Alexander Shaler

Alexander Shaler
Alexander Shaler
	Alexander Shaler
Born	March 19, 1827; Haddam, Connecticut
Died	December 28, 1911 (aged 84); New York City
Place of burial	Ridgefield Cemetery, Ridgefield, New Jersey
Allegiance	United States; Union
Service/branch	United States Army; Union Army
Years of service	1861–1865
Rank	brigadier general; Brevet major general
Battles/wars	American Civil War

Alexander Shaler (March 19, 1827 – December 28, 1911) was a

Second Battle of Fredericksburg. After the war, he was at various times the head of the New York City Fire Department, president of the National Rifle Association, and Mayor of Ridgefield, New Jersey, from 1899 to 1901.^[1]

Early life

Shaler was born in

7th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment, was sent to defend Washington, D.C.

American Civil War: Service in the East

After returning to New York City, Shaler became

Darius Couch in IV Corps, Army of the Potomac. Shaler became colonel on June 17, 1862, after Cochrane was promoted to the rank of brigadier general. After Antietam, Couch's division became the third division of VI Corps. John Newton succeeded Couch. Shaler's regiment became part of Cochrane's brigade in that division. It was present at the Battle of Fredericksburg

but not seriously engaged.

Shaler assumed command of the brigade in March 1863 following the resignation of

Second Battle of Fredericksburg, also known as the Second Battle of Marye's Heights, on May 3, when VI Corps, under Major General John Sedgwick drove Jubal Early's division away from the Heights. At a crucial moment, Shaler seized a flag and led his men into the Confederate defenses. In 1893, he received the Medal of Honor for this act.^[4] His brigade also participated in the Battle of Salem Church

.

In the Battle of Gettysburg, VI Corps served as a reserve for the Army of the Potomac. Shaler's brigade was sent to the right flank early on July 3, 1863. There it helped XII Corps hold Culp's Hill. Shaler's brigade usually was in reserve, but units went to the front line to help in resisting Confederate attacks. About 3:30 that afternoon, Shaler's brigade was sent to the center of the army as a reserve around the time of the repulse of Pickett's Charge.^[5]

Shaler commanded the prisoner of war camp at

John Brown Gordon that had swung northward to attack the Union right flank. Shaler and Brigadier General Truman Seymour were among the Union soldiers captured in his foray. Shaler was trying to rally his men when he was made a captive. He was sent to Libby Prison, in Richmond, Virginia and then to Macon, Georgia. In the summer of 1864 he was placed under the fire of Union batteries bombarding Charleston, South Carolina

.

American Civil War: Service in the West

After being exchanged, Shaler was transferred West where he served in the

Department of Missouri, to parole the irregular forces of Brigadier General M. Jeff Thompson

.

Shaler was mustered out of the volunteers on August 24, 1865.[2] On January 12, 1866, President of the United States Andrew Johnson nominated Shaler for appointment to the brevet rank of major general of volunteers, to rank from July 27, 1865, and the United States Senate confirmed the appointment on March 12, 1866.^[6]

Post-war life

After the war, Shaler served as commissioner of the

fire alarm

telegraph system the company marketed, Shaler had Watkins arrested for trying to remove certain papers from the premises of the company. This dispute culminated in a trial. The court ruled on April 15, 1885, that Shaler's charge of fraud against Watkins was unfounded, but the general was able to retain the shares in the company he had received as compensation for his work as president even after the company sold itself to the Watkins Automatic Telegraph Company, run by many of the same people.

Shaler moved to Ridgefield, New Jersey, possibly to escape past disputes, though he also maintained a residence in New York City, at 126 Riverside Drive. He served as Mayor of Ridgefield, New Jersey, from 1899 to 1901. Shaler died at his New York home on December 28, 1911.^[1] He was buried in Ridgefield in the cemetery of the Dutch Reformed Church in the English Neighborhood.^[7]

His only son, Ira Alexander Shaler, a major in the Spanish-American War, was put in charge of building the first subway tunnel through the Murray Hill neighborhood of Manhattan. Major Shaler died in 1902 at age 39 two weeks after his back was broken when a subway tunnel collapsed on him.^[8]

References

^ ^a ^b "Gen. A. Shaler Dead In His 84th Year. Distinguished Civil War Veteran and Long Prominent in State National Guard". The New York Times. December 28, 1911. Retrieved 2011-09-30. Alexander Shaler died this mornIng at his residence, 126 Riverside Drive, of a complication of diseases due to old age. Gen. Shaler was born March 19, 1827 ...
^
ISBN 978-0-8047-3641-1
. p. 728.

^ President Abraham Lincoln sent the nomination for this appointment to the U.S. Senate on December 31, 1863, and the Senate confirmed the appointment on April 20, 1864. Eicher, 2001, p. 728.
^ "Alexander Shaler, Medal of Honor". Home of heroes web site. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
^ Gen. Alexander Shaler's Official Report (OR) For The Battle of Gettysburg at www.civilwarhome.com
^ Eicher, 2001, p. 714.
^ "Photo of Grave site of MOH Recipient Alexander Shaler". Home of heroes web site. Archived from the original on May 25, 2011. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
^ Most, Doug (2014). The Race Underground: Boston, New York, and the Incredible Rivalry That Built America's First Subway. New York: St. Martin's Press. pp. 317–323.

Authority control databases
International	FAST VIAF
National	United States
Other	SNAC