top of page
Maj. Gen. Samuel P. Heintzelman

 

​

Born: September 30, 1805

Manheim, Pennsylvania

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Died: May 1, 1880

Washington, D.C.

 

1826: West Point Graduate

1826: Brevet 2nd Lieutenant

July 7, 1838: Captain

October 9, 1847: Brevet Major

1855: Brevet Lieutenant Colonel

1861: Colonel

May 1861: Brigadier General of Volunteers

May 5, 1862: Major General

Brig. Gen. Samuel P. Heintzelman

1826: West Point Graduate - Brevet 2nd Lieutenant in 3rd U.S. Infantry

2nd U.S. Infantry - served in the frontier

Second Seminole War

July 7, 1838: Appointed Captain in Quartermaster Department remaining in Florida with 2nd Infantry until 1842

Mexican/American War

October 9, 1847: Appointed Brevet Major

1848-1849: Traveled with his regiment around Cape Horn to California where he served in California and Arizona Territory

December 1851-1855: Yuma War

1855: Brevet Lieutenant Colonel

1859: First Cortina War - largely responsible for defeating Juan Cortina's forces

1861: Promoted to Colonel of 11th U.S. Infantry

May 1861: Brigadier General of Volunteers

July 21, 1861: 1st Battle of Bull Run - wounded in the knee

November 12, 1861: Led 2nd Michigan Infantry for the raid ransacking and devastation of Pohick Church in Lorton, Virginia

​

March 1862: Received command of III Corps in the Army of the Potomac

April 5-May 4, 1862: Siege of Yorktown - along with division commander Gen. Fitz John Porter to use Union Army Balloon Corps

May 4-5, 1862: Battle of Williamsburg

May 31-June 1, 1862: Battle of Fair Oaks

June 25, 1862: Battle of Oak Grove

June 30, 1862: Battle of White Oak Swamp

After the Seven Days Battles, was promoted to Major General, effective May 5, 1862

August 29-30, 1862: 2nd Battle of Bull Run - Corps received heavy casualties

September 4, 1862: Relieved from command being judged too old

Spent the rest of the war commanding the Washington defenses

1865: At the end of the war, tank converted back to Colonel

February 22, 1869: Retired and was granted a promotion to major general for pension

Boatner, Mark M. III. The Civil War Dictionary. New York: David McKay, 1967. p 392

Samuel P. Heintzelman. 13 January 2020. web. 10 April 2020

Warner, Ezra J. Generals in Blue Lives of the Union Commanders. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State, 1964. p 227-228

​

bottom of page