Oregon, California and the western territories of the United States played little roles in the devastation seen in the East known as the American Civil War.  In the era before transcontinental rail, the two Pacific states were simply too far away to matter much in the conflagration.  To reach the far west, six months needed to come into play, whether the journey was overland or by sea – choice there of around Cape Horn or across the disease-ridden Isthmus of Panama.  A surprisingly number of men with Oregon ties did play roles in the titanic struggles.  Most of those men had military ties to the Northwest, spending time on duty in the 1850’s helping bring order and stability to the newly settling lands of Oregon, California and Washington Territory.  The most famous soldiers who spent time in Oregon, one Ulysses S. Grant.

“Sam” Grant before the West

Ulysses Grant grew up in southern Ohio near the Ohio River.  A graduate of the West Point Class of 1843, Grant placed 21^st out of the 39 students.   Classmates gave him the nickname of “Sam” since he shared the same initials as the national character.  He later wrote the happiest days of his life included the day he left the presidency and the day he left the academy.

A young second lieutenant with the 4^th Infantry Regiment, Grant was stationed to the Jefferson Barracks, just south of St Louis, Missouri.  Initially, he thought to leave the army when his term was up and become a teacher. But, then he met visited his classmate Frederick Tracy Dent’s family becoming engaged to Dent’s sister Julia in 1844.  Married four years later, Grant decided to remain in the army with a new wife to support.

In the meantime, war developed with Mexico to the south.  The 4^th Infantry went south in 1846, first to Louisiana. Later, they ventured further to the Rio Grande in order to provoke a Mexican reaction.  He served as an assistant regimental quartermaster during the ensuing campaigns, first with Zachary Taylor and later under Winfield Scott.  For actions away from the supply trains, Grant received two brevets for bravery, brevetted to first lieutenant and then captain.

Returning to the US at the war’s conclusion, Grant spent time with his new wife posted to Detroit. Next, he served at a small post on the east edge of Lake Eire, Sackett’s Harbor – Madison Barracks.  It was not long, however, with gold discovered in the newly gained territory of California, the 4^th Infantry went west. 

Grant’s time in the Northwest

Grant left his pregnant wife behind in St Louis. He brought some of the soldiers out by ship and then across the Isthmus of Panama.  Grant helped establish a field hospital with a cholera epidemic underway in Panama City.  He gained high praise for attending to the sick when orderlies protested their duties.  In August 1852, Grant finally reached San Francisco.  After a couple weeks, the regiment got on the steamer Columbia 14 September 1852 heading north to Columbia Barracks.  The post established only a few years earlier on a hill above the older Hudson’s Bay Company Fort Vancouver.

Columbia Barracks

At Columbia Barracks, soon renamed Fort Vancouver, Grant served for fifteen months. He worked as regimental quartermaster adding additional duties as post and depot quartermaster.  Several exploratory expeditions picked up their supplies from him before setting out to map the Northwest including those of the Pacific Railroad Surveying Party led by Washington Territory Governor Isaac Stevens and one captain George McClellan.

Grant shared a two-story prefabricated house.  The house shipped in pieces from New England around Cape Horn to Oregon.  Known as the “Quartermaster’s Ranch” and thought- at least by Grant – to be the finest building on the post.  He shared the home with two other officers and a few clerks.

Money Setbacks

His duties as a quartermaster left him plenty of free time.  He enjoyed the outdoors with long horseback rides – to Portland, Oregon City and along the Columbia River.  Grant wanted to bring his family out to join him, but the cost of living too much for his army salary. 

Trying to augment that salary, he tried different ventures with other officers. These lost him more money. With Rufus Ingalls, they cut ice from the Columbia. Then tried to ship it to San Francisco for sale, but it all melted.  Farmland leased just east of the post with potatoes planted. Henry Davies Wallen partnered in the effort.  The project came to naught when the ground flooded during the late spring with most of the crops lost.  A leased space in a San Francisco hotel for a billiard club – costs shared with other officers – went for naught when the manager hired took off with their money.

Other problems

Loneliness, missing his family and maybe too much time on his hands led Grant back to drink.  During his time at Sackett’s Harbor, he realized too much fondness for alcohol.  At that post he joined a temperance group which helped keep him sober.  The move to the Northwest kept him too busy to get into trouble much though there were some on his ship noting possible problems.

At Columbia Barracks, alcohol reasserted itself.  He has been described as a binge drinker.  Someone who still functioned despite the drink.  Far from being constantly drunk, Grant had the misfortune of observed by others when he was.  One such person was George McClellan.  They knew each other slightly from their times at West Point and in Mexico.  McClellan was in the West to help Governor Stevens. They were exploring potential passes through the Cascade Range suitable for an all-season railroad.

In preparation for his expedition, McClellan spent almost a month – late June to late July 1853 – in outfitting his group.  Grant put McClellan, a captain, up at his ranch while they worked.  One letter from fellow quartermaster and West Pointer – class of 1847 – Henry C. Hodges to Grant biographer William C. Church in 1897 noted Grant, while getting the expedition fitted out, went on one of his little sprees.  His binge annoyed and offended McClellan. Hodges thought McClellan never forgave Grant even though it did not seem to affect his outfitting work.

From supply to line command

Even with the financial setbacks, Grant enjoyed the area. Writing to his wife Julia, “The fact is my dear wife that if you and our little boys were here I should not want to leave here for some years to come.  My fears now however are that I may be promoted to some company away from here before I am ready to go.”

Sure enough, Grant gained the new rank of captain in August 1853. With the rank, he was transferred a month later to a new fort, Fort Humboldt, in northern California.  At the same time, he.  He also shifted from the quartermaster section to a line command.  This brought into direct contact with a commanding officer he had history with.

A NEW POSTING AT THE END OF THE WORLD

As a young man assigned to Jefferson Barracks, Grant fell under the command of Captain Robert C. Buchanan. Officers who were late to mess were fined by Buchanan one bottle of wine. Grant was in the habit at the time of visiting the nearby Dent family. This made him late a couple of times. After Buchanan fined him a third bottle, Grant became upset thinking he made it back on time.

The new post was literally the end of the world for the young captain. The problems of loneliness and too much free time overwhelmed him.   Grant already had a drinking problem – not uncommon on the isolated frontier – and it all led to Grant’s resignation from the army 31 July 1854.  He was under the influence one payday witnessed by the now Major Buchanan. Being drunk on duty was grounds for a court martial. Buchanan gave the Grant the option of standing trial or resigning. Taking the more honorable option, the next seven years would be hard ones for Grant struggling to provide for his family. Looking back later, Gratn remembered Buchanan favorably respecting the discipline Buchanan asked for and the honorable way out offered him. Unlike others, Grant never tried to get back at Buchanan letting him serve in various roles during the Civil War.

A WAR SAVES GRANT

The Civil War came along at the right time for Grant. However, early efforts to regain his commission as an officer suffered rejection at the hands of George McClellan and Nathaniel Lyon.  Only with political help of Congressman Elihu Washburne did Grant gain command as a colonel of the 21^st Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment – 14 June 1861 – after appointed as a military aide to the Illinois governor.   By 5 August, Grant found himself appointed as a brigadier general given command of the District of Southeast Missouri.  His career took off from there leading him to become the leading Federal general of the war and eventually two terms as President.

“I wish some of you would tell me the brand of whiskey that Grant drinks, I would like to send a barrel of it to my other generals.”  Abraham Lincoln

Grant finally was able to bring his wife, son and some friend with him for a short visit to Oregon and Washington Territory 13 October 1879.  He is but one example of soldiers with Western ties.  Many of the men they mingled with, fought alongside and against in the Civil War, they already knew from earlier times shared on the frontiers.

GRANT’S ACQUAINTANCES

HENRY DAVIES WALLEN

Grant’s potato farming partner, Henry Davies Wallen, graduated from West Point a few years before Grant in 1840 – a class shared with by William T. Sherman and George H. Thomas.  Wallen was wounded at Palo Alto during the Mexican War.  He spent five years after that war posted to Detroit and Plattsburg before coming out West.

Besides potatoes, Grant must have made a favorable impression on Wallen as he gave his daughter born in 1855 a middle name reflecting upon his friend, Jessie Grant Wallen.

Wallen took part in the initial stages of the Yakama Wars in 1855.  A couple years later, in 1859, he led an exploration group from Fort Dalles to Salt Lake.  Promoted to major 25 November 1861 as the Civil War erupted, Wallen served as Assistant Inspector General for the Department of New Mexico from June 1862 until June 1864.  A Confederate invasion of the territory was thwarted by Colorado volunteers at Glorieta Pass 26-28 March 1862. 

By midsummer, a strong reinforcement column from California under new department commander Brigadier General James Henry Carleton arrived.  Carleton sent Wallen and his assistant, Captain Andrew Wallace Evans to survey possible routes Rebels could use if they returned.  The reports were to include logistical and operational issues.  Wallen and Evans reported on troop drunkenness and poor relations with locals as being main problems for the Federal army in New Mexico to overcome.  Other problems included disparities in training and supply between the various posts scattered about the department.

southern prejuices

Like his fellow classmate George Thomas, Wallen believed his southern roots – born in Georgia – acted against him in both lack of promotion and assignments during the war.  He repeatedly requested to be relieved from his duty in New Mexico so he could see action in the field.  General John C. Frémont requested Wallen’s service in Missouri, as well as others.  Adjutant Lorenzo Thomas denied all of the requests.  Wallen wrote, “I have made no application to shirk from duty but simply to join my regiment or be connected to Troops in the field.  My applications are on file in the War Dept.  I have never, in twenty-four years service, been reprimanded, arrested, or censured in any manner; & I ask, from any unprejudiced mind, if I have been treated with proper consideration by the Adjutant General of the Army.” 

Finally, in 1864, Wallen found reassignment to Fort Sumner. This was the site in east-central New Mexico next to the Bosque Redondo reservation to which Mescalero Apache and Navajo were being rounded up into.  In June 1864, he went East, Wallen taking command of a regiment at Fort Schuyler in New York serving until May 1865.  Brevets to Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel and finally Brigadier General were awarded for his service.

POSTWAR

With the war over, Wallen reverted to his regular army rank, now as of July, Lieutenant Colonel.  He spent the next year in the west commanding the District of the Gila and then Arizona. Next, he returned to command of Governor’s Island in the New York City harbor, a post he held until 1869.  In 1872, he served on the Yellowstone expedition, finally becoming Colonel of the 2^nd Infantry Regiment 19 February 1873.  A year later he retired, living in New York City until his death in 1885.

RUFUS INGALLS

The first roommate of Ulysses Grant at West Point was Rufus Ingalls, a young man from Denmark, Massachusetts (today Maine).  He joined the 1^st Dragoon Regiment as a Second Lieutenant two years after graduation in 1845. First service was in the Army of the West under Colonel Stephen W. Kearney during the Mexican War.  In California, Ingalls became a quartermaster, a service he worked in for the rest of his career.

He found himself posted to Columbia Barracks as a Captain, in 1849 as the new army post came into being.  In the winter of 1852-1853, Ingalls and Grant walked out on the frozen Columbia River. They had the idea of cutting up the ice to sell it in San Francisco.  The ice melted before it could be sold.

Next, Ingalls posted back south to Fort Yuma in 1853. Following that, a year in Washington, DC. Then, west again with Colonel Edward Steptoe, in 1854, to Utah. They investigated the murder of Captain John Gunnison and seven men surveying for possible railroad routes through the Utah Territory.  Many thought not only Paiutes were involved in the killings but Mormon involvement also lurked.  No evidence was revealed leading to Mormon involvement. But the uncertainty contributed to the tensions leading to the Utah War of 1857-1858.

Ingalls, in the meantime found himself back in Washington, DC, for a year. Then, another deployment to the Fort Vancouver serving from 1856 until 1860.  By the start of the Civil War, he was as quartermaster for Fort Pickens at the mouth of Pensacola Bsy.  Promoted to Major in 1862 after fourteen years as a Captain, rank would come much more quickly now.

civil war supply master

Returning as Chief Quartermaster for the forces defending Washington, DC, Ingalls was now a Lieutenant Colonel of Volunteers.   He gathered transports together overseeing the embarkation of the Army of the Potomac for the Virginia Peninsula during March 1862.  Following in their footsteps, he became the Chief Quartermaster for the Army of the Potomac. He served in that position from 10 July 1862 until 16 June 1864. Along the way, he gained a further promotion in May 1863 to Brigadier General in the Volunteers

When Grant came East, he made his old roommate Chief Quartermaster of all armies operating against Richmond, Virginia. Ingalls gained Regular Army brevets to Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel and Brigadier General, as well.  With the war winding down in the spring of 1865, Ingalls gained a final brevet to Major General for both the Volunteers and Regular Army. He returned to Washington from the huge supply base he supervised at City Point, Virginia during the siege of Petersburg after witnessing the surrender of Robert Lee at Appomattox.

Ingalls reverted to his rank of major briefly after the war. But he quickly gaining promotions to Lieutenant Colonel and full Colonel the next day in 1866.  He served in various locations from New York City to Washington to San Francisco. He gained a final promotion to Brigadier General in 1882. Ingalls became the Quartermaster General of the Army serving in that role for a year before retiring.  Oregon was Ingalls’s home until the last two years of his life, dying in 1893.  He lies buried at Arlington.

HENRY CLAY HODGES

Graduating from West Point with the Class of 1851, Henry Clay Hodges entered the academy at 16.  A member of the 4^th Infantry Regiment, he went West in 1852. First, he went to Benicia Arsenal in California. Next, north to Columbia Barracks serving in the Northwest until coming East in 1861 as a newly promoted captain.

During his time in the Northwest, Hodges spent a year as an assistant quartermaster along with Grant.  He took part in the army’s expedition against the Yakama in the 1855 campaign.  He served as an adjutant at the newly renamed Fort Vancouver until 1861 with a stint at Fort Dalles.

back to the east

Coming East, he served first as a quartermaster for Governor Morgan of New York. He procured equipment and clothing for New York Volunteers from August 1861 until January 1863.  With the rank now of Lieutenant Colonel, he served a couple of months as quartermaster for the Centre Grand Division of the Army of the Potomac.

From here, Hodges went to Nashville becoming the Depot Quartermaster.  Army of the Cumberland commander Major General William Rosecrans tabbed him as the Chief Quartermaster for his force during the Tennessee Campaign.  He saw action during the battle of Chickamauga. Here, Rosecrans and his staff found themselves swept off the battlefield on 20 September 1863.  As part of the re-organization of the Federal army at Chattanooga after that battle, Hodges found himself shunted off to Fort Leavenworth serving as Depot Quartermaster until February 1865.  He established a supply depot for Sherman’s army marching through the Carolinas in March. Hodges finished the war at Mobile and New Orleans before a spending a few months on sick leave.  He gained brevets to Major and Lieutenant Colonel for services rendered during the war.

postwar service

Following the war, Hodges returned to Fort Vancouver. He served first as Chief Quartermaster for the Department of the Columbia for a year – gaining a promotion to Major in the summer of 1866 – and then as Depot Quartermaster for the fort until 13 June 1868.  Returning to the East, he served at a variety of posts as Chief Quartermaster before retiring as a Colonel in 1895.  Hodges gained the rank of Brigadier General in 1904 on the retired list. He died in 1917 in Buffalo at 86 years.  Hodges, too, lies buried at Arlington.

On his first assignment to Columbia Barracks, he married Anna Abernathy. Anna was the daughter of the Governor of the Provisional Government of Oregon, George Abernathy.  One of their sons, Henry C. Hodges Jr. served in the army reaching the rank of Major General. He spent a couple of tours in the Philippines. Next, commanded the 39^th Division – a National Guard division from the South – during WW1.

CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS AUGUR

Another of Grant’s classmates from West Point, Christopher C. Augur originally came from Michigan after being born in upper New York state.  He served as an aide-de-camp to two generals during the Mexican War.  Gaining promotion to Captain in the summer of 1852, Augur led his company of the 4^th Infantry on the same expedition across Panama where Grant kept busy trying to get everyone across the Isthmus in face of cholera.  Like Grant, Augur and his men stopped only briefly at Benicia Arsenal near San Francisco before coming north to Columbia Barracks.  Stationed here from 152 to 1854, Augur conducted recruits to Oregon in 1855.

Augur stayed busy over the next six years in the field in 1855 out of Fort Dalles and Fort Simcoe against the Yakama.  Back briefly to Fort Vancouver before taking part in hostilities in southern Oregon during the Rogue River War in 1856.  He then served at Fort Hoskins from 1856 until 1861. The fort served as a buffer between the newly established Coast Reservation and the white settlers in the Willamette Valley.

returning to the east

Promoted to major in the spring of 1861, Augur returned as Commandant of Cadets and instructor to West Point for several months.  Called south at the end of the year, promoted to Brigadier General Volunteers, he commanded a division of the 5^th Army Corps. Augur suffered severe wounds at the Battle of Cedar Mountain 9 August 1862.  Two more promotions came his way, Major General, Volunteers and Lieutenant Colonel 12^th Infantry Regular Army.

Recovering from his wounds, Augur shipped southwest to take part in the expedition against New Orleans.  In the first half of 1863, he was involved in the investment and eventual capture of Port Hudson. The success led to a brevet to Brigadier General Regular Army. Returning to Washington, DC, Augur took command of the 22^nd Army Corps and the defenses of the capital.

Grant wanted Augur for one of his corps commanders during the Overland Campaign of 1864. Secretary of War Edwin Stanton deemed Augur too valuable as departmental commander in Washington. With the war over, Augur gained a last brevet to Major General for services rendered during the war. He also promoted to Colonel of the 12^th Infantry 15 March 1866. 

He spent the next nineteen years commanding various departments in the Midwest and the South. Grant promoted him to Brigadier General in 1869. He retired in 1885.  Dying in 1898, he lies at Arlington with his wife, Jane. 

augur’s children

Of their ten children, seven survived. One, Jacob Arnold Augur served as Colonel 10^th Cavalry dying in Manila 18 April 1909.  He lies near his parents at Arlington.

Another brother, John Preston Johnson Augur served in the Navy for almost eleven years gaining the rank of Lieutenant.  John suffered a nervous breakdown following service in the Arctic aboard the Yantic.  He became a ward of the Bloomingdale Asylum in New York City. During a storm, he escaped, dying from exposure and exhaustion brought about by his nervous condition.  John is buried at West Point.

FREDERICK TRACY DENT

Frederick T. Dent was a roommate of Grant’s at West Point in their last year at the school, 1842-1843.  They initially met taking the same boat up the Hudson River from New York City on their original journey to the Point.  Dent later wrote: “We went on the boat together. Up to that time neither of us said a word about where he was going. Grant then said: “I have an appointment at the Military Academy and I am going to stand my examination.” I replied, “So am I and we’ll go up together.””

brothers

Staying close friends after graduation, Fred invited Grant to visit his family’s home at White Haven, a plantation five miles south of Jefferson Barracks where Grant was posted.  Grant fell in love with Fred’s sister Julia with both marrying after Grant’s return from the Mexican War in 1843.

Like Grant, Dent served in the Mexican War being severely wounded at Molino del Ray, falling and suffering multiple bone fractures in a fall.  Grant was there to help and comfort him.

northwest service

He went on to serve at a variety of posts in the Texas region after the war with the 5^th Infantry Regiment before transferring as a captain to the newly organized 9^th Infantry.  With the 9^th, Dent took part in columns sent against the Yakama in 1856 and 1858 spending 1857 between Fort Hoskins and Fort Dalles.  The Yakama War was followed by duty at Fort Walla Walla.  In 1860, he led a troop to rescue survivors of the Utter Emigrant Party who lost 29 out 44 members in a prolonged attack by Shoshone early in September.  The ten survivors were found 24 October.

Dent rounded out his service in the West with a return to Fort Hoskins the next year before making his way down to San Francisco serving there until the spring of 1863. 

back to the east – brother’s reunion

Promoted to major, he served in New York City to help suppress anticipated riots due the newly announced draft.  Finally, in the spring of 1864, he joined his brother-in-law as a staff officer, aide-de-camp throughout the Virginia campaigns leading up to Lee’s surrender at Appomattox.  Fred ended the war as a brigadier general of volunteers with a brevet to the same rank in the regular army.

After the war, Dent stayed with Grant on the staff of the now general-in-chief, gaining a promotion to Colonel in 1866.  During Grant’s first term as president, Dent stayed on as a secretary.  He eventually became the Colonel of the 1^st Artillery Regiment in 1881 retiring after 40 years of service at the end of 1883.  Dent lived another nine years in retirement at Denver, Colorado before his death.  He, too, lies buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

HENRY M. JUDAH

Henry Moses Judah finished much lower in the class of 1843 than Grant.  That said, he ranked only two spots lower than Frederick Dent with four others beneath him.  Finishing so low meant only one career path after school – infantry.  Judah served in Florida before heading off to Texas and the Mexican War.  He served meritoriously during the war earning brevets to first lieutenant and captain.

Promoted to First Lieutenant 26 September 1847, Judah came West after assignments in New York at Fort Ontario and Plattsburg Barracks.  First at Columbia Barracks, Judah next went to Fort Jones in northern California.  Judah relaced Grant after his resignation in 1854.   He spent the rest of the antebellum period at Fort Humboldt, Fort Jones and on expeditions against the local Native Americans before moving to Fort Vancouver, Fort Steilacoom and finally to Fort Yuma in California. At one point in 1858, he took command at Fort Simcoe during the Yakama War.

civil war and beyond

With the onset of the Civil War, Judah – Captain in the Regular Army and Colonel of the 4^th California Volunteers – served in the defenses of Washington, DC, for several months before moving onto the Army of the Tennessee as acting Inspector General.  Given command of a division May 1862, Judah lead the men from 12 April until 30 May 1862.  He is listed on sick call from June until August when he took command of Camp Dennison, a major Federal recruiting, training and medical post not far from Cincinnati.

Judah served in several positions of command in the West, including divisional command of the3rd Division from May to August 1863 and later with the 2^nd Division of the 23^rd Corps from 20 January until 18 May.   A period from 18 May until 14 September 1863 followed his poor command performance at the Battle of Resaca 13-15 May 1864.  Poor performance went hand-in-hand with alcoholism.

Alcohol had been a long-term problem for Judah.  Ironically, Judah replaced Grant at Fort Humboldt.  Grant resigned for being caught drunk by fort commander Lieutenant Colonel Robert C. Buchanan too many times.  While Grant had an alcohol problem, Judah was a much more serious alcoholic.  According to George Crook, a second lieutenant posted to Fort Jones in late 1853, “Judah tended toward tyranny, indecisiveness, mood swings and selfishness.  His overriding flaw, however, was severe alcoholism.”  In two separate incidents – 1854 and 1857 – Judah was drunk most of the time, handing over command to Crook in the second episode. Quite ironic, a true alcoholic replacing another more moderate.