Joseph Horace Eaton
Encyclopedia
Joseph Horace Eaton was an American artist and Army officer.
. He graduated from West Point in 1835. During the Mexican-American War he was an aide to Gen. Zachary Taylor
and was twice promoted and cited for gallantry, first at the Battle of Monterey
and then at the Battle of Buena Vista
. Following the Mexican War, Eaton was stationed on the frontier where he painted a series of landscapes in New Mexico
in the 1850s. Those paintings are highly sought after by art collectors and museums today and even Eaton's autograph is sold at auction. Among his most important watercolors are Don Fernandez de Taos and Canoncito Bonito.
, Eaton was aide-de-camp and military secretary to Maj. Gen.
John C. Frémont
and was paymaster of the Department of Kansas. He later was stationed in Washington, D.C.
, where he was assistant U.S. paymaster. He was promoted to brevet
brigadier general
, USA (regular army), in 1865.
where he was the Army's Chief Paymaster of the Department of the Columbia until his retirement in 1881. The son of Dr. Joseph Eaton, he married the former Susan Blaney in 1845. He died in Portland, Oregon
, and is buried in River View Cemetery
.
Early life
Eaton 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...
. He graduated from West Point in 1835. During the Mexican-American War he was an aide to Gen. Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States and an American military leader. Initially uninterested in politics, Taylor nonetheless ran as a Whig in the 1848 presidential election, defeating Lewis Cass...
and was twice promoted and cited for gallantry, first at the Battle of Monterey
Battle of Monterey
-Preliminaries:Prior to the Mexican-American War the Californio forces had already driven the Mexican appointed Governor Manuel Micheltorena and most of his soldiers from Alta California...
and then at the Battle of Buena Vista
Battle of Buena Vista
The Battle of Buena Vista , also known as the Battle of Angostura, saw the United States Army use artillery to repulse the much larger Mexican army in the Mexican-American War...
. Following the Mexican War, Eaton was stationed on the frontier where he painted a series of landscapes in New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
in the 1850s. Those paintings are highly sought after by art collectors and museums today and even Eaton's autograph is sold at auction. Among his most important watercolors are Don Fernandez de Taos and Canoncito Bonito.
Civil War
At the start of the American Civil WarAmerican 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...
, Eaton was aide-de-camp and military secretary to Maj. Gen.
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...
John C. Frémont
John C. Frémont
John Charles Frémont , was an American military officer, explorer, and the first candidate of the anti-slavery Republican Party for the office of President of the United States. During the 1840s, that era's penny press accorded Frémont the sobriquet The Pathfinder...
and was paymaster of the Department of Kansas. He later was stationed in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, where he was assistant U.S. paymaster. He was promoted to 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...
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...
, USA (regular army), in 1865.
Postbellum career
After the Civil War Eaton was assigned to OregonOregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
where he was the Army's Chief Paymaster of the Department of the Columbia until his retirement in 1881. The son of Dr. Joseph Eaton, he married the former Susan Blaney in 1845. He died in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, and is buried in River View Cemetery
River View Cemetery (Portland, Oregon)
River View Cemetery in the southwest section of Portland, Oregon, United States, is a non-profit cemetery founded in 1882. It is the final resting place of many prominent and notable citizens of Oregon, including many governors and United States Senators...
.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals