John White Geary in the Civil War

John White Geary (December 30, 1819 – February 8, 1873) was a lawyer, politician (mayor of San Francisco, governor of the Kansas Territory, and governor of Pennsylvania), and Union general in the American Civil War. Image File history File links Library of Congress Civil War collection File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Library of Congress Civil War collection File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... December 30 is the 364th day of the year (365th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 1 day remaining. ... 1819 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... February 8 is the 39th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1873 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... This article is about the city in California. ... Kansas Territory was a historic, organized territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854 to January 29, 1861. ... State nickname: The Keystone State Other U.S. States Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Governor Ed Rendell Official languages None Area 119,283 km² (33rd)  - Land 116,074 km²  - Water 3,208 km² (2. ... The Union Army refers to the United States Army during the American Civil War. ... General is a military rank, in most nations the highest rank, although some nations have the higher rank of Field Marshal. ... The American Civil War was fought in the United States from 1861 until 1865 between the United States – forces coming mostly from the 23 northern states of the Union – and the newly-formed Confederate States of America, which consisted of 11 southern states that had declared their secession. ...

Early years

Geary was born in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh, the son of Richard Geary, an ironmaster and schoolmaster, and Margaret White, a native of Maryland. Starting at the age of 14, he attended Jefferson College in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, studying civil engineering and law, but was forced to leave before graduation due to the death of his father, whose debts he assumed. He worked at a variety of jobs, including as a surveyor and land speculator in Kentucky, earning enough to return to college and graduate in 1841. He worked as a construction engineer for the Allegheny Portage Railroad. In 1843, he married Margaret Ann Logan, with whom he had several sons, but she died in 1853. Geary remarried the widowed Mary Church Henderson in 1858 in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. There are also five Mount Pleasant Townships in Pennsylvania. ... City nickname: The Steel City Location in the state of Pennsylvania Founded 1758 Mayor Tom Murphy (Dem) Area  - Total  - Water 151. ... Washington and Jefferson College is a private, coeducational, liberal arts college located in Washington, Pennsylvania. ... Canonsburg is a borough located in Washington County, Pennsylvania. ... State nickname: Bluegrass State Other U.S. States Capital Frankfort Largest city Louisville Governor Ernie Fletcher Official languages English Area 104,749 km² (37th)  - Land 102,989 km²  - Water 1,760 km² (1. ... 1841 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Allegheny Portage Railroad was the first railroad constructed through the Allegheny Mountains in central Pennsylvania in the United States. ... 1843 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1853 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1858 is a common year starting on Friday. ... Carlisle is a borough located in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. ...

Geary was active in the state militia as a teenager and when the Mexican War started, he enlisted in a Pennsylvania volunteer regiment. He led the regiment heroically at Chapultepec, and was wounded five times in the process. (He an excellent target for enemy fire: a huge man for that era, he stood six feet six inches tall, 260 pounds and solidly built. He was wounded at least ten times in his military career.) His exploits earned him the rank of colonel and he returned home a war hero. A militia is a group of citizens organized to provide paramilitary service. ... The Mexican-American War was a war fought between the United States and Mexico between 1846 and 1848. ... Battle of Chapultepec Conflict Mexican-American War Date September 12-13, 1847 Place Mexico City, D.F. Result U.S. victory The Battle of Chapultepec took place in September 1847 during the Mexican-American War, at Chapultepec Castle on Chapultepec Hill, on the outskirts of Mexico City. ... Insignia of a United States Air Force Colonel Colonel is a military rank, usually the highest below general grades, and just above Lieutenant Colonel. ...

Moving west, Geary was appointed postmaster of San Francisco by President Polk, and in 1850, became the city's first mayor. (He was first the Alcalde under Spanish rule and then the American mayor of the city.) He had to return to Pennsylvania after a year because of his wife's failing health. After her death, President Franklin Pierce wanted to appoint him governor of the Utah Territory, but Geary demurred. In 1856, he became governor of the Kansas Territory, soon to be known as "Bleeding Kansas". Geary was unable to stop the bloodshed there, and stayed in Kansas less than a year, again returning to Pennsylvania to farm. Prior to serving in Kansas, Geary was a Democrat, but afterwards he became an enthusiastic Republican and active abolitionist. This article is about the city in California. ... Seal of the President of the United States The President of the United States is the head of state of the United States. ... Order: 11th President Vice President: George M. Dallas Term of office: March 4, 1845 – March 4, 1849 Preceded by: John Tyler Succeeded by: Zachary Taylor Date of birth: November 2, 1795 Place of birth: Mecklenburg County, North Carolina Date of death: June 15, 1849 Place of death: Nashville, Tennessee First... 1850 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Alcalde is the Spanish title of the chief administrator of a town. ... Order: 14th President Vice President: William R. King Term of office: March 4, 1853 – March 4, 1857 Preceded by: Millard Fillmore Succeeded by: James Buchanan Date of birth: November 23, 1804 Place of birth: Hillsborough, New Hampshire Date of death: October 8, 1869 Place of death: Concord, New Hampshire First... The Utah Territory was an organized territory of the United States that existed between 1850 and 1896. ... 1856 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Kansas Territory was a historic, organized territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854 to January 29, 1861. ... Bleeding Kansas, sometimes referred to as Bloody Kansas and/or the Border War, was a sequence of violent events involving abolitionists and pro-Slavery elements that took place in Kansas-Nebraska Territory between roughly 1854 and 1856. ... The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party) [1], is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... This article is about the abolition of slavery. ...

Civil War

At the start of the Civil War, Geary raised the 147th and 28th Pennsylvania Infantry regiments and became colonel of the latter. Commanding the district of the upper Potomac River, he was wounded and captured near Leesburg, Virginia, on March 8, 1862, but was immediately exchanged and returned to duty. He was promoted to brigadier general and the command of a brigade in Nathaniel Banks's corps, which he led in the Shenandoah Valley against Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson. His brigade joined John Pope's Army of Virginia in late June. He led it at the Battle of Cedar Mountain on August 9, 1862, where he was seriously wounded in the arm and leg. He returned to duty on October 15 as the division commander; the corps was now part of the Army of the Potomac, designated the XII Corps, under the command of Major General Henry W. Slocum. Upper part of the Potomac River The Potomac River flows into Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States (USA). ... Leesburg is a town located in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States of America. ... March 8 is the 67th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (68th in Leap years). ... 1862 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... A Brigadier General, or one-star general, is the lowest rank of general officer in the United States and some other countries, ranking just above Colonel and just below Major General. ... Nathaniel Prentiss Banks (January 30, 1816–September 1, 1894), American politician and soldier, was born at Waltham, Massachusetts. ... The Valley Campaign was Confederate General Stonewall Jacksons brilliant campaign through the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia in 1862, during the American Civil War. ... For the 1960s country music artist, see Stonewall Jackson (musician); for the submarine, see USS Stonewall Jackson (SSBN-634). ... Major General John Pope John Pope (March 18, 1822 – September 23, 1892) was a career Army officer and general in the American Civil War. ... The Army of Virginia was organized as a major unit of the Union Army and operated briefly and unsuccessfully in 1862 in the American Civil War. ... Battle of Cedar Mountain Conflict American Civil War Date August 9, 1862 Place Culpeper County, Virginia Result Confederate victory The Battle of Cedar Mountain, also known as the Battle of Slaughters Mountain or Cedar Run, took place on August 9, 1862 in Culpeper County, Virginia as part of the... August 9 is the 221st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (222nd in leap years), with 144 days remaining. ... 1862 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... October 15 is the 288th day of the year (289th in Leap years). ... Generals Burnside, Hancock, Couch, Ferro, Patrick, Wilcox, Cochrane, Buford and others. ... The XII Corps (Twelfth Corps) was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War. ... Portrait of General Henry W. Slocum by Mathew Brady, ca. ...

Geary's division was heavily engaged at Chancellorsville, where he was knocked unconscious as a cannonball shot past his head on May 3, 1863. (Some accounts state that he was hit in the chest with a cannonball, which seems unlikely.) The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War in 1863. ... May 3 is the 123rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (124th in leap years). ... 1863 is a common year starting on Thursday. ...

At the Battle of Gettysburg, Slocum's corps arrived after the first day's (July 1, 1863) fighting subsided and took up a defensive position on Culp's Hill, the extreme right wing of the Union line. On the second day, heavy fighting on the Union left demanded reinforcements and Geary was ordered to leave a single brigade, under George S. Greene, on Culp's Hill and follow another division, which was just departing. Geary lost track of the division he was supposed to follow south on the Baltimore Pike and inexplicably marched completely off the battlefield, eventually reaching Rock Creek. His two brigades finally returned to Culp's Hill by 9:00 p.m. that night, arriving in the midst of a fierce fire fight between a Confederate division and Greene's lone brigade. This embarrassing incident might have damaged his reputation except for two factors: the part of the battle he was supposed to march to join had ended, so he wasn't really needed; and, because of a dispute between army commander George G. Meade and Slocum over the filing of their official reports, little public notice ensued. The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1–3, 1863), fought in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign, was possibilly the largest battle ever conducted in North America, and is generally considered to be the turning point of the American Civil War. ... July 1 is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 183 days remaining. ... 1863 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... George Sears Greene George Sears Greene (May 6, 1801 – January 28, 1899) was a civil engineer and a Union general during the American Civil War. ... For other meanings of confederate and confederacy, see confederacy (disambiguation) National Motto Deo Vindice (Latin: Under God our Vindicator) Official language English de facto nationwide Various European and Native American languages regionally Capital Montgomery, Alabama February 4, 1861–May 29, 1861 Richmond, Virginia May 29, 1861–April 9, 1865 Largest... George Gordon Meade (December 31, 1815 - November 6, 1872) was an American military officer during the American Civil War. ...

The XII Corps was transferred west to join the besieged Union army at Chattanooga. Geary's son Edward died in his arms at the Battle of Wauhatchie, enraging him sufficiently to prevail in a battle in which his division was greatly outnumbered. He distinguished himself in command during the Battle of Lookout Mountain, the entire Atlanta Campaign, Sherman's March to the Sea, and through the Carolinas. He oversaw the surrender of Savannah, Georgia, and briefly served as the city's military governor, where he was brevetted to major general. The Battle of Chattanooga may refer to several American Civil War Battles: Battle of Chattanooga I Battle of Chattanooga II Battle of Chattanooga III (1863) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Battle of Wauhatchie Conflict American Civil War Date October 28-29, 1863 Place Hamilton County, Tennessee Result Union victory The Battle of Wauhatchie, also known as Browns Ferry, was fought October 28–29, 1863, in Hamilton County, Marion County, and Dade County, Tennessee, in the American Civil War. ... The American Civil Wars Battle of Lookout Mountain, also known as The Battle Above the Clouds took place on November 24, 1863 in southeastern Tennessee near Chattanooga. ... Union General William T. Sherman and his staff in the trenches outside of Atlanta The Atlanta Campaign was a series of battles fought throughout northeast Georgia and the area around Atlanta, Georgia, during the summer of 1864, leading to the eventual fall of Atlanta and hastening the end of the... Major General William T. Sherman. ... Savannah Savannah is a city located in (and the county seat of) Chatham County, Georgia. ... In the military, brevet refers to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily (usually without receiving the pay of the higher rank). ...

Governor of Pennsylvania

After the war, Geary served two terms as the Republican governor of Pennsylvania, from 1867 to 1873. He established a reputation as a political independent, attacking the political influence of the railroads and vetoing many special interest bills. State nickname: The Keystone State Other U.S. States Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Governor Ed Rendell Official languages None Area 119,283 km² (33rd)  - Land 116,074 km²  - Water 3,208 km² (2. ... 1867 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1873 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

On February 8, 1873, less than three weeks after leaving the governor's post, Geary was fatally stricken with a heart attack while preparing breakfast for his infant son in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He was buried there with state honors in Mount Kalma Cemetery. February 8 is the 39th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1873 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Pennsylvania State Capitol Building Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania, a state of the United States of America. ...

Geary County, Kansas, is named in his honor (at the insistence of its citizens, instead of the proposed name honoring Confederate President Jefferson Davis), as isGeary Boulevard in San Francisco, a major artery in that city. Geary County (standard abbreviation: GE) is a county located in the state of Kansas. ... Jefferson Davis Jefferson Davis (June 3, 1808–December 6, 1889) was an American soldier and politician. ... Geary Boulevard, looking eastbound at 36th Avenue, in a residential part of the Richmond District Geary Boulevard (known as Geary Street east of Gough Street) is a major east-west thoroughfare in San Francisco, California, running from Sutro Heights Park at 48th Avenue (near the Cliff House above Ocean Beach...

Geary Hall, an undergraduate dorm building in East Halls at The Pennsylvania State University is also named after him. The Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (commonly known as Penn State) is a state-related land-grant university in Pennsylvania, with over 80,000 students at 24 campuses throughout the state. ...

External links

• Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission description of Geary's governorship
• William G. Cutler's History of the State of Kansas

References

• Eicher, John H., & Eicher, David J.: Civil War High Commands, Stanford University Press, 2001, ISBN 0-8047-3641-3
• Tagg, Larry: The Generals of Gettysburg, Savas Publishing, 1998, ISBN 1-882810-30-9

Mayors of San Francisco Categories: Lists of mayors | Mayors of San Francisco ... Charles James Brenham (1817-11-06 in Frankfort, Kentucky - 1875-05-10 in San Francisco, California) was mayor of San Francisco in 1851 and from 1852 to 1853. ... Andrew Gregg Curtin (1815 - 1894) was a U.S. political figure. ... List of Pennsylvania Governors The office of Pennsylvania governor was created by the states Constitution of 1790. ... John F. Hartranft John Frederick Hartranft (16 December 1830 - 17 October 1889) was governor of Pennsylvania from 1873 to 1879. ...