Richard Coulter, Sr. (October 1, 1827 – October 14, 1908) was an
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 ...
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 o ...
and
brevet 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 volunteers 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 of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...
, a businessman, and banker. During the Civil War he was colonel of the
11th Pennsylvania Infantry
The 11th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment was a Union army regiment that participated in the American Civil War. It had the distinction of being the oldest unit in continuous service from Pennsylvania.
History
The 11th Pennsylvania was recruite ...
, often rising to brigade command upon the wounding of superior officers. In 1866, he was nominated and confirmed as a brevet
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 ...
of volunteers to rank from April 1, 1865.
Early life and career
Richard Coulter, Sr. was born in
Greensburg,
Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
Westmoreland County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 364,663. The county seat is Greensburg. Formed from, successively, Lancaster, Northumberland, and later Bedford co ...
, a son of Eli Coulter Jr. (1791–1830) and Rebecca Alexander. Eli Coulter was a prominent business man and managed a steam mill in Greensburg. Richard attended
Jefferson College in
Washington, Pennsylvania
Washington is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Pennsylvania. A part of the Greater Pittsburgh area in the southwestern part of the state, the city is home to Washington & Jefferson College and Pony League baseball. The populat ...
.
[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. 187. After leaving college in 1845 at the age of 19, he worked in the law office of his uncle,
Richard Coulter (1788–1852) in Greensburg where he remained until the beginning of 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 ...
.
Coulter enrolled in the Westmoreland Guards, a local
militia
A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...
company that was mustered into the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...
as Company E of the Second Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment. It was one of only two regiments sent from Pennsylvania to serve in Mexico. Coulter saw action under General
Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott (June 13, 1786May 29, 1866) was an American military commander and political candidate. He served as a general in the United States Army from 1814 to 1861, taking part in the War of 1812, the Mexican–American War, the early s ...
in the
Siege of Vera Cruz
The Battle of Veracruz was a 20-day siege of the key Mexican beachhead seaport of Veracruz during the Mexican–American War. Lasting from March 9–29, 1847, it began with the first large-scale amphibious assault conducted by United States ...
and the subsequent battles of
Cerro Gordo,
Contreras,
Churubusco, and
Chapultepec
Chapultepec, more commonly called the "Bosque de Chapultepec" (Chapultepec Forest) in Mexico City, is one of the largest city parks in Mexico, measuring in total just over 686 hectares (1,695 acres). Centered on a rock formation called Chapultep ...
, and the
capture and occupation of Mexico City in 1847. He served directly under future Civil War general
John W. Geary, a man he had little respect for due to his vanity.
After the Mexican War, the regiment returned to Pennsylvania in June 1848. Coulter then resumed his study of law and was admitted to the bar in 1849. His uncle had become a Pennsylvania Supreme Court judge in 1846, and Coulter took over his uncle's law practice in Greensburg. He practiced law until the beginning of the Civil War in 1861. Throughout the 1850s, he remained active in the local militia.
Civil War
With the outbreak of the war and the subsequent calls to arms by 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 ...
and then by the
Governor of Pennsylvania,
Andrew Curtin
Andrew Gregg Curtin (April 22, 1815/1817October 7, 1894) was a U.S. lawyer and politician. He served as the Governor of Pennsylvania during the Civil War, helped defend his state during the Gettysburg Campaign, and led organization of the crea ...
, Coulter raised a company of soldiers and was elected as their first
captain. The company soon was made part of the
11th Pennsylvania Volunteers, in which Coulter was promoted to
lieutenant colonel on April 26, 1861.
[ When the regiment was reorganized as a three-year regiment on November 27, 1861, Coulter became the regimental commander until the end of the war in 1865.][ Coulter's regiment fought at Cedar Mountain, Thoroughfare Gap, and ]Second 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 Confederat ...
. At the Battle of Antietam, Coulter assumed command of the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, 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 ...
when Brig. Gen. George L. Hartsuff was wounded. Returning to regimental command Coulter fought at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, being wounded in the former.[ At the ]battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of the Po ...
Coulter assumed command of the 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, I Corps when 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 ...
Gabriel R. Paul and all other ranking officers were wounded on July 1 near Oak Ridge. Coulter himself was wounded but retained brigade commanded until July 3 when he briefly turned over command before resuming command the same day.[
At the start of the 1864 ]Overland Campaign
The Overland Campaign, also known as Grant's Overland Campaign and the Wilderness Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June 1864, in the American Civil War. Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, general-in-chief of all Union ...
, Coulter was in command of his regiment but once again assumed brigade command (2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 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 Ar ...
) at the Wilderness when Brig. Gen. Henry Baxter was wounded on the second day of the battle. At Spotsylvania he assumed command of the 2nd Division, V Corps when Brig. Gen. John C. Robinson was wounded and led the division for two days before returning to brigade command. On May 18, 1864, Coulter received a wound that incapacitated him for the next several months.[ On December 12, 1864, ]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 ...
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 ...
nominated Coulter for appointment to the grade of brevet 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 volunteers, to rank from August 1, 1864, 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 February 20, 1865. During the siege of Petersburg
The Richmond–Petersburg campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War. Although it is more popularly known as the Siege of Petersburg, it was not a cla ...
Coulter briefly returned to the front in command of the 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, V Corps at the battle of Globe Tavern
The Battle of Globe Tavern, also known as the Second Battle of the Weldon Railroad, fought August 18–21, 1864, south of Petersburg, Virginia, was the second attempt of the Union Army to sever the Weldon Railroad during the siege of Petersburg ...
. His final command appointment was the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, V Corps during the Appomattox Campaign. He was mustered out of the volunteer services on July 1, 1865. On May 31, 1866, President Andrew Johnson nominated Coulter for appointment to the grade of brevet 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 ...
of volunteers, to rank from April 1, 1865, for his service at the Battle of Five Forks
The Battle of Five Forks was fought on April 1, 1865, southwest of Petersburg, Virginia, around the road junction of Five Forks, Dinwiddie County, at the end of the Siege of Petersburg, near the conclusion of the American Civil War.
The Union ...
and the United States Senate confirmed the appointment on July 23, 1866.[Eicher, 2001, p. 711.]
Postbellum career
After the Civil War, Coulter returned to Greensburg, where he became active in business. He joined with several other local financiers to invest in various industries, businesses, and residential areas in and around Greensburg. Coulter began a partnership with George Franklin Huff
George Franklin Huff (July 16, 1842 – April 18, 1912) was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.
Biography
George F. Huff was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania. He attended the public schools in Midd ...
, a local businessman and financier who later became a state senator and a U.S. congressman. Coulter and Huff collaborated on several of the largest and most significant companies in Westmoreland County in the 1880s, including the Keystone Coal and Coke Company, the Greensburg-Hempfield Electric Street Railway, and the First National Bank of Greensburg (now the First Commonwealth Bank
First Commonwealth Financial Corporation is a financial services company based in Indiana, Pennsylvania, primarily serving the Western and Central Pennsylvania as well as Canton, Ohio and Columbus, Ohio.
First Commonwealth has long served the Ce ...
). Coulter served at the bank's president until his death in 1908. His son, Richard Coulter Jr
Richard Coulter Jr. (October 3, 1870 – September 26, 1955) was a World War I general, a businessman, a professional football player and a banker.
Early life and career
Coulter was born in Greensburg, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, the f ...
. (1870–1955) took over as president and held that position for more than 40 years.
Greensburg was located on a large vein of bituminous coal about 30 miles east of Pittsburgh. Coal and coke were needed for steel mills that were built in and near Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...
in the 1860s and 1870s. Coulter and Huff prospered with the rising steel industry by developing and mining the coalfields in Westmoreland County.
General Coulter married Emmy Welty (1841–1929) and had six children—Richard Coulter Jr., Rebecca, Henry, Alexander, William, and Margaret.
Memorial
Coulter is memorialized on the Pennsylvania State Monument at Gettysburg National Military Park
The Gettysburg National Military Park protects and interprets the landscape of the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. Located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the park is managed by the National Park Service. The GNMP propert ...
.
As the "most famous Civil War veteran" from Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
Westmoreland County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 364,663. The county seat is Greensburg. Formed from, successively, Lancaster, Northumberland, and later Bedford co ...
, Coulter's grave was featured by the Westmoreland County Historical Society's celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War.
See also
* List of American Civil War brevet generals (Union)
__NOTOC__
This is a list of American Civil War brevet generals that served the Union Army. This list of brevet major generals or brevet brigadier generals currently contains a section which gives the names of officers who held lower actual or ...
Notes
References
* Boucher, John N., ''Old and New Westmoreland'', American Historical Society, 1918.
* 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, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001. .
* Hahn, Ed, "Three Richard Coulters", ''Westmoreland Chronicle'', newsletter of the Westmoreland County Historical Society, Fall 2007, page 10.
* Sopko, Jennifer, "From Major General to Major Stockholder", ''Westmoreland History'', published by the Westmoreland County Historical Society, Summer 2007, page 12.
* Van Atta, Robert, ''A Bicentennial History of the City of Greensburg, PA'', Chas M. Henry Printing Co., 1999.
Further reading
* Coulter, Richard, "The Westmoreland Guards in the War with Mexico, 1846-1848." ''Western Pennsylvania Historical Magazine'' Number 24 (1941), 101–126.
Locke, William Henry, "The Story of the Regiment." Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, J.B. Lippincott & Co., 1868.
* Peskin, Allan, ed. ''Volunteers: the Mexican War journal of Private Richard Coulter and Sergeant Thomas Barclay, Company E, Second Pennsylvania Infantry''. Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press, 1991.
* Stouffer, Cindy and Cubbison, Shirley, "A Colonel, A Flag, And A Dog," Thomas Publications, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, 1998.
External links
Portrait of Richard Coulter in the United States Library of Congress
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coulter, Richard
1827 births
1908 deaths
Union Army colonels
Washington & Jefferson College alumni
People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War
American military personnel of the Mexican–American War
People from Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
American financial businesspeople
American diarists
19th-century American businesspeople
19th-century diarists