| 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 - Chetlain
| Chetlain, Augustus L.,
brigadier-general, U.S. Army, was born in St. Louis, Mo., Dec. 26,
1824. His parents moving to Galena, Ill., he obtained a common school
education there, and, at a meeting called in response to President
Lincoln's appeal for troops, was the first man to enlist. He was
elected captain of a company which afterwards became part of the 12th
Ill. regiment, of which he was commissioned, April 26, 1862,
lieutenant-colonel. He was in command from Sept., 1861, to Jan., 1862,
at Smithland, Ky., then joined his regiment and led it in the
Tennessee campaign. He participated in the capture of Forts Henry and
Donelson, was promoted colonel, and led his regiment at Shiloh and at
the siege of Corinth. After the battle of Corinth, in which he
distinguished himself, he was left by Gen. Rosecrans in command of the
city, and while in this service recruited the first colored regiment
enlisted in the west. He was relieved in May, 1863, was promoted
brigadier-general in December of that year and placed in charge of the
organization of colored troops in Tennessee and afterwards Kentucky.
He was successful in raising a force of 17,000 men, receiving for this
work special commendation from Gen. Thomas. He was in command of the
post of Memphis from Jan. to Oct., 1865, was then given command of the
district of Talladega, Ala., and on Feb. 5, 1866, was mustered out of
the service. He was brevetted major-general of volunteers, June 17,
1865. After the war Gen. Chetlain served as collector of internal
revenue for Utah and Wyoming, and as U. S. consul-general to Brussels,
and then became a banker in Chicago. In 1891 he organized and became
president of the Industrial bank of Chicago.
Source: The Union Army: A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal
States 1861-1865, Volume 8 Biographical, 1908
|
|
Whats New
Bibliography
About Us |