Maj. Gen. Edward Richard S. Canby

[jkBluesman]

Maj. Gen. Edward Richard Sprigg Canby (b. 1817, d. 1873). A better administrator than fighter, Canby was the Union general who received the surrender of the last Confederate field armies. Born in Kentucky, his family moved soon to Crawfordsville, Indiana where he entered Wabash College. He left school in order to get educated at the U.S. Military Academy. Graduating from West Point in 1839 Canby had his first fight with Indians in Georgia, Oklahoma Territory and Florida, where he participated in the Second Seminole War. During the Mexican-American War he fought in the major engagements and won two brevets for his conduct. After the conflict he served in California when it was admitted as a state to the Union. During the 1850’s Canby served on the frontier including the Utah War of 1857-1858 before being transferred to New Mexico. At the outbreak of the Civil War he was still in the territory. In May 1861 he was promoted and given command of the department of New Mexico. He had to defend it against a Confederate invasion led by his former subordinate Gen. Henry H. Sibley. Canby was defeated in the battle of Val Verde on February 21, 1862, but managed to hold out with his remaining force in Fort Craig. A month later, the Southerners lost their supply train at Glorieta Pass and thus had to retreat. Canby was promoted to brigadier general on March 31, but could not catch the fleeing enemy who managed to escape to Texas. But Canby had saved the Western territories and was transferred to the east. He served for a year as adjutant general in Washington before becoming commanding general of New York City following the draft riots in July 1863. He returned west in May 1864 as freshly promoted major general. In West Mississippi he reorganized the demoralized forces after the Red River Campaign and prepared the move on Alabama’s major cities. In April 1865 he was wounded during the capture of Mobile but led his men nevertheless against Montgomery at the end of the month. On May 4 the remaining Confederate forces in Alabama surrendered to Canby followed by those West of the Mississippi. After the war, Canby stayed in the army as brigadier general and oversaw Reconstruction of former Confederate states always trying to be just. However, he often came into conflict with Republicans and Democrats, Northerners and Southerners, including family members from former slave states. In 1870 Canby became commander of the Pacific Northwest. In that capacity he became involved in the Modoc War of 1872 when the Indian tribe of the Modocs refused to move to their assigned reservation. When Canby went unarmed to a peace talk in April 1873 he and other members of the peace party were killed by the Indians under Kintpuash or “Captain Jack”. Canby thus became the only general officer killed in the Indian Wars. His murderers were later executed and the tribe sent to reservations. Canby’s body was brought to Indiana a month after he was killed and buried in Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis.

Ldr: 2
Tact: 3
Init: 4
Cmd: 3
Cav: 0

Teaches: Resilient

[Gil R.]

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