John Converse Starkweather (February 23, 1829 – November 15, 1890) was 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...

.

Early life and career

John C. Starkweather was born in Cooperstown, New York

Cooperstown, New York

Cooperstown is a village in Otsego County, New York, USA. It is located in the Town of Otsego. The population was estimated to be 1,852 at the 2010 census.The Village of Cooperstown is the county seat of Otsego County, New York...

, the eldest son of George A. Starkweather

George A. Starkweather

George Anson Starkweather was a United States Representative from New York, his eldest son being John Converse Starkweather...

 and Elizabeth (Converse) Starkweather. He married Louisa A. Hallett, the daughter of William P. and Rachel Ray Hallet.

He graduated from Union College

Union College

Union College is a private, non-denominational liberal arts college located in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents. In the 19th century, it became the "Mother of Fraternities", as...

, class of 1850, and studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1857. He moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...

, and practiced law there until 1861.

Civil War

On May 17, 1861, he was made 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 1st Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment (3 Months)

1st Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment (3 Months)

The 1st Regiment Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:...

 and took part in the battles of Battle of Hoke's Run

Battle of Hoke's Run

The Battle of Hoke's Run, also known as the Battle of Falling Waters or Hainesville, took place on July 2, 1861, in Berkeley County, Virginia as part of the Manassas Campaign of the American Civil War....

 (also known as Falling Waters), July 2, 1861, and of Edmunds Ferry, July 29, 1861. He was mustered out on August 21, 1861.

Re-organizing his 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...

 for three years, by special order of the War Department, he again enlisted and served in Kentucky and northern Alabama. In command of a brigade, he participated credibly in the Battle of Perryville

Battle of Perryville

The Battle of Perryville, also known as the Battle of Chaplin Hills, was fought on October 8, 1862, in the Chaplin Hills west of Perryville, Kentucky, as the culmination of the Confederate Heartland Offensive during the American Civil War. Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg's Army of Mississippi won a...

, October 8, 1862. He was also engaged in the Battle of Stones River

Battle of Stones River

The Battle of Stones River or Second Battle of Murfreesboro , was fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863, in Middle Tennessee, as the culmination of the Stones River Campaign in the Western Theater of the American Civil War...

 and 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...

 where he was wounded. He was promoted to brigadier general on July 17, 1863.

He served in the court-martial

Court-martial

A court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...

 that tried General William Alexander Hammond

William Alexander Hammond

William Alexander Hammond, M.D. was an American neurologist and the 11th Surgeon General of the U.S. Army...

, Surgeon General of the United States Army, and after commanding several posts in Tennessee and Alabama, he was mustered out of the army on May 11, 1865.

Postbellum career

He and his wife Louisa had six children—Walter Augustus, George Anson, Mabel Ray, Rachel Field, Francis Morgan, and Bessie Bush.

After farming for several years in Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...

 and occupying posts of importance and trust, he moved to 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....

, where he practiced law until his death there in 1890.

See also

• List of American Civil War generals