Going West to Get East: USA Maj. Gen. Cuvier Grover

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Maj. Gen. Cuvier Grover (b. 1828, d. 1885) Tours in Virginia were sandwiched around a stint in Louisiana for Maine’s Cuvier Grover. Cuvier was born July 28, 1828, in Bethel, Maine. He came from a successful family. His older brother, La Fayette, was a governor of Oregon and senator from that state. A bright youngster, he was ready for college at the age of 15, but was deemed too young to enter the U.S. Military Academy. For two years, he worked in business in Boston until he was ready to go to West Point. There, he graduated fourth of 44 in the Class of 1850. He helped to explore the route of the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1853-54 and later went on the Mormon Expedition. At the start of the war, he was captain in the 10th Infantry at Fort Union, New Mexico. Confronted by Confederate sympathizers, he destroyed the fort and anything of military value, taking his troops out of harm. On April 14, 1862, was named a brigadier general of volunteers. During the Peninsular Campaign, he was commander of the 1st Brigade, 2nd Division of the III Corps. He saw action at Yorktown, Williamsburg, Seven Pines, Savage’s Station and Malvern Hill. After the Peninsular Campaign, Grover’s brigade was shifted to John Pope’s Army of Virginia, which was mauled in the Second Manassas Campaign. At Groveton (Aug. 29, 1862), the brigade took 486 casualties while trying to assault troops under Maj. Gen. Thomas Jackson, who were secure behind a railroad embankment. After this campaign, Grover was sent to the Department of the Gulf. There, he led the 4th Division of Maj. Gen. Nathaniel Banks’ XIX Corps. At the siege of Port Hudson, Grover commanded the right wing of the Federal forces. Following that, the XIX Corps was recalled to Virginia, where it opposed the valley campaign of Confederate Lt. Gen. Jubal Early in 1864. Grover earned a promotion to major general of volunteers for his service at Winchester (Sept. 19, 1864) and Fisher’s Hill (Sept. 22, 1864). At Winchester, Grover directed an attack which succeeded at first, but was repulsed when the division became disorganized. Grover was wounded at Cedar Creek (Oct. 19, 1864), but earned a brevet promotion to brigadier general in the regular army and promotion to major general of volunteers (both ranking from that day) for his action. After his recovery, and at the end of the war, he was commanding the District of Savannah, Georgia. He was promoted to the grade of major general in the regular army at the close of hostilities. Opting to stay in the army, he was made lieutenant colonel of the 38th Infantry, a Negro regiment, in 1866. In 1869, he was an officer without assignment. Later, he was made colonel of the 1st Cavalry. In 1885, he went to Atlantic City in an attempt to improve his health. He died there, June 6, 1885, and was buried at West Point.