Thomas Jonathan Coffin Amory (November 27, 1828 – October 7, 1864) was an officer in the Regular Army of the United States prior to and 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 ...

Early service and Utah War

After graduating from

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

in 1851, as 30th out of 42 graduates, Amory received the rank of brevet

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 ...

and was assigned to the 7th U.S. Infantry Regiment.Eicher, 103. The 7th Infantry served in the

American West The Western United States (also called the American West, the Far West, and the West) is the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. As American settlement in the U.S. expanded westward, the meaning of the term ''the Wes ...

. In 1857, Amory (by that time a

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 ...

) participated in the Utah War—an armed dispute between the U.S. government and the Mormon settlers in

Utah Territory The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah, the 45th state. ...

.Bowen, 877.

Civil War

Early in 1861, Amory returned to Massachusetts from active duty with the Regular Army to act as a recruiting officer. In May 1861, he 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 ...

in the Regular Army. On September 2, 1861, he was commissioned a colonel of the Massachusetts volunteers by Gov. John Andrew and placed in command of the

17th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry The 17th Massachusetts was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 17th Massachusetts was organized at Camp Schouler in Lynnfield, Massachusetts and mustered in for a three-year enlistment on ...

. The 17th Massachusetts was assigned to the

Department of North Carolina The Department of Virginia and North Carolina was a United States Military department encompassing Union-occupied territory in the Confederate States during the Civil War. In 1863 it was formed by the merging of two previously existing department ...

and shortly after the regiment arrived in North Carolina, Amory was promoted to command the 1st Brigade, 1st Division of the XVIII Corps under the overall command of

Maj. Gen. 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 a ...

John G. Foster John Gray Foster (May 27, 1823 – September 2, 1874) was an American soldier. A career military officer in the United States Army and a Union Army, Union general during the American Civil War, he served in North Carolina, North and South Caroli ...

. Early in 1864, he was promoted to the command of the army District of

Beaufort, North Carolina Beaufort ( ) is a town in and the county seat of Carteret County, North Carolina, Carteret County, North Carolina, United States. Established in 1713 and incorporated in 1723, Beaufort is the fourth oldest town in North Carolina (after Bath, Nor ...

. In the fall of 1864, an epidemic of yellow fever swept through Beaufort. Amory and his wife (who had been staying in garrison with him) both fell victim to the epidemic. Amory died in

New Bern, North Carolina New Bern, formerly called Newbern, is a city in Craven County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 29,524, which had risen to an estimated 29,994 as of 2019. It is the county seat of Craven County and t ...

on October 7, 1864. Amory's wife died a few days before him. Amory was posthumously awarded the grade of brevet brigadier general. It made retroactively effective to the date of his death; October 7, 1864.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Amory, Thomas J.C. Union Army colonels People of Massachusetts in the American Civil War 1828 births 1864 deaths Military personnel from Boston United States Military Academy alumni Deaths from yellow fever

Early service and Utah War

Civil War

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