Ulysses Doubleday (August 31, 1824 – February 11, 1893) was 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 of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

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 ...

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 ...

. In 1866 he was nominated and confirmed 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 March 13, 1865.

Early life

Ulysses Doubleday was born in Auburn, New York, on August 31, 1824.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. 213. He was described as having 'blue eyes, brown hair, and a fair complexion'. He was the younger brother of Union Army

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 ...

Abner Doubleday Abner Doubleday (June 26, 1819 – January 26, 1893) was a career United States Army officer and Union major general in the American Civil War. He fired the first shot in defense of Fort Sumter, the opening battle of the war, and had a p ...

and the son of congressman and

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...

veteran Ulysses F. Doubleday and Hester Donnelly. Before the Civil War, he was a banker and broker.

Civil War

On January 23, 1862, Ulysses Doubleday was appointed a major and commander of the 4th New York Heavy Artillery. He became an aide-de-camp for his brother in August 1862. He was discharged on March 7, 1863. He returned to service as lieutenant colonel of the

3rd United States Colored Infantry Regiment The 3rd United States Colored Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was composed of African American enlisted men commanded by white officers and was authorized by the ...

, October 2, 1863. He was appointed to the command of the Artillery Brigade in the District of Florida,

Department of the South The Department of the South was a military department of the United States Army that existed in several iterations in the 19th century during and after the American Civil War. 1862–65 After the first 11 months of the American Civil War, startin ...

, in April 1864. He resigned October 5, 1864 and was appointed colonel of the

45th United States Colored Infantry Regiment The 45th United States Colored Infantry was an infantry regiment of the Union Army during the American Civil War. Formation The regiment was formed in 1864, and was composed of men who had been born as free men and others who had been formerly en ...

, October 8, 1864. He immediately took command of the Second Brigade, Third Division,

X Corps (Union Army) X Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War. It served during operations in South Carolina in the Department of the South, and later in Benjamin Butler's Army of the James, during the Bermuda Hundred and Petersburg Campai ...

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 during the final operations of the American Civil War in Virginia. History The Union Department ...

and served in that office until December 3, 1864 except for October 29 - November 6. On December 3, 1864, Doubleday took command of Second Brigade, Second Division,

XXV Corps (Union Army) XXV Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was unique in that it was made up almost entirely of African-American troops. These soldiers had previously belonged to the X Corps and XVIII Corps. As the XXV, they cap ...

, Army of the James until May 18, 1865. Doubleday's brigade was one of two brigades of United States Colored Troops that actively participated in surrounding Confederate forces at Appomattox Court House and was instrumental in the Union victory. Doubleday's brigade was attached to the First Division, 24th Corps between April 7 and April 9, 1865 and was present for the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia. He relocated with his brigade to 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 13, 1865 until some date in July 1865.Eicher, 2001, p. 214. He was discharged from the volunteers on September 12, 1865.

Post-War

On January 13, 1866,

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 ...

Andrew Johnson nominated Doubleday for appointment to the grade of brevet

of volunteers, to rank from March 13, 1865, 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 March 12, 1866.Eicher, 2001, p. 744. After the war he was a member of the

New York Stock Exchange The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, nicknamed "The Big Board") is an American stock exchange in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed ...

, the

Union League The Union Leagues were quasi-secretive men’s clubs established separately, starting in 1862, and continuing throughout the Civil War (1861–1865). The oldest Union League of America council member, an organization originally called "The Leag ...

, and the Saint Nicholas Society of New York. He later retired to a large farm in Asheville, North Carolina. Ulysses Doubleday died in

Tryon, North Carolina Tryon is a town in Polk County, on the southwestern border of North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,646. Located in the escarpment of the Blue Ridge Mountains, today the area is affluent and a center f ...

on February 11, 1893. He was interred at

Woodlawn Cemetery (Bronx, New York) Woodlawn Cemetery is one of the largest cemeteries in New York City and a designated National Historic Landmark. Located south of Woodlawn Heights, Bronx, New York City, it has the character of a rural cemetery. Woodlawn Cemetery opened during t ...

Notes

References

* Eicher, John H., and

. ''Civil War High Commands''. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001. . *Smith Bartlett, Joan. ''Abner Doubleday: His Life and Times.'' Xlibris Corporation LLC.

External links