Robert Julius Betge was a German-American politician and United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

 officer 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...

.

Betge was born in Prussia

Prussia

Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...

 and emigrated to New Jersey

New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

, where he operated a stationary store. In 1857, Betge joined the board of directors of the Hoboken Bank for Savings.

In 1861, at the outbreak of the Civil War, Betge received permission to organize the 68th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment

68th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment

The 68th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Mostly of German immigrants, it was also known as the Cameron Rifles or the Second German Rifle Regiment...

 and was commissioned as its 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...

. After entering service, he led the unit to Virginia where he was court-martialed. Found not guilty, Betge continued as colonel of the 68th New York until March 1862. That month, after protesting to his commanding general what he perceived to be mistreatment of his unit, Betge was placed under arrest. After his unit fought in the Battle of Cross Keys

Battle of Cross Keys

The Battle of Cross Keys was fought on June 8, 1862, in Rockingham County, Virginia, as part of Confederate Army Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's campaign through the Shenandoah Valley during the American Civil War...

, he resigned his commission on August 6, 1862.

In 1866, Betge moved to San Francisco, where he continued to work as a stationer and authored a book of verse. In 1868, he was elected to the California State Senate

California State Senate

The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...

 as a Democrat

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

. He was re-elected in 1870 and served as the Chairman of the Committee on Commerce and Navigation. He died in 1877.