Horace Brooks (August 14, 1814 – January 13, 1894) was an officer in the Regular Army of the United States from 1835 – 1877. After graduating the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

at West Point, he served in the

Second Seminole War The Second Seminole War, also known as the Florida War, was a conflict from 1835 to 1842 in Florida between the United States and groups collectively known as Seminoles, consisting of Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans and ...

. During the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

he was promoted to the rank of

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 ...

and brevetted temporarily to the rank of

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 ...

. 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 ...

, he served in command of artillery batteries at various forts and was eventually placed in command of the 4th United States Artillery Regiment with the rank of

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 of ...

. At the close of the civil war, he was awarded the honorary 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 ...

. He continued his career as a soldier after the Civil War, remaining in command of the 4th U.S. Artillery until his retirement in 1877.Bowen, 891–892.

Early service

Born in Boston, Brooks was sponsored in his early military career by the Marquis de Lafayette who was a friend of the family of his mother, poet Maria Gowen Brooks.Seaver, 24. Nominated by Lafayette, Brooks entered West Point on July 1, 1831 and graduated in 1835. He was appointed

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 ...

and assigned to the 2nd United States Artillery Regiment. Just months after graduating, Brooks saw combat when his regiment was deployed to Florida during the Second Seminole War. As part of a small force under the command of Brig. Gen.

Duncan Lamont Clinch Duncan Lamont Clinch (April 6, 1787 – December 4, 1849) was an American army officer who served as a commander during the War of 1812, and First and Second Seminole Wars. In 1816, he led an attack on Negro Fort, the first battle of the Semin ...

, Brooks participated in the Battle of Withlacoochee against the Seminole during which he was commended by Clinch for his bravery. Following this action, Brooks served as Clinch's

adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commission ...

and was brevetted first lieutenant for his service. Brooks served in the Mexican–American War from 1846 to 1848, achieving the official rank of captain and the brevet rank of lieutenant colonel. During the years leading up to the Civil War, he was in command of the light

battery Battery most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source *Automotive battery, a device to provide power t ...

school at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas.

Civil War

In February 1861, with hostilities increasing and the prospect of Civil War imminent, Capt. Brooks's battery was transferred to Fort McHenry in Baltimore. He played an important role in readying the Fort for combat. In April, he was sent to Fort Pickens which was, at that time, threatened by

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between ...

forces. In November 1861, the

Trent Affair The ''Trent'' Affair was a International incident, diplomatic incident in 1861 during the American Civil War that threatened a war between the United States and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Great Britain. The United States Navy, ...

increased tensions between the United States and Great Britain and Brooks was transferred to Fort Jefferson in the Florida Keys to prepare for possible attack by the British. During 1861, Brooks was promoted twice, attaining the rank of

by the end of the year. In 1862, Brooks became a superintendent of the recruiting service and was transferred to Ohio. On August 1, 1863, he was promoted to colonel and placed in command of the 4th U.S. Artillery Regiment. The regiment was assigned to the defenses of Washington, D.C. Brooks played a significant role in planning the overall defenses of the capitol. For meritorious service during the war, he was brevetted brigadier general, U.S. Army (Regular Army), by nomination of President of the United States

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 June 30, 1866 and confirmation by the U.S. Senate on July 25, 1866, to rank from March 13, 1865.Eicher, John H. and Eicher, David J., ''Civil War High Commands'', p. 732. Stanford University Press, Stanford, CA, 2001. .

Post-Civil War career

Brooks remained in command of the 4th U.S. Artillery Regiment after the Civil War. From 1872 to 1877 he commanded the

Presidio of San Francisco The Presidio of San Francisco (originally, El Presidio Real de San Francisco or The Royal Fortress of Saint Francis) is a park and former U.S. Army post on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula in San Francisco, California, and is part o ...

. In 1877, Brooks retired after 46 years of active service in the army.

Notes

References

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

External links