Hector Tyndale (a.k.a. George Hector Tyndale) was a Union general 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 ...

rising to the rank of

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 ...

Major General of Volunteers. He notably led brigades at the battles of Antietam and Wauhatchie. Apart from the war Tyndale was an expert in porcelain and pottery.

Biography

Early life

Tyndale's father was a prominent Philadelphia businessman who engaged in the importation of

china China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

and glassware. Hector Tyndale eventually followed his father's footsteps and ran the family business in partnership with his brother-in-law. Tyndale made several trips to personally inspect European factories thus becoming very familiar with the whole art of pottery and porcelain making. His personal collection became one of the finest in the whole country. His brother was Sharon Tyndale who served as

Illinois Secretary of State The Secretary of State of Illinois is one of the six elected executive state offices of the government of Illinois, and one of the 47 secretaries of states in the United States. The Illinois Secretary of State keeps the state records, laws, libr ...

. Tyndale became involved in Republican politics in Philadelphia around 1856. Although a Republican he was not an abolitionist and therefore had no sympathy for the fate of

John Brown John Brown most often refers to: *John Brown (abolitionist) (1800–1859), American who led an anti-slavery raid in Harpers Ferry, Virginia in 1859 John Brown or Johnny Brown may also refer to: Academia * John Brown (educator) (1763–1842), Ir ...

and his raiders. Despite this Tyndale agreed to escort the widow of John Brown to pay a last visit to her husband and recover his body after execution. It was believed Mrs. Brown's life was in danger because of her husband's recent actions. Brown's body was delivered to Tyndale who insisted on its identification before accepting it on Mrs. Brown's behalf.

Civil War

Tyndale was on another inspection trip to Europe when the Civil War began. He returned to the U.S. and volunteered for 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 ...

. He was appointed major in the 28th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry on June 28, 1861. His regiment was sent to garrison duty at

Harpers Ferry Harpers Ferry is a historic town in Jefferson County, West Virginia. It is located in the lower Shenandoah Valley. The population was 285 at the 2020 census. Situated at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers, where the U.S. stat ...

. On April 25, 1862, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel of his regiment and fought at the

Second Battle of Bull Run The Second Battle of Bull Run or Battle of Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, in Prince William County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of the Northern Virginia Campaign waged by Confederate ...

. On September 17, 1862, Tyndale, still only a lieutenant colonel, found himself as the senior officer in his brigade. Therefore, he assumed command of the 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, XII Corps during the

Battle of Antietam The Battle of Antietam (), or Battle of Sharpsburg particularly in the Southern United States, was a battle of the American Civil War fought on September 17, 1862, between Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and Union G ...

. Tyndale led his brigade as part of George S. Greene's attack against the Dunker Church. Early in the fighting he was wounded in the hip but continued in command until wounded a second time in the head. He left the field to recover and would not return to command until late July 1863. While recovering he was promoted two grades to that of brigadier general to date from November 29, 1862, for his conspicuous service at Antietam. Tyndale returned to command his brigade in the aftermath of 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 ...

. Later that Fall,

Joseph Hooker Joseph Hooker (November 13, 1814 – October 31, 1879) was an American Civil War general for the Union, chiefly remembered for his decisive defeat by Confederate General Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Chancellorsville in 1863. Hooker had serv ...

was assigned to lead reinforcements to the beleaguered Union Army at Chattanooga. Hooker took with him the XI and XII Corps to which Tyndale's brigade was part of. Tyndale led his brigade at the

Battle of Wauhatchie The Battle of Wauhatchie was fought October 28–29, 1863, in Hamilton and Marion counties, Tennessee, and Dade County, Georgia, in the American Civil War. A Union force had seized Brown's Ferry on the Tennessee River, opening a supply line ...

, leading a bayonet charge and turning the enemy's flank. He also took part, albeit in a minor role, in the battle of Chattanooga. On August 26, 1864, Tyndale resigned from the army due to poor health. He was brevetted to major general on March 13, 1865. Command History * 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, XII Corps (17 Sept 1862) * 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, XI Corps (13 July – 19 Sept 1863) * 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, XI Corps (12 Oct 1863 – 15 Feb 1865) * 3rd Division, XI Corps (15 Feb – 16 Apr 1864) * 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, XX Corps (16 Apr – 3 May 1864)

Later life

After his career in the army, Tyndale returned to his business in Philadelphia. He unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 1868. A relative, Professor

John Tyndall John Tyndall FRS (; 2 August 1820 – 4 December 1893) was a prominent 19th-century Irish physicist. His scientific fame arose in the 1850s from his study of diamagnetism. Later he made discoveries in the realms of infrared radiation and the p ...

of England, lectured in the U.S. and devoted the proceeds to fund for the promotion of science education and named General Tyndale as one of the trustees. Eventually the fund became a scholarship and at the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...

the scholarship was known as the Hector Tyndale scholarship for physics. In 1869, he was elected as a member to the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communit ...

. In 1876 Tyndale's prominence in the porcelain business caused his selection as one of the judges for the

Centennial Exhibition The Centennial International Exhibition of 1876, the first official World's Fair to be held in the United States, was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 10 to November 10, 1876, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the ...

. General Tyndale died in Philadelphia in 1880. He is buried at

Laurel Hill Cemetery Laurel Hill Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery in the East Falls neighborhood of Philadelphia. Founded in 1836, it was the second major rural cemetery in the United States after Mount Auburn Cemetery in Boston, Massachusetts. The cemetery is ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tyndale, Hector Military personnel from Philadelphia People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War John Brown (abolitionist) Businesspeople from Philadelphia Pennsylvania Republicans Union Army generals 1821 births 1880 deaths