Daniel D. Bidwell
Encyclopedia
Daniel Davidson Bidwell (August 12, 1819 – October 19, 1864) was a civic leader in Buffalo, New York
, before the outbreak of the American Civil War
. He enlisted early in the war and then was appointed colonel
of a regiment
of infantry
. He was promoted to general in command of a brigade
in early 1864, leading it until he was mortally wounded at the Battle of Cedar Creek
.
but was promoted to the rank of captain. He then was involved in organizing the 74th New York Infantry. Bidwell next was appointed colonel of the 49th New York Infantry on August 1, 1861.
As regimental commander, he served in the Peninsula Campaign
in the Second Division, VI Corps
, Army of the Potomac
. Bidwell apparently was not present at the Battle of South Mountain
or the Battle of Antietam
. In 1863, when VI Corps, under Maj. Gen. John Sedgwick
, crossed the Rappahannock River
during the campaign culminating in the Battle of Chancellorsville
, Bidwell’s regiment served in the brigade of Brig. Gen. Thomas H. Neill
in the Second Division, VI corps, now under Brig. Gen. Albion Howe. The 49th New York distinguished itself by fending off probing attacks launched by Confederate MG Jubal Early as Neill's brigade approached Fredericksburg, Virginia
. Bidwell thereafter was involved in the Second Battle of Fredericksburg
and the Battle of Salem Church
. On the morning of May 4, 1863, Bidwell's regiment, with artillery
support, fended off an attack by the 48th Virginia Infantry
from the brigade of Brig. Gen. William "Extra Billy" Smith. The New Yorkers reported capturing 200 prisoners and the colors of that regiment. The 49th New York suffered only 35 casualties in these actions. Bidwell continued in regimental command at the Battle of Gettysburg
, where he served under General Neill on the far right flank of the Army.
When the Army of the Potomac was reorganized for Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant
’s Overland Campaign
, Bidwell retained his command under General Neill, but they had a new division commander, Brig. Gen. George Getty
. When Getty was wounded in the Battle of the Wilderness
on May 5, 1864, Neill became acting division commander. Bidwell took over command of Neill’s brigade. The brigade had been detached from second division and sent to serve under Brig. Gen. Horatio Wright
on the right flank of the Army. On May 6, Bidwell took part in an unsuccessful assault on the Confederate
lines. Later in the day, when Confederate Brig. Gen. John B. Gordon attacked the exposed right flank of VI Corps, Bidwell's command was the third brigade from the right, with the commands of Brig. Gen. Truman Seymour
and Brig. Gen. Alexander Shaler
beyond it. Gordon's attack routed the brigades of Shaler and Seymour. Bidwell turned his brigade to face the Confederate advance and a portion of Seymour's brigade rallied on his line. This stand stopped Gordon's advance.
Bidwell led his brigade at the Battle of Spotsylvania, the Battle of Cold Harbor
, and the earliest stage of the Siege of Petersburg
. Colonel Bidwell was promoted to the rank of brigadier general
on August 11, 1864.
, and the Shenandoah Valley
. When Jubal Early moved on the capital following his ousting Maj. Gen. David Hunter
from the Valley, he crossed into Maryland
. After winning the Battle of Monocacy
, Early moved on Washington. He had been delayed just long enough for units of VI Corps to reach the capital. Bidwell’s brigade arrived just as the Confederates were advancing on Fort Stevens
, one of the key forts on the perimeter of Washington. At a crucial stage of the Battle of Fort Stevens
Bidwell's brigade moved out and pushed back Early’s troops. Bidwell’s command lost about one quarter of its numbers, about 250 of 1,000, in this action.
Bidwell next was in the field under the command of Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan. Maj. Gen. Horatio Wright
commanded VI Corps in the new Army of the Shenandoah, and Getty had resumed command of second division. Bidwell led his brigade at the Battle of Opequon
, otherwise known as the Third Battle of Winchester, and the Battle of Fisher's Hill
. At the Battle of Cedar Creek
on October 19, 1864, much of the Army of the Shenandoah was ousted from its encampments by a surprise Confederate attack. VI corps was the last infantry command left contesting the enemy advance by 7:00 AM. When first and third divisions were forced to retreat, Getty's second division became the rear guard of the Union infantry force. Bidwell's brigade held the left flank of Getty's division with the 1st Vermont Brigade
in the center and Col J. M. Warner's brigade on the right. This line held despite continued Confederate attacks and then artillery fire. General Bidwell was mortally wounded by a Confederate shell while commanding his brigade. Getty eventually had to withdraw to the line from which Sheridan, who had ridden in from Winchester, Virginia
launched his successful counterattack. Lt. Col. Winsor B. French of the 77th New York Infantry commanded Bidwell's brigade after he was struck down.
General Bidwell was buried at the Forest Lawn Cemetery
in Buffalo. A statue in this honor is located at Colonial Circle in Buffalo.
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, before the outbreak of 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 enlisted early in the war and then was appointed 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 a 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...
of infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
. He was promoted to general in command of 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 early 1864, leading it until he was mortally wounded at the Battle of Cedar Creek
Battle of Cedar Creek
The Battle of Cedar Creek, or Battle of Belle Grove, October 19, 1864, was one of the final, and most decisive, battles in the Valley Campaigns of 1864 during the American Civil War. The final Confederate invasion of the North, led by Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early, was effectively ended...
.
Early life
Daniel Bidwell was born on August 12, 1819, in Buffalo, New York. He was raised in the city and educated in local schools. He involved in, and became the leader of, "D" Company Buffalo City Guard (an independent militia), before the war.Civil War
After the outbreak of war, Daniel Bidwell joined the 65th New York Infantry as a privatePrivate (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
but was promoted to the rank of captain. He then was involved in organizing the 74th New York Infantry. Bidwell next was appointed colonel of the 49th New York Infantry on August 1, 1861.
As regimental commander, he served in 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 Second Division, VI Corps
VI Corps (ACW)
The VI Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Formation:The corps was organized as the Sixth Provisional Corps on May 18, 1862, by uniting Maj. Gen. William B. Franklin's Division, which had just arrived on the Virginia Peninsula, with Maj. Gen. William F. Smith's...
, 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...
. Bidwell apparently was not present at the Battle of South Mountain
Battle of South Mountain
The Battle of South Mountain was fought September 14, 1862, as part of the Maryland Campaign of the American Civil War. Three pitched battles were fought for possession of three South Mountain passes: Crampton's, Turner's, and Fox's Gaps. Maj. Gen. George B...
or the Battle of 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...
. In 1863, when VI Corps, under Maj. 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...
, crossed the Rappahannock River
Rappahannock River
The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia, in the United States, approximately in length. It traverses the entire northern part of the state, from the Blue Ridge Mountains in the west, across the Piedmont, to the Chesapeake Bay, south of the Potomac River.An important river in American...
during the campaign culminating in the 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...
, Bidwell’s regiment served in the brigade of Brig. Gen. Thomas H. Neill
Thomas H. Neill
Thomas Hewson Neill, a native of Pennsylvania, became a general in the American Civil War, serving in the Army of the Potomac in some of its most important campaigns.-Birth and early years:Neill was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on April 9, 1826...
in the Second Division, VI corps, now under Brig. Gen. Albion Howe. The 49th New York distinguished itself by fending off probing attacks launched by Confederate MG Jubal Early as Neill's brigade approached Fredericksburg, Virginia
Fredericksburg, Virginia
Fredericksburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia located south of Washington, D.C., and north of Richmond. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 24,286...
. Bidwell thereafter was involved in the Second Battle of Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg II
-References:** Catton, Bruce. Glory Road. Garden City, NY: Doubleday and Company, 1952. ISBN 0-385-04167-5.* * -External links:* *...
and the Battle of Salem Church
Battle of Salem Church
The Battle of Salem Church, also known as the Battle of Banks' Ford, took place on May 3–4, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, as part of the Chancellorsville Campaign of the American Civil War....
. On the morning of May 4, 1863, Bidwell's regiment, with 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...
support, fended off an attack by the 48th Virginia Infantry
48th Virginia Infantry
The 48th Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment raised in Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought mostly with the Army of Northern Virginia....
from the brigade of Brig. Gen. William "Extra Billy" Smith. The New Yorkers reported capturing 200 prisoners and the colors of that regiment. The 49th New York suffered only 35 casualties in these actions. Bidwell continued in regimental command at the Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
, where he served under General Neill on the far right flank of the Army.
When the Army of the Potomac was reorganized for Lt. Gen. 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...
’s Overland Campaign
Overland Campaign
The Overland Campaign, also known as Grant's Overland Campaign and the Wilderness Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June 1864, in the American Civil War. Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, general-in-chief of all Union armies, directed the actions of the Army of the...
, Bidwell retained his command under General Neill, but they had a new division commander, Brig. Gen. George Getty
George Getty
George Franklin Getty was an American lawyer, father of industrialist J. Paul Getty and patriarch of the Getty family.-George Franklin Getty:...
. When Getty was wounded in the Battle of the Wilderness
Battle of the Wilderness
The Battle of the Wilderness, fought May 5–7, 1864, was the first battle of Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against Gen. Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. Both armies suffered heavy casualties, a harbinger of a bloody war of attrition by...
on May 5, 1864, Neill became acting division commander. Bidwell took over command of Neill’s brigade. The brigade had been detached from second division and sent to serve under Brig. Gen. Horatio Wright
Horatio Wright
Horatio Gouverneur Wright was an engineer and general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. After the war, he was involved in a number of engineering projects, including the Brooklyn Bridge and the completion of the Washington Monument, and served as Chief of Engineers for the U.S...
on the right flank of the Army. On May 6, Bidwell took part in an unsuccessful assault on the 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...
lines. Later in the day, when Confederate Brig. Gen. John B. Gordon attacked the exposed right flank of VI Corps, Bidwell's command was the third brigade from the right, with the commands of Brig. Gen. Truman Seymour
Truman Seymour
Truman Seymour was an a career soldier and an accomplished painter. He served in the Union Army during the American Civil War, rising to the rank of major general. He commanded the Union troops at the Battle of Olustee, the largest Civil War battle fought in Florida.-Early life and career:Seymour...
and Brig. Gen. Alexander Shaler
Alexander Shaler
Alexander Shaler was a Union Army general in the American Civil War. He received the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions at the Second Battle of Fredericksburg...
beyond it. Gordon's attack routed the brigades of Shaler and Seymour. Bidwell turned his brigade to face the Confederate advance and a portion of Seymour's brigade rallied on his line. This stand stopped Gordon's advance.
Bidwell led his brigade at the Battle of Spotsylvania, the Battle of Cold Harbor
Battle of Cold Harbor
The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought from May 31 to June 12, 1864 . It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign during the American Civil War, and is remembered as one of American history's bloodiest, most lopsided battles...
, and the earliest stage of 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...
. Colonel Bidwell was promoted to the rank of 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...
on August 11, 1864.
Service in the Shenandoah Valley
Bidwell was present at the earliest stages of the Siege of Petersburg. Thereafter, he served 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....
, and the Shenandoah Valley
Shenandoah Valley
The Shenandoah Valley is both a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians , to the north by the Potomac River...
. When Jubal Early moved on the capital following his ousting Maj. Gen. David Hunter
David Hunter
David Hunter was a Union general in the American Civil War. He achieved fame by his unauthorized 1862 order emancipating slaves in three Southern states and as the president of the military commission trying the conspirators involved with the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.-Early...
from the Valley, he crossed into Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. After winning the Battle of Monocacy
Battle of Monocacy
The Battle of Monocacy was fought on July 9, 1864, just outside Frederick, Maryland, as part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864, in the American Civil War. Confederate forces under Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early defeated Union forces under Maj. Gen. Lew Wallace...
, Early moved on Washington. He had been delayed just long enough for units of VI Corps to reach the capital. Bidwell’s brigade arrived just as the Confederates were advancing on Fort Stevens
Fort Stevens (Washington, D.C.)
Fort Stevens was part of the extensive fortifications built around Washington, D.C., during the American Civil War. It was constructed in 1861 as "Fort Massachusetts" and later enlarged by the Union Army and renamed "Fort Stevens" after Brig. Gen...
, one of the key forts on the perimeter of Washington. At a crucial stage of the Battle of Fort Stevens
Battle of Fort Stevens
The Battle of Fort Stevens was an American Civil War battle fought July 11–12, 1864, in Northwest Washington, D.C., as part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864 between forces under Confederate Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early and Union Maj. Gen. Alexander McD. McCook. Although Early caused consternation...
Bidwell's brigade moved out and pushed back Early’s troops. Bidwell’s command lost about one quarter of its numbers, about 250 of 1,000, in this action.
Bidwell next was in the field under the command of Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan. Maj. Gen. Horatio Wright
Horatio Wright
Horatio Gouverneur Wright was an engineer and general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. After the war, he was involved in a number of engineering projects, including the Brooklyn Bridge and the completion of the Washington Monument, and served as Chief of Engineers for the U.S...
commanded VI Corps in the new Army of the Shenandoah, and Getty had resumed command of second division. Bidwell led his brigade at the Battle of Opequon
Battle of Opequon
The Battle of Opequon, more commonly known as the Third Battle of Winchester, was fought in Winchester, Virginia, on September 19, 1864, during the Valley Campaigns of 1864 in the American Civil War....
, otherwise known as the Third Battle of Winchester, and the Battle of Fisher's Hill
Battle of Fisher's Hill
The Battle of Fisher's Hill was fought September 21–22, 1864, as part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864 during the American Civil War. Fisher's Hill is located near Strasburg, Virginia....
. At the Battle of Cedar Creek
Battle of Cedar Creek
The Battle of Cedar Creek, or Battle of Belle Grove, October 19, 1864, was one of the final, and most decisive, battles in the Valley Campaigns of 1864 during the American Civil War. The final Confederate invasion of the North, led by Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early, was effectively ended...
on October 19, 1864, much of the Army of the Shenandoah was ousted from its encampments by a surprise Confederate attack. VI corps was the last infantry command left contesting the enemy advance by 7:00 AM. When first and third divisions were forced to retreat, Getty's second division became the rear guard of the Union infantry force. Bidwell's brigade held the left flank of Getty's division with the 1st Vermont Brigade
1st Vermont Brigade
The First Vermont Brigade, or "Old Brigade" was an infantry brigade in the Union Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War. It suffered the highest casualty count of any brigade in the history of the United States Army, with some 1,172 killed in action...
in the center and Col J. M. Warner's brigade on the right. This line held despite continued Confederate attacks and then artillery fire. General Bidwell was mortally wounded by a Confederate shell while commanding his brigade. Getty eventually had to withdraw to the line from which Sheridan, who had ridden in from Winchester, Virginia
Winchester, Virginia
Winchester is an independent city located in the northwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the USA. The city's population was 26,203 according to the 2010 Census...
launched his successful counterattack. Lt. Col. Winsor B. French of the 77th New York Infantry commanded Bidwell's brigade after he was struck down.
General Bidwell was buried at the Forest Lawn Cemetery
Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo
Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, New York was founded in 1849 by Charles E. Clark. It covers over 250 acres and over 152,000 are buried there. Notable graves include U.S. President Millard Fillmore, singer Rick James, and inventor Lawrence Dale Bell...
in Buffalo. A statue in this honor is located at Colonial Circle in Buffalo.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals