Franklin Stillman Nickerson was 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 ...

. He primarily served in 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 co ...

Biography

Nickerson was born in Swanville, Maine in 1826. He graduated from the East Corinth Academy in Maine and practiced law. He worked as a U.S. Customs agent prior to the Civil War. In 1861 Nickerson joined the 4th Maine Volunteer Regiment as a major. He fought at the

first Battle of Bull Run The First Battle of Bull Run (the name used by Union forces), also known as the Battle of First Manassas

where he was commended by Oliver O. Howard. He became lieutenant colonel, then colonel of the 14th Maine Volunteer Regiment and was sent to Louisiana. He fought in the Battle of Baton Rouge and was subsequently promoted to brigadier general of volunteers on November 29, 1862. General Nickerson took command of the 3rd Brigade in General Thomas W. Sherman's 2nd Division of the

Army of the Gulf The Army of the Gulf was a Union Army that served in the general area of the Gulf states controlled by Union forces. It mainly saw action in Louisiana and Alabama. History The Department of the Gulf was created following the capture of New Orlea ...

. He led the brigade at the

siege of Port Hudson The siege of Port Hudson, Louisiana, (May 22 – July 9, 1863) was the final engagement in the Union campaign to recapture the Mississippi River in the American Civil War. While Union General Ulysses Grant was besieging Vicksburg upriver, Ge ...

. On May 28 Generals Sherman and Dow were wounded in the Union assault across the Slaughter Field, but Nickerson being the ranking officer in the division wasn't notified until later in the day. Therefore, the division briefly fought leaderless.Brig. Gen. Nickerson
/ref> Nickerson led the division for only a short time until replaced by General William Dwight two days later. Nickerson continued to lead his brigade throughout the siege. He was transferred to command the 1st Brigade, 2nd Division in the XIX Corps during the Red River Campaign. In July 1864 he was placed in command of the Defenses of New Orleans and resigned in May 1865. After the war Nickerson resumed his law practice. He died in Boston, Massachusetts in 1917.

References

* Eicher, John H., and Eicher, David J., ''Civil War High Commands'', Stanford University Press, 2001, . * {{DEFAULTSORT:Nickerson, Franklin 1826 births 1917 deaths Union Army generals Maine lawyers United States Customs Service personnel 19th-century American lawyers

Biography

See also

References