Henry Baxter
Henry Baxter | |
---|---|
United States of America Union | |
Service/ | United States Army Union Army |
Years of service | 1861–1865 |
Rank | Brigadier General Brevet Major General |
Commands held | 7th Michigan Infantry Regiment |
Battles/wars | American Civil War |
Other work | Storekeeper, miller, U.S. Minister to Honduras |
Henry Baxter (September 8, 1821 – December 30, 1873) was a general in the
Early life and career
Baxter was born in Sidney Plains, Delaware County, New York. His grandfathers had both served in the American Revolutionary War. In 1831, he and his father moved to Jonesville, Michigan. In 1849, he traveled to California with a company of thirty men in search of gold, returning in 1852 to Jonesville to become a miller. He commanded a military unit he organized known as the Jonesville Light Guards.
Civil War
Early assignments
Due to his military experience, Baxter was elected captain of a local company at Camp Monroe (Monroe MI today at the fair grounds) which was to be designated as Camp Monroe, Parts of five companies, being one from Port Huron under Capt. Hunt, from Jonesville under Capt. Baxter, from Burr Oak under Capt. Waterman, from Farmington under Capt. Harty, and the Monroe City Guards under Capt. Darrah have been reported at the Camp, partially full. ) that became Company C of the
Gettysburg
At the Battle of Gettysburg, Baxter's
1864–1865
Baxter retained command of his brigade during the reorganization of the Army of the Potomac in March 1864, a sign that he held the confidence of his superiors. His brigade was assigned to the 2nd Division, V Corps, under Maj. Gen. Robinson. At the Battle of the Wilderness, he was shot in the left leg, the bullet also killing his horse. After recuperating, he led a brigade in the 3rd Division, V Corps, during later stages of the siege of Richmond and Petersburg. He was mustered out of the volunteers on August 24, 1865.[2] On May 31, 1866, President Andrew Johnson nominated Baxter for the award of the brevet grade of major general to rank from April 1, 1865 and the U.S. Senate confirmed the award on July 23, 1866.[3]
Postbellum career
Baxter served as Register of Deeds for the State of Michigan and was then appointed by President Grant as Minister to Honduras in 1869. He returned home in 1872 and became active in the lumber business before dying from pneumonia in 1873. He died in Jonesville and is buried in Jonesville Cemetery.
McFarland Publishing published a biography entitled "General Henry Baxter, 7th Michigan Volunteer Infantry: A Biography" in 2016.
See also
Notes
- ^ Baxter's report on the Battle of Gettysburg
- ISBN 0-8047-3641-3. p. 122
- ^ Eicher, 2001, p. 710
References
- Eicher, John H., and ISBN 0-8047-3641-3.
- Lash, Gary G. "Brig. Gen. Henry Baxter’s Brigade at Gettysburg, July 1." Gettysburg Magazine 10 (January 1994): 6-27.
- Tagg, Larry. The Generals of Gettysburg. Campbell, CA: Savas Publishing, 1998. ISBN 1-882810-30-9.
- Warner, Ezra J. Generals in Blue: Lives of the Union Commanders. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1964. ISBN 0-8071-0822-7.
Further reading
- Martin, David G. Gettysburg July 1. rev. ed. Conshohocken, PA: Combined Publishing, 1996. ISBN 0-938289-81-0.
- Pfanz, Harry W. Gettysburg – The First Day. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2001. ISBN 0-8078-2624-3.
- Martin, Jay C. "General Henry Baxter, 7th Michigan Volunteer Infantry: A Biography." McFarland Publishing, 2016. ISBN 978-1-4766-6339-5
External links
- Baxter's report on Five Forks at the Official Records of the American Civil War
- Henry Baxter at The Political Graveyard
- Henry Baxter letters and reports, MSS 894 at L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Brigham Young University