Ezra A. Carman
Encyclopedia
Ezra Ayers Carman was an officer in the Union Army
during the American Civil War
, commanding a New Jersey
infantry regiment and (occasionally) a brigade.
and the University of Nashville
and became a merchant.
, and was commissioned lieutenant colonel
of the 7th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry
on September 19, 1861. In that role he was wounded in the right arm during the Battle of Williamsburg
on May 5, 1862.
After recovering, Carman was appointed a colonel
on July 8 of that year. At that rank, he organized and led the 13th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry
. He led his regiment in the brigade of Brig. Gen.
George H. Gordon in Brig. Gen. Alpheus S. Williams
's 1st Division of the XII Corps at the Battle of Antietam
. Carman next saw action in Brig. Gen. Thomas Ruger's brigade of the 1st division of the XII Corps. He fought at the Battle of Chancellorsville
and the Battle of Gettysburg
. In the latter action, he served on the right flank of the Army of the Potomac
, except when Williams led the division, temporarily commanded by Ruger, to the left flank of the army on July 2, 1863. Later that month, Carman led a temporary brigade of three regiments sent to help quell the New York Draft Riots
.
Carman went West with the XII Corps to the relief of the Army of the Cumberland
, besieged at Chattanooga
, late in 1863. His regiment was transferred to the newly organized XX Corps under Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker
, serving in the 1st Division under Williams. Carman served in the Atlanta Campaign
, seeing action in several battles. He led a brigade of the 1st Division during Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman's March to the Sea
. In this period the XX Corps became a part of Maj. Gen. Henry W. Slocum's Army of Georgia
. After Savannah, Georgia
, fell to Sherman's command, Carman was ordered to Nashville
on "special duty." Whether the failure of XX Corps, especially of Carman's brigade, to prevent William J. Hardee
's escape from Savannah led to this transfer is open to question. His advance had been stopped by Confederate cavalry under Maj. Gen. Joseph Wheeler
near Izard's Mill, and Carman had not renewed the attack. Carman was mustered out of volunteer service on March 13, 1865, having received the Brevet
rank of brigadier general
on March 13 of that year.
in the years 1877 through 1885. He served as the historical expert for the Board created Antietam National Battlefield and later went on to assume the office of superintendent of Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Battlefield. Carman died in Washington, D.C.
He is buried at the Arlington National Cemetery
. Carman was survived by his second wife, Ada Salmon Carman (d. 1916) and four of their children. A son by his first marriage and one by his second predeceased.
Carman's maps appear in Atlas of the battlefield of Antietam, edited by George W. Davis and Charles H. Ourand. Carman also wrote a study of the Maryland Campaign, which was published recently: The Maryland Campaign of September 1862: Ezra A. Carman's Definitive Study of the Union and Confederate Armies at Antietam, edited by Joseph Pierro (Routledge, 2008, ISBN 0-41595-628-5). He also was an author of D. E. Salmon, Ezra Ayers Carman, Hubert A. Heath, and John Minto, Special Report on the History and Present Condition of the Sheep Industry of the United States, published in 1892. Another role was that of a genealogist for the "Carman Association." His papers can be found at the New Jersey Historical Society
., the New York Public Library, and the National Archives.
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...
, commanding a New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
infantry regiment and (occasionally) a brigade.
Early life
Carman was born near Oak Tree, New Jersey, oldest child of Melancthon F. Carman and Ann Maria Ayers. He was educated at the Kentucky Military InstituteKentucky Military Institute
The Kentucky Military Institute was a military preparatory school in Lyndon, Kentucky and Venice, Florida, in operation from 1845 to 1971....
and the University of Nashville
University of Nashville
The University of Nashville was an educational institution that existed as a distinct entity from 1826 until 1909. During its history, it operated at various times a medical school, a four-year military college, a literary arts college, and a boys preparatory school...
and became a merchant.
Civil War
At the outbreak of the Civil War Carman joined the Army at Newark, New JerseyNewark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
, and was commissioned lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
of the 7th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry
7th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry
-Organizing:Organized at Camp Olden, Trenton, New Jersey, and mustered in September 3, 1861. 7 Companies left State for Washington, D.C., September 19, 1861, and 3 Companies October 3, 1861.Attached to:...
on September 19, 1861. In that role he was wounded in the right arm during the Battle of Williamsburg
Battle of Williamsburg
The Battle of Williamsburg, also known as the Battle of Fort Magruder, took place on May 5, 1862, in York County, James City County, and Williamsburg, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War...
on May 5, 1862.
After recovering, Carman was appointed a colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
on July 8 of that year. At that rank, he organized and led the 13th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry
13th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry
The 13th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry was a Union Army regiment from New Jersey that fought in the American Civil War.-American Civil War:...
. He led his regiment in the brigade of Brig. Gen.
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
George H. Gordon in Brig. Gen. Alpheus S. Williams
Alpheus S. Williams
Alpheus Starkey Williams was a lawyer, judge, journalist, U.S. Congressman, and a Union general in the American Civil War.-Early life:...
's 1st Division of the XII Corps at the Battle of Antietam
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with about 23,000...
. Carman next saw action in Brig. Gen. Thomas Ruger's brigade of the 1st division of the XII Corps. He fought at the Battle of Chancellorsville
Battle of Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville Campaign. It was fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near the village of Chancellorsville. Two related battles were fought nearby on...
and the Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
. In the latter action, he served on the right flank of the Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
, except when Williams led the division, temporarily commanded by Ruger, to the left flank of the army on July 2, 1863. Later that month, Carman led a temporary brigade of three regiments sent to help quell the New York Draft Riots
New York Draft Riots
The New York City draft riots were violent disturbances in New York City that were the culmination of discontent with new laws passed by Congress to draft men to fight in the ongoing American Civil War. The riots were the largest civil insurrection in American history apart from the Civil War itself...
.
Carman went West with the XII Corps to the relief of the Army of the Cumberland
Army of the Cumberland
The Army of the Cumberland was one of the principal Union armies in the Western Theater during the American Civil War. It was originally known as the Army of the Ohio.-History:...
, besieged at Chattanooga
Chattanooga Campaign
The Chattanooga Campaign was a series of maneuvers and battles in October and November 1863, during the American Civil War. Following the defeat of Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans's Union Army of the Cumberland at the Battle of Chickamauga in September, the Confederate Army of Tennessee under Gen...
, late in 1863. His regiment was transferred to the newly organized XX Corps under Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker
Joseph Hooker
Joseph Hooker was a career United States Army officer, achieving the rank of major general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Although he served throughout the war, usually with distinction, Hooker is best remembered for his stunning defeat by Confederate General Robert E...
, serving in the 1st Division under Williams. Carman served in the Atlanta Campaign
Atlanta Campaign
The Atlanta Campaign was a series of battles fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta during the summer of 1864. Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman invaded Georgia from the vicinity of Chattanooga, Tennessee, beginning in May...
, seeing action in several battles. He led a brigade of the 1st Division during Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman's March to the Sea
Sherman's March to the Sea
Sherman's March to the Sea is the name commonly given to the Savannah Campaign conducted around Georgia from November 15, 1864 to December 21, 1864 by Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman of the Union Army in the American Civil War...
. In this period the XX Corps became a part of Maj. Gen. Henry W. Slocum's Army of Georgia
Army of Georgia
The Army of Georgia was a Union army that constituted the Left Wing of Major General William T. Sherman's Army Group during the March to the Sea and the Carolinas Campaign.-History:...
. After Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
, fell to Sherman's command, Carman was ordered to Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
on "special duty." Whether the failure of XX Corps, especially of Carman's brigade, to prevent William J. Hardee
William J. Hardee
William Joseph Hardee was a career U.S. Army officer, serving during the Second Seminole War and fighting in the Mexican-American War...
's escape from Savannah led to this transfer is open to question. His advance had been stopped by Confederate cavalry under Maj. Gen. Joseph Wheeler
Joseph Wheeler
Joseph Wheeler was an American military commander and politician. He has the rare distinction of serving as a general during war time for two opposing forces: first as a noted cavalry general in the Confederate States Army in the 1860s during the American Civil War, and later as a general in the...
near Izard's Mill, and Carman had not renewed the attack. Carman was mustered out of volunteer service on March 13, 1865, having received the Brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
rank of brigadier general
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
on March 13 of that year.
Post-war
After the war, Carman was a civil servant, serving as chief clerk of the United States Department of AgricultureUnited States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
in the years 1877 through 1885. He served as the historical expert for the Board created Antietam National Battlefield and later went on to assume the office of superintendent of Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Battlefield. Carman died in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
He is buried at the Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
. Carman was survived by his second wife, Ada Salmon Carman (d. 1916) and four of their children. A son by his first marriage and one by his second predeceased.
Carman's maps appear in Atlas of the battlefield of Antietam, edited by George W. Davis and Charles H. Ourand. Carman also wrote a study of the Maryland Campaign, which was published recently: The Maryland Campaign of September 1862: Ezra A. Carman's Definitive Study of the Union and Confederate Armies at Antietam, edited by Joseph Pierro (Routledge, 2008, ISBN 0-41595-628-5). He also was an author of D. E. Salmon, Ezra Ayers Carman, Hubert A. Heath, and John Minto, Special Report on the History and Present Condition of the Sheep Industry of the United States, published in 1892. Another role was that of a genealogist for the "Carman Association." His papers can be found at the New Jersey Historical Society
New Jersey Historical Society
The New Jersey Historical Society is a historical society and museum located in Newark, New Jersey, United States. The Historical Society is housed in the former headquarters of the Essex Club. It has two floors of exhibition space, a gift shop, and a hall for lectures. The NJHS offers occasional...
., the New York Public Library, and the National Archives.