Joseph H. Potter
Encyclopedia
Joseph Haydn Potter was a career soldier from the state of New Hampshire
who served as a general in the Union Army
during the American Civil War
. He was twice a prisoner of war
and was cited for gallantry on multiple occasions.
, on October 12, 1822. He was appointed to the United States Military Academy
in 1839. He graduated in 1843, ranking just beneath classmate Ulysses S. Grant
. For the next two years, as a second lieutenant, Potter was engaged in garrison duty. He participated in the military occupation of Texas
and the Mexican War. He helped in the defense of Fort Brown
and was wounded in the Battle of Monterey
.
Subsequently he performed recruiting duty back in the East. Potter was promoted to first lieutenant in the 7th U.S. Infantry on October 30, 1847, and served on garrison duty until 1856, becoming a captain on January 9of that year. Potter accompanied the Utah expedition
in 1858-60 and was subsequently sent back to Texas on outpost duty.
joseph sardo is his brother
at St. Augustine Springs on July 27, 1861, and was held as a prisoner of war for more than a year. He was finally exchanged on August 2, 1862. He returned to active duty and was assigned command of the 12th New Hampshire Infantry as a colonel
in the volunteer Union Army while retaining his rank of captain in the Regular Army.
Potter took part in the Maryland Campaign
with the Army of the Potomac
and subsequently participated in the Rappahannock Campaign that led to the Battle of Fredericksburg
. During the 1863 Battle of Chancellorsville
, he was wounded and captured again. His services in these two battles earned him brevet ranks
of lieutenant colonel
and colonel respectively in the Regular Army. While still a prisoner of war, he was also promoted to the full rank of major
in the regular army on July 4, 1863.
He was exchanged in October 1863, and was then the assistant provost marshal general of Ohio
until September 1864, when he was assigned a brigade
in the XVIII Corps
of the Army of the James
. He commanded the Bermuda Hundred front during the attack on Fort Harrison
.
Afterward, Potter assumed command of a brigade in the XXIV Corps
and led it during the Siege of Petersburg
. He continued at the front as chief of staff of the XXIV Corps from January 1865, until the surrender of General Robert E. Lee
. He received the brevet of brigadier general in the United States Army on March 13, 1865, and promotion to brigadier general of volunteers on May 1, 1865.
, he was promioted to the full rank of colonel on December 11, 1873.
From July 1, 1877, to July 1, 1881, Potter was the governor of the soldiers' home in Washington, D. C.. He then returned to his regiment. On April 1, 1886, he was made brigadier general in the Regular Army. He then had command of the Department of the Missouri
until his retirement on October 12, 1886.
Potter retired to Columbus, Ohio
, where he died in 1892. He is buried in Green Lawn Cemetery.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
who served as a general 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 twice a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
and was cited for gallantry on multiple occasions.
Early life and career
Potter born in Concord, New HampshireConcord, New Hampshire
The city of Concord is the capital of the state of New Hampshire in the United States. It is also the county seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2010 census, its population was 42,695....
, on October 12, 1822. He was appointed to the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
in 1839. He graduated in 1843, ranking just beneath classmate Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
. For the next two years, as a second lieutenant, Potter was engaged in garrison duty. He participated in the military occupation of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and the Mexican War. He helped in the defense of Fort Brown
Fort Brown
Fort Brown was a military post of the United States Army in Texas during the later half of 19th century and the early part of the 20th century.-Early years:...
and was wounded in the Battle of Monterey
Battle of Monterey
-Preliminaries:Prior to the Mexican-American War the Californio forces had already driven the Mexican appointed Governor Manuel Micheltorena and most of his soldiers from Alta California...
.
Subsequently he performed recruiting duty back in the East. Potter was promoted to first lieutenant in the 7th U.S. Infantry on October 30, 1847, and served on garrison duty until 1856, becoming a captain on January 9of that year. Potter accompanied the Utah expedition
Utah War
The Utah War, also known as the Utah Expedition, Buchanan's Blunder, the Mormon War, or the Mormon Rebellion was an armed confrontation between LDS settlers in the Utah Territory and the armed forces of the United States government. The confrontation lasted from May 1857 until July 1858...
in 1858-60 and was subsequently sent back to Texas on outpost duty.
joseph sardo is his brother
Civil War service
When war erupted in early 1861, Potter was still stationed in Texas. He was captured by ConfederatesConfederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
at St. Augustine Springs on July 27, 1861, and was held as a prisoner of war for more than a year. He was finally exchanged on August 2, 1862. He returned to active duty and was assigned command of the 12th New Hampshire Infantry as 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...
in the volunteer Union Army while retaining his rank of captain in the Regular Army.
Potter took part in the Maryland Campaign
Maryland Campaign
The Maryland Campaign, or the Antietam Campaign is widely considered one of the major turning points of the American Civil War. Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the North was repulsed by Maj. Gen. George B...
with 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...
and subsequently participated in the Rappahannock Campaign that led to the Battle of Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside...
. During the 1863 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...
, he was wounded and captured again. His services in these two battles earned him brevet ranks
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...
of 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...
and colonel respectively in the Regular Army. While still a prisoner of war, he was also promoted to the full rank of 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...
in the regular army on July 4, 1863.
He was exchanged in October 1863, and was then the assistant provost marshal general of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
until September 1864, when he was assigned 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...
in the 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...
of 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 commanded the Bermuda Hundred front during the attack on Fort Harrison
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:...
.
Afterward, Potter assumed command of a brigade in the XXIV Corps
XXIV Corps (ACW)
XXIV Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War.In December 1864, the white and black units of the Army of the James were divided into two corps. The black troops were sent to the XXV Corps; the white troops became the XXIV Corps, under the command of Edward O. Ord...
and led it 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...
. He continued at the front as chief of staff of the XXIV Corps from January 1865, until the surrender of General Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
. He received the brevet of brigadier general in the United States Army on March 13, 1865, and promotion to brigadier general of volunteers on May 1, 1865.
Postbellum career
Potter was mustered out of the volunteer service on January 15, 1866, and appointed as the lieutenant colonel of the 30th U.S. Infantry on July 28 that same year. After holding various posts in the WestAmerican Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
, he was promioted to the full rank of colonel on December 11, 1873.
From July 1, 1877, to July 1, 1881, Potter was the governor of the soldiers' home in Washington, D. C.. He then returned to his regiment. On April 1, 1886, he was made brigadier general in the Regular Army. He then had command of the Department of the Missouri
Department of the Missouri
Department of the Missouri was a division of the United States Army that functioned through the American Civil War and the Indian Wars afterwards.-Civil War:...
until his retirement on October 12, 1886.
Potter retired to Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, where he died in 1892. He is buried in Green Lawn Cemetery.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals