ColorizedPast
Corporal
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2016
- Location
- Hangzhou, China (Wisconsin, USA)
Brigadier General George Crook (USA)
Crook was born near Taylorsville, Montgomery Country, Ohio on 8 September 1830. Nominated to the United States Military Academy by Congressman Robert Schenck, he graduated near the bottom of his class in 1852. He was assigned to the 4th U.S. Infantry as brevet second lieutenant, serving in California. He commanded the Pitt River Expedition of 1857 and was severely wounded by an Indian arrow. During his years of service in California and Oregon, Crook improved his hunting and wilderness skills, often learning from Indians whose languages he learned. He was promoted to first lieutenant in 1856 and captain in 1860. In 1861, with the outbreak of the Civil War, he was made colonel of the 36th Ohio Volunteer Infantry.
He led his regiment into western Virginia and was in command of the 3rd Brigade in the District of the Kanawha when he was wounded in a small fight at Lewisburg. He returned to command during the Northern Virginia Campaign serving as part of John Pope's headquarters escort at the Second Battle of Bull Run.
Crook and the 36th Ohio were then attached to the Kanawha Division for the Maryland Campaign. On 12 September, Crook's brigade commander, Augustus Moor, was captured and Crook assumed command of the 2nd Brigade, Kanawha Division, IX Corps. Crook led his brigade at the Battle of South Mountain and near Burnside's Bridge at the Battle of Antietam. He developed a lifelong friendship with one of his subordinates, Colonel Rutherford B. Hayes of the 23rd Ohio during these early battles.
Following Antietam, Crook assumed command of the Kanawha Division being detached from the IX Corps and sent to the Department of the Ohio. Crook was then assigned to command the 3rd Brigade, 4th Division, XIV Corps, Army of the Cumberland at the Battle of Hoover's Gap. In July 1863, he assumed command of the 2nd Division, Cavalry Corps in the Army of the Cumberland fighting at the battle of Chickamauga and pursuing Joseph Wheeler during the Chattanooga Campaign.
Returning to command the Kanawha Division in February 1864, Crook was ordered personally by Grant to attack the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad and destroy the Confederate salt works at Saltville, Virginia. Crook was successful attacking the railroad, however, a force under William W. Averell was unable to destroy Saltville.
In July, Crook assumed commanded of a small force called the Army of the Kanawha but was defeated at the Second Battle of Kernstown. Nevertheless, he was appointed as a replacement for David Hunter in command of the Department of West Virginia the following day. Crook's army was soon absorbed into Philip H. Sheridan's Army of the Shenandoah. He fought in the Valley Campaigns of 1864 at the battles of Opequon (Third Winchester), Fisher's Hill, and Cedar Creek. On 21 October 1864, he was promoted to major general of volunteers.
In February 1865, he was captured by Confederate raiders at Cumberland, Maryland, and was held in Richmond until exchanged in March. He took command of a cavalry division in the Army of the Potomac during the Appomattox Campaign taking prominent roles at the battles of Dinwiddie Court House, Five Forks, Amelia Springs, Sayler's Creek, and Appomattox Court House.
At the end of the war, Crook received a brevet as major general in the regular, but reverted to the permanent rank of major, days later receiving a promotion to lieutenant colonel. In 1867, he was appointed head of the Department of the Columbia. He won nationwide recognition successfully campaigning against the Snake Indians in the 1864-1868 Snake War.
President Ulysses S. Grant place Crook in command of the Arizona Territory. His use of Apache scouts during his Tonto Basin campaign of the Yavapai War brought him much success in forcing the Yavapai and Tonto Apache onto reservations. In 1873, Crook was appointed brigadier general in the regular army.
From 1875-1882 and 1886-1888, Crook commanded the Department of the Platte. On 28 May 1876, he assumed direct command of the Bighorn and Yellowstone Expedition at Fort Fetterman. On 17 June near Rosebud Creek, Crook halted his column of 1,051 men, while Crow and Shoshone scout remained on alert deep in hostile territory. Lakota attacked the scouts and Crook's men succeeded in driving off the Sioux, but now low on ammunition and with many wounded, Crook returned to Fort Fetterman. Historians debate whether Crook's pressing on could have prevented the destruction of George Armstrong Custer's 7th Cavalry Regiment at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
Congress authorized funds to reinforce the Big Horn and Yellowstone Expedition and Crook again took to the field. After briefly linking up with Alfred Terry, military commander of the Dakota Territory, Crook embarked on the grueling and poorly provisioned Horsemeat March. A party dispatched to Deadwood for supplies came across the village of American Horse the Elder on 9 September 1876. The well-stocked village was attacked and looted in the Battle of Slim Buttes. Crazy Horse led a counter-attack the next day but was repulsed by Crook's superior numbers.
Crook was made head of the Department of Arizona and successfully forced some members of the Apache to surrender, but Geronimo continually evaded capture. Geronimo, camped on the Mexican side of the border, agreed to Crook's surrender terms, but after a soldier notified them that they would be murdered as soon as they crossed the border, Geronimo and 25 of his followers slipped away during the night.
Nelson A. Miles replaced Crook in 1886 after Geronimo escaped. He ended the Apache Wars and captured Geronimo, the Chiricahua Apache band, and the Chiricahua scouts, who had served the U.S. Army, and transported as prisoners of war to Florida. Crook was furious that the scouts were imprisoned and sent numerous telegrams protesting their arrest to Washington, but they remained in captivity for the next 26 years.
Crook was promoted to major general and placed in command of the "Military Division of the Missouri" in 1888. He spent his last years speaking out against the unjust treatment of his former Indian adversaries. He died suddenly in Chicago on 21 March 1890. Red Cloud, a war chief of the Oglala Lakota, said of Crook, "He, at least, never lied to us. His words gave us hope."
Crook was born near Taylorsville, Montgomery Country, Ohio on 8 September 1830. Nominated to the United States Military Academy by Congressman Robert Schenck, he graduated near the bottom of his class in 1852. He was assigned to the 4th U.S. Infantry as brevet second lieutenant, serving in California. He commanded the Pitt River Expedition of 1857 and was severely wounded by an Indian arrow. During his years of service in California and Oregon, Crook improved his hunting and wilderness skills, often learning from Indians whose languages he learned. He was promoted to first lieutenant in 1856 and captain in 1860. In 1861, with the outbreak of the Civil War, he was made colonel of the 36th Ohio Volunteer Infantry.
He led his regiment into western Virginia and was in command of the 3rd Brigade in the District of the Kanawha when he was wounded in a small fight at Lewisburg. He returned to command during the Northern Virginia Campaign serving as part of John Pope's headquarters escort at the Second Battle of Bull Run.
Crook and the 36th Ohio were then attached to the Kanawha Division for the Maryland Campaign. On 12 September, Crook's brigade commander, Augustus Moor, was captured and Crook assumed command of the 2nd Brigade, Kanawha Division, IX Corps. Crook led his brigade at the Battle of South Mountain and near Burnside's Bridge at the Battle of Antietam. He developed a lifelong friendship with one of his subordinates, Colonel Rutherford B. Hayes of the 23rd Ohio during these early battles.
Following Antietam, Crook assumed command of the Kanawha Division being detached from the IX Corps and sent to the Department of the Ohio. Crook was then assigned to command the 3rd Brigade, 4th Division, XIV Corps, Army of the Cumberland at the Battle of Hoover's Gap. In July 1863, he assumed command of the 2nd Division, Cavalry Corps in the Army of the Cumberland fighting at the battle of Chickamauga and pursuing Joseph Wheeler during the Chattanooga Campaign.
Returning to command the Kanawha Division in February 1864, Crook was ordered personally by Grant to attack the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad and destroy the Confederate salt works at Saltville, Virginia. Crook was successful attacking the railroad, however, a force under William W. Averell was unable to destroy Saltville.
In July, Crook assumed commanded of a small force called the Army of the Kanawha but was defeated at the Second Battle of Kernstown. Nevertheless, he was appointed as a replacement for David Hunter in command of the Department of West Virginia the following day. Crook's army was soon absorbed into Philip H. Sheridan's Army of the Shenandoah. He fought in the Valley Campaigns of 1864 at the battles of Opequon (Third Winchester), Fisher's Hill, and Cedar Creek. On 21 October 1864, he was promoted to major general of volunteers.
In February 1865, he was captured by Confederate raiders at Cumberland, Maryland, and was held in Richmond until exchanged in March. He took command of a cavalry division in the Army of the Potomac during the Appomattox Campaign taking prominent roles at the battles of Dinwiddie Court House, Five Forks, Amelia Springs, Sayler's Creek, and Appomattox Court House.
At the end of the war, Crook received a brevet as major general in the regular, but reverted to the permanent rank of major, days later receiving a promotion to lieutenant colonel. In 1867, he was appointed head of the Department of the Columbia. He won nationwide recognition successfully campaigning against the Snake Indians in the 1864-1868 Snake War.
President Ulysses S. Grant place Crook in command of the Arizona Territory. His use of Apache scouts during his Tonto Basin campaign of the Yavapai War brought him much success in forcing the Yavapai and Tonto Apache onto reservations. In 1873, Crook was appointed brigadier general in the regular army.
From 1875-1882 and 1886-1888, Crook commanded the Department of the Platte. On 28 May 1876, he assumed direct command of the Bighorn and Yellowstone Expedition at Fort Fetterman. On 17 June near Rosebud Creek, Crook halted his column of 1,051 men, while Crow and Shoshone scout remained on alert deep in hostile territory. Lakota attacked the scouts and Crook's men succeeded in driving off the Sioux, but now low on ammunition and with many wounded, Crook returned to Fort Fetterman. Historians debate whether Crook's pressing on could have prevented the destruction of George Armstrong Custer's 7th Cavalry Regiment at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
Congress authorized funds to reinforce the Big Horn and Yellowstone Expedition and Crook again took to the field. After briefly linking up with Alfred Terry, military commander of the Dakota Territory, Crook embarked on the grueling and poorly provisioned Horsemeat March. A party dispatched to Deadwood for supplies came across the village of American Horse the Elder on 9 September 1876. The well-stocked village was attacked and looted in the Battle of Slim Buttes. Crazy Horse led a counter-attack the next day but was repulsed by Crook's superior numbers.
Crook was made head of the Department of Arizona and successfully forced some members of the Apache to surrender, but Geronimo continually evaded capture. Geronimo, camped on the Mexican side of the border, agreed to Crook's surrender terms, but after a soldier notified them that they would be murdered as soon as they crossed the border, Geronimo and 25 of his followers slipped away during the night.
Nelson A. Miles replaced Crook in 1886 after Geronimo escaped. He ended the Apache Wars and captured Geronimo, the Chiricahua Apache band, and the Chiricahua scouts, who had served the U.S. Army, and transported as prisoners of war to Florida. Crook was furious that the scouts were imprisoned and sent numerous telegrams protesting their arrest to Washington, but they remained in captivity for the next 26 years.
Crook was promoted to major general and placed in command of the "Military Division of the Missouri" in 1888. He spent his last years speaking out against the unjust treatment of his former Indian adversaries. He died suddenly in Chicago on 21 March 1890. Red Cloud, a war chief of the Oglala Lakota, said of Crook, "He, at least, never lied to us. His words gave us hope."
Bringing the