Charles Adam Heckman
Encyclopedia
Charles A. Heckman was a brigadier general in the Union Army
during the American Civil War
. He fought in many of the early battles in North Carolina and later served in the Army of the James
during the siege of Petersburg
.
becoming a sergeant
by the time he was mustered out of service in 1848. Apart from the Civil War, Heckman spent most of his career as a conductor
for the New Jersey Central Railroad.
Immediately after the Civil War began, Heckman enlisted in the 1st Pennsylvania Volunteer Regiment and was elected captain. Before seeing any action in that regiment he was appointed major of the 9th New Jersey Volunteer Regiment. On October 8, 1861 he became the regimental lieutenant colonel and joined Ambrose Burnside
's expedition to North Carolina. He fought at Roanoke Island
and was promoted colonel just two days after the battle. He was wounded at the battles of New Berne and Young's Crossroads. On November 29, 1862 he was promoted to brigadier general of U.S. volunteers.
When General Burnside left for Virginia, he left Union forces in North Carolina under the command of John G. Foster
. In the winter of 1862, Foster led an expedition against the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad
at Goldsboro, NC. General Heckman led a brigade in Foster's expedition at the battles of Kinston
, White Hall
and Goldsboro
.
Throughout most of 1863 Heckman was in command of the District of Beaufort
, briefly commanding the Union defenses at New Bern. By the end of 1863 he was sent to Virginia to command the Union garrison at Newport News, Virginia
. He temporarily commanded George W. Getty
's division at the beginning of 1864.
On April 28, 1864 Heckman was assigned to command the 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, XVIII Corps
in the Army of the James
. He was wounded at the battle of Port Walthall Junction
and taken prisoner at the battle of Proctor's Creek
. In September 1864 he was exchanged and, when he returned to duty, was assigned to command the 2nd Division in the XVIII Corps. Heckman led his division at the battle of Chaffin's Farm
in support of General George J. Stannard
's main attack against Fort Harrison
. When Heckman moved forward his troops veered off far to the north. Instead of coming directly to the aid of Stannard's division, Heckman's men launched a costly attack against Confederate trenches near Forts Gilmer and Johnson. During the fighting in Fort Harrison, XVIII Corps commander Edward O. C. Ord was severely wounded and carried from the field. Heckman then assumed command of the corps. With this change in command at a crucial point the fighting ground to a halt and the Union forces constructed a defensive line. After an undistinguished show of leadership during the fighting on September 29, army commander Benjamin F. Butler
decided to replace Heckman in command of the corps with his chief of staff, Godfrey Weitzel
. Returning to command his division, Heckman helped repulse the Confederate attack the following day.
In December Heckman was transferred to command the 3rd Division in the newly created XXV Corps
. Briefly from January to February in 1865 he was in command of the XXV Corps, but resigned from the army on May 25, 1865. Heckman returned to work for the New Jersey Central Railroad as a conductor and railroad dispatcher following the war.
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. He fought in many of the early battles in North Carolina and later served in the Army of the James
Army of the James
The Army of the James was a Union Army that was composed of units from the Department of Virginia and North Carolina and served along the James River during the final operations of the American Civil War in Virginia.-History:...
during the siege of Petersburg
Siege of Petersburg
The Richmond–Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War...
.
Biography
Heckman was born in Pennsylvania and graduated from Minerva Seminary in 1837. He served in the volunteer army during the Mexican WarMexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known as the First American Intervention, the Mexican War, or the U.S.–Mexican War, was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 in the wake of the 1845 U.S...
becoming a sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
by the time he was mustered out of service in 1848. Apart from the Civil War, Heckman spent most of his career as a conductor
Conductor (transportation)
A conductor is a member of a railway train's crew that is responsible for operational and safety duties that do not involve the actual operation of the train. The title of conductor is most associated with railway operations in North America, but the role of conductor is common to railways...
for the New Jersey Central Railroad.
Immediately after the Civil War began, Heckman enlisted in the 1st Pennsylvania Volunteer Regiment and was elected captain. Before seeing any action in that regiment he was appointed major of the 9th New Jersey Volunteer Regiment. On October 8, 1861 he became the regimental lieutenant colonel and joined Ambrose Burnside
Ambrose Burnside
Ambrose Everett Burnside was an American soldier, railroad executive, inventor, industrialist, and politician from Rhode Island, serving as governor and a U.S. Senator...
's expedition to North Carolina. He fought at Roanoke Island
Battle of Roanoke Island
The opening phase of what came to be called the Burnside Expedition, the Battle of Roanoke Island was an amphibious operation of the American Civil War, fought on February 7–8, 1862, in the North Carolina Sounds a short distance south of the Virginia border...
and was promoted colonel just two days after the battle. He was wounded at the battles of New Berne and Young's Crossroads. On November 29, 1862 he was promoted to brigadier general of U.S. volunteers.
When General Burnside left for Virginia, he left Union forces in North Carolina under the command of John G. Foster
John G. Foster
John Gray Foster was a career military officer in the United States Army and a Union general during the American Civil War whose most distinguished services were in North and South Carolina. A postbellum expert in underwater demolition, he wrote the definitive treatise on the subject.-Early...
. In the winter of 1862, Foster led an expedition against the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad
Wilmington and Weldon Railroad
Originally chartered in 1835 as the Wilmington and Raleigh Railroad, the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad name began use in 1855. At the time of its 1840 completion, the line was the longest railroad in the world with 161.5 miles of track...
at Goldsboro, NC. General Heckman led a brigade in Foster's expedition at the battles of Kinston
Battle of Kinston
The Battle of Kinston was fought on December 14, 1862, in Lenoir County, North Carolina, near the town of Kinston, as part of the Goldsboro Expedition of the American Civil War....
, White Hall
Battle of White Hall
The Battle of White Hall, also called the Battle of White Hall Ferry, took place on December 15–16, 1862, in Wayne County, North Carolina, as part of the Union expedition to Goldsboro, North Carolina, during the American Civil War.-Battle:...
and Goldsboro
Battle of Goldsboro Bridge
The Battle of Goldsborough Bridge took place on December 17, 1862, in Wayne County, North Carolina, as part of the Union expedition to Goldsboro, North Carolina, during the American Civil War.-Background:...
.
Throughout most of 1863 Heckman was in command of the District of Beaufort
Beaufort, North Carolina
Beaufort is a town in Carteret County, North Carolina, United States. Established in 1709, it is the third-oldest town in North Carolina.The population was 4,189 at the 2008 census and it is the county seat of Carteret County...
, briefly commanding the Union defenses at New Bern. By the end of 1863 he was sent to Virginia to command the Union garrison at Newport News, Virginia
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
. He temporarily commanded George W. Getty
George W. Getty
George Washington Getty was a career military officer in the United States Army, most noted for his role as a division commander in the Army of the Potomac during the final full year of the American Civil War....
's division at the beginning of 1864.
On April 28, 1864 Heckman was assigned to command the 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, XVIII Corps
XVIII Corps (ACW)
XVIII Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War.- Origins and makeup :The XVIII Corps was created on December 24, 1862, and initially composed of five divisions stationed in North Carolina, making it one of the largest in the Union Army , placed under the command of General...
in the Army of the James
Army of the James
The Army of the James was a Union Army that was composed of units from the Department of Virginia and North Carolina and served along the James River during the final operations of the American Civil War in Virginia.-History:...
. He was wounded at the battle of Port Walthall Junction
Battle of Port Walthall Junction
The Battle of Port Walthall Junction was fought May 6 – May 7, 1864, between Union and Confederate forces during the Bermuda Hundred Campaign of the American Civil War. Although initially successful, the Confederates were eventually defeated, allowing Union forces to cut a railroad.-Battle:In...
and taken prisoner at the battle of Proctor's Creek
Battle of Proctor's Creek
The Battle of Proctor's Creek, also known as Drewry's Bluff or Fort Darling, was fought May 12–16, 1864, in Chesterfield County, Virginia, during the Bermuda Hundred Campaign of the American Civil War...
. In September 1864 he was exchanged and, when he returned to duty, was assigned to command the 2nd Division in the XVIII Corps. Heckman led his division at the battle of Chaffin's Farm
Battle of Chaffin's Farm
The Battle of Chaffin's Farm and New Market Heights, also known as Laurel Hill and combats at Forts Harrison, Johnson, and Gilmer, was fought September 29–30, 1864, as part of the Siege of Petersburg in the American Civil War.-Background:...
in support of General George J. Stannard
George J. Stannard
George Jerrison Stannard was a Vermont farmer, teacher, and Union general in the American Civil War. After the war, he served as Doorkeeper of the United States House of Representatives.-Early life:...
's main attack against Fort Harrison
Fort Harrison
Fort Harrison was an important component of the Confederate defenses of Richmond during the American Civil War. Named after Lieutenant William Harrison, a Confederate engineer, it was the largest in the series of fortifications that extended from New Market Road to the James River that also...
. When Heckman moved forward his troops veered off far to the north. Instead of coming directly to the aid of Stannard's division, Heckman's men launched a costly attack against Confederate trenches near Forts Gilmer and Johnson. During the fighting in Fort Harrison, XVIII Corps commander Edward O. C. Ord was severely wounded and carried from the field. Heckman then assumed command of the corps. With this change in command at a crucial point the fighting ground to a halt and the Union forces constructed a defensive line. After an undistinguished show of leadership during the fighting on September 29, army commander Benjamin F. Butler
Benjamin Franklin Butler (politician)
Benjamin Franklin Butler was an American lawyer and politician who represented Massachusetts in the United States House of Representatives and later served as the 33rd Governor of Massachusetts....
decided to replace Heckman in command of the corps with his chief of staff, Godfrey Weitzel
Godfrey Weitzel
Godfrey Weitzel was a major general in the Union army during the American Civil War, as well as the acting Mayor of New Orleans during the Federal occupancy of the city.-Early life and career:...
. Returning to command his division, Heckman helped repulse the Confederate attack the following day.
In December Heckman was transferred to command the 3rd Division in the newly created XXV Corps
XXV Corps (ACW)
XXV Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was unique in that it was made up almost entirely of African-American troops, which had previously belonged to the X and XVIII Corps....
. Briefly from January to February in 1865 he was in command of the XXV Corps, but resigned from the army on May 25, 1865. Heckman returned to work for the New Jersey Central Railroad as a conductor and railroad dispatcher following the war.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals