William H. French

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William Henry French
General William Henry French
Born(1815-01-13)January 13, 1815
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
DiedMay 20, 1881(1881-05-20) (aged 66)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Place of burial
Rock Creek Cemetery
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Allegiance United States (Union)
Service/branchUnited States Army
Union Army
Years of service1837–1880
Rank Major General
Commands heldIII Corps
Battles/wars

William Henry French (January 13, 1815 – May 20, 1881) was a career

Mine Run Campaign
in late 1863. He remained in the Army and went on to command several Army installations before his retirement in 1880.

Early life and career

William H. French was born in

second lieutenant in the 1st U.S. Artillery. He briefly served in the Second Seminole War and was then assigned to garrison duty along the Canada–US border
from late 1837 through 1838, when he was reassigned to other military posts for the next decade.

During the

siege of Vera Cruz, and received two brevet promotions for bravery: to captain for Cerro Gordo and to major for Contreras and Churubusco
.

Between 1850 and 1852, he again served against the Seminole Indians in Florida and was the commanding officer of Stonewall Jackson. The two disagreed often and French's assignment with Jackson led to the two filing numerous charges against each other with U.S. Army authorities. After Florida, French served on frontier duty until 1861.

He was the co-author of Instruction for Field Artillery (1860), along with

Henry J. Hunt
.

Civil War

Henry J. Hunt, Andrew A. Humphreys and George Sykes
in September 1863

At the start of the Civil War, Captain French and the 1st U.S. Artillery were stationed at

Key West, where he quartered at the Federal military post there, Fort Zachary Taylor. Shortly thereafter, he was elevated to major and assumed command of the base. In conjunction with the Union Navy, he was instrumental in shutting off Key West to slave traders.[1][2]

He was promoted to

Northern Virginia Campaign
.

General William H. French and staff in September 1863

French commanded the 3rd Division of the II Corps at the Battle of Antietam, making the first attack on Confederate units in the Sunken Road. He was promoted to major general on November 29, 1862. He led his division in the battles of Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville.

French commanded elements of the

George G. Meade claimed that French's corps moved too slowly to exploit a potential advantage over Gen. Robert E. Lee
. This engagement was the last for the III Corps, which was reorganized out of the Union Army in the spring of 1864, and French was mustered out of volunteer service on May 6, 1864.

He remained in the regular army, and for the remainder of the war, he served on military boards in Washington, D.C. French ended the war with the regular army rank of colonel of the 4th U.S. Artillery.

Postbellum career

Following the war, French commanded the 2nd Artillery on the

Fort McDowell in San Francisco Bay. In 1875, he was appointed the commander of Fort McHenry near Baltimore. In July 1880, at his own request, being over sixty-two years of age, he was retired.[3]

French died in Washington, D.C., and is buried there in Rock Creek Cemetery.

Family

He married Caroline Read (1820–1884). They had six children: Frank French (1842–1865), William H. French (1844–1923), Anna French Clem (1852–1899), Frederick French (1855–1906), George French (1857–1895), and Rosalie French Conklin (1861–1891).

His grandson, John French Conklin (1891–1973), was also a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy and a brigadier general in the United States Army.[4]

French's daughter Anna was the wife of John Clem.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Florida History Quarterly
  2. ISBN 9780813030197
    .
  3. ^ Wilson & Fiske 1891.
  4. ^ John French Conklin bio

References

Attribution:

External links

Military offices
Preceded by Commander of the III Corps (Army of the Potomac)
July 7, 1863 – January 28, 1864 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Commander of the III Corps (Army of the Potomac)
February 17, 1864 – March 24, 1864 		Succeeded by
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