volunteer Infantry Regiment. He was wounded in the left leg, near
Rolla, Missouri
Rolla () is a city in, and the county seat of, Phelps County, Missouri, United States. The population in the 2020 United States Census was 19,943. Rolla is located approximately midway between St. Louis and Springfield along I-44. The Rolla, ...
, when a pistol in his coat pocket discharged accidentally.
He commanded the 1st Brigade, 4th Division in the
Army of the Southwest at the
Battle of Pea Ridge
The Battle of Pea Ridge (March 7–8, 1862), also known as the Battle of Elkhorn Tavern, took place in the American Civil War near Leetown, northeast of Fayetteville, Arkansas. Federal forces, led by Brig. Gen. Samuel R. Curtis, moved south ...
, where he was wounded in the side and hand.
For his services at the battle, he was appointed
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 and placed in command of forces based in
Corinth
Corinth ( ; el, Κόρινθος, Kórinthos, ) is the successor to an ancient city, and is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it has been part o ...
, where his intelligence operation was based.
His commands were known variously as the Central District (Department of the Mississippi); 4th Division (District of West Tennessee); District of Mississippi (Department of Mississippi); 4th Division (District of Jackson,
Army of the Tennessee
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
); 4th Division (
XIII Corps, Army of the Tennessee); District of Corinth (
XVII Corps, Army of the Tennessee); District of Corinth (
XVI Corps), Army of the Tennessee; and finally as the 2nd Division (XVI Corps).
[Eicher & Eicher. ''Civil War High Commands''. Stanford University Press. (June 1, 2002) . pp 211–212.]
Following Confederate General Van Dorn's repulse at the
Second Battle of Corinth
The second Battle of Corinth (which, in the context of the American Civil War, is usually referred to as the Battle of Corinth, to differentiate it from the siege of Corinth earlier the same year) was fought October 3–4, 1862, in Corinth, M ...
in October 1862, Dodge's command fought successful engagements near the
Hatchie River
The Hatchie River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed June 3, 2011 river in northern Mississippi and southwestern Tennessee. It is of considerable geographic, cultural, a ...
and then turned to West Tennessee where they captured a band of
Confederate guerrillas near
Dyersburg
Dyersburg is a city and the county seat of Dyer County, Tennessee, United States. It is located in northwest Tennessee, northeast of Memphis on the Forked Deer River. The population was 16,164 at the 2020 census, down 5.72% from the 2010 census ...
. On February 22, 1863, troops from Dodge's command attacked
Tuscumbia and the rear column of Van Dorn's column, capturing a piece of artillery, 100 bales of cotton, 100 prisoners and Van Dorn's supply train. He then served as Grant's intelligence Chief through the
Vicksburg campaign
The Vicksburg campaign was a series of maneuvers and battles in the Western Theater of the American Civil War directed against Vicksburg, Mississippi, a fortress city that dominated the last Confederate-controlled section of the Mississippi Riv ...
.
Dodge was later appointed by General Grant as commander of a Division in the
Army of the Tennessee
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
, where his troops aided Grant and
William T. Sherman
William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
by "rapidly repairing and rebuilding the railroads, bridges, and telegraph lines destroyed by the Confederates," and defeating or capturing the Confederate guerrillas, who had been ripping up the track and destroying railroad bridges, by employing techniques such as building two-story blockhouses near the bridges.
[McLean, Maggie.]
Ruth Anne Dodge
" ''Civil War Women.'' October 24, 2009.
In 1863, he was summoned to Washington DC by President
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
, and although Dodge thought he was being called before a court of inquiry for his aggressive recruitment of
black soldiers, the President was instead interested in Dodge's railroad expertise, and asked him to divine a location along the
Missouri River where the
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...
's transcontinental railroad should have its initial point. The location provided by Dodge was later established by Executive Order as the starting point in 1864. Following the Vicksburg campaign, his own troops joined General Grant and Iowa Governor
Samuel J. Kirkwood
Samuel Jordan Kirkwood (December 20, 1813 – September 1, 1894) was an American politician who twice served as governor of Iowa, twice as a U.S. Senator from Iowa, and as the U.S. Secretary of the Interior.
Early life and career
Samuel Jordan ...
in petitioning for Dodge's promotion.
Dodge led an expedition to Northern Alabama from April 18, 1863, to May 8, 1863, that screened the advance of
Streight's Raid
Streight's Raid (19 April – 3 May 1863) took place in northern Alabama during the American Civil War. It was led by Union Army Col. Abel Streight and opposed by Confederate Brig. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest. Streight's goal was to destroy parts ...
. While Dodge's portion of the expedition was successful, Streight's incursion was disastrous. His command performed various engagements thereafter in northwestern Mississippi and West Tennessee. In December, his forces engaged in a skirmish near Rawhide, twelve miles north of
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
, Alabama that resulted in the capture of 20 prisoners.
He was promoted to
major general
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
in June 1864 and commanded the
XVI Corps during
William T. Sherman
William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
's
Atlanta campaign. At the
Battle of Atlanta
The Battle of Atlanta was a battle of the Atlanta Campaign fought during the American Civil War on July 22, 1864, just southeast of Atlanta, Georgia. Continuing their summer campaign to seize the important rail and supply hub of Atlanta, Uni ...
, the XVI Corps was held in reserve, but it happened to be placed in a position which directly intercepted
John B. Hood
John Bell Hood (June 1 or June 29, 1831 – August 30, 1879) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Although brave, Hood's impetuosity led to high losses among his troops as he moved up in rank. Bruce Catton wrote that "the dec ...
's flank attack. During the fighting Dodge rode to the front and personally led
Thomas W. Sweeny
Thomas William Sweeny (December 25, 1820 – April 10, 1892) was an Irish-American soldier who served in the Mexican–American War and then was a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
Birth and early years
Sweeny was bo ...
's division into battle.
This action outraged the one-armed Sweeny so much that he got in a fistfight with Dodge and fellow division commander
John W. Fuller
John Wallace Fuller (July 28, 1827 – March 12, 1891) was a England, British-born Americans, American publisher, businessman, and soldier. He served as a General officer, general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. After the war ...
.
Sweeny received a court-martial for this action while Dodge continued to lead the corps at the
Battle of Ezra Church
The Battle of Ezra Church, also known as the Battle of Ezra Chapel and the Battle of the Poor House (July 28, 1864) saw Union Army forces under Major General William T. Sherman fight Confederate States Army troops led by Lieutenant General John ...
. During the ensuing
siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition warfare, attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity con ...
of Atlanta, while looking through an eyehole in the Union breastworks a
Confederate
Confederacy or confederate may refer to:
States or communities
* Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities
* Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
sharpshooter
A sharpshooter is one who is highly proficient at firing firearms or other projectile weapons accurately. Military units composed of sharpshooters were important factors in 19th-century combat. Along with "marksman" and "expert", "sharpshooter" i ...
spotted him and shot him in the head. After, he was to complete the war as commander of the
Department of the Missouri
The Department of the Missouri was a command echelon of the United States Army in the 19th century and a sub division of the Military Division of the Missouri that functioned through the Indian Wars.
History
Background
Following the successful ...
.
Also during the war, he provided information to
Thomas Clark Durant
Thomas Clark Durant (February 6, 1820 – October 5, 1885) was an American physician, businessman, and financier. He was vice-president of the Union Pacific Railroad (UP) in 1869 when it met with the Central Pacific railroad at Promontory Sum ...
who consequently made a fortune smuggling contraband cotton from the Confederate States to fund his intelligence efforts. He would later come into conflict with Durant.
After the war, Dodge joined 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 was assigned insignia number 484.
Pioneer of military intelligence
His first experience with intelligence gathering came when general
John C. Fremont sent Dodge's cavalry regiments on useless raids near
Rolla, Missouri
Rolla () is a city in, and the county seat of, Phelps County, Missouri, United States. The population in the 2020 United States Census was 19,943. Rolla is located approximately midway between St. Louis and Springfield along I-44. The Rolla, ...
based solely on rumors. He set out to rectify this situation and provide accurate intelligence to his superior
Samuel Curtis
Samuel Curtis (born in Walworth, Surrey on 29 August 1779-died at La Chaire, Rozel Bay, Jersey, on 6 January 1860 after Fremont was relieved.
The initial group, known as the "Corps of Scouts" was formed from men of the 24th and 25th Missouri regiments, who were often assigned to their own neighborhoods and were paid for their expenses, although most refused payment due to their Union loyalties.
[See ''"Grenville M. Dodge: Grant's Intelligence Chief in the West" at the ]Fort Huachuca
Fort Huachuca is a United States Army installation, established on 3 March 1877 as Camp Huachuca. The garrison is now under the command of the United States Army Installation Management Command. It is in Cochise County in southeast Arizona, appr ...
History Program under
Masters of the Intelligence Art
.'' They are credited with providing the intelligence necessary to achieve victory at Pea Ridge.
Dodge created a highly effective intelligence gathering network which later proved vital to Grant's operations and was a precursor to the modern
Intelligence Corps of the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
. It was one of the largest of the war, funded by the proceeds of captured Confederate cotton, with over 100 agents, and so effective that their identities remain a mystery even in modern times. It was perhaps the most accurate and comprehensive intelligence gathering network in history up to that time.
His organization, which later became part of the Union
Bureau of Military Information
The Bureau of Military Information (BMI) was the first formal and organized American intelligence agency, active during the American Civil War.
Predecessors
Allan Pinkerton was contracted by Federal and a number of state and local governments to s ...
, helped Dodge in short order defeat General
John Bordenave Villepigue
John Bordenave Villepigue (July 2, 1830 – November 9, 1862) was a career U.S. Army officer who served on the Western Frontier and became a Confederate general in the American Civil War. One of his descendants would later be World War I Meda ...
near the
Hatchie River
The Hatchie River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed June 3, 2011 river in northern Mississippi and southwestern Tennessee. It is of considerable geographic, cultural, a ...
, capture Colonel W.W. Faulkner's command of
partisan
Partisan may refer to:
Military
* Partisan (weapon), a pole weapon
* Partisan (military), paramilitary forces engaged behind the front line
Films
* ''Partisan'' (film), a 2015 Australian film
* ''Hell River'', a 1974 Yugoslavian film also know ...
rangers near
Island Number Ten
Island Number Ten was an island in the Mississippi River near Tiptonville, Tennessee and the site of a major eponymous battle in the American Civil War.
In the mid-19th century the United States Government began to adopt a uniform numbering plan ...
and defeat General
Earl Van Dorn
Earl Van Dorn (September 17, 1820May 7, 1863) started his military career as a United States Army officer but joined Confederate forces in 1861 after the Civil War broke out. He was a major general when he was killed in a private conflict.
A g ...
at the Battle of Tuscumbia during his service with the
Army of the Mississippi
Army of the Mississippi was the name given to two Union armies that operated around the Mississippi River, both with short existences, during the American Civil War.
History 1862
The first army was created on February 23, 1862, with Maj. Gen. ...
, and was later vital in the
capture of Vicksburg under Grant.
[Ponsford.] Dodge's network also led to the capture of Confederate spy
Sam Davis
Sam Davis (October 6, 1842 – November 27, 1863) was a Confederate soldier executed by Union forces in Pulaski, Tennessee, during the American Civil War. He is popularly known as the ''Boy Hero of the Confederacy'', although he was 21 when he ...
, who was known as the "
Nathan Hale of the Confederacy" and also as the "Boy Hero of the Confederacy." Efforts were led from his "war room" in
Corinth
Corinth ( ; el, Κόρινθος, Kórinthos, ) is the successor to an ancient city, and is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it has been part o ...
, and one of the unit's major successes was the discovery and disruption of Coleman's Scouts, the elite secret service unit of rebel General
Braxton Bragg
Braxton Bragg (March 22, 1817 – September 27, 1876) was an American army officer during the Second Seminole War and Mexican–American War and Confederate general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War, serving in the Weste ...
.
Dodge would utilize
human intelligence
Human intelligence is the intellectual capability of humans, which is marked by complex cognitive feats and high levels of motivation and self-awareness. High intelligence is associated with better outcomes in life.
Through intelligence, humans ...
from female spies, runaway slaves and unionists living in Confederate territory.
He created a Corps of Scouts for
special reconnaissance
Special reconnaissance (SR) or Recon Team is conducted by small units of highly trained military personnel, usually from special forces units or military intelligence organizations, who operate behind enemy lines, avoiding direct combat and detect ...
from units of loyal residents of the south in the First Tennessee Cavalry and ex-slaves of the
First Alabama Cavalry.
He also employed more
technical intelligence gathering disciplines such as
signals intelligence
Signals intelligence (SIGINT) is intelligence-gathering by interception of ''signals'', whether communications between people (communications intelligence—abbreviated to COMINT) or from electronic signals not directly used in communication ( ...
and
counterintelligence
Counterintelligence is an activity aimed at protecting an agency's intelligence program from an opposition's intelligence service. It includes gathering information and conducting activities to prevent espionage, sabotage, assassinations or ot ...
by tapping
telegraph
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas p ...
wires while
enciphering the Union Army's own dispatches. He was infamously obsessed with
operational security
Operations security (OPSEC) is a process that identifies critical information to determine if friendly actions can be observed by enemy intelligence, determines if information obtained by adversaries could be interpreted to be useful to them, a ...
and corresponded by courier rather than telegraph.
His agents were
trained to avoid exaggerations by
innovative methods such as measuring the length of a column along a road.
When General
Stephen Hurlbut
Stephen Augustus Hurlbut (November 29, 1815 – March 27, 1882), was an attorney and politician, who commanded the U.S. Army of the Gulf in the American Civil War. Afterward, he continued to serve as a politician and also as a diplomat.
Althoug ...
threatened to cease funding for Dodge's spy operations if Dodge did not turn over the names of his agents, Grant backed Dodge. Even Grant himself did not have this information.
At its peak, his network ran from Georgia (Atlanta and Dalton), to Alabama (Florence, Selma, Decatur, Mobile), to Tennessee (Chattanooga and Columbia) to Mississippi, where information would be reported to Dodge, to Maj. Gen.
Richard Oglesby
Richard James Oglesby (July 25, 1824April 24, 1899) was an American soldier and Republican Party (United States), Republican politician from Illinois, The town of Oglesby, Illinois, is named in his honor, as is an elementary school situated ...
, to Hurlbut in Memphis, to Grant himself, a process of about ten days. Dodge would later report directly to Grant during the Vicksburg campaign, where he even had agents open Confederate General
Joseph Johnston Joseph Johnston may refer to:
*Joseph Johnston (Irish politician) (1890–1972), Irish academic, farmer and politician
*Allan Johnston (politician) (Joseph Allan Johnston, 1904–1974), Liberal party member of the Canadian House of Commons
* Joseph ...
's mail. Dodge's agents would report solely to him and him alone, but on May 16, 1863, when intelligence indicated Grant could turn his forces away from Johnston and concentrate on
John C. Pemberton
John Clifford Pemberton (August 10, 1814 – July 13, 1881) was a career United States Army officer who fought in the Seminole Wars and with distinction during the Mexican–American War. He resigned his commission to serve as a Confederate Stat ...
's force at Vicksburg, "to achieve timely delivery of information, Dodge violated his own rules of communications security and had his agents report directly to Grant," resulting in the capture of one of his agents and the death of two others.
In 1863, Grant wrote to Dodge that "you have a much more important command than that of a division in the field."
Indian campaigns
As the Civil War was coming to a close, Dodge's
Department of the Missouri
The Department of the Missouri was a command echelon of the United States Army in the 19th century and a sub division of the Military Division of the Missouri that functioned through the Indian Wars.
History
Background
Following the successful ...
was expanded to include the departments of
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
,
Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...
and
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
. During the summer of 1865,
Sioux
The Sioux or Oceti Sakowin (; Dakota language, Dakota: Help:IPA, /otʃʰeːtʰi ʃakoːwĩ/) are groups of Native Americans in the United States, Native American tribes and First Nations in Canada, First Nations peoples in North America. The ...
,
Cheyenne
The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized nations: the Southern Cheyenne, who are enroll ...
and
Arapaho
The Arapaho (; french: Arapahos, ) are a Native American people historically living on the plains of Colorado and Wyoming. They were close allies of the Cheyenne tribe and loosely aligned with the Lakota and Dakota.
By the 1850s, Arapaho band ...
Indians had been raiding the
Bozeman Trail
The Bozeman Trail was an overland route in the western United States, connecting the gold rush territory of southern Montana to the Oregon Trail in eastern Wyoming. Its most important period was from 1863–68. Despite the fact that the major pa ...
and overland mail routes. Dodge ordered a punitive campaign to quell these raids, which came to be known as the
Powder River Expedition
:''This event should not be confused with the Big Horn Expedition during the Black Hills War.''
The Powder River Expedition of 1865 also known as the Powder River War or Powder River Invasion, was a large and far-flung military operation of the U ...
.
Field command of the expedition was given to Brig. Gen.
Patrick Edward Connor
Patrick Edward Connor (March 17, 1820Rodgers, 1938, p. 1 – December 17, 1891) was an American soldier who served as a Union general during the American Civil War. He is most notorious for his massacres against Native Americans during the ...
, who commanded the District of Utah. Connor's men inflicted a decisive defeat on the Arapaho Indians at the
Battle of the Tongue River
The Battle of the Tongue River, sometimes referred to as the Connor Battle, was an engagement of the Powder River Expedition that occurred on August 29, 1865. In the battle, U.S. soldiers and Indian scouts attacked and destroyed an Arapaho villa ...
, but the expedition in general was inconclusive and eventually escalated into
Red Cloud's War
Red Cloud's War (also referred to as the Bozeman War or the Powder River War) was an armed conflict between an alliance of the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Northern Arapaho peoples against the United States that took place in the Wyoming and Mo ...
.
Railroads
![East west shaking hands by russell](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/East_west_shaking_hands_by_russell.jpg)
During the 1865 campaign in the
Laramie Mountains
The Laramie Mountains are a range of moderately high peaks on the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains in the U.S states of Wyoming and Colorado. The range is the northernmost extension of the line of the ranges along the eastern side of the Rocki ...
in Wyoming (known then as the Black Hills), while escaping from a war-party, Dodge realized he had found a pass for the Union Pacific Railroad, west of the
Platte River
The Platte River () is a major river in the State of Nebraska. It is about long; measured to its farthest source via its tributary, the North Platte River, it flows for over . The Platte River is a tributary of the Missouri River, which itself ...
. In May 1866, he resigned from the military and, with the endorsement of Generals
Grant
Grant or Grants may refer to:
Places
*Grant County (disambiguation)
Australia
* Grant, Queensland, a locality in the Barcaldine Region, Queensland, Australia
United Kingdom
*Castle Grant
United States
* Grant, Alabama
*Grant, Inyo County, C ...
and Sherman, became the Union Pacific's chief engineer and thus a leading figure in the construction of the
Transcontinental Railroad
A transcontinental railroad or transcontinental railway is contiguous railroad trackage, that crosses a continental land mass and has terminals at different oceans or continental borders. Such networks can be via the tracks of either a single ...
.
Dodge's job was to plan the route and devise solutions to any obstacles encountered. Dodge had been hired by
Herbert M. "Hub" Hoxie, a former Lincoln appointee and winner of the contract to build the first 250 miles of the Union Pacific Railroad. Hoxie assigned the contract to investor
Thomas C. Durant
Thomas Clark Durant (February 6, 1820 – October 5, 1885) was an American physician, businessman, and financier. He was vice-president of the Union Pacific Railroad (UP) in 1869 when it met with the Central Pacific railroad at Promontory Sum ...
who was later prosecuted for attempts to manipulate the route to suit his land-holdings.
This brought him into vicious conflict with Dodge and Hoxie. Eventually Durant imposed a consulting engineer named Silas Seymour to spy and interfere with Dodge's decisions.
Seeing that Durant was making a fortune, Dodge bought shares in Durant's company,
Crédit Mobilier
The Crédit Mobilier (full name Société Générale du Crédit Mobilier, "general company for movable ollateral-backedcredit") was a French banking company created by the Pereire brothers, and one of the world’s most significant and influenti ...
, which was the main contractor on the project. He made a substantial profit, but when the scandal of Durant's dealings emerged, Dodge removed himself to Texas to avoid testifying in the inquiry.
Politics and later life
![GMDodge-House](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/GMDodge-House.jpg)
In 1866, Dodge defeated incumbent Republican
John A. Kasson
John Adam Kasson (January 11, 1822 – May 18, 1910) was a nineteenth-century lawyer, politician and diplomat from south-central Iowa. Elected to the U.S. House six times, he repeatedly interrupted his congressional service to serve in the D ...
in the nominating convention to represent
Iowa's 5th congressional district
Iowa's 5th congressional district is an obsolete congressional district in the U.S. state of Iowa. It was last represented by Republican Steve King in 2013, who continued to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives after the district's obsoles ...
in
Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...
. In the general election, he won, defeating former Union general
James M. Tuttle. His election brought problems since he was also away much of the time building the railroad. His time in Washington (during the
Fortieth United States Congress), was often spent lobbying on behalf of the Union Pacific, although he supported internal improvements to the
West
West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sunset, Sun sets on the Earth.
Etymology
The word "west" is a Germanic languages, German ...
. He served in the House from March 4, 1867, to March 3, 1869. In April he would complete negotiations with
Collis Huntington
Collis Potter Huntington (October 22, 1821 – August 13, 1900) was an American industrialist and railway magnate. He was one of the Big Four of western railroading (along with Leland Stanford, Mark Hopkins, and Charles Crocker) who invested i ...
, on behalf of
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...
regarding the completion of the
First transcontinental railroad
North America's first transcontinental railroad (known originally as the "Pacific Railroad" and later as the " Overland Route") was a continuous railroad line constructed between 1863 and 1869 that connected the existing eastern U.S. rail netwo ...
.
He was a delegate to the
Republican National Convention
The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the United States Republican Party. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal of the Repu ...
in Chicago in 1868 and again at the 1876 convention in
Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
. After his term in office expired, he returned to railroad engineering. During the 1880s and 1890s, he served as president or chief engineer of dozens of railroad companies. Dodge went to New York City to manage the growing number of businesses he had developed.
Dodge was appointed to head a commission investigating the conduct of the Army during the
Spanish–American War
, partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence
, image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg
, image_size = 300px
, caption = (clock ...
. The commission traveled to several cities in Dodge's personal railroad car. The report was published as a Senate document titled "Report of the Commission appointed by the President to investigate the Conduct of the War Department during the war with Spain." This commission came to be known as the "Dodge Commission."
Dodge returned home to Iowa and died in Council Bluffs in 1916. He is buried there in Walnut Hill Cemetery. His home, the
Grenville M. Dodge House
The Grenville M. Dodge House is a historic house museum in Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States. This Second Empire mansion, built in 1869, was the home of Grenville M. Dodge (1831-1916), a Union Army general, politician, and a major figure in ...
, is a
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
.
Fort Dodge
Fort Dodge is a city in, and the county seat of, Webster County, Iowa, United States, along the Des Moines River. The population was 24,871 in the 2020 census, a decrease from 25,136 in 2000. Fort Dodge is a major commercial center for North Cen ...
in Kansas, an important army base during the settlement of the western frontier, was named in his honor, as was
Dodge City
Dodge City is the county seat of Ford County, Kansas, United States, named after nearby Fort Dodge. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 27,788. The city is famous in American culture for its history as a wild frontier town ...
. Although
Dodge Street
Dodge Street is the main east–west street in Omaha, Nebraska. Numbered as U.S. Route 6 (US 6), the street starts in Downtown Omaha and connects to West Dodge Road just west of 78th Street. From there, it continues westward through the ...
in
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...
, the location of Union Pacific Headquarters, is often reputed to have been named after him, the street was actually named for influential (and unrelated) Iowa
Senator
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
Augustus C. Dodge
Augustus Caesar Dodge (January 2, 1812November 20, 1883) was a Democratic Party (United States), Democratic delegate to the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa Territory, a U.S. minister to Spain, and o ...
. The
Interstate 480 bridge over the
Missouri River is named the Grenville Dodge Memorial Bridge in his honor.
Camp Dodge
Camp Dodge is a military installation in the city of Johnston, Iowa, Johnston, Iowa. Centrally located near the capital of Iowa, it currently serves as the headquarters of the Iowa National Guard.
History
Original construction of the post began i ...
—the
Iowa Army National Guard
The Iowa Army National Guard is a state agency of the State of Iowa, with significant funding from the Federal Government of the United States; and a reserve component of the United States Army. It has dual Federal and State missions. It is emp ...
Center in
Johnston, Iowa
Johnston is a city in Polk County, Iowa, United States. The population was 24,064 in the 2020 census, an increase of 178% from the 8,649 population in 2000. It is part of the Des Moines– West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Johnst ...
—is named after him. Dodge Hall at his alma mater,
Norwich University
Norwich University – The Military College of Vermont is a private senior military college in Northfield, Vermont. It is the oldest private and senior military college in the United States and offers bachelor's and master's degrees on-campus ...
, is also named after him.
In 1963, he was inducted into the
Hall of Great Westerners
The Hall of Great Westerners was established by the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in 1958. Located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S., the Hall was created to celebrate the contributions of more than 200 men and women of the American W ...
of the
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is a museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, with more than 28,000 American West, Western and Native Americans in the United States, American Indian art works and Artifact (archaeology), ar ...
.
See also
*
List of American Civil War generals (Union)
Union generals
__NOTOC__
The following lists show the names, substantive ranks, and brevet ranks (if applicable) of all general officers who served in the United States Army during the Civil War, in addition to a small selection of lower-ranke ...
Further reading
biography of Grenville Dodge
Notes
* Variations of his name include ''Greenville'' and ''Grenville Mullen.'' ''Grenville Mellen'' is the name used on his grave site in Iowa.
Bibliography
*
* Feis, William B. ''Grant's Secret Service: The Intelligence War from Belmont to Appomattox.'' University of Nebraska Press: 2004.
* J. T. Granger. ''A Brief Biographical Sketch of the Life of Major-General Grenville M. Dodge''. New York: Arno Press, 1981.
* Stanley P. Hirshon. ''Grenville M. Dodge: Soldier, Politician, Railroad Pioneer.'' (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1967)
* Brent Hamilton Ponsford. ''Major-General Grenville M. Dodge's Military Intelligence Operations During the Civil War.'' (Iowa State University, 1976).
* Jacob R. Perkins. ''Trails, Rails and the War: The Life of General Grenville M. Dodge.'' (Indianapolis, IN: Bobbs-Merrill, 1929).
* Scott, et al. ''The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies.'' (U.S. Government Printing Office, 1890).
*
References
External links
Grenville Mullen Dodge's wife
*
*
* Retrieved on 2008-12-01
*
Grenville Mellen Dodge invoice of stores, MSS SC 1160at
L. Tom Perry Special Collections,
Harold B. Lee Library
The Harold B. Lee Library (HBLL) is the main academic library of Brigham Young University (BYU) located in Provo, Utah. The library started as a small collection of books in the president's office in 1876 before moving in 1891. The Heber J. Gran ...
,
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dodge, Grenville M.
1831 births
1916 deaths
American Civil War spies
American railroad executives
American railway civil engineers
Dodge City, Kansas
Explorers of the United States
Iowa city council members
Norwich University alumni
People from Council Bluffs, Iowa
People from Danvers, Massachusetts
People of Iowa in the American Civil War
Phillips family (New England)
Union Army generals
Union Pacific Railroad people
Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Iowa
New York (state) Republicans
19th-century American politicians