Henry J. Stainrook, occasionally spelled Steinrock,Dyer, p. 321. led a regiment of the

Army of Virginia The Army of Virginia was organized as a major unit of the Union Army and operated briefly and unsuccessfully in 1862 in the American Civil War. It should not be confused with its principal opponent, the Confederate Army of ''Northern'' Virginia, ...

and 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 Confedera ...

in 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 ...

. He briefly led a

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. Br ...

at 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 ...

. Stainrook was killed in the

Battle of Chancellorsville The Battle of Chancellorsville, April 30 – May 6, 1863, was a major battle of the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville campaign. Chancellorsville is known as Lee's "perfect battle" because h ...

Before Antietam

Stainrook was a resident of

Chester County, Pennsylvania Chester County (Pennsylvania Dutch language, Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Tscheschter Kaundi''), colloquially known as Chesco, is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in the De ...

at the outbreak of the war. Following 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 ...

's call for 75,000 volunteers to put down the rebellion, Stainrook enlisted on April 23, 1861 in the Union Army as the

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

of Company C of the 22nd Pennsylvania Infantry, a three-month regiment. He was honorably mustered out following the expiration of his term of enlistment. Subsequently, Stainrook was involved in organizing the 109th Pennsylvania Infantry and was commissioned its

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 ...

with a nominal date of November 1, 1861. The regiment encamped 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 ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, near the State House before going to

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. His unit eventually became a part of the

under

Maj. Gen. 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 ...

John Pope. Stainrook was wounded in the abdomen by a shell fragment 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 ...

during the Northern Virginia Campaign. The 109th Pennsylvania served in the brigade of

Brig. Gen. 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 ...

Henry Prince Henry Prince was an Australian politician. He was a merchant, living in Sydney by 1851. He also had squatting interests, and was a partner in a Sydney mercantile firm. From 1858 to 1861 he served on the New South Wales Legislative Council. ...

in the 2nd Division,

II Corps 2nd Corps, Second Corps, or II Corps may refer to: France * 2nd Army Corps (France) * II Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * II Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French ...

at the

on August 9, 1862. Brig. Gen. Christopher C. Augur led the

division Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...

, and Maj. Gen.

Nathaniel Banks Nathaniel Prentice (or Prentiss) Banks (January 30, 1816 – September 1, 1894) was an American politician from Massachusetts and a Union general during the Civil War. A millworker by background, Banks was prominent in local debating societies, ...

led the

corps Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was first named as such in 1805. The size of a corps varies great ...

. In their first battle, the 109th advanced under Confederate fire. Stainrook was wounded by Confederate artillery, but he refused to leave the field. The corps missed 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 ...

because it was guarding the army's rear areas. The 109th helped cover the army's retreat, destroying supplies that could not be moved.

Antietam

After the removal of John Pope, his army was dissolved; and its units joined the

. The old II Corps became

XII Corps 12th Corps, Twelfth Corps, or XII Corps may refer to: * 12th Army Corps (France) * XII Corps (Grande Armée), a corps of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * XII (1st Royal Saxon) Corps, a unit of the Imperial German Army * XII ...

. Maj. Gen.

Joseph K. Mansfield Joseph King Fenno Mansfield (December 22, 1803 – September 18, 1862) was a career United States Army officer, civil engineer, and a Union general in the American Civil War, mortally wounded at the Battle of Antietam. Early life Mansfield was ...

now led the corps, and Brig. Gen.

George S. Greene George Sears Greene (May 6, 1801 – January 28, 1899) was a civil engineer and a Union general during the American Civil War. He was part of the Greene family of Rhode Island, which had a record of distinguished military service to the United S ...

led the 2nd division at the Battle of Antietam. After the

I Corps I Corps, 1st Corps, or First Corps may refer to: France * 1st Army Corps (France) * I Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * I Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French A ...

had been exhausted in combat, the XII Corps went into the fray. One brigade (Goodrich) was detached from Greene's Division to join the

Iron Brigade The Iron Brigade, also known as The Black Hats, Black Hat Brigade, Iron Brigade of the West, and originally King's Wisconsin Brigade was an infantry brigade in the Union Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War. Although it fought enti ...

in the vicinity of the Miller Cornfield. The other brigades, under Lt. Col.

Hector Tyndale Hector Tyndale (a.k.a. George Hector Tyndale) was a Union general during the American Civil War rising to the rank of Brevet Major General of Volunteers. He notably led brigades at the battles of Antietam and Wauhatchie. Apart from the war Tynda ...

and Stainrook, were committed to an attack on the high ground around the Dunker Church (Stainrook was without his own regiment, which was on detached duty.) Stainrook's brigade, after some confusion in deploying, passed through the East Woods, driving away the remains of the division of Brig. Gen.

John Bell 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 ...

. Then it advanced with the Mumma farm buildings, already set afire by retreating Confederates on its left. The brigade moved along the axis of the Smoketown Road and reached the high ground at the Dunker Church. Greene's advance stopped there. Once Maj. Gen.

John Sedgwick John Sedgwick (September 13, 1813 – May 9, 1864) was a military officer and Union Army general during the American Civil War. He was wounded three times at the Battle of Antietam while leading his division in an unsuccessful assault against C ...

's division of the II Corps had been driven from the West Woods, Greene was forced to retreat. His two brigades rallied behind the ridge line of the Mumma farm. They reformed but did not advance again. After the battle, General Greene commended Steinrook for his conduct in the battle.

After Antietam

The XII Corps was not involved in the campaign leading to the

Battle of Fredericksburg The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. The combat, between the Union Army of the Potomac commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnsi ...

. It did participate in the Mud March. In between, Stainrook was back in brigade command from December 22, 1862, to January 3, 1863. When Maj. Gen.

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 ...

undertook the Chancellorsville Campaign in the spring of 1863, Stainrook's regiment was in the brigade of Brig. Gen. Thomas L. Kane in the 2nd Division of the XII Corps under Brig. Gen. John W. Geary. Geary's Division was heavily engaged at Chancellorsville. Stainrook commanded the brigade's skirmish line on May 1 near Hazel Grove, facing southward. On May 2, the XII Corps had to redeploy because of the flank attack launched by

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 ...

on the

XI Corps 11 Corps, 11th Corps, Eleventh Corps, or XI Corps may refer to: * 11th Army Corps (France) * XI Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * XI Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army * ...

. By the end of the day, the division of Brig. Gen. Alpheus Williams was facing west, while Geary's Division faced south, both deployed the east of Hazel Grove. On May 3 and 4 XII Corps was positioned near the Chancellorsville House, receiving heavy fire from Confederate troops. Stainrook was killed on May 4, 1863, "while encouraging his men."''Pennsylvania at Gettysburg'', vol. 1, p. 568.

Notes

References

* Carman, Ezra, A., ''The Maryland Campaign of September 1862: Ezra A. Carman's definitive study of the Union and Confederate armies at Antietam'', ed. Joseph Pierro, New York: Routledge, 2008. * Dyer, Frederick H., ''Compendium of the War of the Rebellion'', 3 vols., New York: Thomas Yoseloff, 1959. * Ferguson, Ernest B., ''Chancellorsville 1863: The Souls of the Brave'', New York: Knopf, 1992. * Hunt, Roger, ''Colonels in Blue: Union Army Colonels of the Civil War: the Mid-Atlantic States: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia''. Stackpole Books, 2007. . * Murfin, James W., ''The Glean of Bayonets: The Battle of Antietam and the Maryland Campaign of 1862'', New York, T. Yoseloff, 1965. * ''Pennsylvania at Gettysburg'', Harrisburg: Wm. Stanley Ray, 1904, vol. 1. * Sears, Stephen W., ''Chancellorsville'', Houghton Mifflin, 1996, . *Sears, Stephen W., ''Landscape Turned Red: The Battle of Antietam'', Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1983. {{DEFAULTSORT:Stainrook, Henry J. Union Army colonels People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War Union military personnel killed in the American Civil War People from Chester County, Pennsylvania 1863 deaths 1826 births

Before Antietam

Antietam

After Antietam

See also

Notes

References