Maj. Gen. Horatio Wright
Born: March 6, 1820
Clinton, Connecticut
Died: July 2, 1899
Washington, D.C.
1841: West Point Graduate
1841: 2nd Lieutenant of Engineers
1855: Captain
August 1861: Major
September 1861: Brigadier General
1862: Major General of Volunteers
(Not approved)
1865: Brevet Major General
March 1879: Colonel
Maj. Gen. Horatio Wright
1841: West Point Graduate - 2nd out of 52 cadets - Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant of Engineers
1841-1846: Taught French and Engineering at West Point
1846: Sent to Florida where he worked on the St Augustine harbor and the defenses of Key West
1855: Promoted to Captain
1856: Served as assistant to Chief of Engineers
Appointed as a member of military committee to study iron carriages for the construction of naval guns
Took part of the evacuation and destructiion of Gosport Naval Yard - April 20, 1861 Was captured during this action, but was released four days later as Virginia had not joined the war
Assigned to the 3rd Division of the Department of Northeast Virginia, started fortifications around Washington, D.C.
July 21, 1861: 1st Battle of Bull Run
August 1861: Promoted to Major
September 1861: Promoted to Brigadier General of Volunteers
November 1861: Expedition against Port Royal, South Carolina
February to June 1862: Successful operations against military targets on Florida coastline
February to June 1862: Successful operations against military targets on Florida coastline
Led to Appointment as Major General of Volunteers and commander of the Department of the Ohio
March 1863: Commander, Army of the Ohio
As his appointment to Major General, was demoted to Brigadier General, was not eligible to command a department and Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside
Wright served briefly as commander of the District of Western Kentucky before returning East
July 1863: Battle of Gettysburg where his corps was held in reserve
November 26 - December 1, 1863: Battle of Mine Run
May 5-6, 1864: Battle of the Wilderness
May 8-21, 1864: Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse - Assumed command of the VI Corps after Maj. Gen. Sedgwick's death
August 6 - October 16, 1864: Shenandoah Valley Campaign
October 19, 1864: Battle of Cedar Creek
Siege of Petersburg: VI Corps was first to break through Confederate defenses
April 6, 1865: Battle of Saylor's Creek
For action at Petersburg, promoted to Brevet Major General in Regular Army
July 1865 - August 1866: Commander, Army of Texas
Involved in several engineering projects to include the Brooklyn Bridge and finishing the Washington Monument
March 1879: Promoted to Colonel
Later named Chief of Engineers as Brigadier General
March 6, 1884: Retired from the Army
Boatner, Mark M. III. The Civil War Dictionary. New York: David McKay, 1867. p 949-950
Horatio Wright. 11 January 2023. web. 14 May 2023.
Warner, Ezra J. Generals in Blue Lives of the Union Commanders. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State, 1964. p 575-576