William Francis Bartlett
Encyclopedia
William Francis Bartlett (June 6, 1840 – December 17, 1876) was a general in the Union Army
during the American Civil War
and, later, an executive in the iron industry.
Bartlett enlisted as a private to serve in the Civil War, leaving in the midst of his studies at Harvard College
. By the end of the war, he had risen to the grade of brigadier general
, U.S. Volunteers and was awarded the honorary grade of brevet
major general
, U.S. Volunteers. He successively commanded two regiment
s, a brigade
and a division
. Over the course of the war, he was wounded four times.
At the close of the war, Bartlett became the manager of several iron works, most notably the Tredegar Iron Works
in Richmond, Virginia
.
, attended Phillips Academy
in Andover, Massachusetts
and entered Harvard College in 1858. The Civil War began during his junior year and, almost immediately after hearing of the surrender of Fort Sumter
, Bartlett enlisted as a private with the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia.
in Boston harbor
. At the time, the three forts in Boston were entirely unmanned and Boston harbor almost defenseless. Fort Independence was the only of the three forts equipped with cannon, however most of them were facing the city and not the water. The 4th Battalion, including Pvt. Bartlett, had much work to do to put Fort Independence in order. Bartlett served with the battalion
for the unit's full 90-day term, from April to June 1861.
then forming—the 20th Massachusetts Infantry
—and given command of Company I. It was known as the "Harvard Regiment" because many of its young officers, including Bartlett, were Harvard students or recent graduates. Shortly after arriving in Virginia in September 1861, Capt. Bartlett led his company
into battle for the first time when the 20th Massachusetts took part in the Battle of Ball's Bluff
on October 21, 1861. The engagement was a great defeat for the Union Army
.
Hoping to avoid any further such defeats, Major General
George B. McClellan
, the commander of the Army of the Potomac
, to which the 20th Massachusetts was attached, developed a plan to by-pass the difficult overland route to the Confederate
capital of Richmond
. The Peninsular Campaign was intended to be a rapid movement of the Army of the Potomac by water, then by land, up the relatively short Virginia Peninsula
. The 20th Massachusetts and Capt. Bartlett were part of this massive movement in the spring of 1862. The campaign stalled, however, when McClellan chose to lay siege to Yorktown, Virginia
rather than assaulting the far smaller Confederate force there. During the siege, on April 24, 1862, Capt. Bartlett was shot in the knee by Confederate pickets. The wound required the amputation of his leg. Bartlett returned to Boston to recuperate and, during the summer of 1862, finished his degree at Harvard.
commission and was placed in charge of forming a new regiment in Berkshire County, Massachusetts
—the 49th Massachusetts Infantry. The regiment was to serve a term of nine months.
The 49th Massachusetts was assigned in late November 1862 to the Louisiana expedition of Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks. The aim of the expedition was to increase the number of Union soldiers in the Army Department of the Gulf and to conquer the few remaining Confederate strongholds on the Mississippi River, thus opening that waterway to the Union. Bartlett led his regiment during the Siege of Port Hudson
in Louisiana in the spring of 1863. Due to the amputation of his leg, he was required to remain on horseback during battle, making him and easy target for Confederates. During one of several assaults on Port Hudson on May 27, 1863, Bartlett was shot twice—once in his other leg and another hit that shattered his wrist. These wounds effectively removed him from command until the end of the 49th's term of service in September 1863. Bartlett resigned his commission on September 1, 1863.
. The unit was sent to Virginia before it was fully organized, and Bartlett would not receive his new commission as colonel of the 57th until April 9, 1864, although the commission was made retroactive to August 1863.
The 57th Massachusetts became part of the IX Corps
of the Army of the Potomac and arrived at the front in time for Ulysses S. Grant
's Overland Campaign
. This campaign would see a relentless series of attacks by Union forces during the spring of 1864 aimed at grinding down Robert E. Lee
's Army of Northern Virginia
. The campaign culminated in a stalemate with the Siege of Petersburg
, Virginia in the summer of 1864. Early in the campaign, Bartlett was again wounded, this time in the head, during the Battle of the Wilderness
on May 6, 1864. He returned to Massachusetts and, while recovering, received a promotion to brigadier general
, U.S. Volunteers, on June 22, 1864, to rank from June 20, 1864. Bartlett returned to the Army of the Potomac in July 1864.
(1st brigade, 1st division of the IX Corps) consisting almost entirely of Massachusetts regiments. During July, he played a small role in the planning of the Battle of the Crater
. This was a bold attempt to break the Siege of Petersburg by digging a mine beneath Confederate entrenchments and detonating a massive amount of gunpowder to create a gap through which Union forces could assault the city. The detonation on July 30, 1864 was successful, but the Union assault was disorganized and failed. Brig. Gen. James H. Ledlie
's division, of which Bartlett's brigade was a large part, led the attack. In the battle, Bartlett's prosthetic leg was shot away. Unable to retreat with the rest of his men, Bartlett was captured by Confederates.
Bartlett spent two months in a Confederate prison camp where he suffered severe illness. He was eventually released through a prisoner exchange at the end of September 1864, however it was several months before he recovered from his illness.
Andrew Johnson
nominated Barnes for the award of the honorary grade of brevet
major general
, U.S. Volunteers, to rank from March 13, 1865, and on March 12, 1866 the U.S. Senate confirmed the award. In July 1865, the IX Corps was disbanded, however Bartlett remained in the army another year until his resignation on July 18, 1866.
in Richmond, Virginia, the Pomeroy Iron Works and the Powhatan Iron Company. He eventually settled in Pittsfield, Massachusetts where poor health claimed his life in 1876.
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...
and, later, an executive in the iron industry.
Bartlett enlisted as a private to serve in the Civil War, leaving in the midst of his studies at Harvard College
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. By the end of the war, he had risen to the 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...
, U.S. Volunteers and was awarded the honorary grade of 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...
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...
, U.S. Volunteers. He successively commanded two 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, 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...
and a 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...
. Over the course of the war, he was wounded four times.
At the close of the war, Bartlett became the manager of several iron works, most notably the Tredegar Iron Works
Tredegar Iron Works
The Tredegar Iron Works was a historic iron foundry in Richmond, Virginia, United States of America, opened in 1837. During the American Civil War, the works served as the primary iron and artillery production facility of the Confederate States of America...
in Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
.
Early life
Bartlett was born in Haverhill, MassachusettsHaverhill, Massachusetts
Haverhill is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 60,879 at the 2010 census.Located on the Merrimack River, it began as a farming community that would evolve into an important industrial center, beginning with sawmills and gristmills run by water power. In the...
, attended Phillips Academy
Phillips Academy
Phillips Academy is a selective, co-educational independent boarding high school for boarding and day students in grades 9–12, along with a post-graduate year...
in Andover, Massachusetts
Andover, Massachusetts
Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was incorporated in 1646 and as of the 2010 census, the population was 33,201...
and entered Harvard College in 1858. The Civil War began during his junior year and, almost immediately after hearing of the surrender of Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter is a Third System masonry coastal fortification located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. The fort is best known as the site upon which the shots initiating the American Civil War were fired, at the Battle of Fort Sumter.- Construction :...
, Bartlett enlisted as a private with the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia.
Civil War service
Bartlett initially enlisted in the 4th Battalion Massachusetts Infantry, also known as the New England Guards, which was garrisoned to defend Fort IndependenceFort Independence (Massachusetts)
Fort Independence is a granite star fort that provided harbor defenses for Boston, Massachusetts. Located on Castle Island, Fort Independence is the oldest continuously fortified site of English origin in the United States. The first primitive fortification was placed on the site in 1634 and...
in Boston harbor
Boston Harbor
Boston Harbor is a natural harbor and estuary of Massachusetts Bay, and is located adjacent to the city of Boston, Massachusetts. It is home to the Port of Boston, a major shipping facility in the northeast.-History:...
. At the time, the three forts in Boston were entirely unmanned and Boston harbor almost defenseless. Fort Independence was the only of the three forts equipped with cannon, however most of them were facing the city and not the water. The 4th Battalion, including Pvt. Bartlett, had much work to do to put Fort Independence in order. Bartlett served with the battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
for the unit's full 90-day term, from April to June 1861.
20th Massachusetts
On August 8, 1861, Bartlett was commissioned captain in a new 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...
then forming—the 20th Massachusetts Infantry
20th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry
The 20th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, also known as the "Harvard Regiment", was a regiment of infantry in the American Civil War. The regiment was so nicknamed because the officers of the 20th were young Harvard graduates. In addition some, but not all, the private soldiers had attended...
—and given command of Company I. It was known as the "Harvard Regiment" because many of its young officers, including Bartlett, were Harvard students or recent graduates. Shortly after arriving in Virginia in September 1861, Capt. Bartlett led his company
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
into battle for the first time when the 20th Massachusetts took part in the Battle of Ball's Bluff
Battle of Ball's Bluff
The Battle of Ball's Bluff, also known as the Battle of Harrison’s Island or the Battle of Leesburg, was fought on October 21, 1861, in Loudoun County, Virginia, as part of Union Maj. Gen. George B...
on October 21, 1861. The engagement was a great defeat for 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...
.
Hoping to avoid any further such defeats, 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...
George B. McClellan
George B. McClellan
George Brinton McClellan was a major general during the American Civil War. He organized the famous Army of the Potomac and served briefly as the general-in-chief of the Union Army. Early in the war, McClellan played an important role in raising a well-trained and organized army for the Union...
, the commander 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...
, to which the 20th Massachusetts was attached, developed a plan to by-pass the difficult overland route to the 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...
capital of Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. The Peninsular Campaign was intended to be a rapid movement of the Army of the Potomac by water, then by land, up the relatively short Virginia Peninsula
Virginia Peninsula
The Virginia Peninsula is a peninsula in southeast Virginia, USA, bounded by the York River, James River, Hampton Roads and Chesapeake Bay.Hampton Roads is the common name for the metropolitan area that surrounds the body of water of the same name...
. The 20th Massachusetts and Capt. Bartlett were part of this massive movement in the spring of 1862. The campaign stalled, however, when McClellan chose to lay siege to Yorktown, Virginia
Yorktown, Virginia
Yorktown is a census-designated place in York County, Virginia, United States. The population was 220 in the 2000 census. It is the county seat of York County, one of the eight original shires formed in colonial Virginia in 1634....
rather than assaulting the far smaller Confederate force there. During the siege, on April 24, 1862, Capt. Bartlett was shot in the knee by Confederate pickets. The wound required the amputation of his leg. Bartlett returned to Boston to recuperate and, during the summer of 1862, finished his degree at Harvard.
49th Massachusetts
After completing his degree, Bartlett chose not to re-join the 20th Massachusetts and resigned his commission on November 12, 1862. Instead, Bartlett accepted a colonel'sColonel (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...
commission and was placed in charge of forming a new regiment in Berkshire County, Massachusetts
Berkshire County, Massachusetts
Berkshire County is a non-governmental county located on the western edge of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. As of the 2010 census, the population was 131,219. Its largest city and traditional county seat is Pittsfield...
—the 49th Massachusetts Infantry. The regiment was to serve a term of nine months.
The 49th Massachusetts was assigned in late November 1862 to the Louisiana expedition of Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks. The aim of the expedition was to increase the number of Union soldiers in the Army Department of the Gulf and to conquer the few remaining Confederate strongholds on the Mississippi River, thus opening that waterway to the Union. Bartlett led his regiment during the Siege of Port Hudson
Siege of Port Hudson
The Siege of Port Hudson occurred from May 22 to July 9, 1863, when Union Army troops assaulted and then surrounded the Mississippi River town of Port Hudson, Louisiana, during the American Civil War....
in Louisiana in the spring of 1863. Due to the amputation of his leg, he was required to remain on horseback during battle, making him and easy target for Confederates. During one of several assaults on Port Hudson on May 27, 1863, Bartlett was shot twice—once in his other leg and another hit that shattered his wrist. These wounds effectively removed him from command until the end of the 49th's term of service in September 1863. Bartlett resigned his commission on September 1, 1863.
57th Massachusetts
While still recuperating from his wounds received in Louisiana, Bartlett began to organize, in the fall of 1863, another regiment. This unit, the 57th Massachusetts Infantry was one of four "Veteran Regiments," organized in Massachusetts to consist almost exclusively of men who had already served out an enlistment with a previous regiment. Bartlett was placed in command of the 57th which was formed in Worcester, MassachusettsWorcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
. The unit was sent to Virginia before it was fully organized, and Bartlett would not receive his new commission as colonel of the 57th until April 9, 1864, although the commission was made retroactive to August 1863.
The 57th Massachusetts became part of the IX Corps
IX Corps (ACW)
IX Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War that distinguished itself in combat in multiple theaters: the Carolinas, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi.-Formation, Second Bull Run, and Antietam:...
of the Army of the Potomac and arrived at the front in time for Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
's Overland Campaign
Overland Campaign
The Overland Campaign, also known as Grant's Overland Campaign and the Wilderness Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June 1864, in the American Civil War. Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, general-in-chief of all Union armies, directed the actions of the Army of the...
. This campaign would see a relentless series of attacks by Union forces during the spring of 1864 aimed at grinding down Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
's Army of Northern Virginia
Army of Northern Virginia
The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War, as well as the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most often arrayed against the Union Army of the Potomac...
. The campaign culminated in a stalemate with the Siege of Petersburg
Siege of Petersburg
The Richmond–Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War...
, Virginia in the summer of 1864. Early in the campaign, Bartlett was again wounded, this time in the head, during 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...
on May 6, 1864. He returned to Massachusetts and, while recovering, 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...
, U.S. Volunteers, on June 22, 1864, to rank from June 20, 1864. Bartlett returned to the Army of the Potomac in July 1864.
Brigade command
Upon his return, Bartlett was placed in command of a brigadeBrigade
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...
(1st brigade, 1st division of the IX Corps) consisting almost entirely of Massachusetts regiments. During July, he played a small role in the planning of the Battle of the Crater
Battle of the Crater
The Battle of the Crater was a battle of the American Civil War, part of the Siege of Petersburg. It took place on July 30, 1864, between the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by General Robert E. Lee and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Major General George G. Meade The...
. This was a bold attempt to break the Siege of Petersburg by digging a mine beneath Confederate entrenchments and detonating a massive amount of gunpowder to create a gap through which Union forces could assault the city. The detonation on July 30, 1864 was successful, but the Union assault was disorganized and failed. Brig. Gen. James H. Ledlie
James H. Ledlie
James Hewett Ledlie was a civil engineer for American railroads and a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He is best known for his dereliction of duty at the Battle of the Crater during the Siege of Petersburg.-Early life:Ledlie was born in Utica, New York...
's division, of which Bartlett's brigade was a large part, led the attack. In the battle, Bartlett's prosthetic leg was shot away. Unable to retreat with the rest of his men, Bartlett was captured by Confederates.
Bartlett spent two months in a Confederate prison camp where he suffered severe illness. He was eventually released through a prisoner exchange at the end of September 1864, however it was several months before he recovered from his illness.
Division command
In June 1865, Bartlett returned to the army two months after the Confederate surrender. Although hostilities had ended, a large portion of the Union Army still remained on active duty and Bartlett was promoted to the command of the 1st Division of the IX Corps on June 17, 1865. On January 13, 1866, PresidentPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
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...
nominated Barnes for the award of the honorary grade of 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...
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...
, U.S. Volunteers, to rank from March 13, 1865, and on March 12, 1866 the U.S. Senate confirmed the award. In July 1865, the IX Corps was disbanded, however Bartlett remained in the army another year until his resignation on July 18, 1866.
Post-war career
After the war, Bartlett sought employment as a manager of industrial manufacturing. He became the manger of Tredegar Iron WorksTredegar Iron Works
The Tredegar Iron Works was a historic iron foundry in Richmond, Virginia, United States of America, opened in 1837. During the American Civil War, the works served as the primary iron and artillery production facility of the Confederate States of America...
in Richmond, Virginia, the Pomeroy Iron Works and the Powhatan Iron Company. He eventually settled in Pittsfield, Massachusetts where poor health claimed his life in 1876.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals (Union)
- List of Massachusetts generals in the American Civil War
- Massachusetts in the American Civil War