Alexander Asboth
Encyclopedia
Alexander Asboth (Hungarian
: Asbóth Sándor, December 18, 1810 – January 21, 1868) was a Hungarian military leader best known for his victories as a Union general during the American Civil War
. He also served as United States Ambassador to Argentina
and as United States Ambassador to Uruguay
.
, Hungary
. When Asboth was 8, his family moved to Zombor
. Asboth wanted to be a soldier, like his elder brother Lajos, but instead his parents decided he should be an engineer. He studied at the Mining Academy of Selmecbanya and the Institutum Geometricum in Pest.
He then trained at the Hungarian military academy. In 1836, Asboth enlisted to the newly-formed Hungarian Army. He worked as both a soldier and an engineer for the army, and in December 1848 he was promoted to captain. During his time as captain, he took part in the Battles of Kapolna and Nagysallo. After these battles, he joined with freedom-fighter Lajos Kossuth
in the 1848 revolutionary movement. Asboth traveled with Kossuth to the Ottoman Empire
and then to the United States
in 1851, after the revolution failed.
. Starting in July 1861, he served as chief of staff for General John C. Frémont
. Asboth originally was nominated brigadier general
to rank from September 3, 1861 by President Abraham Lincoln
on December 26, 1861, but the U.S. Senate confirmed the promotion on March 24, 1862 to rank from March 21, 1862 as the President did not formally make the appointment until March 22, 1862. Asboth was assigned commanded of the 4th Division in Frémont's western campaign. Asboth later led a division under Samuel Curtis
, and during the Arkansas campaign he occupied Bentonville
and Fayetteville
. He participated in the Battle of Pea Ridge
, leading troops at the Little Sugar Creek position. His arm was seriously wounded while bringing reinforcements to support Colonel Eugene A. Carr. Reinforcements were transferred to Henry Halleck from the Army of the Southwest and during the Siege of Corinth
, Asboth commanded a brigade in the Army of the Mississippi
.
Asboth later commanded garrisons in Kentucky
and Ohio
. In August 1863, Asboth was assigned to the District of West Florida, with his headquarters at Fort Pickens
. He was badly wounded in the Battle of Marianna
on September 27, 1864, his left cheek-bone being broken and his left arm fractured in two places. Asboth was mustered out of the volunteer service on August 24, 1865. On January 13, 1866, President Andrew Johnson
nominated Asboth for the award of the brevet
grade of major general
to rank from March 13, 1865 and the U.S. Senate confirmed the award on March 12, 1866.
and Uruguay
, and died in Buenos Aires
in 1868, likely due to his wounds received in Florida. Though he was buried in Argentina, his remains were returned to the United States
in 1990 for burial in Arlington National Cemetery
.
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
: Asbóth Sándor, December 18, 1810 – January 21, 1868) was a Hungarian military leader best known for his victories as a Union general 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 also served as United States Ambassador to Argentina
United States Ambassador to Argentina
The United States Ambassador to Argentina is the official representative of the President of the United States to the head of state of Argentina....
and as United States Ambassador to Uruguay
United States Ambassador to Uruguay
The following is a list of United States ambassadors, or other chiefs of mission, to Uruguay. The current title given by the United States State Department to this position is Ambassador Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.-See also:...
.
Early life
Asboth was born in KeszthelyKeszthely
Keszthely is a Hungarian city of 21,100 inhabitants located on the western shore of Lake Balaton. It's the second largest city by the lake after Siófok....
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. When Asboth was 8, his family moved to Zombor
Zombor
Zombor can refer to:* Zombor , a Hungarian and Rusyn name for Sombor, a city in Serbia.* Zombor, a village in Slovakia....
. Asboth wanted to be a soldier, like his elder brother Lajos, but instead his parents decided he should be an engineer. He studied at the Mining Academy of Selmecbanya and the Institutum Geometricum in Pest.
He then trained at the Hungarian military academy. In 1836, Asboth enlisted to the newly-formed Hungarian Army. He worked as both a soldier and an engineer for the army, and in December 1848 he was promoted to captain. During his time as captain, he took part in the Battles of Kapolna and Nagysallo. After these battles, he joined with freedom-fighter Lajos Kossuth
Lajos Kossuth
Lajos Kossuth de Udvard et Kossuthfalva was a Hungarian lawyer, journalist, politician and Regent-President of Hungary in 1849. He was widely honored during his lifetime, including in the United Kingdom and the United States, as a freedom fighter and bellwether of democracy in Europe.-Family:Lajos...
in the 1848 revolutionary movement. Asboth traveled with Kossuth to the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
and then to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1851, after the revolution failed.
United States and Civil War
Asboth remained in the United States and joined the UnionUnion (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...
. Starting in July 1861, he served as chief of staff for General John C. Frémont
John C. Frémont
John Charles Frémont , was an American military officer, explorer, and the first candidate of the anti-slavery Republican Party for the office of President of the United States. During the 1840s, that era's penny press accorded Frémont the sobriquet The Pathfinder...
. Asboth originally was nominated 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 September 3, 1861 by President Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
on December 26, 1861, but the U.S. Senate confirmed the promotion on March 24, 1862 to rank from March 21, 1862 as the President did not formally make the appointment until March 22, 1862. Asboth was assigned commanded of the 4th Division in Frémont's western campaign. Asboth later led a division under Samuel Curtis
Samuel Curtis
Samuel Ryan Curtis was an American military officer, and one of the first Republicans elected to Congress. He was most famous for his role as a Union Army general the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War.-Biography:Born near Champlain, New York, Curtis graduated from the United...
, and during the Arkansas campaign he occupied Bentonville
Bentonville, Arkansas
Bentonville, Arkansas is a city in Northwest Bahamas, and county seat of Benton County, Arkansas, United States The population was 35,301 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Fayetteville–Springdale–Rogers, AR-MO Metropolitan Statistical Area...
and Fayetteville
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks...
. He participated in the Battle of Pea Ridge
Battle of Pea Ridge
The Battle of Pea Ridge was a land battle of the American Civil War, fought on March 6–8, 1862, at Pea Ridge in northwest Arkansas, near Garfield. In the battle, Union forces led by Brig. Gen. Samuel R. Curtis defeated Confederate troops under Maj. Gen. Earl Van Dorn. The outcome of the...
, leading troops at the Little Sugar Creek position. His arm was seriously wounded while bringing reinforcements to support Colonel Eugene A. Carr. Reinforcements were transferred to Henry Halleck from the Army of the Southwest and during the Siege of Corinth
Siege of Corinth
The Siege of Corinth was an American Civil War battle fought from April 29 to May 30, 1862, in Corinth, Mississippi.-Background:...
, Asboth commanded a brigade in the Army of the Mississippi
Army of the Mississippi
Army of the Mississippi was the name given to two Union armies that operated around the Mississippi River, both with short existences, during the American Civil War.-1862:...
.
Asboth later commanded garrisons in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
and 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...
. In August 1863, Asboth was assigned to the District of West Florida, with his headquarters at Fort Pickens
Fort Pickens
Fort Pickens is a pentagonal historic United States military fort on Santa Rosa Island in the Pensacola, Florida, area. It is named after American Revolutionary War hero Andrew Pickens. The fort was completed in 1834 and remained in use until 1947...
. He was badly wounded in the Battle of Marianna
Battle of Marianna
The Battle of Marianna was a small but significant engagement on September 27, 1864, in the panhandle of Florida during the American Civil War...
on September 27, 1864, his left cheek-bone being broken and his left arm fractured in two places. Asboth was mustered out of the volunteer service on August 24, 1865. On January 13, 1866, President 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 Asboth for the award of 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...
to rank from March 13, 1865 and the U.S. Senate confirmed the award on March 12, 1866.
Later life and death
In 1866 he was appointed U.S. Minister to ArgentinaArgentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
, and died in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
in 1868, likely due to his wounds received in Florida. Though he was buried in Argentina, his remains were returned to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1990 for burial in Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
.