Hiram Burnham
Encyclopedia
Hiram Burnham was an officer in the Union Army
who commanded a regiment
and then a brigade
in the Eastern Theater
of the American Civil War
. He was killed in battle while assaulting Confederate
positions near Richmond, Virginia
, during the Battle of Chaffin's Farm
.
, in 1814. He formed and led a militia
company as its captain in the Aroostook War
of 1839. He subsequently worked as a lumberman and owned a sawmill. Active in local politics, he held public office as a county commissioner and a coroner
. Burnham is described as a burly man with a strong voice, able to make himself heard on a battlefield.
of the 6th Maine Infantry
on July 16, 1861. He was promoted to the rank of colonel
on December 12 of that year. He served with the Army of the Potomac
in the Peninsula Campaign
, starting out in Brig. Gen. Winfield S. Hancock's brigade in a division
of the IV Corps under Brig. Gen. William F. Smith
. This division later became part of the VI Corps. At the Battle of Crampton's Gap
and the Battle of Antietam
, Burnham led his regiment in the 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, VI Corps under Hancock. He led the same regiment under Brig. Gen. Calvin E. Pratt at the Battle of Fredericksburg
, where the brigade was only lightly engaged.
In 1863, a "Light Division" of VI Corps, composed of five regiments, was organized under General Pratt. It was to be able to move rapidly. Instead of wagons, supplies were to be carried on mules. However, Pratt resigned his post and Burnham led the division from May 3 to May 11, including at the Second Battle of Fredericksburg, where he was wounded, temporarily relinquishing command. The Light Division was among the first VI Corps units to cross the Rappahannock River
on May 1, 1863 to draw Confederate attention away from the main crossing points of the Army of the Potomac upstream. The Light Division made up the rightmost column in Maj. Gen. John Sedgwick
’s attack on Marye’s Heightson May 3. Although Burnham spoke "cheerfully" to his troops before they attacked, casualties were heavy—an estimated 30%.
Burnham's Light Division was the right flank anchor of Sedgwick's line when VI Corps stood on the defensive during the later stages of the Battle of Salem Church
. Only lightly engaged, Burnham was able to send two regiments to help repel a Confederate attack on the left flank. The 6th Maine of Burnham's command was one of the rearguard units when the corps retreated across the Rappahannock River
. The Light Division was dissolved after the Battle of Chancellorsville
, and Burnham's regiment joined the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, VI Corps under Brig. Gen. David Allen Russell
. In that capacity he was present in reserve behind Little Round Top
at the Battle of Gettysburg
. A monument to the regiment stands on Howe Avenue behind the Round Top.
. Having been promoted to the rank of brigadier general
on April 26, 1864, he was assigned command of a brigade in the first Division of the XVIII Corps, Army of the James
on April 28 of that year. General Burnham led the brigade until July 31, and then again from September 27 to September 29 during the Siege of Petersburg
. He commanded the 1st Division briefly in between.
Burnham was killed at the Battle of Chaffin's Farm on September 29, 1864. His brigade had routed Confederate skirmishers from a cornfield on the Varina Road and pursued toward the Confederate earthworks. In preparation for the planned assault on Fort Harrison
, the division’s commander, Brig. Gen. George J. Stannard
, deployed Burnham’s brigade in the front of his column. Burnham was hit in the intestines by a bullet shortly after his brigade penetrated into the fort. He died shortly thereafter.
General Burnham was buried in Pine Grove Cemetery in Cherryfield.
The U.S. Army renamed the captured Fort Harrison as Fort Burnham in his honor.
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...
who commanded a regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
and then a brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
in the Eastern Theater
Eastern Theater of the American Civil War
The Eastern Theater of the American Civil War included the states of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, the District of Columbia, and the coastal fortifications and seaports of North Carolina...
of 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...
. He was killed in battle while assaulting Confederate
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
positions near Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, during the Battle of Chaffin's Farm
Battle of Chaffin's Farm
The Battle of Chaffin's Farm and New Market Heights, also known as Laurel Hill and combats at Forts Harrison, Johnson, and Gilmer, was fought September 29–30, 1864, as part of the Siege of Petersburg in the American Civil War.-Background:...
.
Early life and career
Hiram Burnham was born in Narraguagus, later Cherryfield, MaineCherryfield, Maine
Cherryfield is a town in Washington County, Maine, United States on the Narraguagus River. It was named for the wild cherries that once peppered the banks of the river. The population was 1,157 at the 2000 census. The town bills itself as the "Blueberry Capital of the World"...
, in 1814. He formed and led a militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
company as its captain in the Aroostook War
Aroostook War
The Aroostook War was an undeclared nonviolent confrontation in 1838/1839 between the United States and Great Britain over the international boundary between British North America and Maine. The compromise resolution win a mutually accepted border between the state of Maine and the provinces of...
of 1839. He subsequently worked as a lumberman and owned a sawmill. Active in local politics, he held public office as a county commissioner and a coroner
Coroner
A coroner is a government official who* Investigates human deaths* Determines cause of death* Issues death certificates* Maintains death records* Responds to deaths in mass disasters* Identifies unknown dead* Other functions depending on local laws...
. Burnham is described as a burly man with a strong voice, able to make himself heard on a battlefield.
Service in the Army of the Potomac
Early in the war Burnham became lieutenant colonelLieutenant 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...
of the 6th Maine Infantry
6th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment
The 6th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 6th Maine Infantry was organized in Portland, Maine and mustered in for a three year enlistment on July 15, 1861....
on July 16, 1861. He was promoted to the rank of colonel
Colonel (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...
on December 12 of that year. He served with 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...
in the Peninsula Campaign
Peninsula Campaign
The Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March through July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. The operation, commanded by Maj. Gen. George B...
, starting out in Brig. Gen. Winfield S. Hancock's brigade in a division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
of the IV Corps under Brig. Gen. William F. Smith
William F. Smith
William F. Smith may refer to:*William Farrar Smith , Union Army General*William Francis Smith , U.S. District Court judge*William French Smith , U.S. Attorney General...
. This division later became part of the VI Corps. At the Battle of Crampton's Gap
Battle of Crampton's Gap
The Battle of Crampton's Gap or Battle of Burkittsville was a battle fought between forces under Confederate Brig. Gen. Howell Cobb and Union Maj. Gen. William B...
and the Battle of Antietam
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with about 23,000...
, Burnham led his regiment in the 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, VI Corps under Hancock. He led the same regiment under Brig. Gen. Calvin E. Pratt at the Battle of Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside...
, where the brigade was only lightly engaged.
In 1863, a "Light Division" of VI Corps, composed of five regiments, was organized under General Pratt. It was to be able to move rapidly. Instead of wagons, supplies were to be carried on mules. However, Pratt resigned his post and Burnham led the division from May 3 to May 11, including at the Second Battle of Fredericksburg, where he was wounded, temporarily relinquishing command. The Light Division was among the first VI Corps units to cross the Rappahannock River
Rappahannock River
The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia, in the United States, approximately in length. It traverses the entire northern part of the state, from the Blue Ridge Mountains in the west, across the Piedmont, to the Chesapeake Bay, south of the Potomac River.An important river in American...
on May 1, 1863 to draw Confederate attention away from the main crossing points of the Army of the Potomac upstream. The Light Division made up the rightmost column in Maj. Gen. John Sedgwick
John Sedgwick
John Sedgwick was a teacher, a career military officer, and a Union Army general in the American Civil War. He was the highest ranking Union casualty in the Civil War, killed by a sniper at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House.-Early life:Sedgwick was born in the Litchfield Hills town of...
’s attack on Marye’s Heightson May 3. Although Burnham spoke "cheerfully" to his troops before they attacked, casualties were heavy—an estimated 30%.
Burnham's Light Division was the right flank anchor of Sedgwick's line when VI Corps stood on the defensive during the later stages of the Battle of Salem Church
Battle of Salem Church
The Battle of Salem Church, also known as the Battle of Banks' Ford, took place on May 3–4, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, as part of the Chancellorsville Campaign of the American Civil War....
. Only lightly engaged, Burnham was able to send two regiments to help repel a Confederate attack on the left flank. The 6th Maine of Burnham's command was one of the rearguard units when the corps retreated across the Rappahannock River
Rappahannock River
The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia, in the United States, approximately in length. It traverses the entire northern part of the state, from the Blue Ridge Mountains in the west, across the Piedmont, to the Chesapeake Bay, south of the Potomac River.An important river in American...
. The Light Division was dissolved after the Battle of Chancellorsville
Battle of Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville Campaign. It was fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near the village of Chancellorsville. Two related battles were fought nearby on...
, and Burnham's regiment joined the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, VI Corps under Brig. Gen. David Allen Russell
David Allen Russell
David Allen Russell was a career United States Army officer who served in the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War. He was killed in action as a brigadier general in the Union Army.-Early life:...
. In that capacity he was present in reserve behind Little Round Top
Little Round Top
Little Round Top is the smaller of two rocky hills south of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It was the site of an unsuccessful assault by Confederate troops against the Union left flank on July 2, 1863, the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg....
at 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...
. A monument to the regiment stands on Howe Avenue behind the Round Top.
Service in the Army of the James
Burnham was absent from Russell’s brigade at the beginning of the Overland CampaignOverland Campaign
The Overland Campaign, also known as Grant's Overland Campaign and the Wilderness Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June 1864, in the American Civil War. Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, general-in-chief of all Union armies, directed the actions of the Army of the...
. Having been promoted to the rank of 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...
on April 26, 1864, he was assigned command of a brigade in the first Division of the XVIII Corps, Army of the James
Army of the James
The Army of the James was a Union Army that was composed of units from the Department of Virginia and North Carolina and served along the James River during the final operations of the American Civil War in Virginia.-History:...
on April 28 of that year. General Burnham led the brigade until July 31, and then again from September 27 to September 29 during the Siege of Petersburg
Siege of Petersburg
The Richmond–Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War...
. He commanded the 1st Division briefly in between.
Burnham was killed at the Battle of Chaffin's Farm on September 29, 1864. His brigade had routed Confederate skirmishers from a cornfield on the Varina Road and pursued toward the Confederate earthworks. In preparation for the planned assault on Fort Harrison
Fort Harrison
Fort Harrison was an important component of the Confederate defenses of Richmond during the American Civil War. Named after Lieutenant William Harrison, a Confederate engineer, it was the largest in the series of fortifications that extended from New Market Road to the James River that also...
, the division’s commander, Brig. Gen. George J. Stannard
George J. Stannard
George Jerrison Stannard was a Vermont farmer, teacher, and Union general in the American Civil War. After the war, he served as Doorkeeper of the United States House of Representatives.-Early life:...
, deployed Burnham’s brigade in the front of his column. Burnham was hit in the intestines by a bullet shortly after his brigade penetrated into the fort. He died shortly thereafter.
General Burnham was buried in Pine Grove Cemetery in Cherryfield.
The U.S. Army renamed the captured Fort Harrison as Fort Burnham in his honor.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals