Maj. Gen. Peter J. Osterhaus

[jkBluesman]

Maj. Gen. Peter Joseph Osterhaus (b. 1823, d. 1917). Osterhaus was one of the most competent German-born officers of the Civil War, rising from Captain to Major General. Born in Koblenz on the Rhine, he had served as conscript in the Prussian army before becoming one of the supporters of the German Revolution of 1848. After its failure Osterhaus had to flee the country and went first to France and in 1850 to the United States. There he settled in Illinois and Missouri and became one of the first Republicans. At the beginning of the secession crisis he enlisted as volunteer in St. Louis and was elected Captain of a company. He served under Gen. Nathaniel Lyon and proofed his coolness under fire at the battle of Wilson’s Creek in August 1861. As colonel of the 12th Missouri regiment, formed by German-Americans, he served in the Army of the West. At the Battle of Pea Ridge (March 7-8, 1862), Osterhaus commanded two brigades and led the force that checked the Confederate advance at Leetown on the first day. On the second day his forces joined Gen. Franz Sigel’s attack at Elkhorn Tavern that sent the enemy into retreat. For his remarkable performance Osterhaus was promoted to Brig. Gen. of Volunteers on June 9, 1862. He participated in Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s Vicksburg Campaign of 1863 and was wounded in the fighting at Big Black River Bridge. He recovered quickly and was part of the forces under Gen. William T. Sherman that held Confederate rescue forces at bay during the siege of Vicksburg. With Sherman he moved to the relief of Chattanooga in September. In the battles for the city, he was assigned by Grant to Gen. Joseph Hooker after a breaking pontoon bridge had separated his division from Sherman’s men. Osterhaus’ flanking movement at Rossville Gap helped to defeat the Confederates at Missionary Ridge. His pursuit of the enemy was checked however at Ringgold’s Gap by Gen. Patrick Cleburne’s crack units. Osterhaus led his division through Sherman’s Atlanta campaign and famous “March to the Sea” the following year though he was frequently absent due to health problems. He was promoted to Major General of Volunteers nonetheless (August 4, 1864). During the last months of the war he served as chief of staff to Gen. Edward Canby taking part in the capture of Mobile and organizing the surrender of Gen. Richard Taylor’s forces in Alabama on May 4, 1865. After the war Osterhaus served as Military Governor of Mississippi and American Consul in Lyon, France. He returned to Germany in 1898 as US-Vice-Consul in Mannheim and died during the First World War in Duisburg, only a few hundred miles from the town where he had been born. He had been the longest living Union Major General of the Civil War.

Ldr: 5
Tact: 4
Init: 4
Cmd: 5
Cav: 0

Teaches: Flankers, Steady

Gil, please check the year of his death. I found different ones though 1917 was given most often.

[Gil R.]

Thanks!

[Gil R.]

Done with this one. I'm running out of Germans...


Maj. Gen. Peter Joseph Osterhaus (b. 1823, d. 1917). Osterhaus was one of the most competent German-born officers of the Civil War, rising from captain to major general. Born in Koblenz on the Rhine, he had served as a conscript in the Prussian army before becoming one of the supporters of the German Revolution of 1848. After its failure Osterhaus had to flee the country, heading first to France and then, in 1850, to the United States. There he settled in Illinois and Missouri and became one of the first Republicans. At the beginning of the secession crisis he enlisted as a volunteer in St. Louis and was elected captain of a company as the citizens of Missouri prepared for a conflict that would pit them against each other. Osterhaus served under Gen. Nathaniel Lyon, whose responsibility it was to keep Missouri from seceding, and proved his coolness under fire at the Battle of Wilson’s Creek on August 10, 1861, where he commanded the 2nd Missouri Infantry. As Colonel of the 12th Missouri Infantry, formed by German-Americans, Osterhaus continued to serve in the Army of the West after that battle, which had proved a major defeat for the Union. At the Battle of Pea Ridge on March 7-8, 1862, Osterhaus commanded two brigades and led the force that checked the Confederate advance at Leetown on the first day, while on the second day his forces joined Gen. Franz Sigel’s attack at Elkhorn Tavern, sending the enemy into retreat. For his remarkable performance Osterhaus was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers on June 9, 1862. Osterhaus led a division in Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s Vicksburg Campaign of 1863 and was wounded in the fighting at Big Black River Bridge on May 17. He recovered quickly and joined the forces under Gen. William T. Sherman that held Confederate rescue forces at bay during the siege of Vicksburg, which fell on July 4. With Sherman he moved to the relief of Chattanooga that September after the defeat at Chickamauga. In the series of battles for the city, Osterhaus was assigned by Grant to Gen. Joseph Hooker’s command after a breaking pontoon bridge had separated his division from the rest of Sherman’s force. Osterhaus helped lift the siege of the city when his flanking movement at Rossville Gap played an important part in the defeat of the Confederates atop Missionary Ridge. His pursuit of the enemy, however, was checked at Ringgold’s Gap by Gen. Patrick Cleburne’s crack units. Osterhaus led his division through Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign and the famous “March to the Sea” the following year, though he was frequently absent due to health problems. On August 4, 1864 he was promoted to major general of volunteers. During the last months of the war he served as chief of staff to Gen. Edward Canby, taking part in the capture of Mobile and organizing the surrender of Gen. Richard Taylor’s forces in Alabama on May 4, 1865. After the war Osterhaus served as Military Governor of Mississippi and American Consul in Lyon, France. He returned to Germany in 1898 as U.S. Vice Consul in Mannheim and died during the First World War in Duisburg, only a few hundred miles from the town where he had been born. He had been the longest-living Union major general of the Civil War. (Bio by Joern Kaesebier)

Ldr: 5
Tact: 4
Init: 4
Cmd: 5
Cav: 0

Teaches: Flankers (11), Steady (14), Stalwart (27)

Start date: 34

[jkBluesman]

Wait until we get Colonels for the Big Battles.[;)]
And if you really like to get another German I can recommand Hugo Wangelin who received a brevet as brigadier general.

[Gil R.]

If Wangelin's not in the game already he doesn't get in until we finish the remaining 700 or so bios! (Unless you think he's really worth having, for one reason or another.)