CIVIL WAR INDEX
Primary Source Material
on the Soldiers and the Battles
Home The Armies The Soldiers The Battles Civilians Articles
 
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 - Palmer

Palmer, Innis N., brigadier-general, U.S. Army, was born in Buffalo, N. Y., March 30, 1824. He was graduated at the United States military academy in 1846 and served throughout the Mexican war, where he was wounded at Chapultepec, won the brevets of 1st lieutenant and captain for gallantry at Contreras, Churubusco and Chapultepec, and took part in the assault on and capture of the City of Mexico. He was afterwards on frontier and recruiting duty, and was promoted major, April 5, 1861, having attained the intervening grades. He served from April to July, 1861, in the defenses of Washington, and in the Manassas campaign he commanded the battalion of United States cavalry at the battle of Bull Run, winning promotion to brevet lieutenant-colonel by gallantry there. He was transferred to the 5th cavalry in Aug., 1861, was commissioned brigadier-general of volunteers on Sept. 23, and commanded a brigade in the 4th army corps of the Army of the Potomac during the Virginia Peninsular campaign, being engaged at Yorktown, Williamsburg, Fair Oaks, and in the Seven Days' battles. He was subsequently engaged in organizing and forwarding to the field New Jersey and Delaware troops and in superintending camps of drafted men at Philadelphia, Pa., in 1862 ; commanded then the 1st division of the 18th army corps in North Carolina from Jan. to July, 1863, the Department of North Carolina, February to March, the District of Pamlico, the 18th army corps and the defenses of New Berne, N. C., March, 1863, to April, 1864, and then the districts of North Carolina and Beaufort, N. C., successively until June, 1865. He was promoted lieutenant-colonel and transferred to the 2nd cavalry, Sept. 23, 1863, and on March 13, 1865, was brevetted brigadier-general in the regular army and major-general of volunteers. He was promoted colonel in June, 1868, and commanded his regiment at various posts until retired at his own request in March, 1879. He died in Chevy Chase, Md., Sept. 10, 1900.

Source: The Union Army: A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal States 1861-1865, Volume 8 Biographical, 1908
 

Palmer, John M., major-general, U.S. Army, was born at Eagle Creek, Scott county, Ky., Sept. 13, 1817. He removed with his parents to Illinois in 1831, studied law there, supporting himself meanwhile by manual labor, and in 1839 was admitted to the bar, practicing subsequently at Carlinville, Ill., until the Civil war. He supported Martin Van Buren for the presidency, was judge of the probate court for Macoupin county, Ill., from 1843 to 1847, member of the state constitutional convention in the latter year, judge of probate in 1848, county judge from 1849 to 1851, member of the state senate from 1852 to 1854, and again in 1855, and a delegate to the Republican national convention in 1856. He was a defeated Republican candidate for Congress in 1858, and was a Lincoln elector in 1861. He was elected colonel of the 14th Ill. infantry, May 25, 1861, accompanied Gen. John C. Fremont in his expedition to Springfield and was promoted brigadier-general of volunteers on Dec. 20. He commanded a division under Gen. Pope at the capture of New Madrid and Island No. 10, and his brigade at the siege of Corinth, and was then ordered home, May 29, 1862, on account of sickness. He organized the 122nd Ill. infantry in August, and on his return to duty in the field commanded a division in Rosecrans' army at the battle of Stone's river, where he was promoted major-general of volunteers, and in the battle of Chickamauga he commanded the 2nd division of the 21st army corps. He commanded the 14th army corps in the Chattanooga campaign and the Atlanta campaign until Aug., 1864, when he was assigned to the military division of Kentucky. There he was military governor and had charge of the Freedmen's bureau, and was mustered out of the service, Sept. 1, 1866. Gen. Palmer was Republican governor of Illinois from 1869-73, actively supported Tilden and Hendricks in 1876, and was the defeated Democratic candidate for United States senator in 1877 and again in 1883. He was defeated for governor of Illinois in 1888, and in 1891 was elected as a Democrat to the United States senate, serving until 1897. He refused to support the free silver policy of the Democratic party in 1896 and became a candidate for president of the United States on the Gold Democrat platform with Simon B. Buckner of Kentucky for vice-president. He gave his influence to the Republican nominees for the presidency and vice presidency in 1900. Gen. Palmer died in Springfield, Ill., Sept. 25, 1900.

Source: The Union Army: A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal States 1861-1865, Volume 8 Biographical, 1908
 


Whats New
Bibliography
About Us

Copyright 2010 by CivilWarIndex.com
A Division of Pier-Pleasure.com