George Wright (October 22, 1803 – July 30, 1865) was an American soldier who served in 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 ...

and 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 career

Wright was born in

Norwich, Vermont Norwich is a town in Windsor County, in the U.S. state of Vermont. The population was 3,612 at the 2020 census. Home to some of the state of Vermont's wealthiest residents, the municipality is a commuter town for nearby Hanover, New Hampshir ...

, the son of Roswell Wright and Jemima (Rose) Wright. Wright's family had an extensive military background; his father was a veteran of 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 bega ...

and

Norwich University Norwich University – The Military College of Vermont is a private senior military college in Northfield, Vermont. It is the oldest private and senior military college in the United States and offers bachelor's and master's degrees on-campus ...

founder

Alden Partridge Alden Partridge, (February 12, 1785 - January 17, 1854) was an American author, legislator, officer, surveyor, an early superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York and a controversial pioneer in U.S. military educ ...

was related to his mother. Wright graduated from

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

in 1822 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant of Infantry. He served in the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment on the frontier in

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

and

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...

. In 1838 he transferred to the 8th US Infantry Regiment and served on the Canada–US border. In 1844, he fought in Florida against the

Seminole The Seminole are a Native American people who developed in Florida in the 18th century. Today, they live in Oklahoma and Florida, and comprise three federally recognized tribes: the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, an ...

s where he was appointed

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 ...

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 ...

for meritorious service. During the

, he served with the 8th Infantry at Vera Cruz and at the

Battle of Molino del Rey The Battle of Molino del Rey (8 September 1847) was one of the bloodiest engagements of the Mexican–American War as part of the Battle for Mexico City. It was fought in September 1847 between Mexican forces under General Antonio León against ...

, where he was wounded. For this service he was appointed a brevet

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 ...

. In 1848 he was promoted to major, and then

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 ...

in 1855, when he transferred to the 4th Infantry Regiment and served on the

West Coast West Coast or west coast may refer to: Geography Australia * Western Australia *Regions of South Australia#Weather forecasting, West Coast of South Australia * West Coast, Tasmania **West Coast Range, mountain range in the region Canada * Britis ...

. Later in 1855 he was promoted to

and sent to

Fort Monroe Fort Monroe, managed by partnership between the Fort Monroe Authority for the Commonwealth of Virginia, the National Park Service as the Fort Monroe National Monument, and the City of Hampton, is a former military installation in Hampton, Virgi ...

, Virginia to recruit the 9th Infantry Regiment, which, when at strength, was sent to the

Washington Territory The Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington. It was created from the ...

. In 1858 Wright oversaw the construction of

Fort Dalles Fort Dalles was a United States Army outpost located on the Columbia River at the present site of The Dalles, Oregon, in the United States. Built when Oregon was a territory, the post was used mainly for dealing with wars with Native Americans. Th ...

Oregon Territory The Territory of Oregon was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 14, 1848, until February 14, 1859, when the southwestern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Oregon. Ori ...

from a wood outpost to a more substantial base while in command.Horner, John B. (1921). ''Oregon: Her History, Her Great Men, Her Literature''. The J.K. Gill Co.: Portland. p. 122–123 He fought in the

Yakima War The Yakima War (1855–1858), also referred to as the Yakima Native American War of 1855 or the Plateau War, was a conflict between the United States and the Yakama, a Sahaptian-speaking people of the Northwest Plateau, then part of Washington T ...

in 1855–56. In 1858, in retaliation for the Steptoe Battle, he soundly defeated the combined tribes in the

Battle of Four Lakes The Battle of Four Lakes was a battle during the Coeur d'Alene War of 1858 in the Washington Territory (now the states of Washington and Idaho) in the United States. The Coeur d'Alene War was part of the Yakima War, which began in 1855. The battl ...

and the Battle of Spokane Plains near

Spokane Spokane ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south of the Ca ...

. On September 23, 1858, after signing agreements with the Coeur d'Alenes, Wright was in camp near Latah (Hangman's) Creek, near present-day Spokane, Washington. He had in custody Chief Owhi, regarded as a perpetrator of the attacks on white settlers which led to the Yakima War. Wright sent for Owhi's son,

Qualchan Qualchan (died September 24, 1858) was a 19th-century Yakama chieftain who participated in the Yakama War with his cousin Kamiakin and other chieftains. Qualchan was born into the We-ow-icht family, reputed to have come from the stars. His spiri ...

, also considered a perpetrator, threatening to hang Owhi unless Qualchan came to the camp. When Qualchan rode in the next day, he was taken into custody and hung within 15 minutes. Wright issued the orders to hang him, telling Captain

James Allen Hardie James Allen Hardie (May 5, 1823 – December 14, 1876) was an American soldier, serving in a number of important administrative positions in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Early life Hardie was born in New York City. He graduated fr ...

to carry out the duty.

Civil War

At the beginning of the Civil War, Wright was the commanding officer of the Department of Oregon. Then, for a few months in 1861, he was the commanding officer of the

District of Southern California The District of Southern California was a nineteenth century district of Department of the Pacific, a command of the United States Army. History Department of the Pacific was created January 15, 1861, during the American Civil War. The District o ...

. In October 1861, he was promoted to

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 ...

of Volunteers and placed in command of the

Department of the Pacific The Department of the Pacific or Pacific Department was a major command ( Department) of the United States Army from 1853 to 1858. It replaced the Pacific Division, and was itself replaced by the Department of California and the Department of O ...

, replacing

Edwin Vose Sumner Edwin Vose Sumner (January 30, 1797March 21, 1863) was a career United States Army officer who became a Union Army general and the oldest field commander of any Army Corps on either side during the American Civil War. His nicknames "Bull" or "Bul ...

, on Sumner's recommendation. Although Wright would have preferred to have been sent East during the Civil War, he remained in California where he commanded the largest force ever in the Far West—6,000 troops in 1862. His duties included protecting the frontier, keeping watch on

secession Secession is the withdrawal of a group from a larger entity, especially a political entity, but also from any organization, union or military alliance. Some of the most famous and significant secessions have been: the former Soviet republics le ...

ists, safeguarding the coast, and moving troops eastward. The climate of San Francisco was not agreeable to Wright, because of his

asthma Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, cou ...

, and he wanted to move the headquarters to

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

. The headquarters did not move, although Wright did spend time in Sacramento.

Postbellum

When the

regular army A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregulars, irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenary, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the ...

reorganized in 1865 and created the Military Division of the Pacific, Wright commanded the

District of California The District of California was a Union Army command department formed during the American Civil War. The district was part of the Department of the Pacific, the commander of the department also being District commander. The district was created a ...

for a few months until he was given command of the newly created

Department of the Columbia The Department of the Columbia was a major command ( Department) of the United States Army during the 19th century. Formation On July 27, 1865 the Military Division of the Pacific was created under Major General Henry W. Halleck, replacing the Dep ...

. He may have been removed from command of the Department of the Pacific in order for the Army to have a position for

Maj. Gen. Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

Irvin McDowell Irvin McDowell (October 15, 1818 – May 4, 1885) was a career American army officer. He is best known for his defeat in the First Battle of Bull Run, the first large-scale battle of the American Civil War. In 1862, he was given command o ...

. Wright and his wife died at sea ''en route'' to his new command when the steamer ''Brother Jonathan'' was wrecked off the California coast. His body was recovered six weeks later. He is interred in the

Sacramento Historic City Cemetery The Sacramento Historic City Cemetery (or Old City Cemetery), located at 1000 Broadway, at 10th Street, is the oldest existing cemetery in Sacramento, California, Sacramento, California. It was designed to resemble a Victorian garden and sect ...

. For his service as commander of the Department of the Pacific, he was appointed a brevet brigadier general in the regular army.

Namesake

Fort George Wright Fort George Wright is a land area in the northwest United States, located in Spokane, Washington's West Hills neighborhood. It is named after General George Wright, who had been stationed in the area. History In 1895, local residents purchased ...

, located near Spokane, was named in his honor. Wright's Point, a Harney County landmark, was named for him. Fort George Wright Drive in Spokane was renamed Whistalks Way in 2020. The name change acknowledges the brutality imposed on Native American tribes in Spokane by Col. George Wright. The new name honors Whist-alks, a woman warrior and Spokane Indian who played a role in the resistance against Wright in 1858.

Family

In 1827, Wright married Margaret Wallace Foster (or Forster). They were the parents of three sons and one daughter— Thomas Foster (or Forster), James Heron, Roswell, and Elizabeth H., the wife of Army Captain P. A. Owen.

Notes

References

* ''Appleton's Cyclopædia of American Biography''. New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1889. * Hubbell, John T., and James W. Geary (editors). ''Biographical Dictionary of the Union: Northern Leaders of the Civil War''. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1995. . * Schlicke, Carl P., ''General George Wright: Guardian of the Pacific Coast'', University of Oklahoma Press, 1988, * Warner, Ezra J., ''Generals in Blue: Lives of the Union Commanders'', Louisiana State University Press, 1964, . * ** Note: One and a half columns of text published in the September 23, 1858 issue of The Press, Philadelphia. The newspaper story quotes dispatches sent by Col. G. Wright regarding an "expedition against Northern Indians, camp on the Spokane River, (W.T.), one and a half miles below the Falls, September 6, 1858." * George Wright appears in Sherman Alexie's novel ''

Reservation Blues ''Reservation Blues'' is a 1995 novel by American writer Sherman Alexie, a member of the Spokane and Coeur d'Alene tribes. Plot summary The novel follows the story of the rise and fall of Coyote Springs, a rock and blues band of Spokane Indians ...

'' as an executive for the ironically named "Cavalry Records."

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wright, George 1803 births 1865 deaths People from Norwich, Vermont American military personnel of the Mexican–American War United States Military Academy alumni Deaths due to shipwreck at sea American people of the Indian Wars Union Army generals People of California in the American Civil War People of Oregon in the American Civil War People of Vermont in the American Civil War Accidental deaths in California