Samuel Beckley Holabird (June 16, 1826 - February 3, 1907) was a career officer in the

United States 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, cla ...

. A

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 ...

veteran of 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 ...

, Holabird attained the rank of

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 ...

and is most notable for his service as the Army's Quartermaster General, a position he held from 1883 to 1890.

Early life

Samuel B. Holabird was born in

Canaan, Connecticut Canaan is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,080 at the 2020 census, down from 1,234 at the 2010 census. The town of Canaan is often referred to locally by the name of its principal settlement, Falls V ...

on June 16, 1826, the son of Hoatio Nelson Holabird and Amanda Malvina (Beckley) Holabird. He was educated in Canaan and at Winsted Academy in

Winchester, Connecticut Winchester is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 10,224 at the 2020 census. The city of Winsted is located in Winchester. History Winchester was incorporated on May 21, 1771, and named after Winchester in ...

and Amenia Seminary in

Amenia, New York Amenia is a town in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 4,436 at the 2010 census. The town is on the eastern border of the county. History Amenia is one of the original towns formed by act of March 7, 1788. It compris ...

. Holabird attended the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

and graduated in 1849 ranked 31st in a class of 43. He received his commission as a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

(by

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 ...

) of

Infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

, and was assigned to the 1st Infantry Regiment at

Fort Brown Fort Brown (originally Fort Texas) was a military post of the United States Army in Cameron County, Texas, during the latter half of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th century. Established in 1846, it was the first US Army military ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

Start of career

Holabird performed frontier and scouting duties at Fort Brown,

Fort Duncan Fort Duncan was a United States Army base, set up to protect the first U.S. settlement on the Rio Grande near the current town of Eagle Pass, Texas. History A line of seven army posts were established in 1848–49 after the Mexican War to protect ...

and Fort McIntosh from 1849 to 1850. He received his permanent commission as a second lieutenant on June 10, 1850. From 1850 to 1858, Holabird performed quartermaster, frontier, and scouting duties at Ringgold Barracks, Fort Terrett, Fort Duncan, and

Fort McKavett The Fort McKavett State Historic Site is a former United States Army installation located in Menard County, Texas. The fort was first established in 1852 as part of a line of forts in Texas intended to protect migrants traveling to California. Th ...

. He was promoted to

first 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 ...

on May 31, 1855. From 1858 to 1859, Holabird was on recruiting duty, and he served as the adjutant of the United States Military Academy from 1859 to 1861. On May 13, 1861, Holabird was 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 ...

American Civil War

Holabird served as quartermaster of the Union Army encampment in

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in Pe ...

from June to August, 1861. He was quartermaster of the camp in

Frederick, Maryland Frederick is a city in and the county seat of Frederick County, Maryland. It is part of the Baltimore–Washington Metropolitan Area. Frederick has long been an important crossroads, located at the intersection of a major north–south Native ...

from August, 1861 to July, 1862. He was quartermaster of the division commanded by

Nathaniel P. Banks Nathaniel Prentice (or Prentiss) Banks (January 30, 1816 – September 1, 1894) was an American politician from Massachusetts and a Union general during the Civil War. A millworker by background, Banks was prominent in local debating societies, ...

in July and August 1862, followed by assignment as the quartermaster of the

Army of Virginia The Army of Virginia was organized as a major unit of the Union Army and operated briefly and unsuccessfully in 1862 in the American Civil War. It should not be confused with its principal opponent, the Confederate Army of ''Northern'' Virginia, ...

II Corps 2nd Corps, Second Corps, or II Corps may refer to: France * 2nd Army Corps (France) * II Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * II Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French ...

. Holabird took part in the Northern Virginia campaign, then served with the

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the principal Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the surrender of the Confedera ...

during the Maryland campaign, including the

Battle of Antietam The Battle of Antietam (), or Battle of Sharpsburg particularly in the Southern United States, was a battle of the American Civil War fought on September 17, 1862, between Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and Union G ...

on September 17, 1862. He was chief quartermaster of the

Department of the Gulf The Department of the Gulf was a command of the United States Army in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and of the Confederate States Army during the Civil War. History United States Army (Civil War) Creation The department was cons ...

from December 1862 to July 1865, and participated in the

Siege of Port Hudson The siege of Port Hudson, Louisiana, (May 22 – July 9, 1863) was the final engagement in the Union (American Civil War), Union campaign to recapture the Mississippi River in the American Civil War. While Major General#United States, Union Gen ...

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

from May 25 to July 9, 1863. Holabird became ill in Louisiana and was on sick leave from July 13, 1863, to October 1, 1865. While he recovered, Holabird translated

Antoine-Henri Jomini Antoine-Henri Jomini (; 6 March 177922 March 1869) was a Swiss military officer who served as a general in French and later in Russian service, and one of the most celebrated writers on the Napoleonic art of war. Jomini's ideas are a staple at ...

's ''Treatise on Grand Military Operations'' from French to English, enabling the U.S. military to make use of Jomini's work. He served as depot quartermaster in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

from October 1 to December 16, 1865. From October 1, 1865, to March 7, 1866, Holabird was the chief quartermaster of the Department of Louisiana. Holabird received a

promotion 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 ...

to recognize his distinguished service and he was promoted to the permanent rank of major on July 2, 1862. He received a temporary promotion 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 July 11, 1862. At the end of the war, he received brevet promotions 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 ...

, colonel, and

to recognize the superior service he displayed during the course of the war.

Post-Civil War

After the war, Holabird reverted to his permanent rank of major. From March 1866 to February 1867, he was assigned to

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

to settle the Department of the Gulf's wartime accounts and claims. On July 29, 1866, Holabird was promoted to lieutenant colonel. From March 12, 1867, to May 1, 1872, Holabird was chief quartermaster of the

Department of Dakota A subdivision of the Division of the Missouri, the Department of Dakota was established by the United States Army on August 11, 1866, to encompass all military activities and forts within Minnesota, Dakota Territory and Montana Territory. The Depar ...

. He was chief quartermaster of the

Department of Texas The Department of Texas was a military department of the United States Army that existed from 1850 to 1861, and again from 1865 to 1866, from 1870 to 1913 and during the First World War. It was subordinate to the Military Division of the Missouri. ...

from June 6, 1872, to August 15, 1875, and the

Military Division of the Missouri The Military Division of the Missouri was an administrative formation of the United States Army that functioned through the end of the American Civil War and the Indian Wars that continued after its conclusion. It was created by the War Departmen ...

from November 1, 1875, to May 6, 1878. Holabird was chief quartermaster of the

Department of the Pacific The Department of the Pacific or Pacific Department was a major command ( Department) of the United States Army from 1853 to 1858. It replaced the Pacific Division, and was itself replaced by the Department of California and the Department of O ...

and

Department of California The Department of California was an administrative department of the United States Army. The Department was created in 1858, replacing the original Department of the Pacific, and it was ended by the reorganizations of the Henry L. Stimson Plan i ...

from May 1878 to October 1879. From November 11, 1879, to April 30, 1882, he served as the Army's Assistant Quartermaster General. Holabird received promotion to colonel on January 22, 1881. He commanded the army's

Philadelphia Quartermaster Depot The Philadelphia Quartermaster Depot, now known as the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, was founded as the Schuylkill Arsenal in 1799. History The Schuylkill Arsenal was built in 1800 to function as a quartermaster and provide the U.S. mil ...

from May 1, 1882, to July 1, 1883.

Quartermaster General

Holabird was promoted to brigadier general on July 1, 1883, and assigned as

Quartermaster General of the United States Army The Quartermaster General of the United States Army is a general officer who is responsible for the Quartermaster Corps, the Quartermaster branch of the U.S. Army. The Quartermaster General does not command Quartermaster units, but is primarily f ...

. He held the post until his retirement from the army on June 16, 1890. As Quartermaster General, Holabird oversaw the effort to resolve pending civilian claims for property lost, damaged, or appropriated by the military during the Civil War, the last of which was settled in 1889. Holabird also undertook an effort to enhance soldier facilities and living conditions, including improvements to uniforms and personal equipment, and new or refurnished barracks, mess halls, storehouses, and hospitals. Holabird also undertook an unsuccessful initiative to professionalize the Army's

Quartermaster Corps Following is a list of Quartermaster Corps, military units, active and defunct, with logistics duties: * Egyptian Army Quartermaster Corps - see Structure of the Egyptian Army * Hellenic Army Quartermaster Corps (''Σώμα Φροντιστών ...

. Under the prevailing system, soldiers from the Army's basic branches, including

Cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

, and

Artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

, performed quartermaster duties on an as-needed basis. Under Holabirds's plan, the Army would have created approximately 1,300 positions for soldiers to permanently serve as quartermaster clerks, teamsters, and laborers.

Retirement and death

In retirement, Holabird was a resident first of

Evanston, Illinois Evanston ( ) is a city, suburb of Chicago. Located in Cook County, Illinois, United States, it is situated on the North Shore along Lake Michigan. Evanston is north of Downtown Chicago, bordered by Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, Wil ...

, then of Washington, DC. He died in Washington on February 3, 1907 and was buried at the

United States Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery United States Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery, in Washington, D.C., is located next to the U.S. Soldiers' and Airmen's Home. It is one of only two national cemeteries administered by the Department of the Army, the other being Arlin ...

Legacy

Holabird was an inventor and was credited with the creation and fielding of the Army's first

pup tent ''Pup Tent'' is the fourth album by the American alternative rock band Luna, released in 1997. Background "Bobby Peru" is named after an eccentric, overtly creepy character played by Willem Dafoe in the David Lynch film '' Wild at Heart''. Wareh ...

and canvas fatigue uniform. The U.S. Army Transport Ship ''General S. B. Holabird'', which was active in the years prior to and during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, was named for him.

Fort Holabird Fort Holabird was a United States Army post in the city of Baltimore, Maryland, active from 1918 to 1973. History Fort Holabird was located in the southeast corner of Baltimore and northwest of the suburban developments of Dundalk, Maryland, in s ...

, a U.S. Army post in

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

that operated from 1918 to 1973, was named for him.

Family

In 1849, Holabird married Mary Theodosia Grant. They were the parents of three children—Agnes, Mary, and

William William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...

. Agnes Holabird, who married Paul von Kurowsky, was the mother of

Agnes von Kurowsky Agnes Hannah von Kurowsky Stanfield (January 5, 1892 – November 25, 1984) was an American nurse who inspired the character "Catherine Barkley" in Ernest Hemingway's 1929 novel ''A Farewell to Arms''. Kurowsky served as a nurse in an American Re ...

, a Red Cross nurse who cared for

Ernest Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. His economical and understated style—which he termed the iceberg theory—had a strong influence on 20th-century fic ...

after he was wounded during

, and was his inspiration for the heroine in ''

A Farewell to Arms ''A Farewell to Arms'' is a novel by American writer Ernest Hemingway, set during the Italian campaign of World War I. First published in 1929, it is a first-person account of an American, Frederic Henry, serving as a lieutenant () in the am ...

''. William Holabird became a prominent architect based in Chicago. His daughter Cornelia was the wife of U.S. Army general

William Mackey Cruikshank William Mackey Cruikshank (7 November 1870 – 23 February 1943) was a United States army officer. He mainly served with the United States artillery and participated in military conflicts during the Spanish–American War and World War I. Early ...

References

Sources

Internet

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Books

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Newspapers

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Holabird, Samuel B. 1826 births 1907 deaths People from Canaan, Connecticut Military personnel from Evanston, Illinois United States Military Academy alumni Union Army colonels Quartermasters General of the United States Army Burials at United States Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery