Brig Gen Mahlon Dickerson Manson

[mikeejay2]

Brig Gen Mahlon Dickerson Manson (b 1820 d 1895)Manson was born in Piqua, Ohio. His family moved to moved to Crawfordsville, Indiana. He became a school teacher in Montgomery County, Indiana. He studied medicine at the Ohio Medical College in Cincinnati, and gave medical lectures in New Orleans. During the Mexican War (1847-1848), he served with the 5th Indiana Volunteers as a captain. He returned to become a druggist in Crawfordsville, and served as a representative in the State House of Indiana 1851-1852). At the beginning of the Civil War he was appointed a captain in the 10th Indiana Infantry and was promoted to colonel in less than a month. He led the regiment at the battle of Rich Mountain in July 1861. Manson commanded a brigade in the Army of Kentucky, during the Battle of Mills Springs (Jan 1862), near Fishing Creek, Kentucky, which help lead to the defeat of the Rebel Force led by F. K. Zollicoffer. This led to his promotion to brigadier general in March, 1862 based on his actions in this battle. Manson was wounded in the thigh and captured in his next action during the Battle of Richmond, Kentucky (Oct ,1862). He was in a prisoner exchange in December of that year. Upon returning to duty, Manson fought against Morgan during Morgan’s Raid in Ohio. This action led to him receiving command of the 13th Corps during the Knoxville Campaign. In early 1864, he was assigned to command a brigade in Cox’s division in the Army of the Ohio during the Atlanta Campaign. In May, 1864, he was severely wounded by an exploding shell in the Battle of Resaca, Georgia, while leading his troops. His wound was so severe he was unable to return to active duty and resigned from the army in Dec,1864. Manson ran for Lt Governor of Indiana in 1864 but was defeated. He later served in the United States House of Representatives (1871-1873), as a state auditor (1878) and Lt Governor (1884). He became a internal revenue collector for the 7th district of Indiana from 1886 to 1889. Manson died in Frankfort, Indiana, and is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery in Crawfordsville.

[Gil R.]

Got it. Thanks.

[Gil R.]

Done with this one. It's good to get some unheralded Union guys in there to offset all of Battleline's guys.


Brig. Gen. Mahlon Dickerson Manson (b. 1820, d. 1895). Manson was born in Piqua, Ohio on February 20, 1820, later moving with his family to Crawfordsville, Indiana. He initially became a school teacher in Montgomery County, and then headed to the Ohio Medical College in Cincinnati to study medicine. During the Mexican War, he served with the 5th Indiana Volunteers as a captain. He returned to become a druggist back in Crawfordsville, and served as a representative in the State House of Indiana in 1851-1852. At the beginning of the Civil War, Manson was appointed a captain in the 10th Indiana Infantry, gaining promotion to colonel within a month. He led this regiment at the Battle of Rich Mountain, a small but significant engagement on July 11, 1861 that helped to secure western Virginia for the Union and propel Gen. George B. McClellan, who was commanding the Union forces, to his more prominent role in the war. With the neutrality of Kentucky violated, Manson and his men were among those sent into the eastern part of the state, participating in the first important Union victory of the war: on January 19, 1862, with Manson commanding the 2nd Brigade (which included his old regiment), Gen. George H. Thomas’s forces defeated those under Gen. George B. Crittenden in the Battle of Mills Springs (Fishing Creek), a battle best remembered for the death of Confederate Gen. Felix K. Zollicoffer. Manson’s performance led to his promotion to brigadier general on March 24. Later that year, on August 29, Manson’s brigade was the first to engage Gen. Patrick R. Cleburne’s division, part of Gen. Kirby Smith’s Army of Kentucky, as it advanced towards Lexington, intercepting the invaders near Richmond. The ensuing two-day Battle of Richmond (Kentucky) proved to be one of the most decisive Confederate victories, as fewer than 1,200 of the 6,500 Union troops escaped, leaving behind 206 killed, 844 wounded and 4,303 captured; moreover, the vanquished force, the Union’s Army of Kentucky, had to be disbanded because it was so badly depleted. Manson himself was wounded in the thigh and captured (along with most of his brigade), being freed as part of a prisoner exchange that December and returning to duty. The following summer, Manson fought against Gen. John H. Morgan during his famous raid into Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio, which lasted from June 11 until July 26. This action led to Manson’s receiving command of the XXIII Corps during the autumn Knoxville Campaign, the contest between forces under Gen. Ambrose Burnside and Gen. James Longstreet over whether Burnside would be able to reinforce the besieged Union army at Chattanooga. In 1864, Manson was assigned to command a brigade in Gen. Jacob D. Cox’s division in the Army of the Ohio during the Atlanta Campaign, but early in the campaign he was severely wounded by an exploding shell while leading his troops at the Battle of Resaca (May 13-15, 1864). Manson’s wound was so severe that he was unable to return to active duty and resigned from the army on December 21, 1864. [w]While still recovering,[/b] he ran in the 1864 election for Lieutenant Governor of Indiana, but was defeated. Running as a Democrat, Manson was later elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1871, serving a single term, and later was elected state auditor in 1878 and lieutenant governor in 1884. He also became a internal revenue collector for the 7th District of Indiana from 1886 to 1889. Manson died in Crawfordsville on February 4, 1895, and was buried in Oak Hill Cemetery. (Bio by Scott Jennings)

Leadership: 4
Tactics: 3
Initiative: 4
Command: 4
Cavalry:

Start date: 29
“Death” date: 95

Teaches: Random