Oscar Hugh La Grange (April 3, 1837January 5, 1915) was an American lawyer and abolitionist activist. He served as a Union Army officer in the American Civil War, and received an honorary brevet to brigadier general.

Biography

Oscar Hugh La Grange was born on April 3, 1837, in Fulton, Oswego County, New York. In 1845, he and his family moved to

Ripon, Wisconsin Ripon is a city in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 7,733 at the 2010 census. The city is surrounded by the Town of Ripon. Ripon is home to the Little White Schoolhouse, the commonly recognized birthplace of ...

. He attended Ripon College and the University of Wisconsin in Madison. La Grange became an active abolitionist, participating in the Bleeding Kansas conflicts and helping to free Sherman Booth from jail. After his military career, he became superintendent of the

San Francisco Mint The San Francisco Mint is a branch of the United States Mint. Opened in 1854 to serve the gold mines of the California Gold Rush, in twenty years its operations exceeded the capacity of the first building. It moved into a new one in 1874, now kno ...

. Oscar La Grange died of pneumonia on January 5, 1915, in New York City.

Military career

After the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861, La Grange joined the Army and was assigned to the

4th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment The 4th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War, primarily in the Western Theater. It was later mounted and became the 4th Wisconsin Cavalry Regiment. History The 4th Wis ...

. Later that year, he transferred to the 1st Wisconsin Cavalry Regiment. In 1863, La Grange became a brigade commander in the Army of the Cumberland under the command of future U.S. Representative William Rosecrans. He later took part in the Battle of Chickamauga. In 1864, La Grange was serving in the

Battle of Rocky Face Ridge The Battle of Rocky Face Ridge was fought May 7–13, 1864, in Whitfield County, Georgia, during the Atlanta Campaign of the American Civil War. The Union army was led by Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman and the Confederate army by Gen. J ...

when he was taken prisoner by Joseph Wheeler. He was exchanged after three months. Returning to action, La Grange and his brigade played a vital role in the Battle of West Point. After this victory, LaGrange's troopers moved east toward LaGrange, Georgia, where they were met by a group of armed women who called themselves the

Nancy Harts The Nancy Harts were various troops of female militia raised in the Southern United States during the American Civil War. Named in honor of Nancy Hart, all the troops eventually were dissolved, except for the one from LaGrange, Georgia. Chiefly ...

. After Colonel La Grange assured the women that he would not destroy private property, they backed down and disarmed. La Grange was mustered out of the volunteers on July 19, 1865. On January 13, 1866, President

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 La Grange for appointment to the grade of brevet brigadier general of volunteers to rank from March 13, 1865, and the United States Senate confirmed the appointment on March 12, 1866.Eicher, 2001, p. 750.

References

External links

La Grange, Col. Oscar H., 1837-1915
at Wisconsin Historical Society * {{DEFAULTSORT:La Grange, Oscar People from Oswego County, New York People of Wisconsin in the American Civil War Union Army colonels American abolitionists Ripon College (Wisconsin) alumni University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni 1837 births 1915 deaths Deaths from pneumonia in New York City People from Ripon, Wisconsin American Civil War prisoners of war