Frank Huger
Encyclopedia
Frank Huger, a son of Gen Benjamin Huger, served as a Confederate artillerist in the American Civil War
.
in 1837. Like his father, Frank Huger attended the United States Military Academy
at West Point. He graduated from west Point in 1860 and was assigned to the 10th U. S. Infantry as a lieutenant. Huger resigned his commission on May 21, 1861 to embrace the Confederate cause.
in the elder Huger’s division in the Seven Days Battles
. At the Second Battle of Bull Run
and the Battle of Fredericksburg
his battery was attached to the division of MG Richard H. Anderson
. (He was absent from the Battle of Antietam
, when it was led by Lt C. R. Phelps.) Huger’s guns were involved, together with the brigade of BG Cadmus Wilcox, in the Battle of Salem Church
.http://www.civilwarhome.com/willcoxchancellorsvilleor.htm
Huger became a major on March 2, 1863. At first, he was second in command of a battalion of artillery led by Col Edward Porter Alexander
. Alexander welcomed Huger, describing him later as "my glorious & beloved Frank Huger, who never shirked a care or danger or grumbled over a hardship in his life..." In that capacity, Major Huger served in the Battle of Chancellorsville
, including bombarding federal lines from high ground at Hazel Grove on May 3, 1863. Huger was sent on May 4 to support the division of MG Richard H. Anderson
in the Battle of Salem Church
. His guns were among those that fired the last shots of the battle the next day, as the Union VI Corps
retreated across the Rappahannock River
. At the Battle of Gettysburg
, Huger was involved in supporting the attack of Ltg James Longstreet
's corps on the federal left on July 2. On July 3, taking immediate command of the guns when his superior was assigned responsibility for the bombardment preceding Pickett's Charge
.
Huger went West with the corps of LTG James Longstreet
, but he arrived too later for the Battle of Chickamauga
. When Longstreet moved into eastern Tennessee
to evict federal forces, Alexander served as his chief of artillery. Huger consequently commanded Alexander’s battalion in the Knoxville Campaign
. He rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel shortly thereafter, being promoted on February 27, 1864.
When Alexander became the chief of corps artillery in late 1863, Huger took over command of the battalion. Huger's battalion served in the Overland Campaign
and the Siege of Petersburg
. In Alexander’s absence, he was temporarily in charge of the artillery of the Confederate I Corps posted near Elliott's Salient at the time of the Battle of the Crater
. At the height of the Union attack on July 30, 1864, following the explosion of the mine under the Salient, Huger was seen helping work a gun along with members of Alexander's staff. Huger was promoted to the rank of colonel on February 18, 1865. He was captured during the Battle of Sayler's Creek
by Union cavalry led by former classmate BG George A. Custer. Huger was treated by Custer more like a guest than a prisoner.
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...
.
Pre War
Francis (Frank) Kinloch Huger, a son of Benjamin Huger and Elizabeth Celestine Pinckney, was born in Norfolk, VirginiaNorfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
in 1837. Like his father, Frank Huger attended 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...
at West Point. He graduated from west Point in 1860 and was assigned to the 10th U. S. Infantry as a lieutenant. Huger resigned his commission on May 21, 1861 to embrace the Confederate cause.
Civil War Service
Frank Huger entered the Confederate service, as did his father. Capt Huger led the Norfolk Light Artillery. The battery was attached to the brigade of BG Ambrose R. WrightAmbrose R. Wright
Ambrose Ransom Wright was a lawyer, Georgia politician, and Confederate general in the American Civil War.-Early life:...
in the elder Huger’s division in the Seven Days Battles
Seven Days Battles
The Seven Days Battles was a series of six major battles over the seven days from June 25 to July 1, 1862, near Richmond, Virginia during the American Civil War. Confederate General Robert E. Lee drove the invading Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan, away from...
. At the Second Battle of Bull Run
Second Battle of Bull Run
The Second Battle of Bull Run or Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of an offensive campaign waged by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia against Union Maj. Gen...
and the Battle of Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside...
his battery was attached to the division of MG Richard H. Anderson
Richard H. Anderson
Richard Heron Anderson was a career U.S. Army officer, fighting with distinction in the Mexican-American War. He also served as a Confederate general during the American Civil War, fighting in the Eastern Theater of the conflict and most notably during the 1864 Battle of Spotsylvania Court House...
. (He was absent from 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...
, when it was led by Lt C. R. Phelps.) Huger’s guns were involved, together with the brigade of BG Cadmus Wilcox, in 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....
.http://www.civilwarhome.com/willcoxchancellorsvilleor.htm
Huger became a major on March 2, 1863. At first, he was second in command of a battalion of artillery led by Col Edward Porter Alexander
Edward Porter Alexander
Edward Porter Alexander was an engineer, an officer in the U.S. Army, a Confederate general in the American Civil War, and later a railroad executive, planter, and author....
. Alexander welcomed Huger, describing him later as "my glorious & beloved Frank Huger, who never shirked a care or danger or grumbled over a hardship in his life..." In that capacity, Major Huger served 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...
, including bombarding federal lines from high ground at Hazel Grove on May 3, 1863. Huger was sent on May 4 to support the division of MG Richard H. Anderson
Richard H. Anderson
Richard Heron Anderson was a career U.S. Army officer, fighting with distinction in the Mexican-American War. He also served as a Confederate general during the American Civil War, fighting in the Eastern Theater of the conflict and most notably during the 1864 Battle of Spotsylvania Court House...
in 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....
. His guns were among those that fired the last shots of the battle the next day, as the Union 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...
retreated across 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...
. 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...
, Huger was involved in supporting the attack of Ltg James Longstreet
James Longstreet
James Longstreet was one of the foremost Confederate generals of the American Civil War and the principal subordinate to General Robert E. Lee, who called him his "Old War Horse." He served under Lee as a corps commander for many of the famous battles fought by the Army of Northern Virginia in the...
's corps on the federal left on July 2. On July 3, taking immediate command of the guns when his superior was assigned responsibility for the bombardment preceding Pickett's Charge
Pickett's Charge
Pickett's Charge was an infantry assault ordered by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee against Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's Union positions on Cemetery Ridge on July 3, 1863, the last day of the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. Its futility was predicted by the charge's commander,...
.
Huger went West with the corps of LTG James Longstreet
James Longstreet
James Longstreet was one of the foremost Confederate generals of the American Civil War and the principal subordinate to General Robert E. Lee, who called him his "Old War Horse." He served under Lee as a corps commander for many of the famous battles fought by the Army of Northern Virginia in the...
, but he arrived too later for the Battle of Chickamauga
Battle of Chickamauga
The Battle of Chickamauga, fought September 19–20, 1863, marked the end of a Union offensive in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia called the Chickamauga Campaign...
. When Longstreet moved into eastern Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
to evict federal forces, Alexander served as his chief of artillery. Huger consequently commanded Alexander’s battalion in the Knoxville Campaign
Knoxville Campaign
The Knoxville Campaign was a series of American Civil War battles and maneuvers in East Tennessee during the fall of 1863. Union forces under Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside occupied Knoxville, Tennessee, and Confederate forces under Lt. Gen. James Longstreet were detached from Gen...
. He rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel shortly thereafter, being promoted on February 27, 1864.
When Alexander became the chief of corps artillery in late 1863, Huger took over command of the battalion. Huger's battalion served in the 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...
and 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...
. In Alexander’s absence, he was temporarily in charge of the artillery of the Confederate I Corps posted near Elliott's Salient at the time of the Battle of the Crater
Battle of the Crater
The Battle of the Crater was a battle of the American Civil War, part of the Siege of Petersburg. It took place on July 30, 1864, between the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by General Robert E. Lee and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Major General George G. Meade The...
. At the height of the Union attack on July 30, 1864, following the explosion of the mine under the Salient, Huger was seen helping work a gun along with members of Alexander's staff. Huger was promoted to the rank of colonel on February 18, 1865. He was captured during the Battle of Sayler's Creek
Battle of Sayler's Creek
-External links:* * : Maps, histories, photos, and preservation news...
by Union cavalry led by former classmate BG George A. Custer. Huger was treated by Custer more like a guest than a prisoner.