★ ★  French, William Henry

William Henry French

Born: January 13, 1815
French.jpg


Birthplace: Baltimore, Maryland

Father: William French 1786 – 1844
(Buried: Unknown Burial Spot probably buried in District of Columbia)​

Mother: Anna Rosetta Halverson 1792 – 1828
(Buried: Unknown Burial Spot probably buried in District of Columbia)​

Wife: Caroline Read 1820 – 1884
(Buried: Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington, D.C.)​

Children:

Lt. Frank Sands French 1842 – 1865​
(Buried: Old Swedes Churchyard, Wilmington, Delaware)​
Anna R. French Clem 1852 – 1899​
(Buried: Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington, D.C.)​
Frederick Halverson French 1855 – 1906​
(Buried: Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington, D.C.)​
U.S. Navy Ensign George Ross French 1857 – 1895​
(Buried: Boerne Cemetery, Boerne, Texas)​
Rosalie French Conklin 1861 – 1891​
(Buried: Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas)​

Education:

1837: Graduated from West Point Military Academy – (22nd in class)
French 1.jpg

Occupation before War:

1837 – 1838: 2nd Lt. United States Army, 1st Artillery​
1838 – 1848: 1st Lt. United States Army, 1st Artillery​
1847: Acting Adjutant General for General Patterson’s Division​
1847: Aide to Brig. General Franklin Pierce​
1847: Brevetted Captain for Gallantry Battle of Cerro Gordo Mexico​
1847: Brevetted Major for Gallantry for two Mexican War Battles​
1848 – 1861: Captain United States Army, 1st Artillery​
1860: Member of Board to revise System of Light Artillery Tactics​

Civil War Career:

1861: Commander of Key West, Florida​
1861 – 1862: Brigadier General Union Army Volunteers Infantry​
1861 – 1864: Major United States Army, 2nd Artillery​
1861 – 1862: Served in the Defenses of Washington, D.C.​
1862: Brevetted Lt. Colonel for Gallantry Battle of Fair Oaks, Virginia​
1862: Served in the Battle of Antietam, Maryland​
1862: Brevetted Colonel for Gallantry Battle of Antietam, Maryland
French 3.jpg
1862 – 1864: Major General Union Army Volunteers Infantry​
1862: Served in the Battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia​
1863: Served in the Battle of Chancellorsville, Virginia​
1863: Union Army Commander of Harper’s Ferry District​
1863 – 1864: Commander of Union Army, 3rd Army Corps​
1863: Served in the Battle of Manassas Gap​
1863: Served in the Operations at Mine Run, Virginia​
1864 – 1877: Lt. Colonel United States Army, 2nd Artillery​
1864: Mustered out of the Union Army on May 6th
1864: Commander of troops at Harve de Grace siege of Washington​
1864 – 1865: Garrison Duty at Fort McHenry, Maryland​
1865: Chief and Inspector of Artillery Union Army Middle Department​
1865: Brevetted Brigadier General for Gallantry at Chancellorsville​
1865: Brevetted Major General for his service during the War​

Occupation after War:

1864 – 1877: Lt. Colonel United States Army, 2nd Artillery
French 2.jpg
1865: Commander of U.S. Army, 2nd Artillery on Pacific Coast​
1865 – 1867: Inspector of Artillery Defenses of San Francisco​
1866 – 1867: President of Examining Board at San Francisco​
1868 – 1869: Court Martial Duty in Washington, D.C.​
1873 – 1880: Member Board for Establishment of Military Prisons​
1877 – 1880: Colonel United States Army, 4th Artillery​
1877: Helped put down riots of Baltimore & Ohio Railroad​
1877 – 1878: Commander of Regiment at Presidio, California​
1878 – 1880: Commander of Regiment at Angel Island, California​
1880: Retired from United States Army on July 1st

Died: May 20, 1881

Place of Death: Washington, D.C.

Cause of Death: Apoplexy

Age at time of Death: 66 years old

Burial Place:
Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington, D.C.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Bumping for Antietam.
French led a division of new recruits and conscripts raised just weeks prior. His division was launched at the Sunken Road, and suffered heavy casualties.
 
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