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OBITUARY NOTICE

OF

MAJ.-GEN. SAMUEL P. HEINTZELMAN,

FIRST COMMANDER OF THE THIRD ARMY CORPS, Únicn.

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OBITUARIES

OF

MAJ.-GEN. SAMUEL P. HEINTZELMAN

AND

MAJ.-GEN. JOSEPH HOOKER;

ALSO

OBITUARY NOTICES OF BREV. MAJ.-GENS. JOSEPH B. KIDDOO
AND WILLIAM B. TIBBITTS

BELONGING TO THE

Third Army Corps of the Army of the Potomac,

BY
821-1977.

JOHN WATTS DE PEYSTER, M. A., LL. D., F. R. H. S., &c.

"ANCHOR,"

Brevet Major-General, S. N. Y.; First Honorary Member Third Army Corps Union
Historian of Third Army Corps Union; Author of Recisive' Battles of the
War,"
"“Personal and Military History of Philip Kearny" c., &c.

New York N.N.J.

PUBLISHED FOR THE THIRD ARMY CORPS UNION

BY CHARLES H. LUDWIG, 10 & 12 READE STREET.

1881..

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Major-General Samuel P. Heintzelman.

TO THE THIRD ARMY CORPS UNION.

In compliance with a resolution passed at our last meeting, [1880], held at the Astor House in New York city, I have the honor to submit the following report:

The members of the Third Army Corps Union are called upon to mourn the death of the first Commander of the Corps. Major-General Samuel P. Heintzelman, U. S. Army (Retired), died at his residence in the city of Washington, on the morning of the first day of May, 1880. He was born at Marheim, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, September 30th, 1805, entered the Military Academy at West Point, July 1st, 1822, graduated in 1826, commissioned Brevet Second Lieutenant Third Infantry and Second Lieutenant Second Infantry July 1st, 1826, and as such served on the Northern frontier at Forts Gratiot, Mackinac and Brady. On the 4th of March, 1833, he was promoted to First Lieutenant, and served on quarter-master's duty in Florida and the Creek country. July 7th, 1838, he was appointed Captain in the Quartermaster's Department, remaining in Florida until the close of the war in 1842. In 1847, he joined General Scott's Army M-7017386715

446

in Mexico, taking an active part in several engagements, for which he was brevetted Major, October 9th, 1847. In 184849 he accompanied his regiment around Cape Horn to California, and for several years served in the Territory of Arizona, receiving the brevet of Lieutenant-Colonel for his conduct in the campaign against the Yuma Indians. March 3d, 1855, he was promoted to Major of the First Infantry and served with that regiment on the Texas frontier.

On the breaking out of the Rebellion he was engaged as Superintendent of the General Recruiting Service, at Fort Columbus, New York harbor. When new regiments were added to the regular army he was selected for Colonel of the Eighteenth Infantry, and was rapidly advanced to the rank of brigadier- and major-general of volunteers, holding high and important commands during the entire war, and at its close received the brevet of major-general in the regular army.

When the corps organization was arranged for the Army of the Potomac, General Heintzelman was assigned to the Third Corps, and commanded it in all the battles of the Peninsular Campaign, and until its return to the defence, of Washington, in September, 1862. The friendly rivalry of his division commanders, Hooker and Kearny, (each trying to out-do the other) brought them so prominently in view, as to deprive the corps-commander of some part of the glory to which he was entitled. He kept no reporter about him to write him into fame; but he possessed the ambition of the

true soldier, to do his whole duty, and his coolness and courage inspired confidence in his command. Having continued in active service for forty-three years, and arrived at the age of sixty-four, he voluntarily retired with the rank of majorgeneral, on the 22d of February, 1869.

In the death of this distinguished soldier we realize “the parting of another link in that golden chain of memory which binds us to the past;

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Therefore, be it Resolved:

That in the death of Major-General Heintzelman, we mourn the loss of a friend and comrade endeared to us by the memories of many battle-fields: a noble soldier and gentleman, whose example and gallant deeds have contributed much to the glory of our country.

That we deeply sympathize with the family of our deceased comrade in their great loss.

That a copy of this memorial be sent to them, and that it be entered on the minutes of this Association.

Respectfully submitted.

JNO. C. ROBINSON,

Maj. Gen. U. S. A., R'd.

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