Aaron Simon Daggett (June 14, 1837 – May 14, 1938) was a career United States Army officer. He was the last surviving

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 ...

Union general of the American Civil War, and the last surviving general of any grade from the war, when he died one month shy of his 101st birthday in 1938.Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher, ''Civil War High Commands.'' Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. . p. 197. Daggett was nominated for appointment to the grade of brevet brigadier general, to rank from March 13, 1865, by President

Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. He assumed the presidency as he was vice president at the time of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a Dem ...

on February 21, 1866 and was confirmed by the United States Senate on April 10, 1866.Eicher, 2001, p. 743. During the war, Daggett fought at West Point, Gaines' Mill, Golding's Farm, White Oak Swamp, Second Bull Run,

South Mountain South Mountain or South Mountains may refer to: Canada * South Mountain, a village in North Dundas, Ontario * South Mountain (Nova Scotia), a mountain range * South Mountain (band), a Canadian country music group United States Landforms * Sou ...

, Antietam, Rappahannock Station, Fredericksburg, Battle of Gettysburg, Battle of Mine Run,

Battle of the Wilderness The Battle of the Wilderness was fought on May 5–7, 1864, during the American Civil War. It was the first battle of Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against General Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Arm ...

and Battle of Cold Harbor. Daggett was a brigadier general of volunteers in the Spanish–American War. He was appointed to the brigadier general grade to rank from September 1, 1898 and was mustered out of the volunteers on November 30, 1898. He was promoted to brigadier general in the Regular Army (United States) ten days before his retirement from the army on March 2, 1901.

Early life and education

Daggett was born in Greene, Maine, on June 14, 1837. He was the son of Yankee parents, whose Puritan ancestors came to New England as part of the

Puritan migration The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Catholic Church, Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become m ...

from England in 1630. Both of Daggett's grandfathers served in the Revolutionary War. Daggett attended Bates College (then called the Maine State Seminary) in Lewiston, Maine, in 1860. He also attended the Monmouth Academy and

Maine Wesleyan Academy Kents Hill School (also known as Kents Hill or KHS) is a co-educational, independent college-preparatory school for boarding and day students. Kents Hill is located in Kents Hill, Maine, 12 miles west of the state capital of Augusta, Maine, August ...

.''Men of the Century, an Historical Work: Giving Portraits and Sketches of Eminent Citizens of the United States'', edited by Charles Morris, (I. R. Hamersly & co., 1896), pg. 165 https://books.google.com/books?id=VtY-AAAAYAAJ

Military career

Civil War

Daggett enlisted as a

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in the

5th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 5th Maine Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment of the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service Organized at Portland, Maine and mustered in June 24, 1861. Left State for Washington, D.C., June 26. Attached to Howard's Brigade, ...

in April 1861, and became 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 ...

in May 1861. He was appointed first lieutenant, June 24, 1861. He fought at the First Battle of Bull Run. He was appointed a

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 ...

, August 15, 1861. Daggett became a

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 ...

of the 5th Maine Infantry Regiment to rank from April 14, 1863. He fought at Second Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Mine Run,

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, and Cold Harbor where he was wounded on May 30, 1864. Daggett was mustered out of the volunteers on July 24, 1864. On January 23, 1865, he was appointed

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 ...

of the 5th United States Veteran Volunteer Infantry Regiment. He was appointed brevet colonel, March 3, 1865. He had brevet appointments as a major in the Regular Army for gallant and meritorious services at Rappahannock Station and as

for services at the Wilderness, both to rank from March 3, 1865. He was again mustered out of the volunteers, May 10, 1865. On February 21, 1866, President

nominated Daggett for appointment to the grade of brevet brigadier general of volunteers, to rank from March 13, 1865, and the United States Senate confirmed the appointment on April 10, 1866. Daggett believed in the

abolition Abolition refers to the act of putting an end to something by law, and may refer to: * Abolitionism, abolition of slavery * Abolition of the death penalty, also called capital punishment * Abolition of monarchy *Abolition of nuclear weapons *Abol ...

of slavery and fought alongside African-American soldiers during the Civil War while serving with the 5th Maine Infantry Regiment. He was also a strong supporter of the temperance movement and gave public lectures on the topic."Church Notes," ''The Christian Work and the Evangelist'', Volume 83, Nov. 2, 1907, pg. 576 Daggett was a member of the Presbyterian church.

Subsequent military career

On July 28, 1866, Daggett became a captain in the 16th U.S. Infantry Regiment. He was transferred to the 2nd U.S. Infantry Regiment on April 17, 1869. He was appointed major in the 13th U.S. Infantry Regiment on February 2, 1892. He was appointed lieutenant colonel in the 25th U.S. Infantry Regiment on October 1, 1895. In his military career after the Civil War, Aaron Daggett went on to fight in the Indian Wars, in which he received a purple heart, the Spanish–American War in China, and the Philippines and received another Purple Heart and the Gold Star. (These quoted ref. do not state awarding of the a-fore referenced Medals. Data needs to be sourced from National Military Archives.) During the Spanish–American War, Daggett was temporarily appointed to the brigadier general grade to rank from September 1, 1898 and was mustered out of the volunteers on November 30, 1898. He was present at the Battle of San Juan Hill. On February 21, 1900 Daggett became a brigadier general of the regular U.S. Army before retiring on March 2, 1901 to Auburn, Maine.

Death and legacy

Aaron S. Daggett died at the age of 100 at his home in

West Roxbury West Roxbury is a neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts bordered by Roslindale and Jamaica Plain to the northeast, the town of Brookline to the north, the cities and towns of Newton and Needham to the northwest and the town of Dedham to the ...

, Massachusetts on May 14, 1938, making him the last surviving brevet or full, substantive rank Union general of the Civil War. He was buried at Old Valley Cemetery, Greene Corner, Maine. Daggett Terrace (Veterans Village Subdivision) in New Port Richey Florida is named after Aaron Daggett.

Notes

References

* Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher, ''Civil War High Commands.'' Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. .

External links

Picture and Obituary of Daggett, Portland Maine, Press Herald, 8/14/1938
{{DEFAULTSORT:Daggett, Aaron S. 1837 births 1938 deaths American abolitionists American centenarians Men centenarians American military personnel of the Spanish–American War Bates College alumni People from Androscoggin County, Maine People of Maine in the American Civil War United States Army generals Union Army officers Activists from Maine Kents Hill School alumni People from West Roxbury, Boston Military personnel from Massachusetts