★ Paul, Gabriel Rene

Gabriel Rene Paul​

Born: March 22, 1813

Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri

Father: Colonel Louis Rene Paul 1783 – 1851

(Buried: New Saint Marcus Cemetery, Affton, Missouri)​

Mother: Marie Theresa Eulalie Chouteau 1799 – 1835

Wife: Mary Ann Whistler 1815 – 1871

(Buried: Mount Hope Cemetery, Burlington, Kansas)​

Children:

Beatrice Chouteau Paul Marmion Unknown – 1941​

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

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Julia Eulalie Paul Chapin 1836 – 1881​

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

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Gertrude Emelie Paul Stivers 1841 – 1901​

(Buried: Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum, Dayton, Ohio)​

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Lt. Augustus Paul 1842 – 1904​

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

Education:

1834: Graduated from West Point Military Academy – (18th​ in class)​

Occupation before War:

1834: Brevet 2nd​ Lt. United States Army, 7th​ Infantry Regiment​

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1834 – 1836: 2nd​ Lt. United States Army, 7th​ Infantry Regiment​

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1836 – 1846: 1st​ Lt. United States Army, 7th​ Infantry Regiment​

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1846 – 1861: Captain, United States Army, 7th​ Infantry Regiment​

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1847: Brevetted Major for Conduct at Battle of Chapultepec, Mexico​

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1861 – 1862: Major, United States Army, 8th​ Infantry Regiment​

Civil War Career:

1861 – 1863: Colonel 4th​ New Mexico Infantry Regiment​

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1861: Acting Inspector General Union Army Dept. of New Mexico​

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1861 – 1862: Commander of Fort Union​

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1862: Commander Southern Military District of New Mexico​

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1862 – 1865: Lt. Colonel United States Army, 8th​ Infantry Regiment​

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1862: Served in the Skirmish at Peralta, New Mexico​

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1862 – 1863: Brigadier General, Union Army Volunteers​

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1862: Served in the Battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia​

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1863: Served in the Battle of Chancellorsville, Virginia​

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1863: Wounded losing his eye sight at Battle of Gettysburg​

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1865: Deputy Governor of Soldiers Home near Washington, D.C.​

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1865: Retired from U.S. Army Active Service as Brig. General​

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1865: Brevetted Brigadier General for Service at Battle of Gettysburg​

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1865 – 1866: In Charge of Military Asylum at Harrodsburg, Kentucky​

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1866: Mustered out of the Union Army on September 1st​​

Life after the War:

1863 – 1883: Blinded by his wounds he received to his eyes​

Died: May 5, 1886

Place of Death: Washington, D.C.

Cause of Death: Epileptiform attack and Coma

Age at time of Death: 73 years old

Burial Place: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia

 

[rpkennedy]

General Paul suffered one of the more gruesome wounds that I've read about. The round entered his left temple and severed his left optic nerve before exiting through his right eye socket, destroying the eye. It also passed through a portion of his frontal lobe and damaged his sinus cavity. The wound left him blind, mostly deaf, and with little sense of taste or smell.

Ryan

 

[Pollaco]

While still a Lt. Col. His wife paid a visit to Lincoln and "pleaded his case" and urged a promotion for her husband. So it is possible his brigadier generalship was due to her lobbying visit to Lincoln.

 

[gentlemanrob]

Happy Birthday Brig. General Gabriel R. Paul! Salutes remembering General Paul on his birthday.

 

[Sheltowee]

Interesting career path- from the New Mexico frontier to the thick of fighting in Virginia.

 

[lupaglupa]

Quite the military family between his son and his sons-in-law. I'm curious about his parents though - they both have French names. Does anyone know their background?

 

[ErnieMac]

Paul was a grandson of Auguste Choteau, one of the founders of the city of St. Louis.

 

[Pollaco]

General Paul suffered one of the more gruesome wounds that I've read about. The round entered his left temple and severed his left optic nerve before exiting through his right eye socket, destroying the eye. It also passed through a portion of his frontal lobe and damaged his sinus cavity. The wound left him blind, mostly deaf, and with little sense of taste or smell.

Ryan

It had been reported to Gen. Meade and then to Washington that Gen.Paul had been killed at Gettysburg but Paul did indeed recover, though blinded.He did perform some light administrative duties before he retired on Feb. 16, 1865.

 

[Tom Elmore]

Paul's storming party at Chapultepec reportedly captured a Mexican flag. U.S. Marines know the place better as the "Halls of Montezuma." Paul was in good company then - some others who were present at Chapultepec and went on to become Civil War generals who also fought at Gettysburg (although mostly on the opposing side): James Longstreet, Lewis Armistead, Cadmus Wilcox, James Archer, and John Sedgwick. Colonel George Willard was at both places, too - Willard and Armistead were killed, and Archer captured in the latter battle.

I've also seen a source that indicates Paul was blinded by buckshot. His father, Louis Rene Paul, reportedly served under Napoleon I and was wounded at Trafalgar, which of course was a decisive naval battle won by the enemy, British Admiral Nelson. It's ironic that his son was in two decisive land battles of different wars, both on the winning side.