Napoleon J.T. Dana
Encyclopedia
Napoleon Jackson Tecumseh Dana (April 15, 1822 – July 15, 1905) was a career U.S. Army
officer who fought with distinction during the Mexican–American War
and served as a general in the Union Army
during the American Civil War
. He was wounded several times during his military career, often severely, and later in life was involved with railroads and veteran soldier affairs in the U.S.
, in Eastport, Maine
. He was a first cousin of James J. Dana and later would be the father-in-law of John C. Tidball
. His father Nathaniel Dana, also a West Point
graduate and officer serving in the 1st U.S. Artillery, was stationed at Fort Sullivan at the time, but his father died when Dana was eleven years old. Dana’s paternal grandfather, Luther Dana, was a naval officer in the American Revolution
, and his maternal grandfather, Woodbury Langdon
, served as a member of the Continental Congress
(with his brother John Langdon
), and later a U.S. Senator
and governor of New Hampshire
.
When he was sixteen, Dana entered the U. S. Military Academy
in 1838, and graduated from there four years later, standing 29th out of 56. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the 7th U. S. Infantry Regiment on July 1, 1842.
With the 7th Infantry, Dana was stationed in the garrison at Fort Pike, Louisiana
, from 1842 to 1843, then at Pass Christian, Mississippi
, in 1843, back at Ft. Pike from 1843 to 1845, and afterwards he was part of the Military Occupation of Texas
in 1845.
on September 21 – 23. He was promoted to first lieutenant on February 16, 1847, and took part in the Siege of Vera Cruz on March 9 – 29.
During the Battle of Cerro Gordo
on April 17 and 18, Dana was severely wounded in the hip while storming the entrenchments
on Telegraph Hill. A burial detail came across the injured Dana after he had been left on the field for about 36 hours; Dana had been left for dead where he fell. For his actions at Cerro Gordo, Dana was commissioned a brevet
captain.
After recovering from the injury, Dana was on recruiting service from 1847 to 1848, on duty at Boston, Mass. as Assistant Quartermaster
in 1848, and then various posts in Minnesota
and Washington, D.C.
from 1848 to 1855. Dana resigned from the army on March 1, 1855, and relocated to St. Paul, Minnesota, and became a banker. In 1857 Dana began serving in the Minnesota State Militia
as a brigadier general until 1861.
Dana chose to follow the Union cause
in the fall of 1861, and entered the Union Army
as a colonel
of the 1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry
Regiment
on October 2. He was then given brigade
command in Brig. Gen. Charles P. Stone's Division
of the Army of the Potomac
on October 20, an assignment lasting until March 23, 1862. During this time Dana and his men took part in the Union fiasco at the Battle of Ball's Bluff
on October 21.
On February 6, 1862, Dana was appointed brigadier general
, to rank from February 3, 1862, and given command of the 3rd Brigade of the 2nd Division in the Union II Corps
, a brigade consisting of volunteer soldiers from New York
, Massachusetts, and Michigan
. Dana led this brigade throughout the Peninsula Campaign
in the spring and summer of 1862, participating in the Siege of Yorktown
in early April to early May, the Battle of Seven Pines
in late May and early June, the Battle of White Oak Swamp
on June 30, the Battle of Glendale
also on June 30, and the Battle of Malvern Hill
on July 1.
In early July, shortly after fighting at Malvern Hill, Dana became ill and was determined to be suffering from "remittant fever." He was sent to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, to recover and he remained there for six weeks. Dana was declared fit for duty near the beginning of the Maryland Campaign
and rejoined his command.
near Sharpsburg, Maryland
, on September 17, 1862, where he was severely wounded. At Antietam, Dana and his brigade (part of Brig. Gen. John Sedgwick
's 2nd Division of Maj. Gen. Edwin Vose Sumner
's II Corps) forded the Antietam Creek
at about 7:30 a.m. and marched to the support of the right of the Union line. Sumner ordered Sedgwick's division to form three parallel lines of battle, with Dana’s men making up the second line. Sumner led this division due west, desiring to push any remaining Confederate
forces through Sharpsburg and toward the Potomac River
. They entered what is now called the East Woods, across the Hagerstown Turnpike, and into the area known as the West Woods.
Marching about fifty yards behind the leading Union brigade, Dana’s command began to receive artillery
fire but continued to head forward. Shortly after entering the West Woods, Dana's brigade was struck hard on their left by Confederate troops, and became in danger of being completely surrounded and cut off. Maneuvering his soldiers in the difficult terrain and spacing, Dana led his men to the relative safety of the Miller Farm, despite receiving a serious wound to his left leg. When the pain in his leg became unbearable, Dana turned command of his brigade over to his senior regimental commander, Col. Norman Hall
, and was carried to a Union field hospital in nearby Keedysville for treatment. After spending two days at the field hospital, Dana was sent to Washington, D.C.
and later again to Philadelphia to recover. At Antietam, Dana's command lost about 900 men killed, wounded, or missing.
Dana was appointed to the rank of major general
on November 29, 1862 to rank from that date, but could not resume duty until the summer of 1863 due to his wound. Because his appointment was not confirmed by the U.S. Senate when first submitted by President Lincoln, the President resubmitted the nomination on March 6, 1863 and the Senate confirmed it on March 9, 1863. During the Gettysburg Campaign
he commanded the Defenses of Philadelphia from June 26 to July 8. He next briefly led the 2nd division of Maj. Gen. Darius N. Couch
's Department of the Susquehanna from July 11–15.
That fall, Dana was given divisional and then corps command in the Department of the Gulf. He led the Department's second division from September 26, 1863, to January 3, 1864, during which he participated in the small action at Fordoche Bayou as well as the expedition from Brazos Santiago to Laredo, Texas
, and was overall Union commander during the Battle of Stirling's Plantation
. He commanded the XIII Corps from October 25, 1863, to January 9, 1864, and then led the first division from March 11 to April 3. Dana was then transferred to the Western Theater
, and joined the Army of the Tennessee
that fall. He was given command of the District of Vicksburg from August 19 to November 28, and then briefly led the XVI Corps from October 15 to November 7.
, until December 8, 1864, when he was ordered to head the Department of Mississippi, this last of his U.S. Army assignments lasting until May 14, 1865. He was also in overall command of the area where the steamboat Sultana exploded on the Mississippi River
near Memphis, Tennessee
on April 27. The paddlewheeler had been contracted by the U.S. Government to return home recently released Union prisoners of war, and when it docked in Vicksburg for repairs to leaky boilers it became grossly overcrowded with soldiers wanting to get home. An April 27, 2007, article in the Washington Times explained what Dana had been told about the ship before it departed Vicksburg:
At 2 a.m. on April 27, 1865, the repaired boilers exploded, which instantly killed most of the passengers and crew and threw others into the Mississippi; the survivors jumped into the chilly river to escape the flames. As the article states:
Dana and other authorities investigated the incident, but no one was ever brought to trial for it.
. He worked for them until 1871, traveling in California, Alaska
, and Washington, D.C.
In 1872 Dana began his lengthy connection with railroads. He served as superintendent of several railroads in Illinois
, most notably of the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad at Rock Island
in 1878. He was then the commissioner in charge of Railroad Pools at St. Louis, Missouri
from 1878 to 1881, and was president of the Montana and Union Railway Company in 1885.
Dana next served as chief of the Old War and Navy Division (U.S. Pension Department) in 1893, and was promoted to 1st Deputy Commissioner of Pensions by U.S. President
Grover Cleveland
in 1895. However, Dana was removed from this office by President William McKinley
in 1897.
Due to a Special Act of the United States Congress
in 1894, Dana was commissioned a captain the U.S. Army from August 2–11. He then placed on the retired list, enabling him to receive a pension. Dana lived out his final years in Washington, D.C.
While visiting Portsmouth, New Hampshire
, in the summer of 1905, he died of apoplexy
and was buried in Portsmouth's Harmony Grove Cemetery.
An account of his experiences in the Mexican War were published in Monterrey is Ours! in 1990.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
officer who fought with distinction during the Mexican–American War
Mexican–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...
and 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 wounded several times during his military career, often severely, and later in life was involved with railroads and veteran soldier affairs in the U.S.
Early life
Dana was born at Fort SullivanPortsmouth Naval Prison
Portsmouth Naval Prison is a former U.S. Navy and Marine Corps prison on the grounds of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard . The building has the appearance of a castle. The reinforced concrete naval prison was occupied from 1908 until 1974....
, in Eastport, Maine
Eastport, Maine
Eastport is a small city in Washington County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,640 at the 2000 census. The principal island is Moose Island, which is connected to the mainland by causeway...
. He was a first cousin of James J. Dana and later would be the father-in-law of John C. Tidball
John C. Tidball
John Caldwell Tidball was a career military officer, noted for his service in the horse artillery in the cavalry in the Union Army during the American Civil War...
. His father Nathaniel Dana, also a West Point
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...
graduate and officer serving in the 1st U.S. Artillery, was stationed at Fort Sullivan at the time, but his father died when Dana was eleven years old. Dana’s paternal grandfather, Luther Dana, was a naval officer in the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, and his maternal grandfather, Woodbury Langdon
Woodbury Langdon
Woodbury Langdon was a merchant, statesman and justice from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He was the brother of John Langdon, a senator from New Hampshire.-Biography:...
, served as a member of the Continental Congress
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
(with his brother John Langdon
John Langdon
John Langdon was a politician from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and one of the first two United States senators from that state. Langdon was an early supporter of the Revolutionary War and later served in the Continental Congress...
), and later a U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
and governor of New Hampshire
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...
.
When he was sixteen, Dana entered the U. S. 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 1838, and graduated from there four years later, standing 29th out of 56. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the 7th U. S. Infantry Regiment on July 1, 1842.
With the 7th Infantry, Dana was stationed in the garrison at Fort Pike, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, from 1842 to 1843, then at Pass Christian, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, in 1843, back at Ft. Pike from 1843 to 1845, and afterwards he was part of 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...
in 1845.
War with Mexico
During the Mexican–American War, Dana and the 7th participated in the defense of Fort Brown from May 3 – 9, 1846 and then fought at the Battle of MonterreyBattle of Monterrey
In the Battle of Monterrey during the Mexican-American War, General Pedro de Ampudia and the Mexican Army of the North was defeated by U.S...
on September 21 – 23. He was promoted to first lieutenant on February 16, 1847, and took part in the Siege of Vera Cruz on March 9 – 29.
During the Battle of Cerro Gordo
Battle of Cerro Gordo
The Battle of Cerro Gordo, or Battle of Sierra Gordo, in the Mexican-American War saw Winfield Scott's United States troops flank and drive Santa Anna's larger Mexican army from a strong defensive position.-Battle:...
on April 17 and 18, Dana was severely wounded in the hip while storming the entrenchments
Trench warfare
Trench warfare is a form of occupied fighting lines, consisting largely of trenches, in which troops are largely immune to the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from artillery...
on Telegraph Hill. A burial detail came across the injured Dana after he had been left on the field for about 36 hours; Dana had been left for dead where he fell. For his actions at Cerro Gordo, Dana was commissioned a 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...
captain.
After recovering from the injury, Dana was on recruiting service from 1847 to 1848, on duty at Boston, Mass. as Assistant Quartermaster
Quartermaster
Quartermaster refers to two different military occupations depending on if the assigned unit is land based or naval.In land armies, especially US units, it is a term referring to either an individual soldier or a unit who specializes in distributing supplies and provisions to troops. The senior...
in 1848, and then various posts in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
and 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....
from 1848 to 1855. Dana resigned from the army on March 1, 1855, and relocated to St. Paul, Minnesota, and became a banker. In 1857 Dana began serving in the Minnesota State Militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
as a brigadier general until 1861.
Civil War service
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
in the fall of 1861, and entered 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...
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...
of the 1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry
1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry
The 1st Regiment, Minnesota Volunteer Infantry was a volunteer infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was noted in particular for its gallant service and heavy casualties at the Battle of Gettysburg....
Regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
on October 2. He was then given 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...
command in Brig. Gen. Charles P. Stone's Division
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...
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...
on October 20, an assignment lasting until March 23, 1862. During this time Dana and his men took part in the Union fiasco at the Battle of Ball's Bluff
Battle of Ball's Bluff
The Battle of Ball's Bluff, also known as the Battle of Harrison’s Island or the Battle of Leesburg, was fought on October 21, 1861, in Loudoun County, Virginia, as part of Union Maj. Gen. George B...
on October 21.
On February 6, 1862, Dana was appointed 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...
, to rank from February 3, 1862, and given command of the 3rd Brigade of the 2nd Division in the Union II Corps
II Corps (ACW)
There were five corps in the Union Army designated as II Corps during the American Civil War.* Army of the Cumberland, II Corps commanded by Thomas L. Crittenden , later renumbered XX Corps...
, a brigade consisting of volunteer soldiers from New York
New York in the American Civil War
The state of New York during the American Civil War was a major influence in national politics, the Union war effort, and the media coverage of the war...
, Massachusetts, and Michigan
Michigan in the American Civil War
Michigan made a substantial contribution to the Union during the American Civil War. While far removed from the fighting in the war, Michigan supplied a large number of troops and several generals, including George Armstrong Custer. When, at the beginning of the war, Michigan was asked to supply no...
. Dana led this brigade throughout the Peninsula Campaign
Peninsula Campaign
The Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March through July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. The operation, commanded by Maj. Gen. George B...
in the spring and summer of 1862, participating in the Siege of Yorktown
Battle of Yorktown (1862)
The Battle of Yorktown or Siege of Yorktown was fought from April 5 to May 4, 1862, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. Marching from Fort Monroe, Union Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac encountered Maj. Gen. John B. Magruder's small Confederate force...
in early April to early May, the Battle of Seven Pines
Battle of Seven Pines
The Battle of Seven Pines, also known as the Battle of Fair Oaks or Fair Oaks Station, took place on May 31 and June 1, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of an offensive up the Virginia Peninsula by Union Maj. Gen....
in late May and early June, the Battle of White Oak Swamp
Battle of White Oak Swamp
The Battle of White Oak Swamp took place on June 30, 1862 in Henrico County, Virginia as part of the Seven Days Battles of the American Civil War. As the Union Army of the Potomac retreated southeast toward the James River, its rearguard under Maj. Gen. William B. Franklin stopped Maj. Gen. Thomas J...
on June 30, the Battle of Glendale
Battle of Glendale
The Battle of Glendale, also known as the Battle of Frayser's Farm, Frazier's Farm, Nelson's Farm, Charles City Crossroads, New Market Road, or Riddell's Shop, took place on June 30, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, on the sixth day of the Seven Days Battles of the American Civil War.The...
also on June 30, and the Battle of Malvern Hill
Battle of Malvern Hill
The Battle of Malvern Hill, also known as the Battle of Poindexter's Farm, took place on July 1, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, on the seventh and last day of the Seven Days Battles of the American Civil War. Gen. Robert E. Lee launched a series of disjointed assaults on the nearly impregnable...
on July 1.
In early July, shortly after fighting at Malvern Hill, Dana became ill and was determined to be suffering from "remittant fever." He was sent to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, to recover and he remained there for six weeks. Dana was declared fit for duty near the beginning of 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...
and rejoined his command.
Antietam
Dana led his brigade notably during the Battle of AntietamBattle 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...
near Sharpsburg, Maryland
Sharpsburg, Maryland
Sharpsburg is a town in Washington County, Maryland, United States, approximately south of Hagerstown. The population was 691 at the 2000 census....
, on September 17, 1862, where he was severely wounded. At Antietam, Dana and his brigade (part of Brig. Gen. John Sedgwick
John Sedgwick
John Sedgwick was a teacher, a career military officer, and a Union Army general in the American Civil War. He was the highest ranking Union casualty in the Civil War, killed by a sniper at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House.-Early life:Sedgwick was born in the Litchfield Hills town of...
's 2nd Division of Maj. Gen. 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...
's II Corps) forded the Antietam Creek
Antietam Creek
Antietam Creek is a tributary of the Potomac River located in south central Pennsylvania and western Maryland in the United States, a region known as the Hagerstown Valley...
at about 7:30 a.m. and marched to the support of the right of the Union line. Sumner ordered Sedgwick's division to form three parallel lines of battle, with Dana’s men making up the second line. Sumner led this division due west, desiring to push any remaining Confederate
Confederate 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...
forces through Sharpsburg and toward the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
. They entered what is now called the East Woods, across the Hagerstown Turnpike, and into the area known as the West Woods.
Marching about fifty yards behind the leading Union brigade, Dana’s command began to receive artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
fire but continued to head forward. Shortly after entering the West Woods, Dana's brigade was struck hard on their left by Confederate troops, and became in danger of being completely surrounded and cut off. Maneuvering his soldiers in the difficult terrain and spacing, Dana led his men to the relative safety of the Miller Farm, despite receiving a serious wound to his left leg. When the pain in his leg became unbearable, Dana turned command of his brigade over to his senior regimental commander, Col. Norman Hall
Norman Hall
Norman Hall was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.Norman Hall was born on the Muncy Farms, near Halls Station, Pennsylvania. He was graduated from Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in 1847. He was engaged in the iron business.Hall was elected...
, and was carried to a Union field hospital in nearby Keedysville for treatment. After spending two days at the field hospital, Dana was sent to 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....
and later again to Philadelphia to recover. At Antietam, Dana's command lost about 900 men killed, wounded, or missing.
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...
on November 29, 1862 to rank from that date, but could not resume duty until the summer of 1863 due to his wound. Because his appointment was not confirmed by the U.S. Senate when first submitted by President Lincoln, the President resubmitted the nomination on March 6, 1863 and the Senate confirmed it on March 9, 1863. During the Gettysburg Campaign
Gettysburg Campaign
The Gettysburg Campaign was a series of battles fought in June and July 1863, during the American Civil War. After his victory in the Battle of Chancellorsville, Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia moved north for offensive operations in Maryland and Pennsylvania. The...
he commanded the Defenses of Philadelphia from June 26 to July 8. He next briefly led the 2nd division of Maj. Gen. Darius N. Couch
Darius N. Couch
Darius Nash Couch was an American soldier, businessman, and naturalist. He served as a career U.S. Army officer during the Mexican-American War, the Second Seminole War, and as a general officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War.During the Civil War, Couch fought notably in the...
's Department of the Susquehanna from July 11–15.
That fall, Dana was given divisional and then corps command in the Department of the Gulf. He led the Department's second division from September 26, 1863, to January 3, 1864, during which he participated in the small action at Fordoche Bayou as well as the expedition from Brazos Santiago to Laredo, Texas
Laredo, Texas
Laredo is the county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States, located on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 236,091 making it the 3rd largest on the United States-Mexican border,...
, and was overall Union commander during the Battle of Stirling's Plantation
Battle of Stirling's Plantation
The Battle of Stirling's Plantation was an American Civil War battle took place on September 29, 1863 in Pointe Coupeé Parish, Louisiana.-Background:...
. He commanded the XIII Corps from October 25, 1863, to January 9, 1864, and then led the first division from March 11 to April 3. Dana was then transferred to the Western Theater
Western Theater of the American Civil War
This article presents an overview of major military and naval operations in the Western Theater of the American Civil War.-Theater of operations:...
, and joined the Army of the Tennessee
Army of the Tennessee
The Army of the Tennessee was a Union army in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, named for the Tennessee River. It should not be confused with the similarly named Army of Tennessee, a Confederate army named after the State of Tennessee....
that fall. He was given command of the District of Vicksburg from August 19 to November 28, and then briefly led the XVI Corps from October 15 to November 7.
Vicksburg command and the Sultana
Dana returned to command in Vicksburg, MississippiVicksburg, Mississippi
Vicksburg is a city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the only city in Warren County. It is located northwest of New Orleans on the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers, and due west of Jackson, the state capital. In 1900, 14,834 people lived in Vicksburg; in 1910, 20,814; in 1920,...
, until December 8, 1864, when he was ordered to head the Department of Mississippi, this last of his U.S. Army assignments lasting until May 14, 1865. He was also in overall command of the area where the steamboat Sultana exploded on the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
near Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
on April 27. The paddlewheeler had been contracted by the U.S. Government to return home recently released Union prisoners of war, and when it docked in Vicksburg for repairs to leaky boilers it became grossly overcrowded with soldiers wanting to get home. An April 27, 2007, article in the Washington Times explained what Dana had been told about the ship before it departed Vicksburg:
Dana and other authorities investigated the incident, but no one was ever brought to trial for it.
Postbellum
Dana resigned from the U.S. Army on May 27, 1865, and became a miner. In 1866 he was a general agent for the American-Russian Commercial Company of San Francisco, CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He worked for them until 1871, traveling in California, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, and Washington, D.C.
In 1872 Dana began his lengthy connection with railroads. He served as superintendent of several railroads in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, most notably of the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad at Rock Island
Rock Island, Illinois
Rock Island is the county seat of Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The population was 40,884 at the 2010 census. Located on the Mississippi River, it is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring Moline, East Moline, and the Iowa cities of Davenport and Bettendorf. The Quad Cities...
in 1878. He was then the commissioner in charge of Railroad Pools at St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
from 1878 to 1881, and was president of the Montana and Union Railway Company in 1885.
Dana next served as chief of the Old War and Navy Division (U.S. Pension Department) in 1893, and was promoted to 1st Deputy Commissioner of Pensions by U.S. 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....
Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
in 1895. However, Dana was removed from this office by President William McKinley
William McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
in 1897.
Due to a Special Act of the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
in 1894, Dana was commissioned a captain the U.S. Army from August 2–11. He then placed on the retired list, enabling him to receive a pension. Dana lived out his final years 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....
While visiting Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire in the United States. It is the largest city but only the fourth-largest community in the county, with a population of 21,233 at the 2010 census...
, in the summer of 1905, he died of apoplexy
Apoplexy
Apoplexy is a medical term, which can be used to describe 'bleeding' in a stroke . Without further specification, it is rather outdated in use. Today it is used only for specific conditions, such as pituitary apoplexy and ovarian apoplexy. In common speech, it is used non-medically to mean a state...
and was buried in Portsmouth's Harmony Grove Cemetery.
An account of his experiences in the Mexican War were published in Monterrey is Ours! in 1990.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals (Union)
External links
- www.civilwarhome.com Dana's report of Antietam.
- www.hti.umich.edu Pres. Lincoln's letter to Dana concerning "ownership and control over products transported under Treasury Regulations" on January 6, 1865.