Brig. Gen. August Kautz

[jkBluesman]

Maj. Gen. August Valentine Kautz (b. 1828, d. 1895). He was born in the grand duchy of Baden, Germany but immigrated with his parents to the United States while he was still a baby. The family settled in Ripley, Ohio, where August’s brother Albert – who would become Rear Admiral in the Navy – was born in 1839. At the beginning of the American-Mexican War, August Kautz enlisted as a private in the 1st Ohio Volunteers. His service brought him the admission to West Point. He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1852 and fought remarkably against Indians in Oregon and Washington Territories. At the outbreak of the Civil War he was commissioned lieutenant colonel of the 2nd Ohio Cavalry under Abner Doubleday. However Kautz was reassigned to the 6th U.S. Cavalry for the Peninsula Campaign in 1862. After Doubleday’s promotion to general at the beginning of the Maryland Campaign, Kautz returned to Ohio as colonel to lead his old regiment and command Camp Chase in Ohio, where he stayed from December 1862 till April 1863. That month he was assigned to Gen. Samuel P. Carter’s division in the Army of the Ohio. With his brigade, he took part in the capture of Monticello, Kentucky on May 1 and the capture and pursuit of raider John Hunt Morgan in July 1863. Over time Kautz gained the reputation of an aggressive and competent cavalry leader, who inflicted great loss on his enemies while suffering only small numbers of casualties. Thus it came not as a surprise that he was given command of the cavalry of the XXIII corps and on May 7, 1864 command of a cavalry division in the Army of the James, the latter was combined with a promotion to brigadier general of volunteers. When the army was shifted to Virginia, Kautz began a series of raids against railroads that connected Richmond with the western part of the Confederacy. Widely noticed were the Wilson-Kautz raid and Kautz’ performance at Petersburg, where his outnumbered men advanced furthest during the Union attempt to seize the town on June 15-16. In October, Kautz was brevetted major general of volunteers. For the offensive operations in 1865, he was given the 1st division – composed of African-American troops – in the XXV corps which he led when they took part in the capture of Richmond on April 3. After the war, Kautz served for two months on the trial board investigating the conspirators involved in the assassination of Pres. Abraham Lincoln. He stayed in the army as lieutenant-colonel and served in New Mexico. There he played a prominent role in the fight against the Mescalero Apaches. He saw more service in California and Arizona, where he was made department commander and retired in 1892 as brigadier general. Kautz died on September 4, 1895 in Seattle, Washington. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Part of his legacy are the instructional texts he wrote in the 1860s: “The Company Clerk” (1863); “Customs of Service for Non-Commissioned Officers and Soldiers” (1864); and “Customs of Service for Officers” (1866).

Ldr: 6
Tact: 7
Init: 6
Cmd: 5
Cav: 7

Teaches: Wild, Hardy, Resilient

[jkBluesman]

As Kautz is ranked next to Sheridan and Custer in Heidler, I suggest these high ratings. As Kautz appears pretty late in the game, he will not play a prominent role. If the number of 25 percenters will be enlarged someday, Kautz might be considered.

[Gil R.]

Thanks. Seems like the supply of German officers is infinite.

[jkBluesman]

ORIGINAL: Gil R.

Thanks. Seems like the supply of German officers is infinite.

Actually, compared to the number of Union soldiers, the number of general officers was pretty limited. There are only four left in our list (and they were all not born in Germany) though with future scenarios colonels and brevet brigadiers might be added. I would do the final four until then: Julius Stahel, Albin Schoepf (they were German-Hungarian), Gabriel R. Paul and Georg D. Wagner (the former was listed in Kaufmann as German, but seems to have French ancesters, the latter was born in Ohio).

[Gil R.]

Okay, I've put you down for those four.

I guess that in our marketing materials we can boast of having the most accurate and complete set of German generals in any Civil War game, thanks to you.

[jkBluesman]

Referring to your signature: Thank you for editing (and for the compliment).

[Gil R.]

Ahh, I see you figured out the source of the quote!

[jkBluesman]

Kautz got updated.

[Gil R.]

Thanks. Copied.