James Totten
James Totten | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 11, 1818 |
| Commands held | Chief of Artillery, Union forces in Missouri |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
| Relations | Joseph Totten (possible uncle) C. A. L. Totten (son) |
James Totten (September 11, 1818 – October 1, 1871) was a career American soldier who served in the
Early life and career
Totten was born in 1818 in
Civil War service
In February 1861, shortly before the American Civil War began, Totten was in command of the
He became known for the style which he used to issue orders to his batteries. Punctuated with profanity, a typical order might sound like, "Forward that caisson, G-d d--n you, sir!" It was claimed that some soldiers would walk half a mile just to listen to Totten for five minutes.
Following the war, the Army issued a large number of brevet (honorary) promotions to hundreds of officers to recognize their service. Totten received a brevet appointment to the rank of colonel in the Regular Army (United States) 'for gallant and meritorious service during the siege of Mobile, Alabama", to rank from March 13, 1865.[1] On July 17, 1866, President Andrew Johnson nominated Totten for appointment to the rank of brevet brigadier general in the regular army, "for gallant and meritorious service in the field during the war", to rank from March 13, 1865, and the United States Senate confirmed the appointment on July 23, 1866.[3]
Postbellum
After the conclusion of the Civil War, Totten served as Inspector-General of the Military Division of the Atlantic from August 15, 1865 to August 27, 1866, and of the Department of the East, from August 27, 1866, to July 10, 1869 and of the Military Division of the South until April, 1870.
He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and Assistant Inspector-General on June 13, 1867.
Totten was dismissed from the Army on July 22, 1870 for "Disobedience of Orders, Neglect of Duty and Conduct to the Prejudice of Good Order and Military Discipline."[4]
Totten died in Sedalia, Missouri, on October 2, 1871, and was buried in Crown Hill Cemetery.[1]
Family
Totten had two sons who attended
See also
Notes
- ^ a b c d Wilson & Fiske 1900
- ^ Wilson's Creek by William Piston and Richard Hatcher II
- ISBN 978-0-8047-3641-1. p. 737.
- ^ "James Totten • Cullum's Register • 1083".
References
- Cullum's Register of USMA Graduates
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Wilson, J. G.; Fiske, J., eds. (1900). Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography. New York: D. Appleton. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty|title=(help)- Eicher, John H., and ISBN 978-0-8047-3641-1.
