Sidney Burbank
Encyclopedia
Sidney Burbank served as an officer in the regular army before and during the American Civil War
. For a time he led a brigade in the Army of the Potomac
.
in 1807, the son of Col.
Sullivan Burbank, an officer in the U. S. Army since the War of 1812. Sidney Burbank attended the United States Military Academy
at West Point, New York
, graduating 17th in a class of 46 in 1829. Burbank was assigned to the infantry, serving in Indian wars, including the Seminole War. As a captain he established Fort Duncan
near Eagle Pass, Texas
in 1849. For most of his career, he served in the 1st U.S. Infantry. Burbank was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel
on May 14, 1861 and colonel
on September 16, 1862. He served on recruiting duty and organized the 13th U.S. Infantry at Jefferson Barracks in Missouri
. Burbank succeeded to command of the 2nd U.S. Infantry following the death of Dixon Miles.
in 1863. He served as a brigade commander in the second division of V Corps
under Maj. Gen.
George Sykes
at the Battle of Chancellorsville
. His brigade was composed of regiments of regular infantry. Burbank led the same brigade under Brig. Gen.
Romeyn B. Ayres
at the Battle of Gettysburg
. Burbank's brigade lost heavily when it was attacked on the flank while deploying in the Wheatfield on July 2, 1863. The attack was executed by the brigade of Brig. Gen. William T. Wofford
, and it cost Burbank's brigade 447 casualties. Afterwards, his regular brigade was combined with that of Col. Hannibal Day
, serving under Burbank in the Bristoe Campaign
and the Mine Run Campaign. He was nominated by Meade
for Brigadier general but not promoted.
rendezvous in Columbus, Ohio
and the headquarters of the 2nd U.S. Infantry in Kentucky
until the end of the war, as well as the Newport Barracks in the Department of Kentucky.
A brevet
grade of brigadier general
was awarded to Burbank in 1866 for his service during the Battle of Gettysburg. He rebuilt his regiment, as well as serving on boards and commissions, until he retired in 1870. Burbank lived in Newport, Kentucky
until he died on December 7, 1882, of an intestinal blockage.
Burbank's son, Capt. Sullivan Burbank, was killed in the Battle of the Wilderness
.
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...
. For a time he led a brigade 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...
.
Pre War
Burbank was born in Lexington, MassachusettsLexington, Massachusetts
Lexington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 31,399 at the 2010 census. This town is famous for being the site of the first shot of the American Revolution, in the Battle of Lexington on April 19, 1775.- History :...
in 1807, the son of Col.
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...
Sullivan Burbank, an officer in the U. S. Army since the War of 1812. Sidney Burbank attended the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
at West Point, New York
West Point, New York
West Point is a federal military reservation established by President of the United States Thomas Jefferson in 1802. It is a census-designated place located in Town of Highlands in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 7,138 at the 2000 census...
, graduating 17th in a class of 46 in 1829. Burbank was assigned to the infantry, serving in Indian wars, including the Seminole War. As a captain he established Fort Duncan
Fort Duncan
Fort Duncan was a U.S. Army post, set up to protect the first U.S. settlement on the Rio Grande near the current town of Eagle Pass, Texas.Fort Duncan was established on March 27, 1849, when Captain Sidney Burbank occupied the site with companies A, B, and F of the First United States Infantry...
near Eagle Pass, Texas
Eagle Pass, Texas
Eagle Pass is a city in and the county seat of Maverick County The population was 27,183 as of the 2010 census.Eagle Pass borders the city of Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico, which is to the southwest and across the Rio Grande. The Eagle Pass-Piedras Negras Metropolitan Area is one of six...
in 1849. For most of his career, he served in the 1st U.S. Infantry. Burbank was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant 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...
on May 14, 1861 and 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 September 16, 1862. He served on recruiting duty and organized the 13th U.S. Infantry at Jefferson Barracks in Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. Burbank succeeded to command of the 2nd U.S. Infantry following the death of Dixon Miles.
Service with the Army of the Potomac
Colonel Burbank joined the Army of the PotomacArmy 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 1863. He served as a brigade commander in the second division of V Corps
V Corps (ACW)
The V Corps was a unit of the Union Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War.-1862:The corps was first organized briefly under Nathaniel P. Banks, but then permanently on May 18, 1862, designated as the "V Corps Provisional"...
under 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...
George Sykes
George Sykes
George Sykes was a career United States Army officer and a Union General during the American Civil War.-Early life:...
at 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...
. His brigade was composed of regiments of regular infantry. Burbank led the same brigade under Brig. Gen.
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...
Romeyn B. Ayres
Romeyn B. Ayres
Romeyn Beck Ayres was a Union Army general in the American Civil War.-Early life:Ayres was born at East Creek, New York, along the Mohawk River in Montgomery County. He was the son of a small-town doctor who urged all of his sons into professional careers...
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...
. Burbank's brigade lost heavily when it was attacked on the flank while deploying in the Wheatfield on July 2, 1863. The attack was executed by the brigade of Brig. Gen. William T. Wofford
William T. Wofford
William Tatum Wofford was an officer during the Mexican-American War and a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...
, and it cost Burbank's brigade 447 casualties. Afterwards, his regular brigade was combined with that of Col. Hannibal Day
Hannibal Day
Hannibal Day served as an officer in the regular army before and during the American Civil War, briefly commanding a brigade in the Army of the Potomac....
, serving under Burbank in the Bristoe Campaign
Bristoe Campaign
The Bristoe Campaign was a series of minor battles fought in Virginia during October and November 1863, in the American Civil War. Maj. Gen. George G. Meade, commanding the Union Army of the Potomac, began to maneuver in an unsuccessful attempt to defeat Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern...
and the Mine Run Campaign. He was nominated by Meade
George Meade
George Gordon Meade was a career United States Army officer and civil engineer involved in coastal construction, including several lighthouses. He fought with distinction in the Second Seminole War and Mexican-American War. During the American Civil War he served as a Union general, rising from...
for Brigadier general but not promoted.
Service in Kentucky
Burbank's health was poor, and in the winter of 1863-1864 his eyesight was failing. Burbank left the Army of the Potomac for less demanding assignments. (The regulars were made part of a brigade under Ayers in General Charles Griffin's first division V Corps.) Thereafter Burbank commanded a draftConscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
rendezvous 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...
and the headquarters of the 2nd U.S. Infantry 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...
until the end of the war, as well as the Newport Barracks in the Department of Kentucky.
A 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 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...
was awarded to Burbank in 1866 for his service during the Battle of Gettysburg. He rebuilt his regiment, as well as serving on boards and commissions, until he retired in 1870. Burbank lived in Newport, Kentucky
Newport, Kentucky
Newport is a city in Campbell County, Kentucky, United States, at the confluence of the Ohio and Licking rivers. The population was 15,273 at the 2010 census. Historically, it was one of four county seats of Campbell County. Newport is part of the Greater Cincinnati, Ohio Metro Area which...
until he died on December 7, 1882, of an intestinal blockage.
Burbank's son, Capt. Sullivan Burbank, was killed in the Battle of the Wilderness
Battle of the Wilderness
The Battle of the Wilderness, fought May 5–7, 1864, was the first battle of Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against Gen. Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. Both armies suffered heavy casualties, a harbinger of a bloody war of attrition by...
.
See also
- List of Massachusetts generals in the American Civil War
- Massachusetts in the American Civil War