Régis de Trobriand
Encyclopedia
Philippe Régis Denis de Keredern de Trobriand (June 4, 1816 – July 15, 1897) was a French aristocrat, lawyer, poet, and novelist who emigrated at a young age to the United States. During the American Civil War
he was a general in the Union Army
.
who had been a general in Napoleon Bonaparte's army. In his youth he studied law and wrote poetry and prose, publishing his first novel in 1840. He was an expert swordsman who fought a number of duels. In 1841, to answer a dare, he emigrated to the United States at the age of 25 and immediately became popular as a bon vivant with the social elite of New York City
. He married an heiress named Mary Jones, and although the wedding was in Paris and they lived in Venice for a time, socializing with the local nobility, they returned to the United States and took up permanent residence in New York. In the 1850s he earned a living writing and editing for French language publications. He was the publisher of Revue du Nouveau Monde and the editor of Le Courrier des Etats-Unis
.
Brigade of Couch's
Division, Keyes's
IV Corps of the Army of the Potomac
in September 1861 and took part in the 1862 Peninsula Campaign
, seeing first combat on May 5, 1862, at the Battle of Williamsburg
. Soon after, he was debilitated with a malady diagnosed as "swamp fever", missed the remainder of the campaign, and was unable to return to duty until July. His regiment's next engagement, part of the brigade of Brig. Gen.
J. H. Hobart Ward
, III Corps of the Army of the Potomac
, was at the Battle of Fredericksburg
, but they were held in reserve and escaped the terrible bloodshed of the Union defeat.
In December 1862 the 55th and 38th New York were merged and Trobriand became the colonel of the now-named 38th. He led his new regiment at the Battle of Chancellorsville
in May 1863, but was not heavily engaged. After the III Corps was reorganized following its severe casualties at Chancellorsville, Trobriand was given command of a new brigade.
Trobriand's military career is best known for the Battle of Gettysburg
, where he first saw significant action. He arrived on the second day of battle, July 2, 1863, and took up positions in the area known as the Wheatfield. His brigade put up a spirited defense against powerful assaults by Confederate
Maj. Gen. John Bell Hood
's division, particularly a Georgia brigade under Brig. Gen. George T. Anderson
and a South Carolina brigade under Brig. Gen. Joseph B. Kershaw
. They were able to successfully hold out until relieved by units of Maj. Gen. John C. Caldwell
's division of the II Corps, but it came at a terrible price—every third man in Trobriand's brigade was a casualty. After the battle, his division commander, Maj. Gen. David B. Birney
, wrote:
Despite the recommendation and his excellent performance at Gettysburg, Col. Trobriand would not receive his promotion to brigadier general until his appointment to that grade by President Abraham Lincoln
on April 10, 1864, to rank from January 5, 1864, after the U.S. Senate had confirmed the appointment on April 7, 1864. He finally assumed command of a brigade to match his rank when Brig. Gen. J. H. Hobart Ward
was dismissed from the Army for intoxication. Late in the war, he occasionally led a division during the Petersburg Campaign and the Appomattox Campaign
, especially when Gershom Mott
was wounded in the latter campaign. On January 13, 1866, President Andrew Johnson
nominated de Tobriand for the brevet
grade of major general
to rank from April 9, 1865 and the U.S. Senate confirmed the nomination on March 12, 1866. De Trobriand was mustered out of the volunteer service on January 15, 1866. On December 3, 1867 President Johnson nominated him for the brevet grade of brigadier general in the regular army
, to rank from March 2, 1867 and the U.S. Senate confirmed the award on February 14, 1868.
in Dakota Territory
from 1867 to 1870, and then as part of the occupation forces in the South
, particularly New Orleans
, during Reconstruction. He resided in New Orleans from 1875, but did not retire from the Army until March 20, 1879.
During his retirement he wrote a number of books including Quatre ans de campagnes à l'Armée du Potomac, published in 1867 (English translation, Four Years with the Army of the Potomac, 1889), Vie militaire dans le Dakota, notes et souvenirs (1867–1869) (published posthumously in 1926, with its English translation, Army Life in Dakota), and Our Noble Blood (posthumous, 1997). He spent his summers with his daughter on Long Island
.
Trobriand died in Bayport, New York
, and is buried in St. Anne's Cemetery, Sayville, New York
.
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 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...
.
Early life
Trobriand was born at Chateau des Rochettes, near Tours, France, the son of a baronBaron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
who had been a general in Napoleon Bonaparte's army. In his youth he studied law and wrote poetry and prose, publishing his first novel in 1840. He was an expert swordsman who fought a number of duels. In 1841, to answer a dare, he emigrated to the United States at the age of 25 and immediately became popular as a bon vivant with the social elite of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He married an heiress named Mary Jones, and although the wedding was in Paris and they lived in Venice for a time, socializing with the local nobility, they returned to the United States and took up permanent residence in New York. In the 1850s he earned a living writing and editing for French language publications. He was the publisher of Revue du Nouveau Monde and the editor of Le Courrier des Etats-Unis
Courrier des Etats-Unis
The Courrier des Etats-Unis was a French language newspaper published by French immigrants in New York. It was founded in 1828 by Félix Lacoste with the help of Joseph Bonaparte , who was living in New Jersey....
.
Civil War
After the Civil War broke out, Trobriand became a naturalized citizen of the United States and on August 28, 1861, he was given command of the 55th New York Infantry, the predominantly French-immigrant regiment known as the Gardes Lafayette. He and his regiment were attached to Peck'sJohn J. Peck
John James Peck was a United States soldier who fought in the Mexican-American War and American Civil War.-Early life:...
Brigade of Couch's
Darius N. Couch
Darius Nash Couch was an American soldier, businessman, and naturalist. He served as a career U.S. Army officer during the Mexican-American War, the Second Seminole War, and as a general officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War.During the Civil War, Couch fought notably in the...
Division, Keyes's
Erasmus D. Keyes
Erasmus Darwin Keyes was a businessman, banker, and military general, noted for leading the IV Corps of the Union Army of the Potomac during the first half of the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...
IV Corps of the Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
in September 1861 and took part in the 1862 Peninsula Campaign
Peninsula Campaign
The Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March through July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. The operation, commanded by Maj. Gen. George B...
, seeing first combat on May 5, 1862, at the Battle of Williamsburg
Battle of Williamsburg
The Battle of Williamsburg, also known as the Battle of Fort Magruder, took place on May 5, 1862, in York County, James City County, and Williamsburg, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War...
. Soon after, he was debilitated with a malady diagnosed as "swamp fever", missed the remainder of the campaign, and was unable to return to duty until July. His regiment's next engagement, part of the brigade of Brig. Gen.
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
J. H. Hobart Ward
J. H. Hobart Ward
John Henry Hobart Ward , most commonly referred to as J.H. Hobart Ward, was a career United States Army soldier who fought in the Mexican–American War and served in the New York state militia...
, III Corps of the Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
, was at 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...
, but they were held in reserve and escaped the terrible bloodshed of the Union defeat.
In December 1862 the 55th and 38th New York were merged and Trobriand became the colonel of the now-named 38th. He led his new regiment at 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...
in May 1863, but was not heavily engaged. After the III Corps was reorganized following its severe casualties at Chancellorsville, Trobriand was given command of a new brigade.
Trobriand's military career is best known for 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...
, where he first saw significant action. He arrived on the second day of battle, July 2, 1863, and took up positions in the area known as the Wheatfield. His brigade put up a spirited defense against powerful assaults by Confederate
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
Maj. Gen. John Bell Hood
John Bell Hood
John Bell Hood was a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Hood had a reputation for bravery and aggressiveness that sometimes bordered on recklessness...
's division, particularly a Georgia brigade under Brig. Gen. George T. Anderson
George T. Anderson
George Thomas Anderson was a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Nicknamed "Tige," Anderson was noted as one of Robert E...
and a South Carolina brigade under Brig. Gen. Joseph B. Kershaw
Joseph B. Kershaw
Joseph Brevard Kershaw was a lawyer, judge, and a Confederate general in the American Civil War.-Early life:...
. They were able to successfully hold out until relieved by units of Maj. Gen. John C. Caldwell
John C. Caldwell
John Curtis Caldwell was a teacher, a Union general in the American Civil War, and an American diplomat.-Early life:Caldwell was born in Lowell, Vermont...
's division of the II Corps, but it came at a terrible price—every third man in Trobriand's brigade was a casualty. After the battle, his division commander, Maj. Gen. David B. Birney
David B. Birney
David Bell Birney was a businessman, lawyer, and a Union General in the American Civil War.-Early life:Birney was born in Huntsville, Alabama, the son of an abolitionist from Kentucky, James G. Birney. The Birney family returned to Kentucky in 1833, and James Birney freed his slaves...
, wrote:
Despite the recommendation and his excellent performance at Gettysburg, Col. Trobriand would not receive his promotion to brigadier general until his appointment to that grade by President 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...
on April 10, 1864, to rank from January 5, 1864, after the U.S. Senate had confirmed the appointment on April 7, 1864. He finally assumed command of a brigade to match his rank when Brig. Gen. J. H. Hobart Ward
J. H. Hobart Ward
John Henry Hobart Ward , most commonly referred to as J.H. Hobart Ward, was a career United States Army soldier who fought in the Mexican–American War and served in the New York state militia...
was dismissed from the Army for intoxication. Late in the war, he occasionally led a division during the Petersburg Campaign and the Appomattox Campaign
Appomattox Campaign
The Appomattox Campaign was a series of battles fought March 29 – April 9, 1865, in Virginia that culminated in the surrender of Confederate General Robert E...
, especially when Gershom Mott
Gershom Mott
Gershom Mott was a United States Army officer and a General in the Union Army, a commander in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-Early life:...
was wounded in the latter campaign. On January 13, 1866, President Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson was the 17th President of the United States . As Vice-President of the United States in 1865, he succeeded Abraham Lincoln following the latter's assassination. Johnson then presided over the initial and contentious Reconstruction era of the United States following the American...
nominated de Tobriand for 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 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...
to rank from April 9, 1865 and the U.S. Senate confirmed the nomination on March 12, 1866. De Trobriand was mustered out of the volunteer service on January 15, 1866. On December 3, 1867 President Johnson nominated him for the brevet grade of brigadier general in the regular army
Regular army
A regular army consists of the permanent force of a country's army that is maintained under arms during peacetime.Countries that use the term include:*Australian Army*British Army*Canadian Forces, specifically "Regular Force"*Egyptian army*Indian Army...
, to rank from March 2, 1867 and the U.S. Senate confirmed the award on February 14, 1868.
Postbellum service
After the war, Trobriand continued to serve with the Army. He served as the commander of Fort StevensonFort Stevenson
Fort Stevenson was a frontier military fort in the 19th century in what was then Dakota Territory and what is now North Dakota. The fort was abandoned in 1883 with the sale of all buildings and property. In 1901 the lands encompassing the Fort Stevenson Military Reservation were sold to Black and...
in Dakota Territory
Dakota Territory
The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of North and South Dakota.The Dakota Territory consisted of...
from 1867 to 1870, and then as part of the occupation forces in the South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
, particularly New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, during Reconstruction. He resided in New Orleans from 1875, but did not retire from the Army until March 20, 1879.
During his retirement he wrote a number of books including Quatre ans de campagnes à l'Armée du Potomac, published in 1867 (English translation, Four Years with the Army of the Potomac, 1889), Vie militaire dans le Dakota, notes et souvenirs (1867–1869) (published posthumously in 1926, with its English translation, Army Life in Dakota), and Our Noble Blood (posthumous, 1997). He spent his summers with his daughter on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
.
Trobriand died in Bayport, New York
Bayport, New York
Bayport is the name of a hamlet in Suffolk County, New York, U.S. on Long Island. The population was 8,662 at the 2000 census.Bayport is in the southeast part of the Town of Islip.-Geography:...
, and is buried in St. Anne's Cemetery, Sayville, New York
Sayville, New York
Sayville is a hamlet and CDP in Suffolk County, New York, . Located on the south shore of Long Island in the Town of Islip, the population of the CDP was 16,735 at the time of the 2000 census.-History:...
.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals (Union)