Francis Fessenden
Encyclopedia
Francis Fessenden was a lawyer, politician, and soldier from the state of Maine
who served as a general in the Union Army
during the American Civil War
. He was a member of the powerful Fessenden family, which was prominent in national politics during the mid-19th century.
, in the spring of 1839. He was the son of U.S. Senator William P. Fessenden
and a brother of James Deering Fessenden
, who would also serve as a general in the Union army. Another brother, Samuel, would be killed at the Second Battle of Manassas during the war. Two uncles, Samuel C. Fessenden
and T. A. D. Fessenden
were U.S. Congressmen
.
He was educated in the local schools and then graduated from Bowdoin College
in 1858. He studied law at the Harvard Law School
, passed his bar exam, and joined his father's law firm.
In January 1862, he assumed duties as a line officer in the Army of the Cumberland
in Tennessee and was severely wounded at the April 1862 Battle of Shiloh
. He became the colonel
of the 25th Maine Infantry
and commanded a brigade
as part of the 22nd Army Corps in the defenses of Washington, D.C.. He was married that year to Ellen Winslow, a daughter of Edward Fox of Portland.
In July 1863, his term of enlistment in the volunteer Union army expired and he reverted to his rank of captain of the 19th U.S. Infantry in the Regular Army. In September, Fessenden was appointed as the colonel of the 30th Maine Veteran Infantry
.
On May 10, 1864, he was promoted to the rank of brigadier general
and served later that year in command of a brigade in the army of Nathaniel P. Banks in the Red River Campaign
. He saw action in several battles in that campaign, including Sabine Crossroads, Pleasant Hill
, and Monet's Ferry
, where he led a major assault in which he suffered a severe leg wound that necessitated amputation. After convalescing, he was assigned to administrative duty for the rest of the war, commanding various garrisons and supply trains.
, who was executed for his controversial actions while commanding the Andersonville Prison
in Georgia
. He also served as the president of a military court of inquiry. He was promoted to major general of volunteers on November 19, 1865, and assigned command of the 1st Division of the Department of West Virginia. He was subsequently assigned to the 1st Veteran Corps.
He served in the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands
in 1866. He declined an appointment as the lieutenant colonel
of the 45th U.S. Infantry in August 1866. Later that year, he was transferred to the 28th U.S. Infantry during the sweeping reorganization of the army. He retired from the Regular Army on November 1, 1866 with the rank of brigadier general. Fessenden then returned home to Portland and resumed his legal career. He was elected as the city's mayor in 1876. He wrote a biography of his father, The Life and Services of William Pitt Fessenden, which was published in 1907.
Francis Fessenden died in Portland, where he is buried in Evergreen Cemetery
.
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
who served as a general in 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...
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 was a member of the powerful Fessenden family, which was prominent in national politics during the mid-19th century.
Early life and career
Francis Fessenden was born in Portland, MainePortland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
, in the spring of 1839. He was the son of U.S. Senator William P. Fessenden
William P. Fessenden
William Pitt Fessenden was an American politician from the U.S. state of Maine.Fessenden was a Whig and member of the Fessenden political family...
and a brother of James Deering Fessenden
James Deering Fessenden
James Deering Fessenden was a lawyer, politician, and soldier from the state of Maine who served as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Primarily a staff officer and operations planner until the latter stages of the war, he commanded an infantry brigade in the Western...
, who would also serve as a general in the Union army. Another brother, Samuel, would be killed at the Second Battle of Manassas during the war. Two uncles, Samuel C. Fessenden
Samuel C. Fessenden
Samuel Clement Fessenden was a United States Congressman from Maine, son of abolitionist Samuel Fessenden, and brother of Treasury Secretary William Pitt Fessenden and Congressman T. A. D. Fessenden. He was an uncle of Union Army generals, Francis Fessenden and James D...
and T. A. D. Fessenden
T. A. D. Fessenden
Thomas Amory Deblois Fessenden was a U.S. Representative from Maine, the son of abolitionist legislator Samuel Fessenden, and brother of Treasury Secretary William P. Fessenden and congressman Samuel C. Fessenden. He was an uncle of Union Army generals Francis Fessenden and James D...
were U.S. Congressmen
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
.
He was educated in the local schools and then graduated from Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College , founded in 1794, is an elite private liberal arts college located in the coastal Maine town of Brunswick, Maine. As of 2011, U.S. News and World Report ranks Bowdoin 6th among liberal arts colleges in the United States. At times, it was ranked as high as 4th in the country. It is...
in 1858. He studied law at the Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
, passed his bar exam, and joined his father's law firm.
Civil War
Following the outbreak of the Civil War, Fessenden received a commission as a captain in the Regular Army in the newly raised 19th U.S. Infantry on May 14, 1861. He spent much of the year as a recruiting officer, helping raise additional troops.In January 1862, he assumed duties as a line officer in the Army of the Cumberland
Army of the Cumberland
The Army of the Cumberland was one of the principal Union armies in the Western Theater during the American Civil War. It was originally known as the Army of the Ohio.-History:...
in Tennessee and was severely wounded at the April 1862 Battle of Shiloh
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. A Union army under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had moved via the Tennessee River deep into Tennessee and...
. He became the 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 the 25th Maine Infantry
25th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment
The 25th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 25th Maine Infantry was organized in Portland, Maine and mustered in September 29, 1862 for nine months' service under the command of Colonel Francis...
and commanded 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...
as part of the 22nd Army Corps in the defenses of Washington, D.C.. He was married that year to Ellen Winslow, a daughter of Edward Fox of Portland.
In July 1863, his term of enlistment in the volunteer Union army expired and he reverted to his rank of captain of the 19th U.S. Infantry in the Regular Army. In September, Fessenden was appointed as the colonel of the 30th Maine Veteran Infantry
30th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment
The 30th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 30th Maine Infantry was organized in Augusta, Maine and mustered in January 8, 1864 for three years' service...
.
On May 10, 1864, he 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...
and served later that year in command of a brigade in the army of Nathaniel P. Banks in the Red River Campaign
Red River Campaign
The Red River Campaign or Red River Expedition consisted of a series of battles fought along the Red River in Louisiana during the American Civil War from March 10 to May 22, 1864. The campaign was a Union initiative, fought between approximately 30,000 Union troops under the command of Maj. Gen....
. He saw action in several battles in that campaign, including Sabine Crossroads, Pleasant Hill
Battle of Pleasant Hill
The Battle of Pleasant Hill was fought on April 9, 1864, during the Red River Campaign of the American Civil War, near Pleasant Hill, Louisiana, between Union forces led by Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks and Confederate forces, led by Maj. Gen...
, and Monet's Ferry
Battle of Monett's Ferry
The Battle of Monett's Ferry was fought on April 23, 1864, between Union and Confederate forces. The Union Army was led by Nathaniel P. Banks. They crossed a river to attack Confederate forces, and were victorious, having forced the rebels to retreat....
, where he led a major assault in which he suffered a severe leg wound that necessitated amputation. After convalescing, he was assigned to administrative duty for the rest of the war, commanding various garrisons and supply trains.
Postbellum career
Following the end of the war, Fessenden stayed in the army. He served on the military commission that oversaw the war crimes trial of Henry WirzHenry Wirz
Heinrich Hartmann Wirz better known as Henry Wirz was a Confederate officer in the American Civil War...
, who was executed for his controversial actions while commanding the Andersonville Prison
Andersonville prison
The Andersonville prison, officially known as Camp Sumter, served as a Confederate Prisoner-of-war camp during the American Civil War. The site of the prison is now Andersonville National Historic Site in Andersonville, Georgia. Most of the site actually lies in extreme southwestern Macon County,...
in Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. He also served as the president of a military court of inquiry. He was promoted to major general of volunteers on November 19, 1865, and assigned command of the 1st Division of the Department of West Virginia. He was subsequently assigned to the 1st Veteran Corps.
He served in the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands
Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands
The Freedmen's Bureau, was a U.S. federal government agency that aided distressed freedmen in 1865–1869, during the Reconstruction era of the United States....
in 1866. He declined an appointment as the lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
of the 45th U.S. Infantry in August 1866. Later that year, he was transferred to the 28th U.S. Infantry during the sweeping reorganization of the army. He retired from the Regular Army on November 1, 1866 with the rank of brigadier general. Fessenden then returned home to Portland and resumed his legal career. He was elected as the city's mayor in 1876. He wrote a biography of his father, The Life and Services of William Pitt Fessenden, which was published in 1907.
Francis Fessenden died in Portland, where he is buried in Evergreen Cemetery
Evergreen Cemetery (Portland, Maine)
Evergreen Cemetery is a garden style cemetery in Portland, Maine, United States. With of land, it is the second largest cemetery in the state. It was established in 1855 and became the city's main cemetery after the Western Cemetery. As of March 2011, only of the were used for cemetery-related...
.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals
External links
- Francis Fessenden photo gallery at generalsandbrevets.com Retrieved 2008-09-27