★ ★  Foster, John Gray

John Gray Foster
Born: May 27, 1823
Foster.jpg


Birthplace: Whitefield, New Hampshire

Father: Perley Foster 1792 – 1843

Mother: Mary Molly Gray 1797 –

1st Wife: Mary Susan Moale 1829 – 1871
(Buried: New Cathedral Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland)​

2nd Wife: Anna Johnson Davis 1850 – 1916
(Buried: Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington, D.C.)​

Children:

Annie Moale Foster Seton 1852 – 1928​
(Buried: New Cathedral Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland)​

Education:

Attended Hancock Academy​

1846: Graduated from West Point Military Academy – (4th in class)​

Occupation before War:

1846 – 1848: Brevet 2nd Lt. United States Army, Corps of Engineers​
1846: Assistant Engineer for Engineer Bureau in Washington, D.C.​
1847: Served in the Siege of Vera Cruz, Mexico​
1847: Served in the Battle of Cerro Gordo, Mexico​
1847: Served in the Battle of Contreras, Mexico​
1847: Served in the Battle of Churubusco, Mexico​
1847: Brevetted 1st​ Lt. for his gallantry in two Mexican War Battles​
1847: Wounded in the leg at Battle of Molino del Rey, Mexico​
1847: Brevetted Captain for Gallantry at Molino del Rey​
1847 – 1848: Absent from the army due to disabling wounds​
1848 – 1852: Assistant Engineer for building Fort Carroll in Maryland​
1848 – 1854: 2nd Lt. United States Army Corps of Engineers​
1852 – 1854: At Coast Survey Office in Washington, D.C.​
1854: Assistant Engineer for building Fort Carroll in Maryland​
1854 – 1860: 1st Lt. United States Army, Corps of Engineers​
1855 – 1857: Assistant Engineering Professor at West Point​
1857: Superintendent Engineer at fort at Willett’s Point​
1857 – 1858: Superintendent Engineer building of Fort at Sandy Hook​
1858 – 1861: Superintendent Engineer at Forts Sumter and Moultrie​
1858 – 1861: in charge of Forts Macon and Creswell​
1860 – 1863: Captain United States Army, Corps of Engineers​

Civil War Career:

1860 – 1863: Captain United States Army Corps of Engineers​
1860: Chief Engineer of the Fortifications at Charleston Harbor​
1860: Brevetted Major for his part in transfer of Fort Moultrie​
1860 – 1861: Served in the Defenses of Fort Sumter​
1861: Served in the Bombardment of Fort Sumter and its surrender​
1861: Assistant Engineer in Engineer Bureau in Washington, D.C.​
1861: Superintendent Engineer Construction of Sandy Hook​
1861: Declined the rank of Major of United States Army, 11th​ Infantry​
1861 – 1862: Brigadier General of Union Army Volunteers​
1861: Commander of troops at Annapolis, Maryland​
1861 – 1862: Served in General Burnside’s Expedition​
1862: Served in the capture of Roanoke Island, North Carolina​
1862: Brevetted Lt. Colonel for Gallantry at Roanoke Island​
1862: Served in the capture of Newbern, North Carolina​
1862: Served in the Bombardment of Fort Macon​
1862: Brevetted Colonel for Gallantry at New Bern, North Carolina​
1862 – 1863: Commander of Department of North Carolina​
1862 – 1866: Major General of Union Army, Volunteers​
1862: Conductor of Expedition to burn Goldsboro Railroad Bridge​
1862: Commander of Action at Southwest Creek​
1862: Successful Commander at the Battle of Kinston, North Carolina​
1862: Union Commander at the Battle of White Hall, North Carolina​
1862: Successful Commander at the Battle of Goldsboro Bridge​
1863 – 1867: Major of United States Army, Corps of Engineers​
1863: Served in the Defenses of Washington, D.C.​
1863: Commander of Department of Virginia and North Carolina​
1863 – 1864: Commander of Army and Department of the Ohio​
1864: Fell from his horse and had to relinquish command​
1864: on Sick leave in Baltimore, Maryland awaiting Orders​
1864 – 1865: Commander of Union Army Department of the South​
1865: Brevetted Brigadier General for gallantry Capture of Savannah​
1865: Brevetted Major General for his service in the war​
1865 – 1866: Commander of Union Army, Department of Florida​
1866: Mustered out of the Union Army on September 1st

Occupation after War:

1863 – 1867: Major of United States Army Corps of Engineers​
1867: On Troop Duty for Engineer Bureau in Washington, D.C.​
1867 – 1874: Lt. Colonel United States Army Corps of Engineers​
1867 – 1871: Served in the improvement of Boston Harbor​
1868 – 1871: Served in the improvement of Provincetown Harbor​
1871 – 1874: Assistant the U.S. Army Chief of Engineers in Washington, D.C.​
1874: Superintendent Engineer Merrimac River and Harbors​

Died:
September 2, 1874

Place of Death: Nashua, New Hampshire

Cause of Death: Consumption

Age at time of Death: 51 years old

Burial Place: Universalist Church Cemetery, Nashua, New Hampshire
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The garrison at Fort Sumter was undermanned and during the siege Foster refused to allow any of his engineering officers to act as line officers for Major Robert Anderson's artillery officers.
 
Foster had been a brigade commander in Burnside's Coastal Division, which was a forerunner of the 9th Corps. He had fought at Roanoke and at New Bern, and was left behind with his brigade as the bulk of Burnside's command transferred to Virginia to form 9th Corps. He remained behind to command the Department of North Carolina and the 18th Corps, until in late 63 he was transferred to the Department of the Ohio, helping to push out Longstreet from East Tennessee.
 
He again succeeded Burnside In departmental command after the Knoxville Campaign on Dec. 9th.This is where he was injured in the "horse fall".
He only commanded this Department for 2 months, it was probably on Feb. 9, 1863 the accident occurred as he was then on sick leave until May 26, 1863 when he was given command of operations against Charleston.
 
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