Henry Bohlen (October 22, 1810 – August 22, 1862) was a
German-American
German Americans (german: Deutschamerikaner, ) are Americans who have full or partial German ancestry. With an estimated size of approximately 43 million in 2019, German Americans are the largest of the self-reported ancestry groups by the Unite ...
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 ...
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 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 ...
. Before becoming the first foreign-born Union general in the Civil War,
he fought in the
Mexican-American War
Mexican Americans ( es, mexicano-estadounidenses, , or ) are Americans of full or partial Mexicans, Mexican heritage. In 2019, Mexican Americans comprised 11.3% of the US population and 61.5% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% ...
(on the U.S. side), and in the
Crimean War
The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia.
Geopolitical causes of the war included the de ...
(on the French side).
Biography
Bohlen was born in
Bremen
Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (german: Stadtgemeinde Bremen, ), is the capital of the German state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (''Freie Hansestadt Bremen''), a two-city-state consis ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
on October 22, 1810, while his parents were traveling in Europe for pleasure. His father, Bohl Bohlen Luehrs, was a German-born (1754 in Schiffdorf, Lower Saxony, Germany) naturalized citizen of the United States and lived in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
. His mother was Johanna Magdalene Oswald Hahn, a German-American born 1770 in New York. When Bohlen was very young, his father placed him in the military Academy in Delft, Netherlands. In 1832 however, he was called to the U.S. before he had completed his studies. He did not return to Germany to complete his studies. After emigrating to the United States, Bohlen became a rich dealer of foreign wines and liquor.
Mexican-American War
When
war with Mexico broke out he accepted a position on the staff of his friend and companion,
General Worth, as a volunteer Aide-de-camp.
During the war he participated in all the battles under
Major-General Winfield Scott. When the war ended he resigned his commission and returned to selling liquor in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
.
Crimean War
Due to the health of his son, he traveled to Europe. When the
Crimean War
The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia.
Geopolitical causes of the war included the de ...
broke out, he entered the service of the allies, on the French staff. During the war he took part in the
siege, storming and the final surrender of Sevastopol.
After the war ended, he lived in the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
until he heard word of the firing on and surrender of
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter is a sea fort built on an artificial island protecting Charleston, South Carolina from naval invasion. Its origin dates to the War of 1812 when the British invaded Washington by sea. It was still incomplete in 1861 when the Battl ...
.
American Civil War
![Henry Bohlen tombstone](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/Henry_Bohlen_tombstone.jpg)
In 1861 he was granted permission to recruit a regiment in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, which was made up of mostly German emigrants. He played a key role in organizing the
75th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry
The 75th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was a unit of the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was composed almost entirely of German-speaking residents of Philadelphia and newly arrived German immigrants. Total enrollment, ov ...
, and he was named its Colonel and commander on September 30, 1861.
He served in the division of
Louis Blenker
Louis Blenker (July 31, 1812 – October 31, 1863) was a German revolutionary and American soldier.
Life in Germany
He was born at Worms, Germany. After being trained as a goldsmith by an uncle in Kreuznach, he was sent to a polytechnical s ...
. In his report on the medical condition of the Army of the Potomac in February 1862, the army's chief surgeon and medical director, Charles Tripler, reported that just over 5 percent of Bohlen's brigade was listed as sick, which was on par with the other brigades in Blenker's division. The medical report gave Bohlen's strength as follows: 58th New York Infantry Regiment, 650; the 35th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment, 732; and the 40th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment, 868, for a total strength of 2,250.
Bohlen was appointed Brigadier General, U.S. Volunteers, on April 28, 1862.
He commanded the 3rd Brigade of
Carl Schurz's Division in the
Valley Campaign against
Stonewall Jackson
Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, considered one of the best-known Confederate commanders, after Robert E. Lee. He played a prominent role in nearl ...
in the spring of 1862. His brigade participated in the
Battle of Cross Keys
The Battle of Cross Keys was fought on June 8, 1862, in Rockingham County, Virginia, as part of Confederate Army Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's campaign through the Shenandoah Valley during the American Civil War. Together, the batt ...
, 8 June 1862, but did not fight at the
Battle of Cedar Mountain
The Battle of Cedar Mountain, also known as Slaughter's Mountain or Cedar Run, took place on August 9, 1862, in Culpeper County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. Union forces under Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks attacked Confederate f ...
, 9 August 1862, as Sigel's division was encamped at Culpeper Court House at the time of the battle.
At the
Battle of Cross Keys
The Battle of Cross Keys was fought on June 8, 1862, in Rockingham County, Virginia, as part of Confederate Army Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's campaign through the Shenandoah Valley during the American Civil War. Together, the batt ...
, Bohlen supported the brigade of
Julius Stahel
Julius H. Stahel-Számwald (born Gyula Számwald; November 5, 1825 – December 4, 1912) was a Hungarian soldier who emigrated to the United States and became a Union general in the American Civil War. After the war, he served as a U.S. diplomat, ...
of Blenker's division. Bohlen formed his troops behind Stahel's just to the east of the Port Republic Road, southwest of the Evers house. Bohlen's brigade comprised the 54th New York Infantry Regiment on the left, the 58th New York Infantry Regiment, the 74th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment, and, on the right, the 75th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment. Battery I of the 1st New York Light Artillery Regiment occupied the center. Bohlen positioned this battery forward of his infantry. An artillery officer in Blenker's division moved this battery without Bohlen's permission. Bohlen moved it back again. When the artillery officer ordered the battery to move a half a mile to the rear, Bohlen belayed that order, but the battery moved anyway, "against my positive order to remain."
On 21 August, Confederate General
Robert E. Lee marched his army north along the Rappahannock river. His objective was to cross the river beyond the enemy's right flank. Union General
John Pope anticipated this move and defended the various fords to the north of Rappahannock Station. The afternoon of 22 August, Bohlen's corps commander, General
Franz Sigel
Franz Sigel (November 18, 1824 – August 21, 1902) was a German American military officer, revolutionary and immigrant to the United States who was a teacher, newspaperman, politician, and served as a Union major general in the American Civil ...
, sent Bohlen's infantry brigade across the river to reconnoiter the ground to the west of Freeman's Ford. Once across, Bohlen formed a skirmish line to go forward. It soon made contact with Confederate General Isaac Trimble's infantry brigade, hidden in heavy woods. Trimble attacked. Bohlen committed his entire brigade to the fight, but the enemy proved too strong. Bohlen gave the order to withdraw, and his men retreated back across the Rappahannock One of Bohlen's men admitted that the brigade retreated "so fast that we came near forgetting to stop."
In his official report, Confederate General Robert E Lee described the fight as "a short but spirited engagement," in which Bohlen's brigade sustained "heavy loss." Union General John Pope, the commander of the Army of Virginia, mentioned Bohlen's death briefly in his official report, dated 24 August 1862: "Our losses during the last three days have been quite heavy, among the killed being Brigadier-General Bohlen, commanding a brigade in Sigel's corps"
On August 26, 1862, ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' reprinted an article from ''
The Philadelphia Press
''The Philadelphia Press'' (or ''The Press'') is a defunct newspaper that was published from August 1, 1857, to October 1, 1920.
The paper was founded by John Weiss Forney. Charles Emory Smith was editor and owned a stake in the paper from 1880 un ...
'' about the death of Bohlen:
And the army was safely across the Rappahannock, still nearest the enemy, Bohlen's brigade was fighting continually, and unfortunately for the country and its cause ... Bohlen was observed by a rebel sharpshooter, while riding across the field, directing the movements of his troops, and shot through the head.
According to another account, Bohlen was shot through the heart as he tried to rally his troops, tumbling dead from his horse and into the river. Though Bohlen probably died instantly, a private of the 61st Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment claimed to hear the fatally wounded general call out, "Boys, I am dead, but go and fight!"
There were rumors that Bohlen was killed by one of his own men, but evidence suggests that he was liked by his troops and that he died from a shot by a Confederate
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 ...
.
The Confederates took custody of Bohlen's corpse until it could be returned to his unit. On 10 September 1862, a truce was arranged. An officer of Bohlen's staff retrieved the remains. Bohlen was buried in
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 ...
in Philadelphia.
Family
Henry Bohlen married Emily Mary Borie of Philadelphia. They had two daughters: Sophie (1837–1915) who married Gustav von Bohlen und Halbach and Anita Agnes Clementine (1841–1929) who married Willem Gerard Brantsen Baron van de Zijp. The Bohlen family tree includes his grandson German industrialist
Gustav Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach
Gustav Georg Friedrich Maria Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach (born Gustav von Bohlen und Halbach; 7 August 1870 – 16 January 1950) was a German foreign service official who became chairman of the board of Friedrich Krupp AG, a heavy industry con ...
, son of his daughter Sophie, and his great-great-nephew
Charles Bohlen
Charles "Chip" Eustis Bohlen (August 30, 1904 – January 1, 1974) was an American diplomat, ambassador, and expert on the Soviet Union. He helped shape US foreign policy during World War II and the Cold War and helped develop the Marshall Plan ...
a United States diplomat from 1929 to 1969 and Soviet expert.
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 ...
*
Charles Saalmann
Charles Daniel Saalmann (April 25, 1836 – February 21, 1909) was a captain of Union infantry during the American Civil War. He was wounded at Gettysburg and acted as a Commissary of Subsistence during General William T. Sherman's famed Ma ...
an infantry officer who initially served under Henry Bohlen during Bohlen's command of the 75th Pennsylvania Regiment of Volunteer infantry.
References
Further reading
*
*
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bohlen, Henry
1810 births
1862 deaths
Burials at Laurel Hill Cemetery (Philadelphia)
Deaths by firearm in Virginia
German emigrants to the United States
People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War
Union Army generals
Union military personnel killed in the American Civil War