Adam Gale Malloy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Adam Gale Malloy
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Photo from A Standard History of Sauk County (Vol. 1)
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| Born | September 10, 1830 County Tipperary, Ireland, U.K. |
| Died | November 10, 1911 (aged 81) Escondido, California, U.S. |
| Buried |
San Marcos Cemetery, San Marcos, California
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| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/ |
United States Army Union Army |
| Years of service | 1846–1848 (USA) 1862–1865 (USV) 1865–1870 (USA) |
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| Commands held | 17th Reg. Wis. Vol. Infantry 3rd Bde., 3rd Div., XVII Corps |
| Battles/wars | Mexican–American War
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| Children |
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Adam Gale Malloy (born September 10, 1830 – died November 10, 1911) was an Irish American who came to the United States. He became a Republican politician. During the American Civil War, he was an officer in the Union Army. After the war, he received an honorary rank of brigadier general. He also ran for the United States House of Representatives in Texas in 1892, but he did not win.
Contents
Early Life and Military Start
Malloy was born on September 10, 1830, in County Tipperary, Ireland. At that time, Ireland was part of the United Kingdom. When he was a baby, his family moved to the United States.
When Malloy was 14, his father joined the 4th U.S. Infantry Regiment. Adam joined too, as a fifer, which is a musician who plays a fife.
Fighting in the Mexican-American War
When the Mexican–American War began, Malloy's regiment was sent to fight in Texas. His father was killed during the Battle of Resaca de la Palma. In that same battle, Malloy picked up a musket and joined the fighting.
He continued to serve through the rest of the war. He even fought in the important Battle for Mexico City. After the war, Malloy settled in Baraboo, Wisconsin. He worked in matters related to Native American affairs.
Civil War Service
Before the American Civil War started, Malloy was active in the Wisconsin militia. He helped train volunteers in Baraboo, Wisconsin. When the war began, many of his trainees joined the 1st Wisconsin Infantry Regiment.
Malloy stayed in Baraboo to organize a new company of soldiers. He was chosen as the captain of this group. Malloy led his company to Camp Randall in Madison. There, they became Company A of the 6th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment.
The 6th Wisconsin officially joined the army on July 16, 1861. They then traveled to Washington, D.C.. For the rest of that year, they built defenses around Washington. They also guarded important railroad bridges.
Leading the Irish Brigade
In December 1861, Malloy was promoted to lieutenant colonel. He joined the newly formed 17th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment, also known as the "Irish Brigade." This regiment was put together at Camp Randall and officially joined the army in March 1862.
With the 17th Wisconsin, Malloy moved to the western part of the war. He took part in the long sieges of Corinth and Vicksburg in Mississippi. Before the Vicksburg siege, in November 1862, Malloy was promoted to colonel of the regiment. This happened after the previous colonel resigned.
Malloy and the 17th Wisconsin decided to re-enlist as a veteran regiment in January 1864. This earned them a month-long break in Wisconsin. When they returned, they joined General William Tecumseh Sherman's Atlanta campaign.
They were assigned to the XVII Army Corps in Huntsville, Alabama. They became part of the 3rd brigade of the 3rd division within that corps. Malloy was put in charge of this brigade. His brigade also included soldiers from other regiments.
Malloy led his brigade through several major battles. These included Kennesaw Mountain, Atlanta, and Jonesboro. After these battles, the 17th Wisconsin camped near Atlanta in the fall of 1864.
Provisional Division and Final Months
While the regiment was camped in Atlanta, Malloy was given a leave of absence. He returned to Wisconsin for several weeks. During this time, General Sherman began his famous march to the sea.
Soldiers on leave were told to report to Chattanooga, Tennessee, when they returned. In Chattanooga, a special "provisional division" was formed. This division was made up of returning veterans and new recruits. Malloy was put in charge of a brigade within this division.
Malloy's brigade was first ordered to guard duty in Georgia. However, they soon learned that Confederate General John Bell Hood was planning to attack Nashville, Tennessee. So, they quickly traveled by train back north to help defend Nashville in the Battle of Nashville.
After some more work in Alabama, the provisional division was sent to Baltimore. From there, they took steamboats to Beaufort, North Carolina. They arrived on February 8, 1865. They then moved inland by train to New Bern, North Carolina. They worked to repair the railroad further inland.
In early March, they met Confederate forces under General Braxton Bragg. The Confederates were dug in along the railroad line. Malloy's brigade took part in the Battle of Wyse Fork. This battle helped clear the way to Goldsboro, North Carolina. Sherman's main army met them there on March 23, 1865. Malloy was praised for his actions in the Battle of Wyse Fork.
After rejoining Sherman's army, Malloy took command of the 17th Wisconsin Infantry again. They marched to Raleigh, North Carolina. They were camped there when they heard that the Confederate armies had surrendered. This effectively ended the war.
After the War
Malloy officially left the volunteer army on July 19, 1865. On January 13, 1866, President Andrew Johnson nominated Malloy for an honorary rank. He was to be a brevet brigadier general of volunteers. The United States Senate confirmed this on March 12, 1866.
In February 1866, Malloy joined the regular United States Army. He was appointed a 1st lieutenant with the 17th U.S. Infantry Regiment. He received several other honorary promotions for his Civil War service. These included captain, major, lieutenant colonel, and colonel.
Malloy left the Army in August 1870. He then accepted a job from the state government of Texas. His role was to help with Reconstruction, the period after the Civil War.
In 1874, President Ulysses S. Grant appointed him as a tax collector for a district in Texas. In 1880, President Rutherford B. Hayes appointed him as the customs collector for the port of Galveston, Texas. President Chester A. Arthur later re-appointed him to this role.
Malloy was a Texas delegate to the Republican national conventions several times. He was also a member of the Republican National Committee from 1880 to 1884. In 1892, he was the Republican candidate for the United States House of Representatives in Texas, but he did not win.
Around 1901, he moved to Los Angeles. From there, he moved to San Diego, and then to Escondido, California. He died in Escondido on November 10, 1911. He is buried in San Marcos, California.
See also
- List of American Civil War brevet generals (Union)
