Dunbar R. Ransom | |
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| Born | (1831-01-10)January 10, 1831 Fayetteville, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | July 11, 1897(1897-07-11) (aged 66) Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. |
| Buried | Oakwood Cemetery, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. |
| Allegiance |
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| Service | |
| Years of service | 1855–1872 |
| Rank | Captain Colonel (Brevet) |
| Battles / wars | Yakima War American Civil War |
| Alma mater | United States Military Academy Norwich University |
Dunbar R. Ransom (January 10, 1831 – July 11, 1897) was aUnited States Army officer and veteran of theAmerican Civil War. He is notable for having commandedUnion Army artillery units throughout the conflict.
Dunbar Ransom was born atFayetteville, North Carolina on January 10, 1831 and raised inVermont. He was the son of ColonelTruman B. Ransom and brother of GeneralThomas E. G. Ransom.[1] Ransom attended theUnited States Military Academy,[2] and graduated fromNorwich University in 1851.[3] On June 7, 1855 Ransom was appointed as a second lieutenant in the3rd U.S. Artillery.[4] He served on the West Coast of the United States, and was promoted to first lieutenant on December 31, 1856. Ransom participated in the later stages of theYakima War in an expedition during 1858 that culminated in theBattle of Four Lakes nearSpokane, Washington.[5]
Following the outbreak of war, Ransom was promoted to the rank ofcaptain on November 1, 1861. He was assigned command of Battery L of the 3rd Artillery.[6] However, Ransom soon took command ofBattery C, 5th U.S., accompanying thePennsylvania Reserves at theSecond Battle of Bull Run.[7] Ransom's battery remained with the Reserves when they joinedI Corps of theArmy of the Potomac in time for theBattle of Antietam. Maj. Gen.George G. Meade, who led the division at Antietam, praised Ransom's battery for its support of the Reserves as they advanced into and beyond the Cornfield.[8]
Battery C supported the Reserves at theBattle of Fredericksburg, where their attack penetrated the Confederate right flank for a time. During the following year, the battery served with the second division of I Corps at theBattle of Chancellorsville.[9]
After Chancellorsville, the Union artillery was reorganized. The Reserve Artillery was grouped into brigades. Ransom's battery joined the First Regular Brigade, and Ransom took command of the larger formation.Gulian V. Weir took command of his battery.[10]
At theBattle of Gettysburg, Ransom's brigade was engaged beginning on July 2, 1863. Eakin's battery served on Cemetery Hill, while the others served on or in advance of Cemetery Ridge. On July 2 the batteries of Turnbull and Thomas advanced toward Emmitsburg Road to support the advanced position of Second Division,III Corps. Turnbull was posted near the Rogers House and Weir near the Codori Farm. The batteries were forced back by the Confederate attack ofRichard H. Anderson’s division.[11] Ransom was shot through the thigh by a sharpshooter while leading Turnbull's battery into position and slid from his horse.[12] Weir's battery lost three guns in the same action, and in 1886 he committed suicide after years of brooding over the loss.[13] The batteries of Thomas, Weir, and Trumbull all served on Cemetery Ridge during the Confederate bombardment and unsuccessful assault on July 3. The brigade sustained 68 casualties in two days of fighting.[14]
After Gettysburg, Ransom returned to duty, and he and Battery C were sent toNew York City following theNew York Draft Riots of July 13 to 16.[15] After returning to the Army of the Potomac with Battery C, Ransom was assigned to the 2nd brigade of Horse Artillery underWilliam M. Graham. The battery served in theBristoe Campaign and theMine Run Campaign during the fall of 1863.[16]
When campaigning resumed in the spring of 1864, Ransom had succeeded Graham in command of the 2nd Horse Artillery Brigade. He led this formation in theOverland Campaign, including theBattle of the Wilderness and theBattle of Spotsylvania Court House.[17] Later in the campaign, all the Horse Artillery apparently was consolidated under the command of Capt.James M. Robertson. This was the situation until just before the beginning of theSiege of Petersburg, when Ransom resumed command of his brigade.[18]
In late 1864, Ransom was transferred to theUnion Army of the Shenandoah, where he commanded the consolidated Batteries C, F and K of the 3rd U.S. Artillery. His battery was involved in theBattle of Berryville, but it was on detached duty at the time of theBattle of Opequon.[19] In hisMemoirs,Philip Sheridan indicated Ransom was present at theBattle of Cedar Creek.[20] Ransom remained in the Middle Military Division until the end of the war.[21]
During the war Ransom receivedbrevet promotions tomajor (December 13, 1862),lieutenant colonel (July 3, 1863), andcolonel (August 25, 1864).
Ransom remained on active duty after the war, reverting to his permanent rank of captain. In 1872 Ransom was charged with conduct unbecoming an officer for having borrowed money to facilitate travel from one military assignment to another, and resorting to deceit to avoid repaying it, and he was dismissed from the service.[22] He then undertook railroad work with theFort Worth and Denver Railway. Later he was aided byGrenville M. Dodge, the president of the railroad, who brought the matter of Ransom's dismissal to the attention of Congress.
In 1892 a Congressional investigation determined that Ransom had not been deceitful, that his Army pay had been delayed for more than a year because of his travel between posts at the time of the loan, and that he had not intentionally avoided repaying the debt. Further, Congress determined that even if Ransom had intentionally tried to avoid repaying the debt, that would have been a private matter and not professional conduct unbecoming an officer. In 1894 Congress restored Ransom to the Army's rolls and transferred him to the retired list, enabling him to qualify for a pension.[23]
Ransom died at St. Joseph's Infirmary inFort Worth, Texas on July 11, 1897. His body was embalmed to await burial by his brother-in-law Captain James O’Hara of the 3rd U.S. Artillery.[22] Ransom was buried at Fort Worth's City Cemetery, now part ofOakwood Cemetery, block 54, space 30.[24][25]