★ Kautz, August V.

August Valentine Kautz​

Born: January 5, 1828

Birthplace: Ispringen, Grand Duchy of Baden

Father: Johann George Kautz 1800 – 1888

(Buried: Pisgah Ridge Cemetery, Levanna, Ohio)​

Mother: Doretha Elizabetha Loewing 1800 – 1874

(Buried: Pisgah Ridge Cemetery, Levanna, Ohio)​

1st Wife: Kate Emma Quiemuth – 1891

(Buried: Yelm Public Cemetery, Yelm, Washington)​

2nd Wife: Fannie Markbreit 1848 – 1913

(Buried: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia)​

Children:

August Kautz 1859 – 1935​

(Buried: Old Puyallup Indian Cemetery, Tacoma, Washington)​

​

Captain Austin Kautz 1873 – 1927​

(Buried: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia)​

​

Frances Kautz Read 1874 – 1962​

(Buried: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia)​

​

Navarra Kautz Beall 1880 – 1970​

(Buried: Sunset Cemetery, Montrose, New York)​

Education:

1852: Graduated from West Point Military Academy – (35th​ in class)

Occupation before War:

1832: Immigrated to the United States from Germany

1846 – 1847: Served in the Mexican – American War as a Private

1852 – 1853: Brevet 2nd​ Lt. United States Army, 4th​ Infantry Regiment

1853 – 1855: 2nd​ Lt. United States Army 4th​ Infantry Regiment

1855: Wounded in the Pacific Northwest

1855 – 1861: 1st​ Lt. United States Army 4th​ Infantry Regiment

Civil War Career:

1861 – 1866: Captain United States Army 6th​ Cavalry Regiment

1861 – 1862: Served in the Defense of Washington, D.C.

1862: Served in the Siege of Yorktown, Virginia

1862: Served in the Battle of Mechanicsville, Virginia

1862: Served in the Capture of Hanover Court House, Virginia

1862 – 1864: Colonel of 2nd​ Ohio Volunteers Cavalry Regiment

1862 – 1863: Commander of Camp Chase, Ohio

1863: Served in the capture of Monticello, Kentucky

1863: Brevetted Major for his service at Monticello, Kentucky

1863: Served in pursuit and capture of John Hunt Morgan

1863: Chief of Cavalry of Union Army, 23rd​ Army Corps

1863: Served in the Siege of Knoxville, Tennessee

1864 – 1865: Cavalry Commander Army of the James

1864: Served in cutting the Petersburg and Weldon Railroad

1864 – 1866: Brigadier General Union Army Cavalry

1864: Served in cutting the Richmond and Danville Railroad

1864: Brevetted Lt. Colonel for his service at Petersburg, Virginia

1864: Brevetted Colonel for his service at Darbytown Road, Virginia

1864: Brevetted Major General for his role in Richmond, Virginia

1865: Brevetted Brig and Major General for his role in the war

1866: Mustered out of the Union Army on January 15th​

Occupation after War:

1861 – 1866: Captain United States Army, 6th​ Cavalry Regiment

1866: Acting Judge Advocate Military Division of the Gulf

1866 – 1869: Lt. Colonel United States Army, 34th​ Infantry Regiment

1868: Post Commander in Columbus Mississippi

1869 – 1874: Lt. Colonel United States Army, 15th​ Infantry Regiment

1874 – 1891: Colonel United States Army, 8th​ Infantry Regiment

1891 – 1892: Brigadier General United States Army

1892: Retired from United States Army on January 5th​

Died: September 4, 1895

Place of Death: Seattle, Washington

Cause of Death: Chronic ulcer of duodenum

Age at time of Death: 67 years old

Burial Place: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia

 

[gentlemanrob]

Happy Birthday Brig. General August V. Kautz! Salutes remembering General Kautz on his birthday.

 

[Luke Freet]

Kautz is infamous for losing the First Battle of Petersburg against a token force. Arguably this was more due to lack of communication with Corps commander Quincy Gillmore leading him to believe he was isolated and alone.

 

[Pollaco]

He was actually wounded by the Indians twice.1855 in Oregon the 1856 in Washington.

 

[Pollaco]

It was just before the final offensive that he was given command of a black infantry division.His troops were some of the first to enter Richmond.

 

[Pollaco]

Kautz was one of the commissioners at the trial of the Lincoln conspirators.

 

[Louisiana Jayhawker]

I find him to be good professional officer and certainly should not be blame for the failure of the First Battle of Petersburg. He and his small force of Calvary of 1300 hundred did capture the objective given them: an artillery entrenchment. It was reported that briefly this small force had an open entry into downtown Petersburg as they had broken through the line of entrenchments. He correctly waited for the planned junction with his Corp Commander Gillmore who was, as planned, to drive through another part of the entrenchments further south. However, Gillmore confronted the entrenchment but did not engage. He left the battlefield and failed to notify Kautz. Kautz properly withdrew due to Gillmore failure to appear or communicate. We may call Gillmore infamous.

 

[Cavalier]

I see he served as a private before entering West Point. I wonder how common that would have been in that era. An interesting guy though.

John

 

[Pollaco]

He wasn't just real successful as a cavalryman so he completed the war as commander of black infantry troops.

 

[Louisiana Jayhawker]

The Army of James was not allowed a large Calvary force, therefore he had little chance of a major impact in that role. However, I can assure you the Confederate Capital of Richmond was greatly alarmed and panic by his Calvary force thrashing around just outside on the railroad lifelines in the area of his Raid. Damage replaced eventually but a shock none the less. He took heavy losses as it was no playful dance and all show. His later promotion to command of a Negro Division is a major event not to be belittled. He cannot be blamed for the War ending too quickly before he got his division bloodied in battle. Oh, what a glorious event we will never know! It was a remarkable affair to having marched your Negro Division into Richmond the Holy Capital of the Slaveholders Insurrectionist Government and being the first major Federal force to do so after many tried and failed of four years. That image was a shock to Confederates and morale breaking.

 

[thomas aagaard]

He wrote/compiled a number of books on the administrative side of running an army
The Company Clerk (1863)
Customs of Service for Non-Commissioned Officers and Soldiers (1864)
Customs of Service for Officers (1866)

All 3 are very useful for reenactmentgroups when trying to understand different issues.

 

[ccorner]

1st Wife: Charlotte Delamater Tod Kautz 1832 – 1868
(Buried: Oak Hill Cemetery, Youngstown, Ohio)

 

[Stryker65]

Kautz is infamous for losing the First Battle of Petersburg against a token force. Arguably this was more due to lack of communication with Corps commander Quincy Gillmore leading him to believe he was isolated and alone.

To be fair, though, his "cavalry division" consisted of about 3 regiments.

 

[Sheltowee]

Brother Albert served in the navy- achieved rank of rear admiral after the war.