Edward D. Townsend
Encyclopedia
Edward Davis Townsend was Adjutant General of the United States Army
from 1869 to 1880.
The grandson of Vice President Elbridge Gerry
, Townsend was educated at Boston's Latin School
before graduating from the United States Military Academy
in 1837. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Second U. S. Artillery and served as that regiment's adjutant
and participating in the Second Seminole War
and the relocation of the Cherokee. In 1846 he was transferred to the Adjutant General's Corps and assigned to duty in Washington, D.C.
. He served on the Pacific coast from 1851 to 1856, after which he returned to Washington for the remainder of his career. In February 1869 he was promoted to Brigadier General
and became Adjutant General. He retired in 1880. He died in Washington in 1893 after an accidental shock from a cable car
and is buried at Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington DC.
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...
from 1869 to 1880.
The grandson of Vice President Elbridge Gerry
Elbridge Gerry
Elbridge Thomas Gerry was an American statesman and diplomat. As a Democratic-Republican he was selected as the fifth Vice President of the United States , serving under James Madison, until his death a year and a half into his term...
, Townsend was educated at Boston's Latin School
Boston Latin School
The Boston Latin School is a public exam school founded on April 23, 1635, in Boston, Massachusetts. It is both the first public school and oldest existing school in the United States....
before graduating from the United States 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 1837. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Second U. S. Artillery and served as that regiment's adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
and participating in the Second Seminole War
Second Seminole War
The Second Seminole War, also known as the Florida War, was a conflict from 1835 to 1842 in Florida between various groups of Native Americans collectively known as Seminoles and the United States, part of a series of conflicts called the Seminole Wars...
and the relocation of the Cherokee. In 1846 he was transferred to the Adjutant General's Corps and assigned to duty 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....
. He served on the Pacific coast from 1851 to 1856, after which he returned to Washington for the remainder of his career. In February 1869 he was promoted to 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...
and became Adjutant General. He retired in 1880. He died in Washington in 1893 after an accidental shock from a cable car
Cable car
A cable car is any of a variety of transportation systems relying on cables to pull vehicles along or lower them at a steady rate, or a vehicle on these systems.-Aerial lift:Aerial lifts where the vehicle is suspended in the air from a cable:...
and is buried at Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington DC.