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Civil War Soldiers - Hartranft
| Hartranft, John F., brigadier-general,
U.S. Army, was born in New Hanover, Montgomery county, Pa., Dec. 16,
1830. He was educated at Marshall and Union colleges, graduating at
Union in 1853, studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1859, and
practised in Norristown, Pa. In April, 1861, he recruited the 4th
Penn. volunteers, was elected its colonel, and subsequently commanded
it until its term of enlistment expired, the day before the battle of
Bull Run. As his regiment had been ordered to Harrisburg, he
volunteered and obtained leave to serve on the staff of Gen. William
B. Franklin in that battle. He then organized the 51st Penn. regiment,
was commissioned its colonel, July 27, 1861, and accompanied it in
Burnside's expedition to North Carolina in the following spring, when
he led the attack on Roanoke island and participated in the battle of
New Berne. Following this he served in the Army of the Potomac in the
battles of second Bull Run and Chantilly, was in the 9th corps at the
battle of South mountain, led the charge at the stone bridge at
Antietam and commanded his regiment at Fredericksburg, and then, being
ordered to Tennessee, was engaged in the battle of Campbell's station
and in the successful defence of Knoxville. At Vicksburg he commanded
a brigade engaged in protecting the besieging troops from an attack in
the rear, and, after the fall of that place, he accompanied Sherman in
his advance to Jackson, Miss. He commanded a brigade in the battles of
the Wilderness and Spottsylvania, received his commission as
brigadier-general May 12, 1864, took part in all the movements before
Petersburg, was subsequently given command of a division, and on March
25, 1865, was brevetted major-general of volunteers for conspicuous
gallantry in the recapture of Fort Stedman. Gen. Hartranft then
returned to Pennsylvania, was elected auditor-general of the state,
and declined a commission offered him by the president as colonel in
the regular establishment, Aug. 29, 1866. He was reelected
auditor-general in 1868, and was from 1873 to 1879 governor of
Pennsylvania. During his term of office the militia of Pennsylvania
was entirely reorganized on a military basis, and from 1879 to 1889 he
was in command of the national guard as major-general of militia. Gen.
Hartranft was postmaster of Philadelphia under appointment by
President Hayes 1879-80, and in Aug., 1880, became collector of the
port of Philadelphia. He died in Norristown, Pa., Oct. 17, 1889, and
after his death an equestrian statue was erected to his memory in
front of the capitol building, Harrisburg. Source: The Union Army: A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal
States 1861-1865, Volume 8 Biographical, 1908
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