Solomon Meredith
Encyclopedia
Solomon Meredith was a prominent Indiana
farmer, politician, and lawman who was a controversial Union Army
general in the American Civil War
. He gained fame as one of the commanders of the Iron Brigade
of the Army of the Potomac
, leading the brigade in the Battle of Gettysburg
.
, to David and Mary Farrington Meredith. The Merediths were Quaker and educated young Solomon at home. Meredith's grandfather, James Meredith, fought at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse during the American Revolutionary War
. In 1829, Solomon traveled to Wayne County, Indiana
, where he found work chopping wood and working on a farm. He later clerked in a general store in Centerville
.
of Wayne County, serving for two years. He was subsequently elected to the Indiana House of Representatives
for four terms. In the mid-1850s, he was the U.S. Marshal for Indiana. He owned a sprawling farm, "Oakland," near Cambridge City
. He was nicknamed "Long Sol" for his towering 6' 7" body.
of infantry
. Governor Oliver P. Morton appointed Meredith as the first colonel
of the newly named 19th Indiana, despite his lack of previous military experience. The regiment traveled by train to Washington, D.C.
, where it would eventually join the Army of the Potomac
and be brigade
d with three Wisconsin
regiments in what became famous as the Iron Brigade.
Meredith and his Hoosiers fought during the Northern Virginia Campaign
at Brawner's Farm
, where his horse was shot from under him, crushing him and breaking several ribs. As a result of the injury and taking a leave of absence in Washington, he missed the Battle of Antietam
in September, drawing the ire of the Iron Brigade commander, Brig. Gen. John Gibbon
. Gibbon was upset that Meredith had taken part in the Battle of South Mountain
but had missed Antietam. Meredith's replacement, Lt. Col.
Alois O. Bachman, was killed while leading a charge near the Cornfield at Antietam, further fueling Gibbon's resentment towards Meredith. A month later, Meredith received a promotion to brigadier general
and replaced Gibbon (promoted to a different division) as the commander of the Iron Brigade, against the latter's advice. In November, Meredith led the brigade in combat for the first time at Fredericksburg
, where he drew the ire of division
commander Maj. Gen. Abner Doubleday
, who temporarily replaced Meredith with Col. Lysander Cutler
.
In the spring of 1863, Meredith's brigade participated in the Chancellorsville Campaign
, but saw relatively little combat. That would change in July, when the Iron Brigade suffered significant casualties during the first day's fighting at Gettysburg
in Herbst's Woods and on Seminary Ridge. They were one of the first infantry brigades to reach the field and in the morning they routed the shocked brigade of Brig. Gen. James J. Archer
and captured Archer. However, in the afternoon the brigade was ravaged by a flanking maneuver by the 11th North Carolina and a frontal assault by the 26th North Carolina, of Confederate
Brig. Gen. J. Johnston Pettigrew
's brigade. Meredith was wounded when he was struck in the head by shrapnel, fracturing his skull and giving him a severe concussion. The blow killed his horse, which then fell on him, breaking his ribs and injuring his right leg. He was disabled and unfit for any further field command.
Meredith performed administrative duty for the rest of the war, commanding garrisons protecting Union river ports along the Mississippi
at Cairo, Illinois
, and Paducah, Kentucky
. While still on Army duty in mid-1864, Meredith unsuccessfully ran against George Julian
for the United States House of Representatives
. Openly feuding with his opponent, Meredith beat Julian unconscious with a whip, but used his political influence to have charges of assault
and battery
dropped.
rank of major general
and returned home to Indiana, where he resumed farming. From 1867 to 1869, he was the surveyor general of the Montana Territory
. He retired to his farm and raised prize-winning long-horn cattle, sheep, and horses.
The Grand Army of the Republic
Post in Richmond, Indiana
, was later named in his honor.
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
farmer, politician, and lawman who was a controversial 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...
general in 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 gained fame as one of the commanders of the Iron Brigade
Iron Brigade
The Iron Brigade, also known as the Iron Brigade of the West or the Black Hat Brigade, was an infantry brigade in the Union Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War. Although it fought entirely in the Eastern Theater, it was composed of regiments from Western states...
of 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...
, leading the brigade in 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...
.
Early life
Solomon Meredith was born in Guilford County, North CarolinaGuilford County, North Carolina
Guilford County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. In 2010, the Census Bureau estimated the county's population to be 491,230. Its seat is Greensboro. Since 1938, an additional county court has been located in High Point, North Carolina, making Guilford one of only a handful...
, to David and Mary Farrington Meredith. The Merediths were Quaker and educated young Solomon at home. Meredith's grandfather, James Meredith, fought at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. In 1829, Solomon traveled to Wayne County, Indiana
Wayne County, Indiana
Wayne County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 68,917. The county seat is Richmond.-History:...
, where he found work chopping wood and working on a farm. He later clerked in a general store in Centerville
Centerville, Indiana
Centerville is a town in Center Township, Wayne County, Indiana, United States. The population was 2,552 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Centerville is located at , at an altitude of 1,014 feet . U.S...
.
Political career
In 1834, he became the SheriffSheriff
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 Wayne County, serving for two years. He was subsequently elected to the Indiana House of Representatives
Indiana House of Representatives
The Indiana House of Representatives is the lower house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The House is composed of 100 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. House members serve two-year terms without term limits...
for four terms. In the mid-1850s, he was the U.S. Marshal for Indiana. He owned a sprawling farm, "Oakland," near Cambridge City
Cambridge City, Indiana
Cambridge City is a town in Jackson Township, Wayne County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,870 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Cambridge City is located at ....
. He was nicknamed "Long Sol" for his towering 6' 7" body.
Civil War
When the Civil War erupted in early 1861, Meredith recruited hundreds of men from his county and organized them into a volunteer regimentRegiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
of infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
. Governor Oliver P. Morton appointed Meredith as the 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...
of the newly named 19th Indiana, despite his lack of previous military experience. The regiment traveled by train to 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 it would eventually join 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...
and be 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...
d with three Wisconsin
Wisconsin in the American Civil War
With the outbreak of the American Civil War, the northwestern state of Wisconsin raised 91,379 soldiers for the Union Army, organized into 53 infantry regiments, 4 cavalry regiments, a company of Berdan’s sharpshooters, 13 light artillery batteries and 1 unit of heavy artillery...
regiments in what became famous as the Iron Brigade.
Meredith and his Hoosiers fought during the Northern Virginia Campaign
Northern Virginia Campaign
The Northern Virginia Campaign, also known as the Second Bull Run Campaign or Second Manassas Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during August and September 1862 in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. Confederate General Robert E...
at Brawner's Farm
Second Battle of Bull Run
The Second Battle of Bull Run or Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of an offensive campaign waged by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia against Union Maj. Gen...
, where his horse was shot from under him, crushing him and breaking several ribs. As a result of the injury and taking a leave of absence in Washington, he missed 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...
in September, drawing the ire of the Iron Brigade commander, Brig. Gen. John Gibbon
John Gibbon
John Gibbon was a career United States Army officer who fought in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars.-Early life:...
. Gibbon was upset that Meredith had taken part in the Battle of South Mountain
Battle of South Mountain
The Battle of South Mountain was fought September 14, 1862, as part of the Maryland Campaign of the American Civil War. Three pitched battles were fought for possession of three South Mountain passes: Crampton's, Turner's, and Fox's Gaps. Maj. Gen. George B...
but had missed Antietam. Meredith's replacement, Lt. Col.
Lieutenant General (United States)
In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...
Alois O. Bachman, was killed while leading a charge near the Cornfield at Antietam, further fueling Gibbon's resentment towards Meredith. A month later, Meredith received a promotion to 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...
and replaced Gibbon (promoted to a different division) as the commander of the Iron Brigade, against the latter's advice. In November, Meredith led the brigade in combat for the first time at 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 he drew the ire of 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...
commander Maj. Gen. Abner Doubleday
Abner Doubleday
Abner Doubleday was a career United States Army officer and Union general in the American Civil War. He fired the first shot in defense of Fort Sumter, the opening battle of the war, and had a pivotal role in the early fighting at the Battle of Gettysburg. Gettysburg was his finest hour, but his...
, who temporarily replaced Meredith with Col. Lysander Cutler
Lysander Cutler
Lysander Cutler was an American businessman, educator, politician, and a Union Army General during the American Civil War.-Early years:Cutler was born in Royalston, Massachusetts, the son of a farmer...
.
In the spring of 1863, Meredith's brigade participated in the Chancellorsville Campaign
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...
, but saw relatively little combat. That would change in July, when the Iron Brigade suffered significant casualties during the first day's fighting at Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg, First Day
The First Day of the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War took place on July 1, 1863, and began as an engagement between isolated units of the Army of Northern Virginia under Confederate General Robert E. Lee and the Army of the Potomac under Union Maj. Gen. George G. Meade...
in Herbst's Woods and on Seminary Ridge. They were one of the first infantry brigades to reach the field and in the morning they routed the shocked brigade of Brig. Gen. James J. Archer
James J. Archer
James Jay Archer was a lawyer and an officer in the United States Army during the Mexican-American War, and he later served as a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War....
and captured Archer. However, in the afternoon the brigade was ravaged by a flanking maneuver by the 11th North Carolina and a frontal assault by the 26th North Carolina, of Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
Brig. Gen. J. Johnston Pettigrew
J. Johnston Pettigrew
James Johnston Pettigrew was an author, lawyer, linguist, diplomat, and a Confederate general in the American Civil War...
's brigade. Meredith was wounded when he was struck in the head by shrapnel, fracturing his skull and giving him a severe concussion. The blow killed his horse, which then fell on him, breaking his ribs and injuring his right leg. He was disabled and unfit for any further field command.
Meredith performed administrative duty for the rest of the war, commanding garrisons protecting Union river ports along the Mississippi
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
at Cairo, Illinois
Cairo, Illinois
Cairo is the southernmost city in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is the county seat of Alexander County. Cairo is located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. The rivers converge at Fort Defiance State Park, an American Civil War fort that was commanded by General Ulysses S. Grant...
, and Paducah, Kentucky
Paducah, Kentucky
Paducah is the largest city in Kentucky's Jackson Purchase Region and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky, United States. It is located at the confluence of the Tennessee River and the Ohio River, halfway between the metropolitan areas of St. Louis, Missouri, to the west and Nashville,...
. While still on Army duty in mid-1864, Meredith unsuccessfully ran against George Julian
George Washington Julian
George Washington Julian was a nineteenth century politician, lawyer and writer who served in Congress from Indiana. He was the son-in-law of Joshua Reed Giddings.-Biography:...
for the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
. Openly feuding with his opponent, Meredith beat Julian unconscious with a whip, but used his political influence to have charges of assault
Assault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
and battery
Battery (crime)
Battery is a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact, distinct from assault which is the fear of such contact.In the United States, criminal battery, or simply battery, is the use of force against another, resulting in harmful or offensive contact...
dropped.
Postbellum life
With the war over in 1865, Meredith mustered out from the volunteer army with the brevetBrevet (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...
rank 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...
and returned home to Indiana, where he resumed farming. From 1867 to 1869, he was the surveyor general of the Montana Territory
Montana Territory
The Territory of Montana was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 28, 1864, until November 8, 1889, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Montana.-History:...
. He retired to his farm and raised prize-winning long-horn cattle, sheep, and horses.
Death and legacy
Solomon Meredith died on his farm in 1875. He is buried in Riverside Cemetery in Cambridge City, Indiana.The Grand Army of the Republic
Grand Army of the Republic
The Grand Army of the Republic was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army, US Navy, US Marines and US Revenue Cutter Service who served in the American Civil War. Founded in 1866 in Decatur, Illinois, it was dissolved in 1956 when its last member died...
Post in Richmond, Indiana
Richmond, Indiana
Richmond is a city largely within Wayne Township, Wayne County, in east central Indiana, United States, which borders Ohio. The city also includes the Richmond Municipal Airport, which is in Boston Township and separated from the rest of the city...
, was later named in his honor.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals
Further reading
- Gramm, Kent. "'They Must be Made of Iron': The Ascent of South Mountain." In Giants in their Tall Black Hats: Essays on the Iron Brigade, edited by Alan T. Nolan and Sharon Eggleston Vipond. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1998. ISBN 0-2533-3457-8.
- Hartwig, D. Scott. "'I Dread the Thought of the Place': The Iron Brigade at Antietam." In Giants in their Tall Black Hats: Essays on the Iron Brigade, edited by Alan T. Nolan and Sharon Eggleston Vipond. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1998. ISBN 0-2533-3457-8.
- Nolan, Alan T. "John Brawner's Damage Claim." In Giants in their Tall Black Hats: Essays on the Iron Brigade, edited by Alan T. Nolan and Sharon Eggleston Vipond. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1998. ISBN 0-2533-3457-8.
- Wright, Steven J. "John Gibbon and the Black Hat Brigade." In Giants in their Tall Black Hats: Essays on the Iron Brigade, edited by Alan T. Nolan and Sharon Eggleston Vipond. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1998. ISBN 0-2533-3457-8.