Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock
Born: February 14, 1824
Montgomeryville, Pennsylvania
Died: February 9, 1866
New York City, New York
1844: West Point Graduate
1844: Brevet 2nd Lieutenant
1855: Captain
Sept. 23, 1861: Brigadier General
Nov. 29, 1862: Major General
Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock
Historian Glenn Tucker wrote: "his tactical skill had won him the quick admiration of adversaries who had come to know him as the "Thunderbolt of the Army of the Potomac.""
1844: West Point Graduate: 18th of of 25
1844: Brevet 2nd Lieutenant in 6th U.S. Infantry stationed in Indian Territory in Red River Valley
1846-1848: Mexican/American War
Initially assigned to recruiting duties in Kentucky
July 1847: Was permitted to join his regiment in Pueblo, Mexico
August 19, 1847: Battle of Contreras
August 20, 1847: Battle of Churubusco - wounded in the knee
Remained in Mexico with 6th Infantry until peace treaty signed in 1848
Army Quartermaster and adjutant in Fort Smelling Minnesota and St. Louis, Missouri
1855: Promoted to Captain
Third Seminole War as Quartermaster
Assigned to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
6th Infantry in Utah War
November 1858: Stationed in Southern California until start of the Civil War. Captain and assistant quartermaster under Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston
September 23, 1861: Promoted to Brigadier General and an infantry brigade in the Army of the Potomac
Peninsula Campaign
May 4-5, 1862: Battle of Williamsburg
September 17, 1862: Battle of Antietam - Assumed command of 1st Division II Corps following the wounding of Maj. Gen. Israel Richardson in the "Bloody Lane"
November 29, 1862: Promoted to Major General
December 13, 1862: Battle of Fredericksburg - attack on Marye's Heights - wounded in the abdomen
May 1-4, 1863: Battle of Chancellorsville - covered General Hooker's withdrawal and was wounded
July 1-3, 1863: Battle of Gettysburg
Replaced Gen. John F. Reynolds after he was killed the first day
Hancock was in temporary command of the left wing of the army, the I, II, III and XI Corps
Organized the defenses on Cemetery Hill
July 2, 1863: Hancock's II Corps was positioned on Cemetery Ridge
On the Union left, Gen. Longstreet smashed the III Corps and Hancock sent in his 1st Division to reinforce the Union lines at the Wheatfield
July 3, 1863: Continued his position on Cemetery Ridge and drew the force of Gen. Pickett's charge
Was wounded in his inner right thigh. The bullet had struck the pommel of his saddle allowing a nail and wood fragments to enter the wound. Because of the wound, he could not see his friend, Gen. Armistead who had been mortally wounded during the attack. Refused evacuation to the rear until the battle was completed.
Recovered from his wounds in Norristown, where he performed recruiting duties
Spring 1864: Returned to duty and field command of the II Corps under Lieut. Gen. U.S. Grant in the 1864 Overland Campaign
May 5-7, 1864: Battle of the Wilderness
May 12, 1864: Battle of Spotsylvania - Commanded the critical breakthrough assault of the Mule Shoe at the Bloody Angle
June 3, 1864: Corps suffered enormous losses
July 27-29, 1864: Battle of Deep Bottom
August 12, 1864: Promoted to Brigadier General in Regular Army
August 25, 1864: Battle of Ream's Station - Hancock's only significant defeat
November 1864: Left the field command after a year when it suffered over 40,000 casualties
Next command was Ceremonial First Veteran Corps
March 13, 1865: Promoted to Brevet Major General in Regular Army
Assigned to supervise the execution of the Lincoln assassination conspirators
1866: Promoted to Major General on Gen. Grant's recommendation
Late 1866: Transferred to command the military Department of the Missouri, which included Missouri, Kansas, Colorado and New Mexico
Assigned by Gen. Sherman to lead an expedition to negotiate with Cheyenne and Souix
President Johnson did not like the way reconstruction was going, so Gen. Sherman and Gen. Hancock switched commands
New assignment placed him in command of the 5th Military district covering Louisiana and Texas
November 29, 1867: Wrote General Order Number 40 - This order expressed sentiments supporting Pres. Johnson
August 1870: Ordered 2nd Cavalry to Fort Ellis to provide a military escort for Gen. Henry D. Washburn's expedition of the Yellowstone Region
1872: Gen. Meade died leaving Gen. Hancock the army's senior general
Grant assigned him command the Division of the Atlantic headquartered at Fort Columbus in New York City
1876: Made an attempt to run in the Democratic party to gain the presidential nomination, but fell short
1880: Ran as the Democratic presidential candidate, but lost to James A. Garfield
1881: Elected president of the National Rifle Association
1885: Last public act was oversight of President Grant's funeral leading the 9-mile procession
1886: Died while still in command of the Military Division of the Atlantic
Boatner, Mark M. III. The Civil War Dictionary. New York: David McKay, 1967. p 372
Warner, Ezra J. Generals in Blue Lives of the Union Commanders. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State, 1964. p 202-204
Winfield Scott Hancock. 28 March 2020. web. 15 April 2020.