General Lysander Cutler

Lysander Cutler (February 16, 1807 – July 30, 1866) was a businessman, educator, politician, and a Union Army general during the American Civil War. Events 1249 - Andrew of Longjumeau is dispatched by Louis IX of France as his ambassador to meet with the Khan of the Mongols Year 1807 ( MDCCCVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1419 - First Defenestration of Prague. 1502 - Christopher Columbus lands at Guanaja in the Bay Islands off Year 1866 ( MDCCCLXVI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Union Army was the army that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South

Early years

Cutler was born in Royalston, Massachusetts, the son of a farmer. Royalston is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Despite objections from his father, he desired a better education than the rudimentary courses he received in the local school, so he studied surveying and then began a career as a schoolmaster. Moving to Dexter, Maine, at the age of 21, he was forced to confront unruly pupils who had "flogged and ejected" the last several teachers who had attempted to discipline them. Dexter is a town in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The population was 3890 at the 2000 census Cutler established his reputation by spending his first day in the "thorough flogging of every bully in the school. "^[1] Although he received some military experience fighting Indians in the Maine militia in the 1830s, the majority of his time before the Civil War was engaged in business pursuits. He started a woolen mill, a foundry, a flour mill, and a sawmill, becoming very wealthy in the process. He invested in various factories and in tenement housing. He was prominent in civic affairs as a selectmen, director of a railroad, trustee of Tufts College, and a state senator. His woolen mill, built in 1843, burned to the ground in 1853, causing him to lose his entire investment. The financial panic of 1856 and depression of 1857 ruined him and he decided to leave Maine and moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to restart his career.

In Wisconsin, Cutler worked as a claims investigator for a mining company. He was required to make frequent trips into Indian territory, where he was often threatened with ambush and death. The mining company eventually failed, but a grain business that he founded in Milwaukee provided him with a living.

Civil War

In the first summer of the Civil War, Cutler, a respected 54-year-old businessman and Indian fighter, was commissioned colonel of the 6th Wisconsin Infantry on July 16, 1861. Colonel ( RP ˈkɜnəl GA ˈkɜrnəl is a Military rank of a Commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every country The 6th Regiment Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry was an Infantry Regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Events 622 - The beginning of the Islamic calendar. 1054 - Three Roman legates fractured relations between the Western and Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The regiment would eventually become one of the units of the famous Iron Brigade. The Iron Brigade, also known as the Iron Brigade of the West or the Black Hat Brigade, was an Infantry Brigade in the Union During the fall and winter, he got off to a bad start as a commander, alienating his junior officers by insisting that they pass examinations on military topics, and removing them from command if he was displeased with the results. Many men of the regiment were of recent immigrant status and he sometimes enraged the enlisted men of the company by replacing their officers with men of different national backgrounds (and sometimes speaking different languages). Despite these problems, Cutler was elevated to temporary brigade command in the I Corps of the Army of the Potomac on March 13, 1862. I Corps (First Corps was the designation of three different Corps -sized units in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. Events 1138 - Cardinal Gregorio Conti is elected Antipope as Victor IV, succeeding Anacletus II. Year 1862 was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Monday His men rejoiced when this temporary position was filled by Brig. Gen. John Gibbon that summer. John Gibbon ( April 20, 1827 &ndash February 6, 1896) was a career United States Army officer who fought in the American Civil His regiment's first significant action was the Second Battle of Bull Run, where he demonstrated that he was a tenacious fighter. Background and opposing forces See also Northern Virginia Campaign See also [[Second Bull Run Confederate order of battle]] [[Confederate order of battle]] One soldier in his regiment said that he was "rugged as a wolf. "^[2] During the fighting against Stonewall Jackson at Brawner's Farm, Cutler was severely wounded in the right thigh, causing him to miss the Maryland Campaign and the Battle of Antietam. Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21 1824 &ndash May 10 1863 was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, and probably the The Maryland Campaign, or the Antietam Campaign, of September 1862 is widely considered one of the major turning points of the American Civil War.

When Gen. Gibbon was promoted to division command, he recommended that the recuperating Cutler be given command of the Iron Brigade, but Col. Solomon Meredith of the 19th Indiana had better political connections and received the appointment, dismaying Cutler. Solomon Meredith ( May 29, 1810 &ndash October 2, 1875) was a prominent Indiana farmer politician and lawman who was a controversial During the Battle of Fredericksburg in December, however, division commander Maj. Background and Burnside's plan The battle was the result of an effort by the Union Army to regain the initiative in its struggle against Lee's smaller but more aggressive army Gen. Abner Doubleday placed Cutler in temporary command of the Iron Brigade for a few hours, dissatisfied with what he considered tardy execution of orders by Meredith. Abner Doubleday (June 26 1819 &ndash January 26 1893 was a career United States Army officer and Union general in the American Civil War. After the battle, Cutler was promoted to brigadier general, to rank from November 29, 1862. Brigadier General is the lowest ranking General Officer in some countries usually sitting between the ranks of Colonel and Major General. Events 1777 - San Jose California, is founded as el Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe Year 1862 was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Monday In the spring of 1863, Cutler was given command of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division (James S. Wadsworth's), I Corps, which he led at the Battle of Chancellorsville in May, but was only lightly engaged. James Samuel Wadsworth (October 30 1807 &ndash May 8 1864 was a philanthropist politician and a Union general in the American Civil War. Forces and plans The Chancellorsville campaign began with the potential of leading to one of the most lopsided clashes in the war

In the Battle of Gettysburg, Cutler's brigade was the first Union infantry on the field on July 1, 1863. Background and movement to battle See also [[Gettysburg Campaign]] [[Gettysburg Battlefield]] [[Gettysburg Confederate order of battle]] [[Confederate order of battle]] "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Year 1863 ( MDCCCLXIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common They were heavily engaged north of the Chambersburg Pike, (76th New York, 147th New York, and 56th Pennsylvania) withstanding multiple Confederate assaults from the divisions of Henry Heth and Robert E. Rodes, coming in from the west and north. The War Department was established by the Confederate Congress in an act on February 21, 1861. Henry "Harry" Heth (ˈhiːθ not /ˈhɛθ/ December 16, 1825 &ndash September 27, 1899) was a career U Robert Emmett Rodes ( March 29, 1829 &ndash September 19, 1864) was a railroad Civil engineer and a promising young Confederate The brigade itself had been split earlier by General Reynolds, with a demi-brigade (14th Brooklyn and 95th New York), under the command of Colonel Fowler of the 14th Brooklyn, to engage Archer's Brigade south of the Chambersburg Pike. By the time the I Corps line broke at 4 p. m. , his brigade had suffered over 50% casualties. During the frantic retreat through the town of Gettysburg, Cutler had two horses shot out from under him. For the remainder of the three-day battle, Cutler's brigade occupied defensive positions on Cemetery Hill and, taking advantage of entrenchments, suffered few additional casualties. Cemetery Hill is a key terrain feature in Gettysburg Pennsylvania, the northernmost extent of Cemetery Ridge.

The Army of the Potomac was reorganized in the spring of 1864 and Cutler was given command of the 1st Brigade, 4th Division, V Corps, on March 25. The V Corps ( Fifth Corps) was a unit of the Union Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War. Events 1199 - Richard I is wounded by a crossbow bolt while fighting France which leads to his death on April 6. After Gen. Wadsworth was mortally wounded at the Battle of the Wilderness, Cutler assumed command of the 4th Division on May 6. Background The battlefield was the Wilderness of Spotsylvania an expanse of nearly impenetrable scrub growth and rough terrain that encompassed more than 70 square miles (181 Events 1527 - Spanish and German troops sack Rome; some consider this the end of the Renaissance. He led the division through the rest of the Overland Campaign and into the Siege of Petersburg. The Overland Campaign, also known as Grant's Overland Campaign and the Wilderness Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and The Richmond-Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865 At the Battle of Globe Tavern on August 21, 1864, he was struck in the face and badly disfigured by a shell fragment. The Battle of Globe Tavern, also known as the Second Battle of the Weldon Railroad, fought from August 18 to August 21, 1864, saw the Events 1192 - Minamoto Yoritomo becomes Seii Tai Shōgun and the De facto ruler of Japan. Year 1864 ( MDCCCLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year He was brevetted to major general as of August 19, but he was forced to leave field command. In the UK and US military brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a Commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily but usually without receiving Major General or Major-General is a Military rank used in many countries Events 43 BC - Octavian, later known as Augustus compels the Roman Senate to elect him Consul. He spent the remainder of the war as an invalid, administering the draft in Jackson, Michigan. Jackson is a city located along Interstate 94 in the south central area of the U

Postbellum

Cutler resigned from the Army on June 30, 1865, his health deteriorating rapidly. Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed by troops of the Usurper Year 1865 ( MDCCCLXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year He died from a stroke,^[3] which doctors attributed to complications from his Globe Tavern wounds, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is buried there in Forest Home Cemetery. Forest Home Cemetery located in Milwaukee Wisconsin is the final resting place of many of the city's famed beer barons politicians and social elite

References

• Eicher, John H. , and Eicher, David J. , Civil War High Commands, Stanford University Press, 2001, ISBN 0-8047-3641-3.
• McLean, James L. , Cutler's Brigade at Gettysburg (Revised edition), Butternut & Blue, 1995, ISBN 0935523421.
• Tagg, Larry, The Generals of Gettysburg, Savas Publishing, 1998, ISBN 1-882810-30-9.
• Warner, Ezra J. , Generals in Blue: Lives of the Union Commanders, Louisiana State University Press, 1964, ISBN 0-8071-0822-7.

Notes