George Wright (general)
Encyclopedia
George Wright was an American soldier who served in the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War
.
, and graduated from West Point in 1822. He served in the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment on the frontier in Wisconsin
and Maine
. In 1838 he transferred to the 8th Infantry Regiment and served on the Canadian border.
In 1844, he fought in Florida
against the Seminole
s where he was appointed brevet
major
for meritorious service.
During the Mexican-American War, he served with the 8th Infantry at Vera Cruz and at the Battle of Molino del Rey
, where he was wounded. For this service he was appointed a brevet colonel
.
In 1848 he was promoted to major, and then lieutenant colonel
in 1855, when he transferred to the 4th Infantry Regiment and served on the West Coast
. Later, in 1855, he was promoted to colonel
of the 9th Infantry Regiment, where he served in the Washington Territory
. In 1858 Wright oversaw the reconstruction of Fort Dalles
in Oregon Territory
from a wood outpost to a more substantial base while in command of the 9th. He fought in the Yakima War
and the Battle of Four Lakes
near Spokane
.
. Then, for a few months in 1861, he was the commanding officer of the District of Southern California
. In October 1861, he was promoted to brigadier general
of Volunteers and placed in command of the Department of the Pacific
, replacing Edwin Vose Sumner
, on Sumner's recommendation.
Although Wright would have preferred to have been sent East during the Civil War, he remained in California where he commanded the largest force ever in the Far West—6,000 troops in 1862. His duties included protecting the frontier, keeping watch on secession
ists, safeguarding the coast, and moving troops eastward.
The climate of San Francisco was not agreeable to Wright, because of his asthma
, and he wanted to move the headquarters to Sacramento
. The headquarters did not move, although Wright did spend time in Sacramento.
for a few months until he was given command of the newly created Department of the Columbia
. He may have been removed from command of the Department of the Pacific in order for the Army to have a position for Maj. Gen.
Irvin McDowell
.
Wright and his wife died at sea en route to his new command when the steamer Brother Jonathan
was wrecked off the California coast. His body was recovered six weeks later.
He is interred in the Sacramento Historic City Cemetery
.
For his service as commander of the Department of the Pacific, he was appointed a brevet brigadier general in the regular army.
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...
.
Early life and career
Wright was born in Norwich, VermontNorwich, Vermont
Norwich is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States, located along the Connecticut River opposite Hanover, New Hampshire. The population was 3,544 at the 2000 census....
, and graduated from West Point in 1822. He served in the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment on the frontier in Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
and Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
. In 1838 he transferred to the 8th Infantry Regiment and served on the Canadian border.
In 1844, he fought in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
against the Seminole
Seminole
The Seminole are a Native American people originally of Florida, who now reside primarily in that state and Oklahoma. The Seminole nation emerged in a process of ethnogenesis out of groups of Native Americans, most significantly Creeks from what is now Georgia and Alabama, who settled in Florida in...
s where he was appointed 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...
major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
for meritorious service.
During the Mexican-American War, he served with the 8th Infantry at Vera Cruz and at the Battle of Molino del Rey
Battle of Molino del Rey
The Battle of Molino del Rey was one of the bloodiest engagements of the Mexican-American War. It was fought in September 1847 between Mexican forces under General Antonio Léon against an American force under General Winfield Scott at a hill called El Molino del Rey near Mexico City.-Background:On...
, where he was wounded. For this service he was appointed a brevet 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...
.
In 1848 he was promoted to major, and then 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...
in 1855, when he transferred to the 4th Infantry Regiment and served on the West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
. Later, in 1855, he was promoted to 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...
of the 9th Infantry Regiment, where he served in the Washington Territory
Washington Territory
The Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 8, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington....
. In 1858 Wright oversaw the reconstruction of Fort Dalles
Fort Dalles
Fort Dalles was a United States Army outpost located on the Columbia River at the present site of The Dalles, Oregon, in the United States. Built when Oregon was a territory, the post was used mainly for dealing with wars with Native Americans...
in Oregon Territory
Oregon Territory
The Territory of Oregon was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 14, 1848, until February 14, 1859, when the southwestern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Oregon. Originally claimed by several countries , the region was...
from a wood outpost to a more substantial base while in command of the 9th. He fought in the Yakima War
Yakima War
The Yakima War was a conflict between the United States and the Yakama, a Sahaptian-speaking people on the Northwest Plateau, then Washington Territory and now the southern interior of Eastern Washington, from 1855 to 1858.- Naming :...
and the Battle of Four Lakes
Battle of Four Lakes
The Battle of Four Lakes was a battle during a US Army expedition against a confederation of Indian tribes in Washington and Idaho. Indian resistance to U.S. troops in the area had continued as part of the Yakima War. Commander of the Department of the Pacific, General Newman S. Clarke sent a...
near Spokane
Spokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
.
Civil War
At the beginning of the Civil War, Wright was the commanding officer of the Department of OregonDepartment of Oregon
The Department of Oregon was one of two Army Departments created September 13, 1858, replacing the original Department of the Pacific and was composed of the Territories of Washington and Oregon, except the Rogue River and Umpqua Districts, which were assigned to the Department of California. Its...
. Then, for a few months in 1861, he was the commanding officer of the District of Southern California
District of Southern California
During the American Civil War, the Army had reorganized including the new Department of the Pacific which was created on January 15, 1861. By 1863, the department had five districts including the District of Southern California established on September 25, 1861...
. In October 1861, he was promoted to 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...
of Volunteers and placed in command of the Department of the Pacific
Department of the Pacific
The Department of the Pacific was a major command of the United States Army during the 19th century.-Formation:The Department of the Pacific was first organized on October 31, 1853, at San Francisco, California, taking over from the previous Pacific Division. The department reported directly to...
, replacing Edwin Vose Sumner
Edwin Vose Sumner
Edwin Vose Sumner was a career United States Army officer who became a Union Army general and the oldest field commander of any Army Corps on either side during the American Civil War...
, on Sumner's recommendation.
Although Wright would have preferred to have been sent East during the Civil War, he remained in California where he commanded the largest force ever in the Far West—6,000 troops in 1862. His duties included protecting the frontier, keeping watch on secession
Secession
Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. Threats of secession also can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.-Secession theory:...
ists, safeguarding the coast, and moving troops eastward.
The climate of San Francisco was not agreeable to Wright, because of his asthma
Asthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
, and he wanted to move the headquarters to Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
. The headquarters did not move, although Wright did spend time in Sacramento.
Postbellum
When the regular army reorganized in 1865 and created the Military Division of the Pacific, Wright commanded the District of CaliforniaDistrict of California
The District of California was a Union Army command department formed during the American Civil War. The district was part of the Department of the Pacific, the commander of the department also being District commander...
for a few months until he was given command of the newly created Department of the Columbia
Department of the Columbia
The Department of the Columbia was a major command of the United States Army during the 19th century.-Formation:On July 27, 1865 the Military Division of the Pacific was created under Major General Henry W...
. He may have been removed from command of the Department of the Pacific in order for the Army to have a position for Maj. Gen.
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
Irvin McDowell
Irvin McDowell
Irvin McDowell was a career American army officer. He is best known for his defeat in the First Battle of Bull Run, the first large-scale battle of the American Civil War.-Early life:...
.
Wright and his wife died at sea en route to his new command when the steamer Brother Jonathan
Brother Jonathan (steamer)
The Brother Jonathan was a paddle steamer that crashed on an uncharted rock near Point St. George, off the coast of Crescent City, California, on July 30, 1865. The ship was carrying 244 passengers and crew with a large shipment of gold. Only 19 survived the wreck, making it the deadliest shipwreck...
was wrecked off the California coast. His body was recovered six weeks later.
He is interred in the Sacramento Historic City Cemetery
Sacramento Historic City Cemetery
The Sacramento Historic City Cemetery , located at 1000 Broadway, at 10th Street, is the oldest existing cemetery in Sacramento, California. The cemetery is located at the highest point in Sacramento...
.
For his service as commander of the Department of the Pacific, he was appointed a brevet brigadier general in the regular army.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals