Maj. Gen. Horatio Wright

Born: March 6, 1820

Clinton, Connecticut

Died: July 2, 1899

Washington, D.C.

Horatio Wright

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1841: West Point Graduate

1841: 2nd Lieutenant of Engineers

1855: Captain

August 1861: Major

September 1861: Brigadier General

1862: Major General of Volunteers

(Not approved)

1865: Brevet Major General

March 1879: Colonel

Maj. Gen. Horatio Wright

1841: West Point Graduate - 2nd out of 52 cadets - Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant of Engineers

1841-1846: Taught French and Engineering at West Point

1846: Sent to Florida where he worked on the St Augustine harbor and the defenses of Key West

1855: Promoted to Captain

1856: Served as assistant to Chief of Engineers

Appointed as a member of military committee to study iron carriages for the construction of naval guns

Took part of the evacuation and destructiion of Gosport Naval Yard - April 20, 1861 Was captured during this action, but was released four days later as Virginia had not joined the war

Assigned to the 3rd Division of the Department of Northeast Virginia, started fortifications around Washington, D.C.

July 21, 1861: 1st Battle of Bull Run

August 1861: Promoted to Major

September 1861: Promoted to Brigadier General of Volunteers

November 1861: Expedition against Port Royal, South Carolina

February to June 1862: Successful operations against military targets on Florida coastline

Led to Appointment as Major General of Volunteers and commander of the Department of the Ohio

March 1863: Commander, Army of the Ohio

As his appointment to Major General, was demoted to Brigadier General, was not eligible to command a department and Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside

Wright served briefly as commander of the District of Western Kentucky before returning East

July 1863: Battle of Gettysburg where his corps was held in reserve

November 26 - December 1, 1863: Battle of Mine Run

May 5-6, 1864: Battle of the Wilderness

May 8-21, 1864: Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse - Assumed command of the VI Corps after Maj. Gen. Sedgwick's death

August 6 - October 16, 1864: Shenandoah Valley Campaign

October 19, 1864: Battle of Cedar Creek

Siege of Petersburg: VI Corps was first to break through Confederate defenses

April 6, 1865: Battle of Saylor's Creek

For action at Petersburg, promoted to Brevet Major General in Regular Army

July 1865 - August 1866: Commander, Army of Texas

Involved in several engineering projects to include the Brooklyn Bridge and finishing the Washington Monument

March 1879: Promoted to Colonel

Later named Chief of Engineers as Brigadier General

March 6, 1884: Retired from the Army

Boatner, Mark M. III. The Civil War Dictionary. New York: David McKay, 1867. p 949-950

Horatio Wright. 11 January 2023. web. 14 May 2023.

Warner, Ezra J. Generals in Blue Lives of the Union Commanders. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State, 1964. p 575-576