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Civil War Soldiers - Gillmore
| Gillmore, Quincy A., major-general,
U.S. Army, was born in Black River, Ohio, Feb. 28, 1825, was appointed
cadet at the United States military academy in 1845 and graduated at
the head of his class in 1849. The interval between graduation and the
opening of the Civil war he spent as engineer at Hampton Roads,
instructor and subsequently treasurer and quartermaster at the
academy, and in charge of the fortifications in New York harbor. He
was promoted captain of engineers in Aug., 1861, and as chief of
engineers in the Port Royal expedition and after the capture of Hilton
Head, S. C. rebuilt the forts and otherwise strengthened their
position. Gen. Gillmore gained his greatest reputation and recognition
as a leading military engineer by reducing Fort Pulaski, defending the
water approach to Savannah, a strong fortification built on a marshy
island that was entirely surrounded by deep water. The reduction of
this fort, while considered essential to the success of the
expedition, was regarded as impracticable by the ablest engineers of
both armies. Capt. Gillmore, then acting brigadier-general,
accomplished this by establishing on Tybee island, a mile distant,
eleven batteries of mortars and rifled guns, which, aimed and fired
under his minute directions, so shattered the fort as to render it
untenable. The bombardment was begun at 8 a. m., April 10, 1862, and
lasted until 2 p. m. the following day. For the exploit Capt. Gillmore
was brevetted lieutenant-colonel U. S. A. He was given important
commands in Kentucky in Aug., 1862, defeated Gen. Pegram at Somerset
in March, 1863, for which he was given the brevet rank of colonel, and
in June, 1863, he was given command of the Department of the South,
comprising all territory occupied by Union troops on the coasts of
South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. He was placed in command of the
10th army corps in July, 1863, and commanded it in the operations
against Charleston, S. C. Here he again won distinction and was
promoted by brevet to lieutenant-colonel, colonel, brigadier-general
and major-general in the regular army for the capture of Fort Wagner
in July, 1863. For the part he took in the bombardment of Fort Sumter,
capture of Fort Wagner and Battery Gregg, and for operations against
Charleston, at long range, from the battery known as the "Swamp
Angel," he was also promoted major- general of volunteers and received
the commendation of the commander-in-chief, who said of him, "His
operations on Morris island constitute a new era in the science of
engineering and gunnery." Being transferred in 1864 to the command of
the 10th corps in Virginia, he was engaged at the landing at Bermuda
Hundred and the action at Swift creek, captured the line in front of
Drewry's bluff and enabled Gen. Butler to withdraw his army to the
intrenchments at Bermuda Hundred. He commanded two divisions of the
19th army corps in the defenses of Washington in July of the same
year, and in 1865 was again ordered to the Department of the South,
which he commanded until near the end of that year, when he resigned
his commission in the regular army, and, returning to service in the
engineer bureau in Washington, was made engineer-in-chief of all
fortifications on the Atlantic coast south of New York. He was
promoted major U. S. A., in June, 1863; lieutenant-colonel in 1874,
and colonel, Feb. 20, 1883. He was president of the Mississippi river
commission created by Congress in 1879, of the boards of engineers for
the improvement of the Cape Fear river, N. C., and the Potomac river
and flats, of several boards for important harbor improvements, and
was one of the judges at the Centennial exhibition of 1876. Gen.
Gillmore's works on professional subjects are considered among the
highest authorities in their class. He died in Brooklyn, N. Y., April
7, 1888. Source: The Union Army: A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal
States 1861-1865, Volume 8 Biographical, 1908
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