John Howard Kitching (July 16, 1838 – January 10, 1865) often referred to as J. Howard Kitching, was an officer in the Union Army 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 ...
. He served in the cavalry, artillery and infantry in 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 ...
and
Army of the Shenandoah. He received a posthumous promotion to
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 ...
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 ...
after being mortally wounded at the
Battle of Cedar Creek.
Early life and family
Kitching was born July 16, 1838, in New York City (some sources say 1840).
His father was merchant John Benjamin Kitching (1818–1887) and mother was Maria Bradner.
His father, born in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, was one of the first investors in technology such as the ships of
John Ericsson
John Ericsson (born Johan Ericsson; July 31, 1803 – March 8, 1889) was a Swedish-American inventor. He was active in England and the United States.
Ericsson collaborated on the design of the railroad steam locomotive ''Novelty'', which com ...
, the
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 ...
and the
transatlantic telegraph cable
Transatlantic telegraph cables were undersea cables running under the Atlantic Ocean for telegraph communications. Telegraphy is now an obsolete form of communication, and the cables have long since been decommissioned, but telephone and data a ...
.
He married Harriet Brittan Ripley (a descendant of the
New England Dwight family) on July 18, 1860.
They had two children: John Howard Kitching, Jr. born September 27, 1861, and Edith Howard Kitching born November 13, 1864.
Civil War service
At the outbreak of the war, Kitching volunteered in the New York cavalry but was soon made a captain in the
2nd New York Artillery. In September 1862 he became lieutenant colonel of the
135th New York Infantry which was re-designated the
6th New York Heavy Artillery (nicknamed the Anthony Wayne Guard) a few weeks later. Kitching spent most of the war up to this point in garrison duty along the upper Potomac River. The regiment's colonel,
William H. Morris
William Hopkins Morris (April 22, 1827 – August 26, 1900) was an American soldier, an officer in the United States Army, author, editor, and inventor. He served as a brigadier general of volunteers in the Union Army during the American Ci ...
, was promoted to brigadier general in November 1862 and on April 26, 1863, Kitching was appointed colonel. His regiment joined the Army of the Potomac during the final stages of the
Gettysburg Campaign following the battle of Gettysburg. During the Fall of 1863 and Winter 1864 Kitching briefly commanded the Army of the Potomac's ammunition train and artillery reserve.
Overland Campaign
At the
battle of the Wilderness
The Battle of the Wilderness was fought on May 5–7, 1864, during the American Civil War. It was the first battle of Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against General Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Arm ...
Kitching commanded a heavy artillery brigade in the Army of the Potomac's artillery reserve. Following the battle the artillery reserve was divided among the infantry corps and Kitching's brigade was assigned to the
V Corps 5th Corps, Fifth Corps, or V Corps may refer to:
France
* 5th Army Corps (France)
* V Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars
* V Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army ...
and fought with that corps at
Spotsylvania. Kitching's artillery brigade was converted to infantry and assigned to the 3rd Division, V Corps at
Cold Harbor
The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought during the American Civil War near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S ...
and became the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, V Corps at
Petersburg
Petersburg, or Petersburgh, may refer to:
Places Australia
*Petersburg, former name of Peterborough, South Australia
Canada
* Petersburg, Ontario
Russia
*Saint Petersburg, sometimes referred to as Petersburg
United States
*Peterborg, U.S. Virg ...
.
[Eicher p.336] Kitching and the 6th New York Heavy Artillery were transferred to the Washington defenses where he took part in the
battle of Fort Stevens. Following the battle he commanded a brigade in the Washington defenses.
Shenandoah Valley Campaign
During
Philip H. Sheridan
Philip, also Phillip, is a male given name, derived from the Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominent Philips who popularize ...
's Valley Campaign, Kitching's command was transferred to the
Army of the Shenandoah with the addition of other miscellaneous units and was known as Kitching's Provisional Division. His division was attached to
George Crook
George R. Crook (September 8, 1828 – March 21, 1890) was a career United States Army officer, most noted for his distinguished service during the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. During the 1880s, the Apache nicknamed Crook ''Nantan ...
's VIII Corps just days before the
battle of Cedar Creek. At Cedar Creek, Confederate General
John B. Gordon
John Brown Gordon () was an attorney, a slaveholding plantation owner, general in the Confederate States Army, and politician in the postwar years. By the end of the Civil War, he had become "one of Robert E. Lee's most trusted generals."
Af ...
surprised the Union army in an early morning attack. Just as
Rutherford B. Hayes, commanding a neighboring Union division, assured Kitching that his men would hold, Hayes' division was hit by Gordon's attack and broke for the rear. Before the Confederates even reached Kitching's line, his troops also began to retreat. Kitching himself was forced to leave the field after receiving a severe wound in his foot.
[Lewis p.147] As a result he was forced to leave the army and return home to recover. However on January 11, 1865, Kitching died as a result of his foot wound at his home in
Dobbs Ferry, New York
Dobbs Ferry is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 10,875 according to the 2010 United States Census. In 2019, its population rose to an estimated 11,027. The village of Dobbs Ferry is located in, and is a p ...
. A posthumous brevet promotion to brigadier general was awarded to Kitching, postdated August 1, 1864, for his service in the Richmond Campaign.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kitching, John Howard
1838 births
1865 deaths
People of New York (state) in the American Civil War
Union Army colonels
Union military personnel killed in the American Civil War