Edward S. Salomon
Encyclopedia
Edward Selig Salomon was a German immigrant to the United States who served as a Union
brigadier general
in the American Civil War
and later became governor of Washington Territory
and a California legislator
.
, the cousin of Charles E. Salomon, Edward Salomon
(Governor of Wisconsin
), and Friedrich (Frederick) Salomon
, all men who would become Union generals in the Civil War. He emigrated to Illinois
in 1856 and was elected an alderman
of Chicago's sixth ward in 1861, one of the youngest in Chicago history.
Friedrich Franz Karl Hecker
's 24th Illinois Infantry regiment. Disagreements arose between Hecker and some of his officers, after which Hecker and his supporters resigned, including Salomon. Salomon became a civilian again from December 1861 to September 1862. In August 1862, Hecker formed a new regiment, the 82nd Illinois, or the "Second Hecker Regiment", composed mainly of German, Jewish, Swedish, and other European volunteers. Salomon joined with the rank of lieutenant colonel
as of September 26, 1862.
Salomon became a hero during the Battle of Gettysburg
. He had two horses shot out from under him and assumed command of the regiment when Hecker was wounded. Fellow-immigrant major general
Carl Schurz
, his corps commander, described him during the battle: "He was the only soldier at Gettysburg who did not dodge when Lee's guns thundered; he stood up, smoked his cigar and faced the cannon balls with the sang froid of a Saladin
..."
Early in 1864, Hecker resigned, leaving Salomon in permanent command of the regiment, although still as a lieutenant colonel. Salomon led the regiment during the Atlanta Campaign
and through the capture of Atlanta. Assigned to deliver messages to Nashville
, he missed the famous march to the sea
. In December 1864, he rejoined the regiment and finished out the war with them. He received a brevet
promotion to brigadier general on March 13, 1865.
.
On March 4, 1870, President
Ulysses S. Grant
appointed Salomon governor of Washington Territory. He was caught up in the political scandals of the Grant administration and resigned in 1872. The Pacific Tribune newspaper, commenting on his resignation, lauded his honesty and integrity. General Philip Sheridan
led a delegation that presented him with a silver table service in recognition of his fine record of service, high qualities as a citizen, and as a friend.
Salomon moved to San Francisco, where he practiced law. In 1898 Salomon was appointed assistant district attorney
for the city and county. He was elected to the California state assembly
in 1888. Salomon died in San Francisco and is buried in Salem Memorial Cemetery, Colma, California
.
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
brigadier general
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and later became governor of Washington Territory
Washington Territory
The Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 8, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington....
and a California legislator
Legislator
A legislator is a person who writes and passes laws, especially someone who is a member of a legislature. Legislators are usually politicians and are often elected by the people...
.
Early life and career
Salomon, who was Jewish, was born in Schleswig-HolsteinSchleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schleswig...
, the cousin of Charles E. Salomon, Edward Salomon
Edward Salomon
Edward Salomon was the eighth Governor of Wisconsin during the Civil War after the accidental drowning of his predecessor, Louis P. Harvey.Salomon was born in Ströbeck, Prussian Saxony...
(Governor of Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
), and Friedrich (Frederick) Salomon
Frederick C. Salomon
Frederick C. Salomon was a German immigrant to the United States who served as a Union brigadier general in the American Civil War.-Biography:He was born in Stroebeck near Halberstadt, Prussia...
, all men who would become Union generals in the Civil War. He emigrated to Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
in 1856 and was elected an alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
of Chicago's sixth ward in 1861, one of the youngest in Chicago history.
Civil War
Salomon enlisted as a second lieutenant in ColonelColonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
Friedrich Franz Karl Hecker
Friedrich Franz Karl Hecker
Friedrich Franz Karl Hecker was a German lawyer, politician and revolutionary. He was one of the most popular speakers and agitators of the 1848 Revolution...
's 24th Illinois Infantry regiment. Disagreements arose between Hecker and some of his officers, after which Hecker and his supporters resigned, including Salomon. Salomon became a civilian again from December 1861 to September 1862. In August 1862, Hecker formed a new regiment, the 82nd Illinois, or the "Second Hecker Regiment", composed mainly of German, Jewish, Swedish, and other European volunteers. Salomon joined with the rank of lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
as of September 26, 1862.
Salomon became a hero during the Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
. He had two horses shot out from under him and assumed command of the regiment when Hecker was wounded. Fellow-immigrant major general
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
Carl Schurz
Carl Schurz
Carl Christian Schurz was a German revolutionary, American statesman and reformer, and Union Army General in the American Civil War. He was also an accomplished journalist, newspaper editor and orator, who in 1869 became the first German-born American elected to the United States Senate.His wife,...
, his corps commander, described him during the battle: "He was the only soldier at Gettysburg who did not dodge when Lee's guns thundered; he stood up, smoked his cigar and faced the cannon balls with the sang froid of a Saladin
Saladin
Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb , better known in the Western world as Saladin, was an Arabized Kurdish Muslim, who became the first Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and founded the Ayyubid dynasty. He led Muslim and Arab opposition to the Franks and other European Crusaders in the Levant...
..."
Early in 1864, Hecker resigned, leaving Salomon in permanent command of the regiment, although still as a lieutenant colonel. Salomon led the regiment during the Atlanta Campaign
Atlanta Campaign
The Atlanta Campaign was a series of battles fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta during the summer of 1864. Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman invaded Georgia from the vicinity of Chattanooga, Tennessee, beginning in May...
and through the capture of Atlanta. Assigned to deliver messages to Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, he missed the famous march to the sea
Sherman's March to the Sea
Sherman's March to the Sea is the name commonly given to the Savannah Campaign conducted around Georgia from November 15, 1864 to December 21, 1864 by Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman of the Union Army in the American Civil War...
. In December 1864, he rejoined the regiment and finished out the war with them. He received a brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
promotion to brigadier general on March 13, 1865.
Postbellum activities
After the war, Salomon returned to Chicago where he was elected clerk of Cook CountyCook County, Illinois
Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than...
.
On March 4, 1870, President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
appointed Salomon governor of Washington Territory. He was caught up in the political scandals of the Grant administration and resigned in 1872. The Pacific Tribune newspaper, commenting on his resignation, lauded his honesty and integrity. General Philip Sheridan
Philip Sheridan
Philip Henry Sheridan was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to major general and his close association with Lt. Gen. Ulysses S...
led a delegation that presented him with a silver table service in recognition of his fine record of service, high qualities as a citizen, and as a friend.
Salomon moved to San Francisco, where he practiced law. In 1898 Salomon was appointed assistant district attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
for the city and county. He was elected to the California state assembly
Deliberative assembly
A deliberative assembly is an organization comprising members who use parliamentary procedure to make decisions. In a speech to the electorate at Bristol in 1774, Edmund Burke described the English Parliament as a "deliberative assembly," and the expression became the basic term for a body of...
in 1888. Salomon died in San Francisco and is buried in Salem Memorial Cemetery, Colma, California
Colma, California
Colma is a small incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, at the northern end of the San Francisco Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area. The population was 1,792 at the 2010 census. The town was founded as a necropolis in 1924....
.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals
- German Americans in the Civil War