Robert Alexander Cameron
Encyclopedia
Robert Alexander Cameron (February 22, 1828 – March 15, 1894) was an American
soldier and newspaper publisher. He served as a Union
general during the American Civil War
. During the war he was made a brigadier general
and after the war was appointed a brevet major general
. After the war he was heavily involved in developing farms in the U.S. state
of Colorado
.
, New York
. He moved with his parents to Valparaiso, Indiana
in the early 1842, where he attended the local public schools. Cameron graduated from Indiana Medical College in 1849, and also attended Rush Medical College
in Chicago
, however he soon gave up his medical studies.
In 1857, Cameron bought and began publishing the Valparaiso Republican, a local newspaper. He also served as a Republican delegate to their 1860 convention in Chicago, supporting the campaign of Abraham Lincoln
for U.S. President
.
When the American Civil War began, Cameron was a doctor in practice at Valparaiso and a member of the Indiana House of Representatives
. He enlisted in the 9th Indiana, a three month regiment, and was elected captain on April 23, 1861. With the 9th, Cameron saw service in the Western Virginia Campaigns. After those three months were up, Cameron re-enlisted for the duration of hostilities and was appointed lieutenant colonel
of the 19th Indiana Infantry on July 29.
In September 1861, Cameron and the 19th Indiana fought in a skirmish at Chain Bridge, one of the bridges over the Potomac River
leading into Washington, D.C. After the action Col. Solomon Meredith
, Cameron's brigade commander, thought highly of his performance, stating that he "rode the lines giving orders and maintaining a calmness that was not even shattered when the concussion of a shell brought his horse to its knees." Despite this praise, Cameron was not able to get along with Meredith, and asked Indiana governor Oliver Morton
to be removed from the 19th and assigned elsewhere. His request would be granted early in the following year.
On February 3, 1862, Cameron was transferred to the 34th Indiana
, and Cameron and the 34th fought in Missouri at the action near New Madrid
and the following Battle of Island Number Ten
that February to April. He also participated in the capture of Memphis
, Tennessee, on June 6. Cameron was then promoted to colonel
and given command of the 34th, both on June 15.
With his regiment Cameron participated in the 1863 Vicksburg Campaign
, where he was slightly wounded in his eyes during the Battle of Port Gibson
on May 1. Cameron was promoted to brigadier general
in the Union Army on August 11, 1863. After several stints of brigade
command in late 1863 and 1864, he led a division
of the XIII Corps during the 1864 Red River Campaign
. During the Battle of Mansfield
in Louisiana
on April 8, Cameron's men attempted to reinforce the crumbling Union line around 5 p.m., but were forced back when it finally broke near 6 p.m.
Cameron finished the war in district command in the Department of the Gulf at Thibodaux
, Louisiana. On March 13, 1865, he was appointed a brevet major general
in the Union Army, and he resigned his commission soon after on June 22.
and was active in establishing farm colonies in Colorado, and was also prominent in the politics and the economic development of the former territory. In 1870 Cameron was influential in founding of Greeley
, and was elected president of Greeley’s board of trustees in 1871. He was lured away by William Jackson Palmer
to become superintendent of a new colony, which later would grow into the city of Colorado Springs
. Cameron also took part in an attempt to establish Fort Collins
.
Cameron then moved to San Francisco, California
, where he stayed there for few years before returning to Colorado to serve as a postal clerk in Denver. From 1885–87, he served as warden of Colorado State Penitentiary. In the spring of 1894 Cameron died on his farm near Cañon City, Colorado
, and is buried there.
, about 7 miles (11.3 km) from Colorado Springs, Colorado, and was named for Robert Alexander Cameron. When originally dedicated, the summit was called Cameron's Cone.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soldier and newspaper publisher. He served as a Union
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...
general 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...
. During the war he was made a 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 after the war was appointed a brevet major general
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
. After the war he was heavily involved in developing farms in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
.
Early life and career
Cameron was born in BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He moved with his parents to Valparaiso, Indiana
Valparaiso, Indiana
Valparaiso is a city in and the county seat of Porter County, Indiana, United States. The population was 31,730 at the 2010 census, making it the 2nd largest city in Porter County.-History:...
in the early 1842, where he attended the local public schools. Cameron graduated from Indiana Medical College in 1849, and also attended Rush Medical College
Rush Medical College
Rush Medical College is the medical school of Rush University, a private university in Chicago, Illinois. Rush Medical College was one of the first medical colleges in the state of Illinois and was chartered in 1837, two days before the city of Chicago was chartered, and opened with 22 students on...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, however he soon gave up his medical studies.
In 1857, Cameron bought and began publishing the Valparaiso Republican, a local newspaper. He also served as a Republican delegate to their 1860 convention in Chicago, supporting the campaign of 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...
for U.S. 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....
.
Civil War service
Indiana House of Representatives
The Indiana House of Representatives is the lower house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The House is composed of 100 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. House members serve two-year terms without term limits...
. He enlisted in the 9th Indiana, a three month regiment, and was elected captain on April 23, 1861. With the 9th, Cameron saw service in the Western Virginia Campaigns. After those three months were up, Cameron re-enlisted for the duration of hostilities and was appointed 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 19th Indiana Infantry on July 29.
In September 1861, Cameron and the 19th Indiana fought in a skirmish at Chain Bridge, one of the bridges over the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
leading into Washington, D.C. After the action Col. Solomon Meredith
Solomon Meredith
Solomon Meredith was a prominent Indiana farmer, politician, and lawman who was a controversial Union Army general in the American Civil War...
, Cameron's brigade commander, thought highly of his performance, stating that he "rode the lines giving orders and maintaining a calmness that was not even shattered when the concussion of a shell brought his horse to its knees." Despite this praise, Cameron was not able to get along with Meredith, and asked Indiana governor Oliver Morton
Oliver Hazard Perry Morton
Oliver Hazard Perry Throck Morton , commonly known as Oliver P. Morton, was a U.S. Republican Party politician from Indiana. He served as the 14th Governor of Indiana during the American Civil War, and was a stalwart ally of President Abraham Lincoln. During the war, Morton suppressed the...
to be removed from the 19th and assigned elsewhere. His request would be granted early in the following year.
On February 3, 1862, Cameron was transferred to the 34th Indiana
34th Regiment Indiana Infantry
The 34th Regiment Indiana Infantry, also known as The Morton Rifles, was organized at Anderson, Indiana, and mustered in September 16, 1861- Service :*Moved to Jeffersonville, Indiana, October 10, 1861....
, and Cameron and the 34th fought in Missouri at the action near New Madrid
New Madrid, Missouri
New Madrid is a city in New Madrid County, Missouri, 42 miles south by west of Cairo, Illinois, on the Mississippi River. New Madrid was founded in 1788 by American frontiersmen. In 1900, 1,489 people lived in New Madrid, Missouri; in 1910, the population was 1,882. The population was 3,334 at...
and the following Battle of Island Number Ten
Battle of Island Number Ten
The Battle of Island Number Ten was an engagement at the New Madrid or Kentucky Bend on the Mississippi River during the American Civil War, lasting from February 28 to April 8, 1862. The position, an island at the base of a tight double turn in the course of the river, was held by the Confederates...
that February to April. He also participated in the capture of Memphis
Battle of Memphis
The First Battle of Memphis was a naval battle fought on the Mississippi River immediately above the city of Memphis on June 6, 1862, during the American Civil War. The engagement was witnessed by many of the citizens of Memphis. It resulted in a crushing defeat for the Rebels, and marked the...
, Tennessee, on June 6. Cameron was then promoted to 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...
and given command of the 34th, both on June 15.
With his regiment Cameron participated in the 1863 Vicksburg Campaign
Vicksburg Campaign
The Vicksburg Campaign was a series of maneuvers and battles in the Western Theater of the American Civil War directed against Vicksburg, Mississippi, a fortress city that dominated the last Confederate-controlled section of the Mississippi River. The Union Army of the Tennessee under Maj. Gen....
, where he was slightly wounded in his eyes during the Battle of Port Gibson
Battle of Port Gibson
The Battle of Port Gibson was fought near Port Gibson, Mississippi, on May 1, 1863, between Union and Confederate forces during the Vicksburg Campaign of the American Civil War. The Union Army was led by Maj. Gen. Ulysses S...
on May 1. Cameron 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...
in the Union Army on August 11, 1863. After several stints of 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...
command in late 1863 and 1864, he led a division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
of the XIII Corps during the 1864 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....
. During the Battle of Mansfield
Battle of Mansfield
The Battle of Mansfield, also known as the Battle of Sabine Crossroads, occurred on April 8, 1864, in De Soto Parish, Louisiana. Confederate forces commanded by Richard Taylor attacked a Union army commanded by Nathaniel Banks a few miles outside the town of Mansfield, near Sabine Crossroads...
in Louisiana
Louisiana in the American Civil War
Antebellum Louisiana was a leading slave state, where enslaved Africans and African Americans comprised the majority of the population through the eighteenth century. By 1860 47% of the population was enslaved. The state also had one of the largest free black populations in the United States...
on April 8, Cameron's men attempted to reinforce the crumbling Union line around 5 p.m., but were forced back when it finally broke near 6 p.m.
Cameron finished the war in district command in the Department of the Gulf at Thibodaux
Thibodaux, Louisiana
Thibodaux is a small city in and the parish seat of Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, United States, along the banks of Bayou Lafourche in the northwestern part of the parish. The population was 14,431 at the 2000 census. Thibodaux is a principal city of the Houma–Bayou Cane–Thibodaux...
, Louisiana. On March 13, 1865, he was appointed a brevet major general
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
in the Union Army, and he resigned his commission soon after on June 22.
Postbellum
Following the war, Cameron headed to the Western United StatesWestern United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
and was active in establishing farm colonies in Colorado, and was also prominent in the politics and the economic development of the former territory. In 1870 Cameron was influential in founding of Greeley
Greeley, Colorado
The City of Greeley is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Weld County, Colorado, United States. Greeley is located in the region known as Northern Colorado. Greeley is situated north-northeast of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. According to the...
, and was elected president of Greeley’s board of trustees in 1871. He was lured away by William Jackson Palmer
William Jackson Palmer
William Jackson Palmer was an American civil engineer, soldier, industrialist, and philanthropist.-Overview:...
to become superintendent of a new colony, which later would grow into the city of Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
. Cameron also took part in an attempt to establish Fort Collins
Fort Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins is a Home Rule Municipality situated on the Cache La Poudre River along the Colorado Front Range, and is the county seat and most populous city of Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Fort Collins is located north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. With a 2010 census...
.
Cameron then moved to San Francisco, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where he stayed there for few years before returning to Colorado to serve as a postal clerk in Denver. From 1885–87, he served as warden of Colorado State Penitentiary. In the spring of 1894 Cameron died on his farm near Cañon City, Colorado
Cañon City, Colorado
The City of Cañon City is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Fremont County, State of Colorado. The United States Census Bureau estimated that the city population was 16,000 in 2005. Cañon City is noted for being the location of nine state and four ...
, and is buried there.
Legacy
Camerons Cone is located in Pike National ForestPike National Forest
The Pike National Forest is located in the Front Range of Colorado, USA, west of Colorado Springs and including Pikes Peak. The forest encompasses 1,106,604 acres within Clear Creek, Teller, Park, Jefferson, Douglas and El Paso counties. The major rivers draining the forest are the South Platte...
, about 7 miles (11.3 km) from Colorado Springs, Colorado, and was named for Robert Alexander Cameron. When originally dedicated, the summit was called Cameron's Cone.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals