David S. Stanley
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| David Sloane Stanley | |
|---|---|
| June 1, 1828 – March 13, 1902 (aged 73) | |
 Major General David S. Stanley |
|
| Place of birth | Cedar Valley, Ohio |
| Place of death | Washington, D.C. |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service/branch |  U.S. Army |
| Rank | Major General |
| Commands held | IV Corps |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
| Awards |  - Medal of Honor |
David Sloane Stanley (June 1, 1828 – March 13, 1902) born in Cedar Valley, Ohio and was a Union Army officer during the American Civil War and a recipient of America's highest military decoration the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Franklin.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
David Sloane Stanley graduated from West Point in 1852 and went to the Western frontier to survey railroad routes. He engaged in Indian fighting and was promoted to captain shortly before the outbreak of the Civil War.
He fought at several battles in Missouri, including the Battle of Wilson's Creek. He quickly rose in rank to brigadier general by September 1861. Fighting in the Western Theater, he participated in numerous major battles, including Corinth, Stones River and Chickamauga. In 1864, he fought under William Tecumseh Sherman, during the Atlanta Campaign and was promoted to command of the IV Corps in the Army of the Cumberland. After the capture of the city, instead of marching to the sea, Sherman dispatched Stanley and his IV Corps to Tennessee to protect the state from invasion by John Bell Hood's Confederate Army of Tennessee.
For leading one of his brigades in a successful assault, during a critical moment in the fighting, at the Battle of Franklin on November 30, 1864, the United States Congress presented him with the Medal of Honor on March 29, 1893. Commanding the IV Corps, two of its divisions had been re-assigned to the defensive lines of the XXIII Corps before the battle so that Stanley had no actual command. One division was overwhelmed by the initial assault and it was in rallying this division that Stanley was awarded the medal. He was wounded in the neck at the same time and had his horse shot out from under him. Gen. Cox, commanding the defenses, provided Stanley a remount with which to seek medical attention, and Stanley did not participate further in the battle.
After the war, Stanley was appointed colonel of the 22nd U.S. Infantry, primarily serving in the Dakota Territory until 1874. He commanded the Yellowstone Expedition of 1873, successfully conducting his troops through several unmapped areas, and his favorable reports on the country led to subsequent settlement of the region. In 1879, Stanley and his regiment were reassigned to Texas to suppress Indian raids in the western portion of the state. He was ordered to Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1882, and placed in command of the District of New Mexico. In March 1884, he was appointed a brigadier general in the Regular Army, and assigned command of the Department of Texas.
Stanley was interred at the United States Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. - Plot: Section O-20.[1]
[edit] Medal of Honor citation
Rank and Organization:
- Major General, U.S. Volunteers. Place and Date: At Franklin, Tenn., 30 November 1864. Entered Service At: Congress, Wayne County, Ohio. Born: 1 June 1828, Cedar Valley, Ohio. Date Of Issue: 29 March 1893.
Citation:
- At a critical moment rode to the front of one of his brigades, reestablished its lines, and gallantly led it In a successful assault.[2][3]
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ David S. Stanley at Find A Grave Retrieved on 2007-11-08
- ^ "Civil War Medal of Honor Citations" (S-Z): Stanley, David S.. AmericanCivilWar.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-09.
- ^ "Medal of Honor website” (M-Z): Stanley, David S.. army.mil. Retrieved on 2007-11-09.
[edit] References
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Appleton's Cyclopedia of American Biography.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Oliver O. Howard |
Commander of the IV Corps (ACW) July 27, 1864 - December 4, 1863 |
Succeeded by Thomas J. Wood |
| Preceded by Thomas J. Wood |
Commander of the IV Corps (ACW) January 31, 1865 - August 1, 1865 |
Succeeded by None, End of War |
