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Civil War Soldiers - McKean
| McKean, Thomas J., brigadier-general,
U.S. Army, was born in Burlington, Pa., Aug. 21, 1810. He was
graduated at the United States military academy in 1831 and assigned
to the 4th infantry, but resigned in 1834, and engaged in civil
engineering, he served during the Florida war, 1837-38, as adjutant of
the 1st Pa. volunteers; and in the Mexican war failing to secure an
appointment he served as a private and afterwards as sergeant- major
in the 15th infantry, engaging at Contreras, at Churubusco, where he
was wounded, and at Molino del Rey, the storming of Chapultepec, and
the capture of the City of Mexico. He was brevetted 2nd lieutenant of
dragoons in June, 1848, but declined and returned to civil
engineering, in which profession he attained some prominence. He was
appointed additional paymaster of U. S. volunteers, June 1, 1861, and
promoted brigadier-general of volunteers Nov. 21, 1861. He commanded
Jefferson City and the central district of Missouri from Dec, 1861, to
March, 1862, and served in the Mississippi campaign until July, 1862.
He subsequently commanded Benton barracks at St. Louis, Mo., until
September, and Corinth, Miss., from September to October, and in the
battle of Corinth, Oct. 3-4, 1862, he commanded the 6th division, Army
of West Tennessee. From Jan. to June, 1863, Gen. McKean was in command
of the District of Missouri, and after that he was in command
successively of the districts of Nebraska and South Kansas. He was
chief of cavalry, Department of the Gulf, from Sept. to Oct., 1864,
was then on court-martial duty until December, and subsequently
commanded successively the districts of West Florida, Morganza, La.,
and southwest Missouri. He was brevetted major-general of volunteers,
March 13, 1865, for gallant and meritorious services during the war,
and was honorably mustered out Aug. 24, 1865. After the war he became
a farmer near Marion, Iowa, where he was mayor of the town in 1865,
and in 1869 he was offered the office of pension agent for the eastern
district of Iowa, but declined. He was a delegate to the Republican
national convention at Chicago, Ill., May 20, 1868. Gen. McKean died
in Marion, Ia., April 19, 1870.
Source: The Union Army: A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal
States 1861-1865, Volume 8 Biographical, 1908
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