Frederick W. Lander
Encyclopedia
Frederick West Lander was a transcontinental United States
explorer, general in the Union Army
during the American Civil War
, and a prolific poet.
, the son of Edward and Eliza West Lander. He was educated at Governor Dummer Academy, Phillips Academy
, Andover and Norwich Military Academy
in Vermont
and thereafter took up the profession of civil engineering as an army officer.
The United States government
employed him on transcontinental surveys to select a route for a Pacific railroad. Later he undertook a survey for the same purpose at his own expense and was the only man of the party to survive. He constructed the overland wagon route in the face of great difficulties and constant hostility of the Indians. After its completion in 1859, Lander Road became popular with wagon trains as an alternate route from Burnt Ranch in the Wyoming Territory
to Fort Hall
in the Oregon Territory
.
His expedition to survey the Lander Road in 1859 included artists Albert Bierstadt
, Henry Hitchings, and Francis Seth Frost
, who photographed, sketched, and painted some of the earliest images that people could see of the West.
, who served as a nurse during the Civil War. They were married in October 1860. Lander published a popular poem on the Battle of Ball's Bluff
, as well as several other patriotic poems that drew national attention.
During the early part of the Civil War, Lander served with distinction on secret missions as a volunteer aide de camp on the staff of General McClellan
. He was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers on May 17, 1861 and served on the staff of General Thomas A. Morris
during the battles of Philippi and Rich Mountain
and many minor skirmishes.
At the conclusion of the Western Virginia campaign, General Lander was assigned to command a brigade in Charles P. Stone's Division of the Army of the Potomac
. After just a short time in command of a brigade he was assigned to command the District of Harpers Ferry & Cumberland, Maryland where he was involved in a small engagement at Edward's Ferry, the day after the Battle of Ball's Bluff
and was badly wounded in the leg. He was now given the command of a division in the Army of the Potomac
with the task of protecting the upper Potomac River
. When Confederate forces under Stonewall Jackson
bombarded Hancock, Maryland
, Lander refused to surrender the town, forcing the Confederates to withdraw towards, Romney, West Virginia
. He led a successful charge against a Confederate camp at Bloomery Gap on February 14, 1862. About 2 weeks later he was stricken by a "congestive chill."
Lander died from complications of pneumonia
at Camp Chase, Paw Paw, Virginia (later West Virginia) on March 2, 1862 after receiving no response to his request for relief from command due to poor health for over two weeks.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
explorer, general in the Union Army
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...
during 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 a prolific poet.
Birth and early years
Lander was born in Salem, MassachusettsSalem, Massachusetts
Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...
, the son of Edward and Eliza West Lander. He was educated at Governor Dummer Academy, Phillips Academy
Phillips Academy
Phillips Academy is a selective, co-educational independent boarding high school for boarding and day students in grades 9–12, along with a post-graduate year...
, Andover and Norwich Military Academy
Norwich University
Norwich University is a private university located in Northfield, Vermont . The university was founded in 1819 at Norwich, Vermont, as the American Literary, Scientific and Military Academy. It is the oldest of six Senior Military Colleges, and is recognized by the United States Department of...
in Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
and thereafter took up the profession of civil engineering as an army officer.
The United States government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
employed him on transcontinental surveys to select a route for a Pacific railroad. Later he undertook a survey for the same purpose at his own expense and was the only man of the party to survive. He constructed the overland wagon route in the face of great difficulties and constant hostility of the Indians. After its completion in 1859, Lander Road became popular with wagon trains as an alternate route from Burnt Ranch in the Wyoming Territory
Wyoming Territory
The Territory of Wyoming was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 25, 1868, until July 10, 1890, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Wyoming. Cheyenne was the territorial capital...
to Fort Hall
Fort Hall
Fort Hall, sitting athwart the end of the common stretch shared by the three far west emigrant trails was a 19th century outpost in the eastern Oregon Country, which eventually became part of the present-day United States, and is located in southeastern Idaho near Fort Hall, Idaho...
in the Oregon Territory
Oregon Territory
The Territory of Oregon was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 14, 1848, until February 14, 1859, when the southwestern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Oregon. Originally claimed by several countries , the region was...
.
His expedition to survey the Lander Road in 1859 included artists Albert Bierstadt
Albert Bierstadt
Albert Bierstadt was a German-American painter best known for his lavish, sweeping landscapes of the American West. In obtaining the subject matter for these works, Bierstadt joined several journeys of the Westward Expansion...
, Henry Hitchings, and Francis Seth Frost
Francis Seth Frost
Francis Seth Frost or F.S. Frost was a painter, photographer, and businessman specializing in artists' materials. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, he travelled widely in the United States. Friends included Albert Bierstadt....
, who photographed, sketched, and painted some of the earliest images that people could see of the West.
Civil War service
Lander was the husband of English-born stage actress Jean Margaret DavenportJean Margaret Davenport
Jean Margaret Davenport was an English actress.Her father was a lawyer, but he left the Bar for the Stage, and became the manager of the Richmond Theatre, where Jean made her first professional appearance, in 1837, as Little Pickle in The Manager's Daughter — a piece that is also known as The...
, who served as a nurse during the Civil War. They were married in October 1860. Lander published a popular poem on the Battle of Ball's Bluff
Battle of Ball's Bluff
The Battle of Ball's Bluff, also known as the Battle of Harrison’s Island or the Battle of Leesburg, was fought on October 21, 1861, in Loudoun County, Virginia, as part of Union Maj. Gen. George B...
, as well as several other patriotic poems that drew national attention.
During the early part of the Civil War, Lander served with distinction on secret missions as a volunteer aide de camp on the staff of General McClellan
George B. McClellan
George Brinton McClellan was a major general during the American Civil War. He organized the famous Army of the Potomac and served briefly as the general-in-chief of the Union Army. Early in the war, McClellan played an important role in raising a well-trained and organized army for the Union...
. He was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers on May 17, 1861 and served on the staff of General Thomas A. Morris
Thomas A. Morris
Thomas Armstrong Morris was an American railroad executive and civil engineer from Indiana and a soldier, serving as a brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War...
during the battles of Philippi and Rich Mountain
Battle of Rich Mountain
The Battle of Rich Mountain took place on July 11, 1861, in Randolph County, Virginia as part of the Operations in Western Virginia Campaign during the American Civil War.-Background:...
and many minor skirmishes.
At the conclusion of the Western Virginia campaign, General Lander was assigned to command a brigade in Charles P. Stone's Division of the Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
. After just a short time in command of a brigade he was assigned to command the District of Harpers Ferry & Cumberland, Maryland where he was involved in a small engagement at Edward's Ferry, the day after the Battle of Ball's Bluff
Battle of Ball's Bluff
The Battle of Ball's Bluff, also known as the Battle of Harrison’s Island or the Battle of Leesburg, was fought on October 21, 1861, in Loudoun County, Virginia, as part of Union Maj. Gen. George B...
and was badly wounded in the leg. He was now given the command of a division in the Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
with the task of protecting the upper Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
. When Confederate forces under Stonewall Jackson
Stonewall Jackson
ຄຽשת״ׇׂׂׂׂ֣|birth_place= Clarksburg, Virginia |death_place=Guinea Station, Virginia|placeofburial=Stonewall Jackson Memorial CemeteryLexington, Virginia|placeofburial_label= Place of burial|image=...
bombarded Hancock, Maryland
Hancock, Maryland
Hancock is a town in Washington County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,725 at the 2000 census. The Western Maryland community is notable for being located at the narrowest part of the state...
, Lander refused to surrender the town, forcing the Confederates to withdraw towards, Romney, West Virginia
Romney, West Virginia
Romney is a city in and the county seat of Hampshire County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 1,940 at the 2000 census, while the area covered by the city's ZIP code had a population of 5,873. It is a city with a very historic background dating back to the 18th century...
. He led a successful charge against a Confederate camp at Bloomery Gap on February 14, 1862. About 2 weeks later he was stricken by a "congestive chill."
Lander died from complications of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
at Camp Chase, Paw Paw, Virginia (later West Virginia) on March 2, 1862 after receiving no response to his request for relief from command due to poor health for over two weeks.
Namesakes
- Lander, WyomingLander, WyomingLander is a city in, and the county seat of, Fremont County, Wyoming, United States. Named for transcontinental explorer Frederick W. Lander, Lander is located in central Wyoming, along the Middle Fork of the Popo Agie River. A tourism center with several dude ranches nearby, Lander is located just...
- Lander County, NevadaLander County, NevadaLander County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2000 census, the population was 5,794. Its county seat is Battle Mountain.-History:...
- Lander PeakLander PeakLander Peak is a high mountain in the Wyoming Range in the U.S. State of Wyoming. In 1859 Albert Bierstadt accompanied Frederick W. Lander on an western expedition. On his return he painted the peak on a large by canvas. Following the death of General Lander during the Civil War in 1862,...
- Lander Creek
- Lander, Maryland
See also
- List of American Civil War generals
- List of Massachusetts generals in the American Civil War
- Massachusetts in the American Civil War