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Civil War Soldiers - Kautz

Kautz, August V., brigadier-general, U.S. Army, was born in Ispringen, Baden, Germany, Jan. 5, 1828. He immigrated to this country with his parents when a small boy, settling in Ohio, served in the Mexican war as a private in the 1st Ohio volunteer regiment, and, at the close of the war was appointed cadet at West Point, where he was graduated in 1852. He was assigned as 2nd lieutenant to the 4th infantry and served in the northwest, being wounded during the Rogue river hostilities of 1853-55, and again on Puget sound in 1856. He was promoted 1st lieutenant in 1855, captain in the 6th U. S. cavalry in 1861, and in 1862 became colonel of the 2nd Ohio volunteer cavalry. Being ordered with his regiment to Camp Chase, Ohio, to remount and refit, he commanded that place from Dec, 1862, till April, 1863, when he led a cavalry brigade into Kentucky and participated in the capture of Monticello, May 1, and in thwarting Morgan's raid and effecting his capture in July. He served with the Army of the Ohio as chief of cavalry of the 23d corps, was made brigadier-general of volunteers, May 7, 1864, was given command of the cavalry division of the Army of the James, and won the brevet of lieutenant-colonel, having previously been brevetted major for gallantry, by entering Petersburg with his small force of cavalry on June 9. He then led the advance of the Wilson raid, which cut the roads leading to Richmond from the south, for more than forty days, and as commander of the 1st division, 25th army corps, he took part in the movement leading to the surrender of Lee's army at Appomattox, and led his division of colored troops into the city of Richmond, April 3, 1865. He was brevetted colonel in the regular army, Oct. 7, 1864, for gallantry in action on the Darbytown road ; brigadier-general and major-general U. S. A. March 13, 1865, for gallant and meritorious service in the field during the war, and major-general of volunteers, Oct. 28, 1864, for gallant and meritorious service in the campaign against Richmond. Gen. Kautz was mustered out of the volunteer service, Jan. 15, 1866, and in July of that year was made lieutenant-colonel of the 34th U. S. infantry, being assigned later to the 15th infantry, which he commanded in the Mescalero Apache campaign, succeeding in establishing the Indians in their reservations. He was promoted colonel of the 8th infantry in 1874, was commander of the Department of Arizona, 1875-77; stationed at Angel island, Cal., 1878-86, and then at Niobrara, Neb., 1886-90. He was appointed brigadier-general in the regular establishment, April 20, 1891, was retired Jan. 5, 1892, and died in Seattle, Wash., Sept. 4, 1895.

Source: The Union Army: A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal States 1861-1865, Volume 8 Biographical, 1908
 


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