Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 05.djvu/84

 HANCOCK

HANCOCK

Cruz. He commanded a storming part}- that

captureil the national briilge on the route from

Vera Cruz and Puebla, fought at Contreras and

Cljerubusco and was brevetted 1st lieutenant for

his action in these engagements. He served as

adjutant and regimental quartermaster of the 6th

infantry on the upper

Missouri, 1848-55.

While stationed at

Fort Snelling, Minn.,

in 1849. he was

granted five months'

leave of absence and

spent it at his home

in Pennsylvania. He

was married on Jan.

24, 1850, to Almira,

, ., ., daughter of Samuel

' ^ Russell of St. Louis,

N Mo. He was ap-

' pointed quartermas-

, ..>„ - . - - ter with the rank of

/\ / /^ tod^ an active part in

the Seminole war. He went with General Harney to Kansas, and upon the subsidence of the Kansas troubles, to Utah. He commanded a wagon train guarded by sixteen soldiers, 709 miles, and joined his regiment at Fort Bridge, making the trip across the moun- tains in twenty-seven days. He was then or- dered to Benicia, Cal, and on reaching that station made a record of having travelled 2100 miles on hoi'seback from Fort Leavenworth. He was at Los Angeles, Cal., when the civil war began, having under his charge a large depot of military stores with valuable munitions of war. He held these against southern sympathizers until re-enforced, when he was ordered to New York, which place he reached Sept. 4, 1861. He rejwrted to the war department at Washington and was commissioned brigadier-general of vol- unteers and his brigade was made up of the 5th "Wi-sconsin, 6th Maine, 49th Pennsylvania, and 4th New York regiments. He was assigned to the army of McClellan and assisted that com- mander in organizing the army of the Potomac. His first battle was at Lee"s Mills, April 16, 1862, followed by W^illiamsburg, Frazier's Farm, and the Marj-land campaigns. He was assigned to the 1st division of the 2d corps at South Mountain, Sept. 14, 1862. and Antietam, Sept. 17, 1862, and in the battle field of Antietam succeeded to the command of the division which he gallantly led in the whole fight. He was then ordered to Harper's Ferry with the 2d army corps, and on Nov. 5, 1862, when Burnside succeeded McClellan, he joined in the movement against Warrenton and Fredericksburg. At the latter place, Dec.

13. 1862. he led the 1st division, 2d corps, in the attempt to storm Marye's Heiglits, and left half the division on the field killed or wounded. At Chancellorsville his division of the 2d corps dis- tinguished itself by holding in check the fiying troops of the Confederate army, who were pur- suing tlie 11th corps which had been routed. It was during tliis attack that Jackson was mortally wounded by his own men in the confusion of the battle. Hancock with his men protected bj- rifle pits kept the enemy at bay until ordered to with- draw, that General Hooker miglit contract and reform his lines. On the third day Hancock and French of the 2d corps drove back the Confed- erate left, but after Sickles's repulse the line was again reformed by Hooker, a mile back of Chan- cellorsville, and on the 5th Hooker witlidrew his army aci'oss the Raj^pahannock with a loss of 18.000 men. On June 25, 1863, Hancock was assigned by President Lincoln to the command of the 2d army corps and in consultation with Gen- eral Meade prior to the battle of Gettysburg, he located the battle-field, and on July 3, commanded the left centre in that memorable fight. In this battle his corps lost 4000 in killed and wounded, and captured thirty colors and 4500 prisoners. He was shot from his horse and dangerously wounded, but remained on the field till he .saw the attack against his front repulsed b}' his own corps. For his services in this campaign he re- ceived the thanks of congress, in a resolution passed April 21, 1866. While an invalid from his wounds, July 30. 1863. to March, 1864. he re- cruited the 2d army corps up to its former strength. He was made major in the regular army. Nov. 7. 1863, but it was not until April 21, 1866, that congi'ess by joint resolution thanked him for his services in the campaign of 1863. He led the 2d corps and a wing of the army at the battles of the Wilderness and Spottsylvania, at the battle of Cold Harbor, and in the assault on Petersburg. He was promoted Aug. 12. 1864, brigadier-general in the regular service " for gal- lant and distinguislied services in the battles of the Wilderness, Spottsylvania and Cold Harbor, and in the operations of the army in Virginia under Lieutenant-General Grant." He took a leading part in the operations against the south side rail- road after the affair on Aug. 25, 1864, at Reams's Station, where his corps was attacked by a vastly superior force, and lost heavily in killed, wounded and prisoners. His liorse was shot under him, a rifle ball cut liis bridle rein, and five pierced his corps flag, one splintering the staff. He was or- dered to Wasliington, Nov. 26, 1864. to organize a veteran corps of 50.000 men, and when tliis was accomplished he was assigned to the command of the middle military division. Feb. 26, 1865, with headquarters at Winchester, Va. His headquar-