Gordon Granger | |
|---|---|
 Gordon Granger, photo taken duringAmerican Civil War | |
| Born | (1821-11-06)November 6, 1821 Joy, New York, US |
| Died | January 10, 1876(1876-01-10) (aged 54) |
| Place of burial | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Army (Union Army) |
| Years of service | 1845–1876 |
| Rank | Major general |
| Commands | Army of Kentucky IV Corps XIII Corps Department of Texas District of New Mexico |
| Battles / wars | |
Gordon Granger (November 6, 1821 – January 10, 1876) was a career U.S. Army officer, and aUnion general during theAmerican Civil War, where he distinguished himself at theBattle of Chickamauga.
Granger is best remembered for his part in theBattle of Chickamauga and theBattle of Chattanooga and for issuingGeneral Order No. 3 on June 19, 1865, inGalveston, Texas, further informing residents of, and enforcing,Abraham Lincoln'sEmancipation Proclamation which set all Confederate states' slaves free on January 1, 1863. Since 2021, June 19 has been commemorated by the federal holiday ofJuneteenth.
Granger was born inJoy,Wayne County, New York, in 1821 to Gaius Granger and Catherine Taylor[1] being one of three children in his family. His mother died on April 17, 1825, one month after giving birth to a daughter.[2][3] His father married again in November 1826 to Sara (Salley) Emery and the two would have 10 children. He spent his early years with his paternal grandparents (Elihu and Apema or Apama Granger) inPhelps, New York. While attending high school he developed health issues which carried on throughout his life[2] He was a teacher inNorth Rose, New York prior to entering theUnited States Military Academy.[3]
Granger was appointed to the academy in 1841 when he was 19 years old. While there he metJohn Pope who later became one of his mentors. It is possible that his grudge withUlysses S. Grant started when he was there with Grant holding the grudge more than Granger.[2] He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1845 placed thirty-fifth in a class of forty-one cadets.[1] He was commissioned abrevetsecond lieutenant and assigned to the Second Infantry Regiment stationed inDetroit,Michigan. In July 1846 he transferred to the newly constitutedRegiment of Mounted Riflemen atJefferson Barracks, Missouri.[4]
During theMexican–American War, Granger fought inWinfield Scott's army. He took part in theSiege of Veracruz, theBattle of Cerro Gordo, theBattle of Contreras, theBattle of Churubusco, and theBattle for Mexico City. Granger received two citations for gallantry and in May 1847 received his regular commission as a second lieutenant. After the war, he served on thewestern frontier in Oregon and then Texas. In 1853 he became a first lieutenant.[5]
When theCivil War started, Granger was on sick leave. He was temporarily assigned to the staff of GeneralGeorge B. McClellan in Ohio. After recovering, he transferred back to theRegiment of Mounted Riflemen where he was promoted to captain in May 1861. As an adjutant of GeneralSamuel D. Sturgis he saw action at theBattle of Dug Springs and observed the Union defeat atWilson's Creek in August 1861 in Missouri, serving as a staff officer to GeneralNathaniel Lyon.[6] Granger was cited for gallantry at Wilson's Creek, became a brevet major and was made a commander of theSt. Louis Arsenal.
In November 1861, Granger assumed command of the2nd Michigan Cavalry Regiment at Benton Barracks in St. Louis, becoming a colonel of volunteers. One of the Union veterans wrote in a memoir that Granger's "military genius soon asserted itself by many severe lessons to the volunteer officers and men of this regiment. He brought them up to the full standard of regulars within a period of three months," and "though a gruff appearing man, had succeeded in winning the respect of his regiment by his strict attention to all the details of making a well disciplined body of soldiers out of a mass of awkward men from every walk of life."[7]
In February 1862, on the orders of GeneralJohn Pope, the 2nd Michigan proceeded from St. Louis toCommerce, Missouri, where Pope assembled nearly 20,000 Union troops for an advance onNew Madrid, Missouri. Granger assumed command over the Third Cavalry Brigade consisting of the 2nd and the3rd Michigan cavalry regiments. After the7th Illinois joined the brigade, it was reorganized into a cavalry division.[8]
On March 26, 1862, Granger was promoted tobrigadier general of volunteers and commanded the Cavalry Division,Army of the Mississippi during theBattle of New Madrid and theSiege of Corinth. He was promoted tomajor general of volunteers on September 17, 1862, and took command of theArmy of Kentucky. He conducted cavalry operations in central Tennessee before his command was merged into theArmy of the Cumberland, becoming the Reserve Corps.[1]
Granger is most famous for his actions commanding the Reserve Corps at the Battle of Chickamauga. There on September 20, 1863, the second day of the battle, he reinforced, without orders, Major GeneralGeorge H. Thomas'XIV Corps on Snodgrass Hill by orderingJames B. Steedman to send two brigades under his command to help Thomas.[9] Asked by Thomas if he could counterattack a Confederate force on the Union flank, Granger replied, "My men are fresh and they are just the fellows for that work. They are raw troops and don't know any better than to charge up there." This action staved off the Confederate attackers until dark, permitting the Federal forces to retreat in good order and thus helping Thomas to earn the sobriquet "Rock of Chickamauga".[10] After the battle, Granger wrote in his report, "being well convinced, judging from the sound of battle, that the enemy were pushing him [Thomas], and fearing that would not be able to resist their combined attack, I determined to go to his assistance at once."[8]
Granger's effective leadership at Chickamauga earned him command of the newly formedIV Corps in theArmy of the Cumberland commanded by General Thomas, and he was promoted brevet lieutenant colonel of the U.S. Army. Under his command, the IV Corps force distinguished itself at the third Battle of Chattanooga. Two of the IV Corps' divisions, those commanded byThomas J. Wood andPhilip Sheridan, were in the middle of the four divisions that assaulted the heavily manned center of the Confederate lines onMissionary Ridge. Although they had no further orders after taking the rifle-pits at the base, Granger's men kept going up the steep ridge, with the two other divisions just slightly behind, and routed the Confederates on the crest. This breakthrough, in conjunction with Hooker's successful assault further to the right, forced theConfederates, underGeneralBraxton Bragg, to retreat in disorder. After Chattanooga, Granger took part in lifting thesiege atKnoxville, Tennessee. Despite these successes, GeneralUlysses S. Grant disliked Granger as the latter resisted an appeal by GeneralPhil Sheridan to pursue the retreating Confederate army after the battle[11] and prevented him from gaining more prominent commands in the West or in theEastern Theater of the American Civil War. GeneralE. R. S. Canby later offered Granger a command in theDepartment of the Gulf over Grant's objections, and he led a division that provided land support to the naval operations conducted by AdmiralDavid Farragut in theGulf of Mexico. Granger led the land forces that captured FortsGaines andMorgan in conjunction with the Union naval operations during theBattle of Mobile Bay. Granger commanded theXIII Corps during theBattle of Fort Blakeley, which led to the fall of the city ofMobile, Alabama.
When the war ended, Granger was given command of theDistrict of Texas[12] on June 10, 1865.[13] On June 19, 1865, in the city ofGalveston, one of the first orders of business was to post Granger'sGeneral Order No. 3 which began with:[14][15]
The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection therefore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer.
This set off joyous demonstrations by the freed people, originating the annualJuneteenth celebration, which commemorates the abolition of slavery in Texas.
Granger executed several other actions while being in command of Texas. He declared all laws passed by the Confederacy to be null, ensured all Confederate soldiers were paroled, anyone "having public property" which included cotton be given to the US Army and all cotton that was privately owned be given to the Army as compensation. He advised newly freed Blacks that they shouldn't congregate near towns and military posts without any employment and expecting welfare. Instead he suggested they should remain on their plantations to sign labor agreements with their former owners until theFreedmen's Bureau could be established. Granger would serve in his role until August 6, 1865, when he was replaced by GeneralHoratio Wright.[13]
When Granger was done serving in Texas he commanded the Department of Kentucky from August 12, 1865, to January 15, 1866.[16] After the Civil War, he continued his relationship with PresidentAndrew Johnson which he had established when Johnson was Tennessee's military governor. Because of Granger's ties to Johnson, a Democrat, Grant thought that Granger was getting "out of tedious routine duties" by getting favors from Johnson. President Johnson did send him on assignments. His ties with Johnson led to his further alienation from Grant who was becoming aligned with theRadical Republicans.[17] Granger andGeorge Armstrong Custer joined once in September 1866 to organize a "soldiers' convention" in Cleveland to help Johnson's administration.[16]
Granger was elected a First Class Companion of the New York Commandery of theMilitary Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States on May 2, 1866, a prestigious military society for officers of the Union Army and their descendants.
Granger remained in the Army after mustering out of the volunteer service. In July 1866, he was assigned as a colonel to the reconstituted25th Infantry Regiment. While there, he stayed on a leave of absence and spent a good portion of his time in New York City lobbying President Johnson for potential appointments. He reported back for duty on September 1, 1867.[16]
He was reassigned as colonel of the15th Infantry Regiment, December 15, 1870 and commanded theDistrict of New Mexico, from April 29, 1871, to June 1, 1873.[18]Cochise who was the leader of theChiricahuan tribe and his people went to New Mexico where he contacted Granger to discuss peace terms, which the two did in March 1872 atCañada Alamosa. However, peace did not come out of this as the Chiricahuas ended up going to theDragoon Mountains when learning that all Apaches were going to be sent toFort Tularosa. Peace was reached when Brigadier GeneralOliver O. Howard met him in October that year.[19]
Granger went on sick leave of absence to October 31, 1875; and then was again in command of the District of New Mexico, October 31, 1875, to January 10, 1876.[18]
Granger died inSanta Fe, New Mexico on January 10, 1876, where he was serving in command of the District of New Mexico.[20] He is buried inLexington Cemetery inKentucky.[15]
| Insignia | Rank | Date | Component |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Brevet Second Lieutenant | July 1, 1845 | 2nd Infantry |
| Brevet Second Lieutenant | July 17, 1846 | Mounted Rifles |
| Second Lieutenant | May 29, 1847 | Mounted Rifles |
 | Brevet First Lieutenant | August 20, 1847 | Regular Army |
 | Brevet Captain | September 13, 1847 | Regular Army |
| First Lieutenant | May 24, 1852 | Mounted Rifles |
| Captain | May 5, 1861 | Mounted Rifles |
 | Brevet Major | August 10, 1861 | Regular Army |
 | Colonel | September 2, 1861 | 2nd Michigan Cavalry |
 | Brigadier General | March 26, 1862 | Volunteers |
 | Major General | September 17, 1862 | Volunteers |
 | Brevet Lieutenant Colonel | September 20, 1863 | Regular Army |
| Brevet Colonel | November 20, 1863 | Regular Army |
| Brevet Brigadier General | March 13, 1865 | Regular Army |
| Brevet Major General | March 13, 1865 | Regular Army |
| Colonel | July 28, 1866 | 25th Infantry |
| Colonel | December 20, 1870 | 15th Infantry |
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| Preceded by none | Commander of theIV Corps October 10, 1863 – April 10, 1864 | Succeeded by |
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