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Samuel Beatty (general)
Encyclopedia
Samuel Beatty was an American
soldier, sheriff, and farmer from Ohio
. He was a brigadier general
in the Union Army
during the American Civil War
. In 1866, he was awarded the brevet
grade of major general
of volunteers.
, but was raised in Stark County, Ohio
. He served as a lieutenant
in the Third Ohio Infantry during the Mexican-American War in the 1840s, and then was the sheriff
of Stark County in the late 1850s.
—the “Canton Light Guards.” Beatty was elected as the regiment
's first colonel
. After initial organization and training at the local fairgrounds, the regiment was transported to Camp Chase
in Columbus, Ohio
, for additional drilling. Beatty led the 19th Ohio in a series of battles in western Virginia
, including the Battle of Rich Mountain
. He fought at the Battle of Shiloh
in the spring of 1862. He subsequently commanded a brigade
(11th Brigade, Fifth Division, II Corps
) in the Army of the Cumberland
at the Battle of Perryville
in Kentucky
that autumn.
Beatty, although still a colonel in rank, took command of Brig. Gen. Horatio Van Cleve’s division
of Maj. Gen. Thomas L. Crittenden's wing during the Battle of Stones River
after the general was wounded. His men were driven back by a charge by Confederates
under John C. Breckinridge
. They rallied after federal artillery gathered by Crittenden's artillery chief, Captain John Mendenhall, bombarded Breckenridge's troops.
Promoted to brigadier general backdated to November 1862, Beatty's personal bravery at the Battle of Chickamauga
in September 1863 received the commendation of XXI Corps
commander Thomas L. Crittenden, who wrote, "With pride I mention the name of Brig. Gen. Samuel Beatty for his conduct on this occasion."
Beatty led a brigade in the IV Corps
of the Army of the Cumberland during the Atlanta Campaign
.
Beatty was mustered out of the volunteer service on January 15, 1866. He was awarded the brevet
grade of major general
of volunteers, to rank from March 13, 1865, for his actions at the Battle of Nashville
, leading the division of Brig. Gen. Thomas J. Wood
, who was acting corps commander, by nomination of President Andrew Johnson
on January 13, 1866 and confirmation by the U.S. Senate on March 12, 1866. This brevet promotion made him the highest ranking Union Army officer from Stark County.
. He died at home and was buried in the City Cemetery in Massillon, Ohio
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soldier, sheriff, and farmer from Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. He was a 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 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...
. In 1866, he was awarded the 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...
grade of major general
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
of volunteers.
Early life and career
Beatty was born in Mifflin County, PennsylvaniaMifflin County, Pennsylvania
Mifflin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 46,682. Its county seat is Lewistown. It is named after Thomas Mifflin, the first Governor of Pennsylvania.-Geography:...
, but was raised in Stark County, Ohio
Stark County, Ohio
Stark County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2010 census, the population was 375,586. It is included in the Canton-Massillon, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area....
. He served as a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the Third Ohio Infantry during the Mexican-American War in the 1840s, and then was the sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
of Stark County in the late 1850s.
Civil War service
When the Civil War erupted, he formed a volunteer unit that mustered in as Company A of the 19th Ohio Infantry19th Ohio Infantry
The 19th Ohio Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Three-months regiment:...
—the “Canton Light Guards.” Beatty was elected as the 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...
's first 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 initial organization and training at the local fairgrounds, the regiment was transported to Camp Chase
Camp Chase
Camp Chase was a military staging, training and prison camp in Columbus, Ohio, during the American Civil War. All that remains of the camp today is a Confederate cemetery containing 2,260 graves. The cemetery is located in what is now the Hilltop neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio.- History :Camp Chase...
in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, for additional drilling. Beatty led the 19th Ohio in a series of battles in western Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, including the Battle of 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:...
. He fought at the Battle of Shiloh
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. A Union army under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had moved via the Tennessee River deep into Tennessee and...
in the spring of 1862. He subsequently commanded 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...
(11th Brigade, Fifth Division, II Corps
II Corps (ACW)
There were five corps in the Union Army designated as II Corps during the American Civil War.* Army of the Cumberland, II Corps commanded by Thomas L. Crittenden , later renumbered XX Corps...
) in the Army of the Cumberland
Army of the Cumberland
The Army of the Cumberland was one of the principal Union armies in the Western Theater during the American Civil War. It was originally known as the Army of the Ohio.-History:...
at the Battle of Perryville
Battle of Perryville
The Battle of Perryville, also known as the Battle of Chaplin Hills, was fought on October 8, 1862, in the Chaplin Hills west of Perryville, Kentucky, as the culmination of the Confederate Heartland Offensive during the American Civil War. Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg's Army of Mississippi won a...
in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
that autumn.
Beatty, although still a colonel in rank, took command of Brig. Gen. Horatio Van Cleve’s 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 Maj. Gen. Thomas L. Crittenden's wing during the Battle of Stones River
Battle of Stones River
The Battle of Stones River or Second Battle of Murfreesboro , was fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863, in Middle Tennessee, as the culmination of the Stones River Campaign in the Western Theater of the American Civil War...
after the general was wounded. His men were driven back by a charge by Confederates
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...
under John C. Breckinridge
John C. Breckinridge
John Cabell Breckinridge was an American lawyer and politician. He served as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Kentucky and was the 14th Vice President of the United States , to date the youngest vice president in U.S...
. They rallied after federal artillery gathered by Crittenden's artillery chief, Captain John Mendenhall, bombarded Breckenridge's troops.
Promoted to brigadier general backdated to November 1862, Beatty's personal bravery at the Battle of Chickamauga
Battle of Chickamauga
The Battle of Chickamauga, fought September 19–20, 1863, marked the end of a Union offensive in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia called the Chickamauga Campaign...
in September 1863 received the commendation of XXI Corps
XXI Corps (ACW)
XXI Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War. It served as part of William S. Rosecrans's Army of the Cumberland and was in existence from January 9th to October 1863....
commander Thomas L. Crittenden, who wrote, "With pride I mention the name of Brig. Gen. Samuel Beatty for his conduct on this occasion."
Beatty led a brigade in the IV Corps
IV Corps (ACW)
There were two corps of the Union Army called IV Corps during the American Civil War. They were separate units, one serving with the Army of the Potomac and the Department of Virginia in the Eastern Theater, 1862–63, the other with the Army of the Cumberland in the Western Theater,...
of the Army of the Cumberland 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...
.
Beatty was mustered out of the volunteer service on January 15, 1866. He was awarded the 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...
grade of 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...
of volunteers, to rank from March 13, 1865, for his actions at the Battle of Nashville
Battle of Nashville
The Battle of Nashville was a two-day battle in the Franklin-Nashville Campaign that represented the end of large-scale fighting in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. It was fought at Nashville, Tennessee, on December 15–16, 1864, between the Confederate Army of Tennessee under...
, leading the division of Brig. Gen. Thomas J. Wood
Thomas J. Wood
Thomas John Wood was a career United States Army officer and a Union general during the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...
, who was acting corps commander, by nomination of President Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson was the 17th President of the United States . As Vice-President of the United States in 1865, he succeeded Abraham Lincoln following the latter's assassination. Johnson then presided over the initial and contentious Reconstruction era of the United States following the American...
on January 13, 1866 and confirmation by the U.S. Senate on March 12, 1866. This brevet promotion made him the highest ranking Union Army officer from Stark County.
Postbellum career
After the war, Beatty returned to Stark County and farmed in Jackson TownshipJackson Township, Stark County, Ohio
Jackson Township is one of the seventeen townships of Stark County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 37,744 people in the township, 37,484 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
. He died at home and was buried in the City Cemetery in Massillon, Ohio
Massillon, Ohio
Massillon is a city located in Stark County in the U.S. state of Ohio, approximately 8 miles to the west of Canton, Ohio, 20 miles south of Akron, Ohio, and 50 miles south of Cleveland, Ohio. The population was 32,149 at the 2010 census....
.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals (Union)
- List of Ohio's American Civil War generals
- Ohio in the American Civil War