Isaac H. Duval
Encyclopedia
Isaac Harding Duval was an adventurer and businessman prior to becoming a brigadier general
in the Union Army
during the American Civil War
. He was a postbellum U.S. Representative
from West Virginia
in the 41st United States Congress
.
(then Virginia) in Brooke County
. He attended the common schools as a child. As a young man, he traveled to Fort Smith, Arkansas
, where he joined an elder brother who was running a trading post. Afterward, he became a scout on the Western Plains
and Rocky Mountains
, and joined the Gold Rush
in 1849.
He was a member of the Lopez
expedition to Cuba
that sought to aid the Cuban national independence movement. After his time as a filibuster
, he returned to Wellsburg in 1853 and worked as a merchant.
of the 1st Virginia Volunteer Infantry
on June 1, 1861. He was later promoted to colonel
of the 9th West Virginia Volunteer Infantry
. In September 1864, he was badly wounded in his thigh at the Battle of Opequon
. After he recovered, he was promoted to the rank of brigadier general and given charge of a brigade
of infantry
in the VIII Corps
.
By the end of the war, Duval had fought in 36 separate engagements and commanded two different divisions
in the VIII Corps. He had eleven horses killed and wounded under him. On May 17, 1865, after the surrender of the main Confederate armies under Generals Lee and Johnston, but with some other Confederate units still in the field in the west, an unknown attacker tried to kill Duval at Staunton, Virginia. Duval was mustered out of the volunteer service on January 15, 1866. On February 24, 1866, President
Andrew Johnson
nominated Duval for appointment to the brevet
grade of major general
of volunteers, to rank from March 13, 1865, and the U.S. Senate confirmed the nomination on May 4, 1866.
and as the state's adjutant general
from 1867 to 1869. He was elected as a Republican
to the Forty-first Congress (March 4, 1869–March 3, 1871). He declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1870.
He then served as States Assessor of Internal Revenue in 1871 and 1872. He worked as the U.S. Collector of Internal Revenue for the first district of West Virginia from 1872 to 1884. He served as member of the West Virginia House of Delegates
from 1887 to 1889.
Duval died in Wellsburg, West Virginia, on July 10, 1902, and was buried at Brooke Cemetery
. His country home, known as the Gen. I.H. Duval Mansion
, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1986.
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...
in the Union Army
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 was a postbellum U.S. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
in the 41st United States Congress
41st United States Congress
-House of Representatives:- Senate :* President : Schuyler Colfax* President pro tempore: Henry B. Anthony - House of Representatives :* Speaker: James G. Blaine -Members:This list is arranged by chamber, then by state...
.
Early life and career
Duval was born in Wellsburg, West VirginiaWellsburg, West Virginia
Wellsburg is a city in and the county seat of Brooke County, West Virginia, United States. It is part of the Weirton–Steubenville, WV-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area. The 2000 Census recorded a population of 2,891, down from a count of 3,385 in the 1990 Census...
(then Virginia) in Brooke County
Brooke County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 25,447 people, 10,396 households, and 7,152 families residing in the county. The population density was 286 people per square mile . There were 11,150 housing units at an average density of 126 per square mile...
. He attended the common schools as a child. As a young man, he traveled to Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 86,209 in 2010, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 298,592 residents which encompasses the Arkansas...
, where he joined an elder brother who was running a trading post. Afterward, he became a scout on the Western Plains
Great Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
and Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
, and joined the Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
in 1849.
He was a member of the Lopez
Narciso López
Narciso López was a Venezuelan adventurer and soldier, best known for an expedition aimed at liberating Cuba from Spain in the 1850s..- Life in Venezuela, Cuba, and Spain:...
expedition to Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
that sought to aid the Cuban national independence movement. After his time as a filibuster
Filibuster (military)
A filibuster, or freebooter, is someone who engages in an unauthorized military expedition into a foreign country to foment or support a revolution...
, he returned to Wellsburg in 1853 and worked as a merchant.
Civil War
During the Civil War, Duval was commissioned as the first majorMajor (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...
of the 1st Virginia Volunteer Infantry
1st West Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment (3 Year)
The 1st West Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service record:...
on June 1, 1861. He was later 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 West Virginia Volunteer Infantry
9th West Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment
The 9th West Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Organization:...
. In September 1864, he was badly wounded in his thigh at the Battle of Opequon
Battle of Opequon
The Battle of Opequon, more commonly known as the Third Battle of Winchester, was fought in Winchester, Virginia, on September 19, 1864, during the Valley Campaigns of 1864 in the American Civil War....
. After he recovered, he was promoted to the rank of brigadier general and given charge of a brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
of infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
in the VIII Corps
VIII Corps (ACW)
The VIII Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War.- Creation and early service :The corps was initially created out of various Union commands as part of the Middle Department in the Shenandoah Valley on July 12, 1862, and was placed under the command of Major General John...
.
By the end of the war, Duval had fought in 36 separate engagements and commanded two different divisions
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
in the VIII Corps. He had eleven horses killed and wounded under him. On May 17, 1865, after the surrender of the main Confederate armies under Generals Lee and Johnston, but with some other Confederate units still in the field in the west, an unknown attacker tried to kill Duval at Staunton, Virginia. Duval was mustered out of the volunteer service on January 15, 1866. On February 24, 1866, President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson was the 17th President of the United States . As Vice-President of the United States in 1865, he succeeded Abraham Lincoln following the latter's assassination. Johnson then presided over the initial and contentious Reconstruction era of the United States following the American...
nominated Duval for appointment to 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...
grade of major general
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...
of volunteers, to rank from March 13, 1865, and the U.S. Senate confirmed the nomination on May 4, 1866.
Postbellum career
After completing his Union Army service, Duval returned to West Virginia, where he served as member of the West Virginia SenateWest Virginia Senate
The West Virginia Senate is the upper house of the West Virginia Legislature.There are 17 senatorial districts. Each district has two senators who serve staggered four-year terms....
and as the state's adjutant general
Adjutant general
An Adjutant General is a military chief administrative officer.-Imperial Russia:In Imperial Russia, the General-Adjutant was a Court officer, who was usually an army general. He served as a personal aide to the Tsar and hence was a member of the H. I. M. Retinue...
from 1867 to 1869. He was elected as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
to the Forty-first Congress (March 4, 1869–March 3, 1871). He declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1870.
He then served as States Assessor of Internal Revenue in 1871 and 1872. He worked as the U.S. Collector of Internal Revenue for the first district of West Virginia from 1872 to 1884. He served as member of the West Virginia House of Delegates
West Virginia House of Delegates
The West Virginia House of Delegates is the lower house of the West Virginia Legislature. Only three states—Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia—refer to their lower house as the House of Delegates.-Historical:-Current:-District organization:...
from 1887 to 1889.
Duval died in Wellsburg, West Virginia, on July 10, 1902, and was buried at Brooke Cemetery
Brooke Cemetery
Brooke Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery located at Wellsburg, Brooke County, West Virginia. It was founded in 1857. It includes several notable examples of funerary art in its headstones, above ground crypts, and mausolea dating to the 19th and early 20th century...
. His country home, known as the Gen. I.H. Duval Mansion
Gen. I.H. Duval Mansion
Gen. I.H. Duval Mansion, also known as the General I.H. Duval House No. 4 and Charles D. and Marjorie Bell Residence, is a historic country home located at Wellsburg, Brooke County, West Virginia. It was built in 1858, and is a two story, five bay, rectangular brick dwelling with a hipped roof in...
, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1986.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals (Union)
- United States Congressional Delegations from West Virginia
Further reading
- Dillon, Richard H., and Shaw, Charles, Texas Argonauts : Isaac H. Duval and the California Gold Rush. San Francisco: Book Club of California, 1987. OCLC 18311782.