★ ★ Granger, Gordon

Gordon Granger​

Born: November 6, 1821

Birthplace: Joy Wayne County, New York

Father: Gaius Granger 1797 – 1863

(Buried: Cambria Cemetery No. 1, Cambria, Michigan)​

Mother: Catherine Taylor 1800 – 1825

(Buried: Johnson Burial Ground, Wayne County, New York)​

Wife: Maria H. Letcher 1842 – 1887

(Buried: Lexington Cemetery, Lexington, Kentucky)​

Children:

Gordon Ellen Granger​

(Buried: Lexington Cemetery, Lexington, Kentucky)​

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Education:

1845: Graduated from West Point Military Academy – (35th​ in class)​

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Occupation before War:

1845 – 1846: Brevet 2nd​ Lt. United States Army, 2nd​ Infantry Regt.​

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1846 – 1847: Brevet 2nd​ Lt. United States Army, Mounted Rifles Regt.​

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1847 – 1852: 2nd​ Lt. United States Army, Mounted Rifles Regiment​

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1847: Brevetted 1st​ Lt. for Gallantry at Contreras and Churchbusco​

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1847: Brevetted Captain for Gallantry at Battle of Chapultepec​

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1852 – 1861: 1st​ Lt. United States Army, Mounted Rifles Regiment​

Civil War Service:

1861: Captain United States Army Mounted Rifles Regiment

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1861 – 1866: Captain United States Army 3rd​ Cavalry Regiment​

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1861: Assistant Adjutant General on Southeast Missouri Expedition​

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1861: Served in the Battle of Wilson's Creek, Missouri​

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1861: Brevetted Major for Gallantry at Battle of Wilson's Creek​

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1861 – 1862: Colonel of 2nd​ Michigan Cavalry Regiment​

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1862: Brigadier General of Union Army Volunteers​

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1862: Commander of 5th​ Division of Cavalry Army of the Mississippi​

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1862: Commander of Union Army of Kentucky​

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1862 – 1866: Major General of Union Army Volunteers​

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1863: Commander of Reserve Corps Battle of Chickamuga, Georgia​

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1863: Brevetted Lt. Colonel for Gallantry at Battle of Chickamuga​

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1863 – 1864: Commander of Union Army IV Army Corps​

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1863: Brevetted Colonel for Gallantry at Battle of Chattanooga​

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1863: Served in the Siege of Knoxville, Tennessee​

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1864: Union Army Commander in the Siege of Fort Gaines, Alabama​

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1864: Union Army Commander in the Siege of Fort Morgan, Alabama​

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1864 – 1865: Commander of District of West Florida & South, Alabama​

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1865: Commander of Union Army 13th​ Army Corps​

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1865: Brevetted Brig. General for Gallantry at Capture of Mobile, Alabama​

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1865: Brevetted Major General Gallantry at Forts Gaines & Morgan​

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1865 – 1866: Commander of Union Army Department of Kentucky​

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1866: Mustered out of Service on January 15th​​

Occupation after War:

Founder of Juneteenth Independence Day​

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1861 – 1866: Captain United States Army, 3rd​ Cavalry Regiment

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1866 – 1869: Colonel United States Army, 25th​ Infantry Regiment​

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1867 – 1869: United States Army Commander District of Memphis, Tennessee​

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1869 – 1870: Awaiting Orders from the United States Army​

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1870 – 1876: Colonel United States Army 15th​ Infantry Regiment​

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1871 – 1873: United States Army Commander of District, New Mexico​

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1875 – 1876: United States Army Commander of District, New Mexico​

Died: January 10, 1876

Place of Death: Santa Fe, New Mexico

Age at time of Death: 53 years old

Burial Place: Lexington Cemetery, Lexington, Kentucky

 

[Pollaco]

Here in Texas the slaves didn't even know that the war had ended until Grangers Troops informed them when He accepted Houston's surrender. Then on June 19, 1865 from a Galveston balcony He read General Order #3. Thus "Juneteenth".

 

[Pollaco]

In the early part of the war before He got his own command, He was a staff officer for both McClellan and Samuel Sturgis.

 

[hcheetham]

He was born in my hometown where I grew up.

 

[Pollaco]

When he died in 1876 he was still on active duty as a colonel in the 15th infantry. It was the volunteer service that he mustered out of.

 

[Pollaco]

I'm not really sure who wrote this about Granger, it just states that a union veteran (probably in the 2nd Michigan Cavalry) wrote this in a memoir...Granger's "military genius soon asserted itself by many severe lessons to the volunteer officers and men of his regiment.He brought them up to full standard of regulars within a period of three months" He also wrote.."though a gruff appearing man, had succeeded in winning the respect of his regiment by his strict attention to all the details of making a well disciplined body of soldiers out of a mass of awkward men from every walk of life."

 

[Pollaco]

In addition to being a gruff man, another source calls him "a short, peppery, profane disciplinarian, not especially well liked by his troops.."

 

[Pollaco]

He wrote this note to Rosecrans that well might have been written about himself .."The battle is neither to the swift nor to the strong but to him that holds on to the end...."

 

[gentlemanrob]

Happy weekend (November 6th) Birthday Major General Gordon Granger! Salutes remembering General Granger on his birthday.