Louis Wagner (August 4, 1838 – January 15, 1914) was a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

-born

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military infantry officer who served 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 ...

and as the 9th Commander-in-Chief of the

Grand Army of the Republic The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (U.S. Navy), and the Marines who served in the American Civil War. It was founded in 1866 in Decatur, Il ...

, 1880-1881.

Early life and military career

Wagner was born August 4, 1838, in

Giessen Giessen, spelled Gießen in German (), is a town in the German state (''Bundesland'') of Hesse, capital of both the district of Giessen and the administrative region of Giessen. The population is approximately 90,000, with roughly 37,000 univers ...

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. He moved with his parents to the United States at age 11 and eventually learned the trade of a lithograph printer. Wagner enlisted in August 1861 with the 88th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

and was mustered in September 13, 1861, and commissioned

1st lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...

of Company D. He rose to the rank of

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 D and was wounded in action 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 ...

and captured, but paroled and recovered in hospital at

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...

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; for his distinguished service during the battle, he was promoted to

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

of the regiment. Wagner was wounded in action again at 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 ...

and returned to

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 ...

where he was recovering but deemed unfit for service in the field. During his recovery, Wagner was promoted to

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

, and he volunteered for the command of

Camp William Penn Camp William Penn was a Union Army training camp located in Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania from 1863 to 1865, notable for being the first training ground dedicated to African American troops who enlisted in the United Army during the Americ ...

, the first United States Army training camp for

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

soldiers. Upon a surgeon's recommendation, Wagner received the command and was detached from his regiment during the entire time that the camp was in operation. Wagner was eventually promoted

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 ...

and served as commander of the 5th Brigade, Pennsylvania National Guard until the war's end. For meritorious service during the war, Wagner received a 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 ...

of U.S. Volunteers, March 13, 1865.

Post-war service

After the war, Wagner served as commissioner of public works for Philadelphia and was very active in the

, both at the local, state, and national levels. Wagner was a charter member and first commander of G.A.R. Post #6 in

Germantown Germantown or German Town may refer to: Places Australia * Germantown, Queensland, a locality in the Cassowary Coast Region United States * Germantown, California, the former name of Artois, a census-designated place in Glenn County * Ger ...

, November 13, 1866. The following year he was elected Commander of the Pennsylvania Department and both Junior Vice-Commander and Commander-in-Chief in 1870. He served as Senior Vice-Commander-in-Chief, 1871-1872. Wagner was elected 9th Commander-in-Chief of the G.A.R. in 1880 at the national encampment in

Dayton Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Da ...

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. During his membership with the G.A.R., from 1868 to 1913, he only missed two national encampments. Wagner died January 15, 1914, at his home in Germantown and is buried in Ivy Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia.

References

* Grand Army of the Republic. ''Final Journal of the Grand Army of the Republic, 1866-1956'' (Washington, DC: U.S. Govt. Print. Off.), 1957. {{DEFAULTSORT:Wagner, Louis 1838 births 1914 deaths People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War People from Giessen Hessian emigrants to the United States Union Army colonels Grand Army of the Republic Commanders-in-Chief Burials at Ivy Hill Cemetery (Philadelphia)

Early life and military career

Post-war service

See also

References