Dr. Gabriel Grant (September 4, 1826,

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat, seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County and the second largest city within the New Yo ...

– November 8, 1909,

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) was an American doctor and

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 ...

major who was awarded the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of val ...

for his actions at the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

Battle of Fair Oaks. His father was Charles Grant, an officer in the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It be ...

. Grant obtained A.B. and A.M. degrees from Williams College in 1846 and graduated from the College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1851. In 1852, he worked as a surgeon in Panama during the height of the

California Gold Rush The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) was a gold rush that began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California f ...

(when hordes of prospectors traveled across the isthmus on their way to the gold fields by sea) and organized the American Hospital the following year. While there, he also edited the ''Panama Herald''. He then returned to practice medicine in his hometown of Newark. In 1854, he was part of a special commission set up to fight the

cholera Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium '' Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting an ...

epidemic in the city. With the onset of the Civil War, he served as the surgeon of the 2nd Infantry Regiment of New Jersey Volunteers from June to October 1861. He was a member of

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's Brigade during the Battle of Fair Oaks (better known as the Battle of Seven Pines), where his actions on June 1, 1862, earned him the Medal of Honor (awarded July 21, 1897). His Medal of Honor citation reads as follows: In February 1863, he was appointed Medical Director of Hospitals in

Evanston, Indiana Evanston is an unincorporated community in Huff Township, Spencer County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. History A post office was established at Evanston in 1891, and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1989. Geography Evanston i ...

, and was placed in charge of the United States Army Hospital in

Madison, Indiana Madison is a city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, Indiana, United States, along the Ohio River. As of the 2010 United States Census its population was 11,967. Over 55,000 people live within of downtown Madison. Madison is the larges ...

, on September 4 of the same year. He resigned his commission in January 1865 due to a wound he received while operating in the field. Grant married the "wealthy Caroline Manice" in 1864. After the war, they lived in Newark, but soon moved to New York City, where all four of their children (three sons, one daughter) were born. The eldest was the lawyer,

eugenicist Eugenics ( ; ) is a fringe set of beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetic quality of a human population. Historically, eugenicists have attempted to alter human gene pools by excluding people and groups judged to be inferior or ...

, and conservationist Madison Grant (1865–1937). Gabriel Grant died at his home at 22 East 49th Street,

, New York, at the age of 83. He was survived by his wife and three sons.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Grant, Gabriel 1826 births 1909 deaths American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor Physicians from Newark, New Jersey Union Army officers United States Army Medal of Honor recipients Place of death missing Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons alumni Williams College alumni

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