William Ludlow
Encyclopedia
William Ludlow was an officer in the Corps of Engineers
and a major general in the United States Army
who served in the Civil War
, Plains Indian Wars
, the Spanish-American War
, and led a scientific expedition examining the natural wonders of Yellowstone National Park
.
, Suffolk County, New York
, the son of William H. Ludlow
and Frances Louisa Nicoll Ludlow. He received his education at University of the City of New York
and the United States Military Academy
. He graduated in 1864, during the height of the Civil War, and was commissioned in the Corps of Engineers.
Joseph Hooker
in the Atlanta Campaign
, and was appointed a brevet
captain for gallantry at the Battle of Peachtree Creek
. He was on the staff of Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman in both the March to the Sea
and the Carolinas Campaign
. In March 1865, he was appointed a brevet lieutenant colonel
.
, Washington, D.C.
, and in river and harbor management in Philadelphia, the Great Lakes
, Nicaragua
and New York City
. As Chief Engineer of Dakota Territory, he oversaw mapping and data collection of the 7th Cavalry's 1874 expedition into the Black Hills of what is now South Dakota
. In May 1898, he was appointed a brigadier general
of volunteers and Chief Engineer of the armies in the field. He commanded the 1st Brigade in Henry W. Lawton's division during the battle of El Caney
and the siege of Santiago
. Later he was the military governor of Santiago and commanded the Department of Havana. In September 1898 he was appointed a major general
of volunteers and sent to the Philippines. He briefly commanded the Department of the Visayas before returning to the U.S. on sick leave.
Ludlow died in Convent
, Morris County, New Jersey
, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery
.
. In one scene (at 25 min, 24 sec), the book Report of a Reconnaissance of the Black Hills of Dakota (which is an actual book authored by the real William Ludlow) is shown and referred to as the work of the fictional William Ludlow.
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
and a major general in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
who served in the 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...
, Plains Indian Wars
Indian Wars
American Indian Wars is the name used in the United States to describe a series of conflicts between American settlers or the federal government and the native peoples of North America before and after the American Revolutionary War. The wars resulted from the arrival of European colonizers who...
, the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
, and led a scientific expedition examining the natural wonders of Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho...
.
Early life
Ludlow was born in IslipIslip (town), New York
The Town of Islip is one of ten towns in Suffolk County, New York . Located on the south shore of Long Island, the town population was 322,612 at the 2000 census. The smaller, unincorporated hamlet of Islip lies within the town.-Demographics:...
, Suffolk County, New York
Suffolk County, New York
Suffolk County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York on the eastern portion of Long Island. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,493,350. It was named for the county of Suffolk in England, from which its earliest settlers came...
, the son of William H. Ludlow
William H. Ludlow
William Handy Ludlow was an American politician.-Life:...
and Frances Louisa Nicoll Ludlow. He received his education at University of the City of New York
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
and 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...
. He graduated in 1864, during the height of the Civil War, and was commissioned in the Corps of Engineers.
Civil War
Ludlow served under Maj. Gen.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...
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...
in the Atlanta Campaign
Atlanta Campaign
The Atlanta Campaign was a series of battles fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta during the summer of 1864. Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman invaded Georgia from the vicinity of Chattanooga, Tennessee, beginning in May...
, and was appointed a 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...
captain for gallantry at the Battle of Peachtree Creek
Battle of Peachtree Creek
The Battle of Peachtree Creek was fought in Georgia on July 20, 1864, as part of the Atlanta Campaign in the American Civil War. It was the first major attack by Lt. Gen. John B. Hood since taking command of the Confederate Army of Tennessee. The attack was against Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman's...
. He was on the staff of Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman in both the March to the Sea
Sherman's March to the Sea
Sherman's March to the Sea is the name commonly given to the Savannah Campaign conducted around Georgia from November 15, 1864 to December 21, 1864 by Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman of the Union Army in the American Civil War...
and the Carolinas Campaign
Carolinas Campaign
The Carolinas Campaign was the final campaign in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. In January 1865, Union Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman advanced north from Savannah, Georgia, through the Carolinas, with the intention of linking up with Union forces in Virginia. The defeat of ...
. In March 1865, he was appointed a brevet 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...
.
Postbellum service
After the Civil War, Ludlow devoted his life to a military career, serving in engineering and scientific capacities in the Dakota TerritoryDakota 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...
, 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....
, and in river and harbor management in Philadelphia, the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
, Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
and 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...
. As Chief Engineer of Dakota Territory, he oversaw mapping and data collection of the 7th Cavalry's 1874 expedition into the Black Hills of what is now South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
. In May 1898, he was appointed 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...
of volunteers and Chief Engineer of the armies in the field. He commanded the 1st Brigade in Henry W. Lawton's division during the battle of El Caney
Battle of El Caney
The Battle of El Caney was fought on July 1, 1898, during the Spanish-American War.-Background:At El Caney, Cuba, 514 Spanish regular soldiers, together with approximately 100 armed Spanish loyalists under the command of General Joaquín Vara de Rey were instructed to hold the northwest flank of...
and the siege of Santiago
Siege of Santiago
The Siege of Santiago also known as the Siege of Santiago de Cuba was the last major operation of the Spanish-American War on the island of Cuba. This action should not be confused with the naval battle of Santiago de Cuba.-Santiago Campaign:...
. Later he was the military governor of Santiago and commanded the Department of Havana. In September 1898 he was appointed a 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...
of volunteers and sent to the Philippines. He briefly commanded the Department of the Visayas before returning to the U.S. on sick leave.
Ludlow died in Convent
Convent Station, New Jersey
Convent Station is an unincorporated area within Morris Township, Morris County, New Jersey, east of Morristown.-History:The community is named after, and contains, the railroad station established during the 1870s to serve the complex of the Academy of Saint Elizabeth, a Catholic school operated...
, Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the United States 2010 Census, the population was 492,276. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Morristown....
, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
.
Integrity in service
A story published in an 1884 issue of the "Engineering News and American Contract Journal" featured Ludlow as an example of integrity in Army and civil service.In fiction
A highly fictionalized William Ludlow is featured in the movie Legends of the FallLegends of the Fall
Legends of the Fall is a 1994 epic drama film based on the 1979 novella of the same title by Jim Harrison. It was directed by Edward Zwick and stars Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins and Aidan Quinn. The film was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction , and Best...
. In one scene (at 25 min, 24 sec), the book Report of a Reconnaissance of the Black Hills of Dakota (which is an actual book authored by the real William Ludlow) is shown and referred to as the work of the fictional William Ludlow.
External links
- William Ludlow
- US Army Corps of Engineers – Historical Vignettes
- Notes for William Ludlow at www.pennock.ws Biography