Robert Sanford Foster (January 27, 1834 – March 3, 1903) was an American officer. He served as a
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 ...
general 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 played a prominent role in 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 ...
and the
Appomattox Campaign.
After the assassination of 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 ...
in April 1865, Foster was selected later that year to serve as a member of the Military Commission established to try the conspirators accused of the murder. He resigned from the Army in September 1865 and returned to
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Mari ...
, where he lived and worked for the rest of his life. He served for a period as a US Marshal.
Biography
Foster was born in
Vernon, Indiana
Vernon is a town within Vernon Township and the county seat of Jennings County, Indiana, United States. With a population of 318 in the 2010 census, it is the smallest town with that designation in the state of Indiana, lying just south of the ...
in 1834. He had three brothers, Wallace Foster (who later became a captain in the Civil War), Chapin Foster, and Edgar J Foster. He moved to Indianapolis, where he first worked in the grocery store of an uncle. He also learned the trade of being a
tinner. His brothers also moved to the city, and lived there the rest of their lives.
Marriage and family
He married on May 1, 1861 to Margaret R. Foust, also of Indianapolis. A week later Foster left for the war. The couple had two children together, Clarence Foster (who later lived in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, subdivision_name ...
) and a daughter, who died in September 1898, from an accident.
At the onset of the Civil War, Foster had enlisted as a private of Indiana volunteers. He was quickly promoted to
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 ...
in
Lew Wallace
Lewis Wallace (April 10, 1827February 15, 1905) was an American lawyer, Union general in the American Civil War, governor of the New Mexico Territory, politician, diplomat, and author from Indiana. Among his novels and biographies, Wallace is ...
's
11th Indiana Infantry Regiment
The 11th Indiana Zouaves (officially, "11th Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry") was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
Service 3 Month
The 11th Indiana was enlisted in Indianapolis, Indiana, to ...
and saw action at the
Battle of Rich Mountain
The Battle of Rich Mountain took place on July 11, 1861, in Randolph County, Virginia (now West Virginia) as part of the Operations in Western Virginia Campaign during the American Civil War.
Background
Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan assumed com ...
in western Virginia.
Following these battles, he was transferred to the
13th Regiment Indiana Infantry as
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 ...
and shortly after promoted to
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 ...
on April 30, 1862. Foster led his regiment during
Stonewall Jackson
Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, considered one of the best-known Confederate commanders, after Robert E. Lee. He played a prominent role in nearl ...
's
Valley Campaign of 1862 until his regiment was transferred to southeast Virginia in the vicinity of
Suffolk
Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...
.
Foster took command of a brigade in
John J. Peck
John James Peck (January 4, 1821 – April 21, 1878) was a United States soldier who fought in the Mexican–American War and American Civil War.
Early life
Peck was born on January 4, 1821, in Manlius, New York. His father, John W. Peck, who had ...
's division at Suffolk. When Confederate General
James Longstreet
James Longstreet (January 8, 1821January 2, 1904) was one of the foremost Confederate generals of the American Civil War and the principal subordinate to General Robert E. Lee, who called him his "Old War Horse". He served under Lee as a corps ...
threatened Suffolk in 1863, Peck's garrison was increased to the size of three divisions. Foster commanded the 2nd Brigade in
Michael Corcoran
Michael Corcoran (September 21, 1827 – December 22, 1863) was an Irish- American general in the Union Army during the American Civil War and a close confidant of President Abraham Lincoln. As its colonel, he led the 69th New York Regiment t ...
's 1st Division. During the subsequent
Siege of Suffolk
The siege of Suffolk, also known as the Battle of Suffolk, took place from April 11 to May 4, 1863, near Suffolk, Virginia during the American Civil War.
Background
In 1863 Lt. Gen. James Longstreet was placed in command of the Confederate D ...
, Foster's brigade manned the southwest front of the city's defenses. Following the lifting of the siege, Foster was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers on June 12, 1863.
Foster was transferred to
Quincy A. Gillmore
Quincy Adams Gillmore (February 28, 1825 – April 7, 1888) was an American civil engineer, author, and a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was noted for his actions in the Union victory at Fort Pulaski, where his mod ...
's
X Corps 10th Corps, Tenth Corps, or X Corps may refer to:
France
* 10th Army Corps (France)
* X Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars
Germany
* X Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army
* ...
near
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...
. Foster commanded the 1st Brigade of the Union forces on Folly Island during the
siege of Charleston Harbor
The Second Battle of Charleston Harbor, also known as the siege of Charleston Harbor, siege of Fort Wagner, or Battle of Morris Island, took place during the American Civil War in the late summer of 1863 between a combined U.S. Army/ Navy force ...
. During the early part of 1864, Foster commanded a brigade, then division in Florida.
When Gillmore's corps was transferred to southeast Virginia, Foster was placed in command of the 1st Division, X Corps. During the
Bermuda Hundred Campaign, Foster served as
chief of staff
The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...
to Gillmore. He returned to command the 1st Division briefly before reverting to brigade command. He led his brigade during the
first
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
and
second battles of Deep Bottom. He commanded the 2nd Division, X Corps at the
Battle of New Market Heights
The Battle of Chaffin's Farm and New Market Heights, also known as Laurel Hill and combats at Forts Harrison, Johnson, and Gilmer, was fought in Virginia on September 29–30, 1864, as part of the siege of Petersburg in the American Civil War.
...
.
During the winter of 1864/1865, the
Army of the James
The Army of the James was a Union Army that was composed of units from the Department of Virginia and North Carolina and served along the James River (Virginia), James River during the final operations of the American Civil War in Virginia.
Histor ...
was reorganized, and Foster was placed in command of the 1st Division of the
XXIV Corps, now under the command of
John Gibbon
John Gibbon (April 20, 1827 – February 6, 1896) was a career United States Army officer who fought in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars.
Early life
Gibbon was born in the Holmesburg section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the fourt ...
. Foster notably led his division in an assault on Fort Gregg during the Union
breakthrough at Petersburg. Foster's division was part of the Union force that blocked
Robert E. Lee's line of retreat at Appomattox Court House, leading to the Confederate surrender there. Foster was brevetted to major general of U.S. volunteers on March 13, 1865.
After the culmination of fighting, Foster was selected to serve as a member of the Military Commission in 1865 that tried the
Lincoln Conspirators in the case of President
Lincoln's assassination
On April 14, 1865, Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, was Assassination, assassinated by well-known stage actor John Wilkes Booth, while attending the play ''Our American Cousin'' at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C.
S ...
. Secretary of War
Edward M. Stanton
Edwin McMasters Stanton (December 19, 1814December 24, 1869) was an American lawyer and politician who served as U.S. Secretary of War under the Lincoln Administration during most of the American Civil War. Stanton's management helped organize t ...
and the Judge Advocate General,
Joseph Holt
Joseph Holt (January 6, 1807 – August 1, 1894) was an American lawyer, soldier, and politician. As a leading member of the Buchanan administration, he succeeded in convincing Buchanan to oppose the secession of the South. He returned to Ke ...
agreed that the assassination and related attack on the Secretary of State were acts of war.
After this service, Foster resigned from the army in September 1865.
Later life
Foster returned to Indiana after the war, settling in
Indianapolis
Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
with his family. He became very active in various civil and fraternal organizations, was elected to local office, and served in state appointee posts: he served as an elected alderman; as city treasurer; and as president of the Board of Trade for several years.
He was appointed as a United States Marshall under Presidents Garfield and Arthur for the district of Indiana. He was appointed by the Governor of Indiana as a director of the Northern Prison, and as Quartermaster-General of the National Guard of Indiana. Foster died in Indianapolis in 1903.
Notes
References
* Smith, Charles W. ''Life and Military Services of Brevet Major-General Robert S. Foster''. Indianapolis, Indiana: Edward J. Heckler, 1915. Available online at https://books.google.com/books?id=hWkOAAAAIAAJ&oe=UTF-8.
* Terrell, W.H.H. ''Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Indiana''. Indianapolis, Indiana: Samuel Douglas, State Printers, 1866. Eight Volumes.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Foster, Robert Sanford
1834 births
1903 deaths
Burials at Crown Hill Cemetery
Union Army generals
People from Vernon, Indiana
People from Indianapolis
People associated with the assassination of Abraham Lincoln