Robert Nugent (officer)
Encyclopedia
Brigadier General Robert Nugent (June 27, 1824-June 20, 1901) was an Irish-born American U.S. Army
officer during the American Civil War
and the Indian Wars
. He served with the Irish Brigade
's 69th Infantry Regiment
, from its days as a National Guard unit and into its incorporation into the Union Army
at the start of the war, and was one of its senior officers at the First Battle of Bull Run
.
When the unit was originally mustered out of service, the 90-day enlistment terms having expired, Nugent accepted a commission as a captain in the regular army. He was immediately assigned to the 13th Infantry Regiment
whose commanding officer, Colonel William Tecumseh Sherman
, personally requested. Taking a leave of absence to return to New York, he assisted Thomas Francis Meagher
in organizing the Irish Brigade. The newly reformed 69th Infantry Regiment was the first unit assigned to the Irish Brigade and, with Nugent as its colonel, he led the "Fighting 69th" at the Battles of Fair Oaks, Gaines Mill, Savage Station
, White Oak Swamp
, Glendale
, Malvern Hill
, and Antietam
.
Nugent was wounded, shot in the stomach, at the Battle of Fredericksburg
and was eventually forced to resign his command. He was appointed acting assistant provost marshal
for the southern district of New York, which included New York City and Long Island, by the US War Department. A fellow Irish Catholic
and Democrat
, his appointment was thought to assure the Irish-American population that conscription efforts would be carried out fairly. The Irish-American, a popular Irish-language newspaper, wrote that the selection was a "wise and deservedly popular one". He did encounter resistance from city officials wanting remain uninvolved, however by mid-June had reported to his superior officer and provost marshal general Colonel James Fry that conscription efforts were "nearing completion without serious incident". Understanding the seriousness of the situation, he attempted to keep the draft selections quiet and in isolated parts of the city. In Manhattan however, lotteries were placed in the heart of Irish tenement and shanty neighborhoods where the draft was most opposed.
In the ensuing New York Draft Riots
, Nugent took command of troops and attempted to defend the city against the rioters. Despite issuing the cancellation of the draft, the riots continued for almost a week. His home on West 86th Street
was looted and burned by the rioters during that time, his wife and children barely escaping from their home. Upon breaking into his house, furniture was destroyed and paintings of Nugent and Meagher were slashed although Corcoran's was reportedly not touched.
On October 28, he was relieved of his post and succeeded by General William Hayes
. He returning to active duty, he assumed command of Irish Brigade
in November 1864, shortly after the death of Brigadier General Michael Corcoran
, and was present at the battle of Battle of Spotsylvania, the Petersburg and the Appomattox Campaign
s. As its last commanding officer, he and the Irish Brigade also marched in the victory parade held in Washington, D.C.
following Lee's surrender at Appomattox Courthouse.
Nugent was brevetted Brigadier General for distinguished leadership of the 69th Regiment on March 13, 1865. The veterans of the Irish Brigade were honorably discharged and mustered out three months later, Nugent remained in the regular US Army for the next twenty years. A formidable "Indian fighter" during the Great Plains Wars with the 13th and 24th Infantry Regiments
. In 1879, he retired at the rank of major and resided in New York where he was involved in the Grand Army of the Republic
, the War Veterans' Association of the 7th Regiment and an honorary member of The Old Guard. He became ill in his old age, complications arising from his wounds suffered at Fredericksburg, and remained bedridden for two months before his death at his McDonough Street home in Brooklyn. In accordance with his last wishes, he was buried at Cypress Hills National Cemetery
.
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 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...
and the Indian Wars
Indian Wars
American Indian Wars is the name used in the United States to describe a series of conflicts between American settlers or the federal government and the native peoples of North America before and after the American Revolutionary War. The wars resulted from the arrival of European colonizers who...
. He served with the Irish Brigade
Irish Brigade
Irish Brigade may refer to:* Irish Brigade , the Jacobite brigade in the French army, 1690–1792 * Irish Brigade , pro-Union Civil War brigade of Irish immigrants...
's 69th Infantry Regiment
69th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 69th Infantry Regiment was a Regular Army infantry regiment in the United States Army.-History:There have been three different lineages started under this number: The Famous 69th Infantry Regiment , and two under the Federal designation....
, from its days as a National Guard unit and into its incorporation into 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...
at the start of the war, and was one of its senior officers at the First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run, also known as First Manassas , was fought on July 21, 1861, in Prince William County, Virginia, near the City of Manassas...
.
When the unit was originally mustered out of service, the 90-day enlistment terms having expired, Nugent accepted a commission as a captain in the regular army. He was immediately assigned to the 13th Infantry Regiment
13th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 13th Infantry Regiment is a United States Army infantry regiment whose battalions are currently tasked as basic training battalions.- History :...
whose commanding officer, Colonel William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman was an American soldier, businessman, educator and author. He served as a General in the Union Army during the American Civil War , for which he received recognition for his outstanding command of military strategy as well as criticism for the harshness of the "scorched...
, personally requested. Taking a leave of absence to return to New York, he assisted Thomas Francis Meagher
Thomas Francis Meagher
-Young Ireland:Meagher returned to Ireland in 1843, with undecided plans for a career in the Austrian army, a tradition among a number of Irish families. In 1844 he traveled to Dublin with the intention of studying for the bar. He became involved in the Repeal Association, which worked for repeal...
in organizing the Irish Brigade. The newly reformed 69th Infantry Regiment was the first unit assigned to the Irish Brigade and, with Nugent as its colonel, he led the "Fighting 69th" at the Battles of Fair Oaks, Gaines Mill, Savage Station
Battle of Savage's Station
The Battle of Savage's Station took place on June 29, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, as fourth of the Seven Days Battles of the American Civil War. The main body of the Union Army of the Potomac began a general withdrawal toward the James River. Confederate Brig. Gen. John B. Magruder pursued...
, 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...
, 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...
, 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...
, and 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...
.
Nugent was wounded, shot in the stomach, at 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...
and was eventually forced to resign his command. He was appointed acting assistant provost marshal
Provost Marshal
The Provost Marshal is the officer in the armed forces who is in charge of the military police .There may be a Provost Marshal serving at many levels of the hierarchy and he may also be the public safety officer of a military installation, responsible for the provision of fire, gate security, and...
for the southern district of New York, which included New York City and Long Island, by the US War Department. A fellow Irish Catholic
Irish Catholic
Irish Catholic is a term used to describe people who are both Roman Catholic and Irish .Note: the term is not used to describe a variant of Catholicism. More particularly, it is not a separate creed or sect in the sense that "Anglo-Catholic", "Old Catholic", "Eastern Orthodox Catholic" might be...
and Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, his appointment was thought to assure the Irish-American population that conscription efforts would be carried out fairly. The Irish-American, a popular Irish-language newspaper, wrote that the selection was a "wise and deservedly popular one". He did encounter resistance from city officials wanting remain uninvolved, however by mid-June had reported to his superior officer and provost marshal general Colonel James Fry that conscription efforts were "nearing completion without serious incident". Understanding the seriousness of the situation, he attempted to keep the draft selections quiet and in isolated parts of the city. In Manhattan however, lotteries were placed in the heart of Irish tenement and shanty neighborhoods where the draft was most opposed.
In the ensuing 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...
, Nugent took command of troops and attempted to defend the city against the rioters. Despite issuing the cancellation of the draft, the riots continued for almost a week. His home on West 86th Street
86th Street (Manhattan)
86th Street is a major two-way street in the Upper East Side and Upper West Side of the New York City borough of Manhattan.On the West Side its continuous cliff-wall of apartment blocks includng The Belnord is broken by two contrasting landmarked churches at prominent corner sites, the Tuscan...
was looted and burned by the rioters during that time, his wife and children barely escaping from their home. Upon breaking into his house, furniture was destroyed and paintings of Nugent and Meagher were slashed although Corcoran's was reportedly not touched.
On October 28, he was relieved of his post and succeeded by General William Hayes
William Hayes
William Hayes may refer to:*William B. Hayes , Mayor of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania*William Hayes , American football player*William Q. Hayes , U.S...
. He returning to active duty, he assumed command of Irish Brigade
Irish Brigade (US)
The Irish Brigade was an infantry brigade, consisting predominantly of Irish Americans, that served in the Union Army in the American Civil War. The designation of the first regiment in the brigade, the 69th New York Infantry, or the "Fighting 69th", continued in later wars...
in November 1864, shortly after the death of Brigadier General Michael Corcoran
Michael Corcoran
Michael Corcoran was an Irish American general in the Union Army during the American Civil War and a close confidant of President Abraham Lincoln. As its colonel, he led the 69th New York regiment to Washington, D.C. and was one of the first to serve in the defense of Washington by building Fort...
, and was present at the battle of Battle of Spotsylvania, the Petersburg and the Appomattox Campaign
Appomattox Campaign
The Appomattox Campaign was a series of battles fought March 29 – April 9, 1865, in Virginia that culminated in the surrender of Confederate General Robert E...
s. As its last commanding officer, he and the Irish Brigade also marched in the victory parade held 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....
following Lee's surrender at Appomattox Courthouse.
Nugent was brevetted Brigadier General for distinguished leadership of the 69th Regiment on March 13, 1865. The veterans of the Irish Brigade were honorably discharged and mustered out three months later, Nugent remained in the regular US Army for the next twenty years. A formidable "Indian fighter" during the Great Plains Wars with the 13th and 24th Infantry Regiments
24th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 24th Infantry Regiment was a unit of the United States Army, active from 1869 until 1951, and again from 1995 until 2006. The regiment is notable for having a colorfully checkered history, with a record of mostly meritorious service and valorous combat performance interspersed with episodes of...
. In 1879, he retired at the rank of major and resided in New York where he was involved in the Grand Army of the Republic
Grand Army of the Republic
The Grand Army of the Republic was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army, US Navy, US Marines and US Revenue Cutter Service who served in the American Civil War. Founded in 1866 in Decatur, Illinois, it was dissolved in 1956 when its last member died...
, the War Veterans' Association of the 7th Regiment and an honorary member of The Old Guard. He became ill in his old age, complications arising from his wounds suffered at Fredericksburg, and remained bedridden for two months before his death at his McDonough Street home in Brooklyn. In accordance with his last wishes, he was buried at Cypress Hills National Cemetery
Cypress Hills National Cemetery
Cypress Hills National Cemetery is the only United States National Cemetery in New York City and has more than 21,100 interments of veterans and civilians. There are 24 Medal of Honor recipients buried in the cemetery, including three men who won the award twice...
.
Further reading
- Cook, Adrian. The Armies of the Streets: The New York City Draft Riots of 1863. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1974.
- Wylie, Paul R. The Irish General: Thomas Francis Meagher. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2007. ISBN 0-8061-3847-5