Greely Stevenson Curtis (November 21, 1830 – February 12, 1897) was a volunteer officer in the

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 ...

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 th ...

Early life and education

Greely Stevenson Curtis was born November 21, 1830, at Boston, Massachusetts.Hunt, Roger D. and Brown, Jack R. ''Brevet Brigadier Generals in Blue''. Gaithersburg, MD: Olde Soldier Books, Inc., 1990. . p. 142. His brother was

James F. Curtis James Freeman Curtis II (December 19, 1825 – March 1, 1914), participant in the 1849 California Gold Rush, Chief of Police of San Francisco, officer in the California state militia and volunteer in the American Civil War. Biography James Fr ...

who was Colonel of the 4th California Volunteer Infantry Regiment and also was awarded the honorary grade of

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 ...

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 ...

for faithful and meritorious services during the war.

Civil War service

Curtis was a captain in the 2nd Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment. He became lieutenant colonel and commander of the 1st Massachusetts Volunteer Cavalry. On March 28, 1867,

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 ful ...

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 ...

nominated Curtis for the award of the honorary grade of

brigadier general,

United States Volunteers United States Volunteers also known as U.S. Volunteers, U.S. Volunteer Army, or other variations of these, were military volunteers called upon during wartime to assist the United States Army but who were separate from both the Regular Army and the ...

, to rank from March 13, 1865, for gallant and meritorious services during the war, and the

U.S. 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 powe ...

confirmed the award on March 30, 1867.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. 743

Post-war life

After the war, Curtis was a civil engineer, architect and fire commissioner of Boston between 1876 and 1878. Greely S. Curtis died February 12, 1897, at Boston, Massachusetts. He is buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Notes

References

* * *Hunt, Roger D. and Brown, Jack R. ''Brevet Brigadier Generals in Blue''. Gaithersburg, MD: Olde Soldier Books, Inc., 1990. .

External links