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Civil War Soldiers - Pope

Pope, John, major-general, U.S. Army, was born in Louisville, Ky., March 16, 1822; was graduated at the United States military academy and appointed a brevet second lieutenant of topographical engineers in 1842; was promoted second lieutenant May 9, 1846, first lieutenant March 3, 1853, captain July 1, 1856, brigadier-general July 14, 1862, major-general Oct. 26, 1882, and was retired March 16, 1886. In the volunteer service he was commissioned brigadier-general May 17, 1861, promoted major-general March 21, 1862, and was mustered out Sept. 1, 1866. During his military career he was brevetted first lieutenant Sept. 23, 1846, for gallant conduct in the several conflicts at Monterey ; captain, Feb. 23, 1847, for services at the battle of Buena Vista; and major-general, March 13, 1865, for services at the capture of Island No. 10. His early service included duty in Florida in 1842-44, in the survey of the boundary between the United States and the British provinces, and in the Mexican war. He was in charge of an exploring expedition in Minnesota in 1849, and proved that the Red river of the North could be navigated by steamers ; on engineering service in New Mexico in 1851-53; and had charge of the survey of the route for the Pacific railroad near the thirty-second parallel in 1853- 59. In 1861 he was one of the officers detailed by the war department to escort President-elect Lincoln to Washington. His first service in the Civil war was as commander of the District of northern Missouri, from which he was transferred successively to the southwestern and the central districts, and on Dec. 18, 1861, he gained a victory over Gen. Sterling Price at Blackwater, and forced the Confederates to retreat below the Osage river. His next detail was as commander of the land forces that cooperated with Admiral Foote in the operations against New Madrid and Island No. 10, on the Mississippi. After the occupation of Corinth he was transferred from the command of the Army of the Mississippi to that of the Army of Virginia, and for fifteen days in Aug., 1862, he fought a greatly superior force of Confederates, under Gen. Lee, at Bristoe Station, Groveton, Manassas Junction, Gainesville and Germantown, and then fell back to Washington. On Sept. 3 he asked to be relieved of his command, and soon afterward was appointed to the command of the Department of the Northwest. He proved efficient in checking the hostilities of the Indians in Minnesota, and held that command till 1865, when he was transferred to the military division of the Missouri, subsequently the Department of Missouri. In Jan., 1866, he was relieved of this command; in 1867-68 commanded the third military district, organized under the Reconstruction act of Congress, comprising the states of Alabama, Florida, and Georgia; in 1868-70 the Department of the Lakes ; in 1870-84 the Department of the Missouri ; and from 1884 till his retirement the Department of the Pacific. He died in Sandusky, Ohio, Sept. 23, 1892.

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


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