John C. Robinson

John C. Robinson

John Cleveland Robinson (born April 10, 1817 in Binghamton , Broome County , New York , † February 18, 1897 ) was an American officer and politician.

Early years

John Cleveland Robinson attended the Military Academy at West Point, New York. He left the Academy not finish to Jura to study. After a year as a civilian, he rejoined the army in October 1839, where he was appointed second lieutenant in the 5th US Infantry .

Robinson was in September 1845 Corpus Christi ( Texas added), where he worked in General Scott's occupation army as a regiment - and brigade quartermaster served. In June 1846 he was promoted to First Lieutenant . He fought during the Mexican-American War . At the Battle of Monterey , he stood out for his actions. He also took part in the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma . In August 1850 he received an appointment as captain and then served in various garrisons . Between 1853 and 1854 he led his troops in multiple skirmishes against hostile Indians in Texas.

He was then transferred to Florida , where he fought in the Third Seminole War in 1856 and again demonstrated his heroism. He led several campaigns against the Seminoles in the Everglades and Big Cyprus Swamp .

After the war he was transferred to the Utah Territory , where he was given command of Fort Bridger . He served at Camp Floyd between 1857 and 1858 during the subsequent Utah War . Camp Floyd was the largest concentration of US troops before the American Civil War . While he was stationed there, he and others asked the Grand Lodge of Missouri to set up their own Masonic lodge in the Utah Territory. The lodge, Rocky Mountain # 205 , was built after approval on March 6, 1859. Captain Robinson was the first Worshipful Master (Engl. Worshipful Master ) of the first Lodge in Utah . In the late 1850s he was ordered back to the east, where he in command of Fort McHenry in Baltimore ( Maryland took over).

American Civil War

With the outbreak of the American Civil War, Maryland was a border state. It remained loyal to the Union, but was a slave state . Secessionists planned to capture Fort McHenry , but Robinson made it appear that reinforcements were imminent for his small 60-man garrison so that he could maintain control of the fort.

Robinson became known as screening officers for the army to Detroit sent, where he worked for a short time Governor William Dennison in setting up the troops in Columbus ( Ohio supported). In September 1861 he was appointed colonel in the 1st Michigan Infantry, a regiment he helped set up. Later that year, he was promoted to major in the U.S. Regular Army 2nd Infantry Regiment, coinciding with his assignment to the Volunteer Army. In the following months he had the command of a brigade of volunteers at Newport News ( Virginia ).

As a result of his extensive combat experience and the need for senior officers in the growing army, he was promoted again on April 28, 1862, this time to Brigadier General of the Volunteers. Soon after, he was transferred to the Army of the Potomac , where he was in command of a brigade in General Kearny's division in III. Corps took over. He took part in the Peninsula Campaign , where he stood out again for his achievements, especially in the Seven Day Battle . General Kearny generously praised Robinson in his official report.

I have reserved General Robinson for the last. To him this day is due, above all others in this division, the honors of this battle. The attack was on his wing. Everywhere present, by his personal supervision and noble example he secured for us the honor of victory.

Robinson took part in the Second Battle of the Bull Run during the North Virginia Campaign in the same year , but missed the Maryland Campaign because his brigade was absent. Then he fought at the Battle of Fredericksburg . He was then transferred to the I. Corps, where he took command of the second division. During this time he took part in the Battle of Chancellorsville in 1863 .

During the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863, Robinson commanded a division in the I. Corps north of the town of Gettysburg . He and his men did quite well on July 1st, but had to retreat through the city due to the hostile odds. For his heroism and achievements at Gettysburg, he was promoted to Brevet - Lieutenant Colonel in the regular army. Due to his services in the Mine Run campaign , especially the Battle of the Wilderness in 1864, he was promoted to Brevet Colonel in the regular army. In the last battle Robinson commanded the second division in the reorganized V Corps, which consisted of his old division and a brigade from Maryland.

Robinson stood before Brigadier General Thomas A. Rowley in a military tribunal for his conduct at Gettysburg.

After the war, Robinson received a Medal of Honor for his conduct in pre- battle battle at Spotsylvania Court House , a battle at Alsop's Farm near Laurel Hill, Virginia. According to the official record, "when attacking the enemy field redoubts, he took the lead of the foremost brigade, where he was badly wounded." Robinson was hooked up on his left knee, resulting in an amputation in his thigh so that he could never return to the battlefield. As a result, he was promoted to major general in the regular army. He then carried out administrative duties in the Department of the East as district commander for the remainder of the war .

Another résumé

Robinson remained in the army after the war ended and was given command of Freedman's Bureau in occupied North Carolina . In July 1866 he was promoted to colonel in the regular army. Robinson retired from the volunteer army on September 1, 1866. In 1867 he was promoted to command of the Military Department of the South . The following year he was reassigned to the Department of the Lakes . He retired on May 6, 1869, and received full major general compensation.

Like many political leaders and social figures these days, Robinson was a Freemason . He became a member of Binghamton Lodge # 177 and rose the ranks there.

Robinson was elected Lieutenant Governor of New York in 1872 . During this time he served under Republican Governor John A. Dix . He was active in veteran affairs. Then he was President of the National Grand Army of the Republic between 1877 and 1879 . A decade later he was elected President of the Society of the Army of the Potomac . In his final years he gradually lost his eyesight and became completely blind.

He died at his home at the age of 79 and was buried in Spring Forest Cemetery in Binghamton, New York.

Honors

A bronze statue of Robinson stands in Gettysburg National Military Park near Oak Ridge.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d} Appleton's Cyclopedia
2. ↑ Official Records
3. ^ Civil War Medal of Honor Recipients (MZ) . In: Medal of Honor citations . United States Army Center of Military History . August 3, 2009. Archived from the original on June 10, 2016. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
4. ^ Masonic Service Organization of North America

Web links

• John C. Robinson in the database of Find a Grave (English)
• New York in the Civil War - Robinson biography
• Masonic Service Association