John Dunlap Stevenson (June 8, 1821 – January 22, 1897) was an American attorney, politician, and soldier in the

U.S. 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, cl ...

in two wars. He was a

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 ...

volunteers Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...

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 ...

. In 1866 he was nominated and confirmed for appointment as

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 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 ...

of volunteers.

Biography

Stevenson was born at

Staunton, Virginia Staunton ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 25,750. In Virginia, independent cities a ...

on June 8, 1821.Eicher, John H., and

David J. Eicher David John Eicher (born August 7, 1961) is an American editor, writer, and popularizer of astronomy and space. He has been editor-in-chief of ''Astronomy'' magazine since 2002. He is author, coauthor, or editor of 23 books on science and American ...

, ''Civil War High Commands''. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. . p. 510. After attending the College of South Carolina, he began practicing law in Franklin County, Missouri, in 1842. He served as a company commander in the 1st Missouri Mounted Volunteers, starting June 27, 1846, during Brigadier General Stephen Kearny's invasion of the

New Mexico Territory The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912. It was created from the U.S. provisional government of New Mexico, as a result of ''Santa Fe de Nuevo México ...

in the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

. Stevenson was mustered out of the volunteers on June 24, 1847. Stevenson later became a member of the Missouri state legislature. Even though he had been born in

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 ...

and had graduated from college in South Carolina, he became a strong supporter of the

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 ...

cause. Stevenson entered the service in 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 ...

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

7th Missouri Volunteer Infantry The 7th Missouri Infantry Regiment, commonly known as the "Irish Seventh", was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. In 1864 a battalion of veteran volunteers of the "Irish Seventh was consolidated with ...

Regiment. He soon had temporary command of brigades 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 ...

. On March 13, 1863,

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...

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 ...

appointed Stevenson brigadier general of volunteers in the

, to rank from November 29, 1862.Eicher, John H., and

, ''Civil War High Commands''. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. . p. 729. Lincoln nominated Stevenson for the appointment on March 4, 1863, and the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

confirmed the appointment on March 11, 1863. Because of a change in the rank date, which was initially to be December 24, 1862, Lincoln submitted the nomination again on December 12, 1864, and the U.S. Senate confirmed the appointment on March 14, 1865. Stevenson resigned from the army as a brigadier general on April 22, 1864, but was recommissioned to rank from November 29, 1862, on August 7, 1864. He served in the

Department of West Virginia Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

thereafter. Stevenson commanded the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, XVII Corps, referred to as the "Irish Brigade" during 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 ...

. He is most famous for making a charge at the

Battle of Champion Hill The Battle of Champion Hill of May 16, 1863, was the pivotal battle in the Vicksburg Campaign of the American Civil War (1861–1865). Union Army commander Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and the Army of the Tennessee pursued the retreating Confe ...

which broke the

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 ...

left flank. On March 26, 1867,

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. He assumed the presidency as he was vice president at the time of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a Dem ...

nominated Stevenson for appointment as a

in the

Regular Army (United States) The Regular Army of the United States succeeded the Continental Army as the country's permanent, professional land-based military force. In modern times the professional core of the United States Army continues to be called the Regular Army (oft ...

, to rank from March 2, 1867, and the United States Senate confirmed the appointment on April 5, 1867, for his service at Champion Hill. Stevenson participated in the subsequent siege and mine explosion at Vicksburg. He later commanded the District of

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 ...

. Stevenson was mustered out of the volunteers on January 15, 1866. On February 24, 1866,

nominated Stevenson for appointment to the grade of

of volunteers, to rank from March 13, 1865, and the

confirmed the appointment on May 4, 1866.Eicher, 2001, p. 715. Stevenson was commissioned a

in the

and appointed to command the 30th U.S. Infantry Regiment, July 28, 1866. He was unassigned March 15, 1869. He was assigned to the 25th U.S. Infantry, December 15, 1870 and discharged from the regular army December 31, 1870. He returned to the practice law after his discharge for the army. John D. Stevenson died at

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

on January 22, 1897, and was buried at

Bellefontaine Cemetery Bellefontaine Cemetery is a nonprofit, non-denominational cemetery and arboretum in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1849 as a rural cemetery, Bellefontaine is home to a number of architecturally significant monuments and mausoleums such as t ...

, St. Louis. File:Sword Presented to Brig. Gen. John Dunlap Stevenson.jpg, Sword presented to Stevenson by his old regiment in 1863. File:21-32-243-stevenson-cropped.jpg, Bronze relief portrait of Stevenson by T.A.R. Kitson at

Vicksburg National Military Park Vicksburg National Military Park preserves the site of the American Civil War Battle of Vicksburg, waged from March 29 to July 4, 1863. The park, located in Vicksburg, Mississippi (flanking the Mississippi River), also commemorates the greater ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stevenson, John D. 1821 births 1897 deaths 19th-century American politicians American military personnel of the Mexican–American War People of Missouri in the American Civil War Union Army generals United States Army colonels Missouri lawyers Members of the Missouri House of Representatives People from Virginia University of South Carolina alumni 19th-century American lawyers

Biography

See also

References

External links