★ ★  Steele, Frederick

Frederick Steele

:us34stars:
Steele.jpg


Born: January 14, 1819

Birthplace: Delhi, New York

Father: Nathaniel Steele 1783 – 1862
(Buried: Woodlawn Memorial Park, Colma, California)​

Mother: Dameras Johnson 1794 – 1859
(Buried: Woodlawn Memorial Park, Colma, California)​

Education:

1843: Graduated from West Point Military Academy – (30th in class)​

Occupation before War:

1843 – 1846: Brevet 2nd Lt. United States Army, 2nd Infantry Regiment​
1846 – 1848: 2nd Lt. United States Army, 2nd Infantry Regiment​
1847: Brevetted 1st Lt. for Gallantry at 2 Battles of the Mexican War​
1847: Brevetted Captain for Gallantry Battle of Chapultepec, Mexico​
1848 – 1855: 1st Lt. United States Army, 2nd Infantry Regiment​
1849 – 1855: Adjutant of United States Army, 2nd Infantry Regiment​
1855 – 1861: Captain, United States Army, 2nd Infantry Regiment​

Civil War Career:

1861 – 1863: Major, United States Army, 11th Infantry Regiment​
1861: Served in the Battle of Dug Spring, Missouri​
1861: Served in the Battle of Wilson’s Creek, Missouri​
1861 – 1862: Colonel, 8th Iowa Volunteers Infantry Regiment​
1862: Commander of Southeastern District of Missouri​
1862: Brigadier General, Union Army Volunteers Infantry​
1862: Commander of Union Army, District of Eastern Arkansas​
1862 – 1867: Major General, Union Army Volunteers Infantry​
1863: Division Commander during the Siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi​
1863: Brevetted Colonel for Gallantry at Battle of Vicksburg, Mississippi​
1863 – 1864: Commander, Union Army of Arkansas​
1863 – 1866: Lt. Colonel United States Army, 3rd Infantry Regiment​
1863: Served in the Capture of Little Rock, Arkansas​
1864: Commander, Union Army, Department of Arkansas​
1865: Column Commander during Mobile Alabama Campaign​
1865: Brevetted Brig. General for Gallantry Capture of Little Rock​
1865: Brevetted Major General for Service in the war​
1865: Commander of forces on the east side of Mobile Bay​
1865: Served in the Rio Grande​
1865: Commander, Western District of Texas​
1867: Mustered out of the Union Army on March 1st

Occupation after War:

1863 – 1866: Lt. Colonel, United States Army, 3rd Infantry Regiment​
1865 – 1867: Commander, Department of Columbia​
1866 – 1868: Colonel, United States Army, 20th Infantry Regiment​

Died: January 12, 1868

Place of Death: San Mateo, California

Cause of Death: Sudden Attack of Apoplexy

Age at time of Death: 49 years old

Burial Place:
Woodlawn Memorial Park, Colma, California
 
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Has a book ever been written about Steele's Camden Expedition, or do any of the Red River Campaign books cover it in any detail?
 
Has a book ever been written about Steele's Camden Expedition, or do any of the Red River Campaign books cover it in any detail?

The Camden Expedition of 1864 and the Opportunity Lost by the Confederacy to Change the Civil War by Michael J. Forsyth

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The Confederacy had a great opportunity to turn the Civil War in its favor in 1864, but squandered this chance when it failed to finish off a Union army cornered in Louisiana because of concerns about another Union army coming south from Arkansas. The Confederates were so confused that they could not agree on a course of action to contend with both threats, thus the Union offensive advancing from Arkansas saved the one in Louisiana and became known to history as the Camden Expedition. The Camden Expedition is intriguing because of the "might-have-beens" had the key players made different decisions. The author contends that if Frederick Steele, commander of the Federal VII Army Corps, had not received a direct order from General Ulysses S. Grant to move south, disaster would have befallen not only the Army of the Gulf in Louisiana but the entire Union cause, and possibly would have prevented Abraham Lincoln from winning reelection.


Cheers,
USS ALASKA
 
The author contends that if Frederick Steele, commander of the Federal VII Army Corps, had not received a direct order from General Ulysses S. Grant to move south, disaster would have befallen not only the Army of the Gulf in Louisiana but the entire Union cause, and possibly would have prevented Abraham Lincoln from winning reelection.

Thanks.

The author certainly makes a bold argument. Especially considering whatever distraction Steele provided to the benefit of Banks it nearly cost Steele his army.
 
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