James G. Blunt

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James G. Blunt

James Gillpatrick Blunt , also James Gilpatrick Blunt (born July 21, 1826 in Trenton , Hancock County , Maine , †  July 27, 1881 in Washington, DC ) was an American doctor and abolitionist who rose to the rank of Union major general during the American Civil War .

Before the civil war

James G. Blunt, son of John Blunt and Sally Gilpatrick Blunt, was born in Trenton, Maine. He stayed on his parents' farm until he was 14 years old. Then he went to the Ellsworth Military Academy in Ellsworth (Maine). At the age of 15 he became a seaman on a merchant ship and reached the rank of captain at the age of 20.

In 1845 he moved to Columbus , Ohio , where he enrolled at Starling Medical College . His uncle, Dr. Rufus Gilpatrick, was a teacher there. He graduated there in February 1849, moved to New Madison, Ohio and married Nancy G. Putman on January 15, 1850. He practiced there and took an active part in county politics as a member of the Republican Party .

He then moved to Anderson County , Kansas , in 1856 , following his uncle, who had moved there a few years earlier. Soon afterwards he was involved in the " Bleeding Kansas " conflict . During a clash with the territorial pro- slavery government in 1857, Blunt was part of a force , including James Lane and the abolitionist John Brown .

Blunt was an important member of the Wyandotte Constituent Assembly , which drafted the Kansas State Constitution in 1859, and chaired the Committee on Militia .

In the civil war

When the American Civil War broke out in 1861, Blunt was made Lieutenant Colonel of the 2nd Kansas Volunteer Regiment , part of James Lane's Kansas Brigade . In April 1862, Blunt was named volunteer brigadier general and given command of the Department and Army of Kansas . Blunt's troops were defeated at the First Battle of Newtonia , so the Army of Kansas joined the Army of the Frontier as 1st Division . Blunt led his Cherokee division and Kansas volunteers to victory in the Battle of Old Fort Wayne . In December 1862, Blunt's division joined the 2nd Division under Francis J. Herron . The combined forces met the Confederate forces under Thomas C. Hindman at the Battle of Prairie Grove . Though a tactical tie, the battle was a strategic victory for the Union.

On March 16, 1863, Blunt was named major general of the volunteers. He was the only Kansas officer to achieve this rank during the war. In May 1863 he built Fort Baxter .

Blunt was named commander of the District of the Frontier . He fought for control of Indian territory and won an important victory in the Battle of Honey Springs , which brought a large part of Indian territory under Union control. In October 1863, while he was moving his headquarters from Fort Scott to Fort Smith , a Confederate force under William C. Quantrill met him . The Quantrill's Raiders headed for him, killing over 80 of Blunt's 100-man escort, including his adjutant Major Henry Curtis, son of Major General Samuel Curtis . Blunt escaped. As a result, he was temporarily relieved of his command. In 1864, Blunt was able to restore its reputation. Confederate Maj. Gen. Sterling Price launched an invasion of the Missouri, and Blunt took command of the Army of the Border's 1st Division . He and the cavalry under Alfred Pleasonton were able to hold off Price until Samuel Curtis came to their aid with his troops and the united Union troops defeated Price at the Battle of Westport . At the end of the war, Blunt commanded the District of South Kansas .

After the civil war

After the war he settled in Leavenworth (Kansas), where he resumed his work as a doctor. He also got his license to practice law in Kansas. In 1869 he moved to Washington, where he practiced as a lawyer.

Blunt's behavior became unpredictable in 1879, so he was admitted to a home. He passed away two years later. " Softening of the brain " was given as the cause of death . His body was transferred to Leavenworth, where he was buried in Mount Muncie Cemetery .

Web links

Individual notes

  1. ↑ General Blunt's Account of His Civil War Experiences
  2. ^ A b Collins, Robert, General James G. Blunt: Tarnished Glory , Pelican Publishing, 2005, p.15
  3. ^ Collins, Robert, General James G. Blunt: Tarnished Glory , Pelican Publishing, 2005, p. 16
  4. Jump up ↑ Collins, Robert, General James G. Blunt: Tarnished Glory , Pelican Publishing, 2005, 17
  5. Jump up ^ Collins, Robert, General James G. Blunt: Tarnished Glory , Pelican Publishing, 2005, pp. 19-21
  6. ↑ Collins, Robert, General James G. Blunt: Tarnished Glory , Pelican Publishing, 2005, pp. 25 f.
  7. ^ Warner, Ezra, Generals in Blue , LSU Press, 2002, p. 38
  8. ^ Collins, Robert, General James G. Blunt: Tarnished Glory , Pelican Publishing, 2005, 11
  9. ^ Collins, Robert, General James G. Blunt: Tarnished Glory , Pelican Publishing, 2005, 218
  10. ^ Collins, Robert, General James G. Blunt: Tarnished Glory , Pelican Publishing, 2005, pp. 220-222
personal data
SURNAME Blunt, James G.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Blunt, James Gillpatrick (full name); Blunt, James Gilpatrick (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American doctor and abolitionist
DATE OF BIRTH July 21, 1826
PLACE OF BIRTH Trenton , Hancock County , Maine
DATE OF DEATH July 27, 1881
Place of death Washington, DC