Paul Ambrose Oliver
Encyclopedia
- For the researcher into architecture and blues music, see Paul OliverPaul Oliver-Biography:Oliver was a researcher at the Oxford Institute for Sustainable Development , and from 1978-88 was Associate Head of the School of Architecture. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Gloucestershire...
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Paul Ambrose Oliver (July 18, 1831 – May 17, 1912) was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
explosives inventor, 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...
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...
captain and staff officer who was appointed to the brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
grade 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 Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient. He was born on the USS Louisiana
USS Louisiana (1812)
The first USS Louisiana, was a sloop built in New Orleans in 1812 and she played a vital role in the defense of Louisiana during the War of 1812 between the United States and the United Kingdom.-Career:...
during one of its voyages in the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
. Before the Civil War, he worked as a shipping merchant.
In January 1862, Oliver joined the 12th New York Infantry as a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
. During the war, he served as an aide to no less than 4 generals, including Daniel Butterfield
Daniel Butterfield
Daniel Adams Butterfield was a New York businessman, a Union General in the American Civil War, and Assistant U.S. Treasurer in New York. He is credited with composing the bugle call Taps and was involved in the Black Friday gold scandal in the Grant administration...
, George Meade
George Meade
George Gordon Meade was a career United States Army officer and civil engineer involved in coastal construction, including several lighthouses. He fought with distinction in the Second Seminole War and Mexican-American War. During the American Civil War he served as a Union general, rising from...
, Joseph Hooker
Joseph Hooker
Joseph Hooker was a career United States Army officer, achieving the rank of major general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Although he served throughout the war, usually with distinction, Hooker is best remembered for his stunning defeat by Confederate General Robert E...
and Gouverneur K. Warren
Gouverneur K. Warren
Gouverneur Kemble Warren was a civil engineer and prominent general in the Union Army during the American Civil War...
. While he accepted a promotion to Captain in April 1864, he declined further promotions. On March 8, 1865, President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
nominated Oliver for appointment as a brevet brigadier general to rank from March 8, 1865 and the U.S. Senate confirmed the appointment on March 10, 1865. Oliver resigned his commission on May 6, 1865.
Oliver was an inventor and powder manufacturer after the Civil War.
Paul Ambrose Oliver died May 17, 1912 at Laurel Run, Pennsylvania. He was buried at Green Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York.
Medal of Honor citation
Rank and organization: Captain, Company D, 12th New York Infantry. Place and date: Resaca, Ga., 15 May 1864. Entered service at: New York, N.Y. Born: 18 July 1831, at sea in the English Channel. Date of issue: 12 October 1892.While acting as aide assisted in preventing a disaster caused by Union troops firing into each other.