Tag: Sturgis (Samuel D.)

Wikipedia says: Samuel Davis Sturgis (June 11, 1822 – September 28, 1889) was a senior officer of the United States Army. A veteran of the Mexican War, Civil War, and Indian Wars, he attained the rank of Brevet major general.

…When the Civil War broke out, Sturgis continued to serve with the 1st Dragoons (which was shortly afterwards redesignated the 1st Cavalry Regiment). He was promoted to major in May 1861 and later transferred to the 4th Cavalry Regiment. In August 1861, at the Battle of Wilson’s Creek, he succeeded to command of the Federal forces after the death of Brig. Gen. Nathaniel Lyon. In March 1862 he was appointed brigadier general of volunteers to rank from August 10, 1861, the day of the battle, as well as breveted lieutenant colonel, Regular Army.

After a tour of duty in the Washington, D.C., defenses, he was ordered to the front to support General John Pope’s Army of Virginia just prior to the Second Battle of Bull Run. While attempting to secure priority from General Herman Haupt for movement of his troops on the railroad, he was told that he must wait his turn as other troops and supplies were going forward to support Pope. His reaction was his now-famous remark, “I don’t care for John Pope one pinch of owl dung.”

Sturgis then commanded the 2nd Division in the IX Corps at the battles of South Mountain, Antietam, and Fredericksburg.

He went west with IX Corps in 1863 and was promoted to lieutenant colonel with the 6th U.S. Cavalry on October 27, 1863 and had a number of relatively unimportant commands in Tennessee and Mississippi. He commanded the Cavalry Corps of the Department of the Ohio conducting operations in the vicinity of Dandridge, Tennessee during the Winter of 1863-1864. In June 1864 he was routed by Nathan Bedford Forrest at the Battle of Brice’s Crossroads in Mississippi, an encounter that effectively ended his Civil War service.