Adolph Engelmann Explained

Adolph Engelmann
Birth Date:11 February 1825
Birth Place:Imsbach, Kingdom of Bavaria
Death Place:Shiloh, Illinois
Placeofburial:Shiloh, Illinois
Allegiance:Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein
United States of America
Branch:Schleswig-Holstein Army
United States Army
Branch Label:Branch
Rank: Colonel
Brevet Brigadier General
Unit:2nd Regiment of Illinois Volunteers
Commands:43rd Illinois Infantry Regiment
1st Brigade, Kimball's Division, XVI Corps
2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, VII Corps
Battles:Mexican–American War
First Schleswig War
American Civil War
Laterwork:Farmer, lawyer, postmaster

Adolph Engelmann [1] (February 11, 1825 – October 5, 1890) was a farmer, lawyer, postmaster, Mexican–American War veteran, and Union Army colonel during the American Civil War. On May 18, 1866, the United States Senate confirmed his appointment as brevet brigadier general of volunteers.

Biography

Engelmann was born in Imsbach, then in the Kingdom of Bavaria, on February 11, 1825.[2] [3] His family immigrated to the United States in 1831. He served as a second lieutenant in the 2nd Regiment of Illinois Volunteers (12 months) during the Mexican–American War.[4] He was wounded at the Battle of Buena Vista in February 1847. After becoming a Chicago lawyer, Engelmann briefly served in the provisional army of the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein during the First Schleswig War.

On December 16, 1861, Engelmann was commissioned a lieutenant colonel of the 43rd Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment. He participated with his regiment in garrisoning Fort Donelson after its capture by the Union Army under Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant. As commander of the regiment, he fought at the Battle of Shiloh. He was promoted to colonel of the regiment on April 12, 1862. Engelmann succeeded Colonel Julius Raith, his company captain in the Mexican–American War, who was mortally wounded while commanding the brigade which included his 43rd Illinois Infantry Regiment at the Battle of Shiloh.

While still colonel of the 43rd Illinois Infantry Regiment, Engelmann commanded brigades, and briefly divisions, during the remainder of his term or service. From May 28, 1863, to August 10, 1863, including the Siege of Vicksburg, Engelmann commanded the 1st Brigade, Kimball's Division, XVI Corps, Army of the Tennessee. He commanded the 2nd Divisionof the same corps, then in the Army of Arkansas, from September 6, 1863, to September 31, 1863, before resuming command of his brigade in that division. He participated in the capture of Little Rock, Arkansas. On January 6, 1864, the Army of Arkansas became the Department of Arkansas. Engelmann took command of the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, VII Corps. He commanded two other brigades in the 3rd and 1st divisions of the VII Corps during most of the remainder of 1863. He commanded the 1st Division of the VII Corps between September 9, 1864, and September 25, 1864. During this time, he participated in the Camden Expedition, a subsidiary action of the Red River Campaign.

Engelmann was mustered out of the United States Volunteers on December 16, 1864.

On May 18, 1866, the U.S. Senate confirmed Engelmann's appointment to the grade of brevet brigadier general of volunteers, to rank from March 13, 1865, for faithful and meritorious services.[5] The sources do not have the date of his nomination by President Andrew Johnson.

Adolph Engelmann died on October 5, 1890, at Shiloh, Illinois.[6] Engelmann was buried in the Engelmann Family Cemetery at Shiloh, Illinois.

See also

References

Notes and References

  1. Book: Baecker; Engelmann, Gertrud; Fritz. Engelmann und Hilgard. Richard Louis Verlag Ludwigshafen am Rhein. 1958 .
  2. Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher, Civil War High Commands. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. . p. 227.
  3. Hunt, Roger D. and Brown, Jack R., Brevet Brigadier Generals in Blue. Olde Soldier Books, Inc., Gaithersburg, MD, 1990. . p. 194.
  4. Elliott, Isaac H.; Illinois Adjutant General's Office. Record of the Services of Illinois Soldiers in the Black Hawk War, 1831–32, and in the Mexican War, 1846-8. Springfield, IL: H.W. Rokker, State printer, 1882. . Retrieved August 26, 2014. p. 239.
  5. Eicher, 2001, p. 745.
  6. A book published in 1908 erroneously states that Englemann was killed at the Battle of Shiloh. von Skal, Georg. History of German Immigration in the United States and Successful German-Americans and Their Descendants. New York: Smiley, 1908. . p. 33.