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Brig. Gen. Adolph Wilhelm August Friedrich von Steinwehr (b. 1822, d. 1877). Baron von Steinwehr was born in the Duchy of Brunswick, Germany. After attending the Brunswick Military Academy, he was commissioned lieutenant in his states army in 1841. He emigrated to the United States in 1847, where he worked as engineer for the U.S. Coastel Survey. When he applied for a combat post during the Mexican-American War, his application was denied, thus he went back to Brunswick before returning to America in 1854. When Pres. Abraham Lincoln called for volunteers to put down the Southern rebellion, von Steinwehr raised the 29th New York Infantry, a regiment that consisted mostly of Germans. The 29th was part of the reserve at First Bull Run and covered the Union retreat. Von Steinwehr was promoted to Brig. Gen. in October 1861 and got command of a brigade in Gen. Louis Blenker’s division that was attached to Gen. John Frémont’s forces in the Mountain Department. In Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson’s valley campaign Frémont was beaten and von Steinwehr could not show his abilities under the incompetent Blenker. The German got command of a devision nevertheless when Gen. Franz Sigel succeeded Frémont as corps commander. At Second Bull Run the division was in reserve and had to send reinforcements to other units. At the Battle of Chancellorsville (May 1863) von Steinwehr ordered Col. Adolphus Buschbeck’s brigade to build entrenchments which saved parts of his division when it was attacked by Jackson’s troops though the whole XI. corps, now under command of Gen. Oliver Howard, was routed. On the first day of Gettysburg von Steinwehr’s division was posted in reserve on Cemetery Hill. Howard later claimed that he had recognized the strong position but it was von Steinwehr who made the preparations to defend it (the Steinwehr Avenue reminds of him today at Gettysburg). And the Army of the Potomac hold Cemetery Hill for the rest of the battle. When the XI. Corps was sent West, von Steinwehr was transferred as well. His division fought in the battles for Chattanooga and distinguished itself in the night fight at Wauhatchie (October 28, 1863). However, von Steinwehr did not command combat troops for the rest of the war, but was only on garrison and supply duty. He resigned his commission on July 3, 1865. He was probably more a planer, staff officer and engineer than a combat leader. After the war, he worked as cartographer again and taught at Yale University. He is buried in Albany Rural Cemetery, Menands, New York.

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

Teaches: Diggers

Thanks.

Here’s von Steinwehr. I added a bunch of details, mainly gleaned from Wikipedia, and rewrote parts. Also, in addition to Diggers, I gave him Night Owls because of Wauhatchie (and because so few generals have that and Polar Bears that I never miss a chance to assign those two abilities).

Brig. Gen. Adolph Wilhelm August Friedrich von Steinwehr (b. 1822, d. 1877). Baron von Steinwehr was born in the Duchy of Brunswick, Germany. After attending the Brunswick Military Academy, he was commissioned a lieutenant in his state’s army in 1841. Emigrating to the United States in 1847, he worked as an engineer for the U.S. Coastal Survey. When he applied for a combat post during the Mexican-American War, his application was denied, and he went back to Brunswick before returning to America in 1854. When Pres. Abraham Lincoln called for volunteers to put down the Southern rebellion, von Steinwehr raised the 29th New York Infantry, a regiment that consisted mostly of Germans. This unit was held in reserve at First Bull Run and covered the Union retreat. Von Steinwehr was promoted to brigadier general on October 12, 1861 and given command of a brigade in Gen. Louis Blenker’s division, which was attached to Gen. John C. Fremont’s forces in the Mountain Department. During Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson’s Valley Campaign, Fremont was beaten and von Steinwehr could not demonstrate his abilities under the incompetent Blenker. Nevertheless, he was put in command of a division when fellow German Gen. Franz Sigel succeeded Fremont as corps commander. At Second Bull Run in late August 1862, von Steinwehr’s division was held in reserve and used to reinforce other units. At the Battle of Chancellorsville in May 1863, von Steinwehr ordered Col. Adolphus Buschbeck’s brigade to build entrenchments, which ended up saving part of his division when it was attacked by Jackson’s troops and the rest of the Union’s XI Corps, now under command of Gen. Oliver O. Howard, was routed. On the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg that July, von Steinwehr’s division was posted in reserve on Cemetery Hill. Howard later claimed that he had recognized this strong position, but it was von Steinwehr who made the preparations to defend it, providing the XI Corps with a haven when it was routed by Gen. Richard S. Ewell’s II Corps and enabling the Union to hold Cemetery Hill for the rest of the battle. When what was left of the XI Corps was sent to the western theater, von Steinwehr was transferred as well. His division fought in the battles for Chattanooga and distinguished itself in the Battle of Wauhatchie on the night of October 28, 1863. However, von Steinwehr did not command combat troops again for the rest of the war, losing his command when the two divisions of the XI Corps that had been sent westward were combined with divisions from the XII Corps to form the XX Corps. Instead, von Steinwehr – who evidently was more of a planner, staff officer and engineer than a combat leader – was limited to garrison and supply duty. Following the war, he resigned his commission on July 3, 1865. After the war, he worked as cartographer again and taught at Yale University. He is buried in Albany Rural Cemetery, in Menands, New York. (Bio by Joern Kaesebier)

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

Teaches: Diggers (7), Night Owls (8)

Start date: 18
“Death” date: 78