★  Rowley, Thomas Algeo

Thomas Algeo Rowley

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Rowley.jpg


Born: October 5, 1808

Birthplace: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Father: John Rowley

Mother: Mary Algeo Hunter 1790 – 1860
(Buried: Allegheny Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)​

Wife: Isabella S. Cust 1810 – 1860
(Buried: Allegheny Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)​

Children:

John C. Rowley – 1857​
(Buried: Allegheny Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)​
Sarah Ellen Rowley 1847 – 1850​
(Buried: Allegheny Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)​
Henry Thomas Rowley 1847 – 1924​
(Buried: Homewood Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)​
Mary Ann Rowley 1848 – 1850​
(Buried: Allegheny Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)​
Robert Cust Rowley 1859 – 1901​
(Buried: Allegheny Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)​

Occupation before War:

Justice of the Peace in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania​
1847 – 1848: Served in Mexican – American War​
Cabinetmaker in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania​
1857 – 1860: Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania, Clerk of Courts​

Civil War Career:

1861 – 1862: Colonel of 102nd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment
Rowley 1.jpg
1862: Served in the Battle of Yorktown, Virginia​
1862: Served in the Battle of Williamsburg, Virginia​
1862: Wounded in the Battle of Seven Pines, Virginia​
1862: Served in the Battle of Malvern Hill, Virginia​
1862: Helped cover Union Army withdrawal at Second Bull Run​
1862 – 1864: Brigadier General of Union Army Volunteers​
1863: Served in the Battle of Chancellorsville, Virginia​
1863: Acting Division Commander at the Battle of Gettysburg​
1863: in charge of the draft rendezvous at Portland, Maine​
1864: Court martialed on his return to the Army of the Potomac​
1864: Returned to duty by Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton​
1864: Union Army Commander of District of Monongahela​
1864: Resigned from the Union Army on December 29th​

Occupation after War:

1864 – 1892: Attorney in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania​
1866 – 1870: United States Marshal to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania​
1882: Appointed Assistant Quartermaster General on retired list​

Died: May 14, 1892

Place of Death: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Cause of Death: Interstitial nephritis

Age at time of Death: 83 years old

Burial Place: Allegheny Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
 
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Rowley is one of those interesting generals who doesn't get much ink and perhaps received a bad-rap that he didn't deserve.

Funny he ended up getting an underserved bad rap and the guy blaming him (Doubleday) ended up in a similar boat.
 
The division he commanded just before and day one of Gettysburg was General Doubleday's division who took over Corps command for General John Reynolds. On the second day General John Newton took over the division and Rowley was back in brigade command. A week after Gettysburg he was sent to Maine for draft duty and then on his return was sentenced by court martial to be cashiered for his poor behavior at Gettysburg. The Court found him to be under the influence of alcohol and guilty of conduct unbecoming of an officer and a gentleman. Secretary of War Edwin Stanton overturned the court martial's decisio and He then reported to Grant in Virginia who returned Rowley to the adjutant general for new orders.Grant's position was that the feelings against Rowley were too great to make him an effective leader. Was subsequently was assigned to district command.
 
I'm by no means a historian (or doctor) but from what little research I have done on Rowley, it sounds like he was a very sick man at Gettysburg. In addition to being thrown from his horse Rowley was suffering from an infection brought on by large boils on his inner thighs and was quite feverish and temperamental. It is possible he had a medical condition known as Hidradenitis Suppurativa and used the "bottle" as a pain relief. Alcohol probably was the cure for many things back then. This is a possibility and there is also the possibility he had no condition and just enjoyed alcohol. I am not defending the man.
 
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