If this website has been useful to you, please consider
making a Donation.
Your support will help keep this website free for everyone, and will allow us to do
more research. Thank you for your support! |
Civil War Soldiers - Blenker
Blenker, Louis, brigadier-general, U.S. Army, was
born in Worms, Hesse Darmstadt, Germany, July 31, 1812. While in the
service of the Bavarian legion, which accompanied King Otho to Greece,
he attained the rank of lieutenant, in 1837. He was a leading member
of the revolutionary government at Worms, in 1849, and upon the
overthrow of the revolutionist cause, was forced to retire to
Switzerland. Being ordered to leave that country also, he emigrated in
Sept., 1849, to the United States, where he at first undertook to
cultivate a farm in Rockland county, N. Y., and later engaged in
business in New York city. Being commissioned on May 31, 1861, colonel
of the 8th N. Y. volunteers, which he had organized, he first
distinguished himself at the battle of Bull Run, where his regiment,
which acted as a reserve, covered the retreat with great steadiness
and recovered two Union colors which the retreating soldiers had left
on the field. For gallantry at this time he was promoted
brigadier-general of volunteers, and, in the early part of the
peninsular campaign, was ordered to West Virginia, where he took an
active part in the battle of Cross Keys, June 8, 1862, until, on the
arrival of Gen. Fremont, he was superseded by Gen. Sigel. He was then
ordered to Washington, mustered out of the service in March, 1863, and
on Oct. 31, died on his farm in Rockland county, N. Y., as the result
of internal injuries, received from a fall of his horse during the
Virginia campaign.
Source: The Union Army: A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal
States 1861-1865, Volume 8 Biographical, 1908
|
|
Whats New
Bibliography
About Us |