Griffin Alexander Stedman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Griffin Alexander Stedman
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| Personal details | |
| Born | January 6, 1838 Hartford, Connecticut |
| Died | August 6, 1864 (aged 26) Petersburg, Virginia |
| Resting place | Cedar Hill Cemetery |
| Education |
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| Occupation | Lawyer, military officer |
Griffin Alexander Stedman (born January 6, 1838 – died August 6, 1864) was an important officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was a Colonel and fought in many big battles. Sadly, he was killed during the Battle of Petersburg. After his death, he was given a special honor, being promoted to a higher rank called brevet brigadier general.
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Griffin Stedman's Early Life and School
Griffin Alexander Stedman was born in Hartford, Connecticut, on January 6, 1838. His parents were Griffin Alexander and Mary (Shields) Stedman.
He went to Hartford High School. Later, he graduated from Trinity College in Hartford in 1859. After finishing college, he started working as a lawyer in Philadelphia.
Joining the Civil War
When the American Civil War began, Griffin Stedman joined a group called the Washington Greys in Philadelphia. He then returned to Hartford. There, he joined the First Regiment Colt's Revolving Rifles. This group was formed by the famous gunmaker Samuel Colt.
The First Regiment later changed its name. It became the 5th Connecticut Infantry Regiment. Griffin Stedman was made a captain in charge of Company I. Stedman and his regiment officially joined the army on July 22, 1861. On November 27, 1861, he became a major in the 11th Connecticut Infantry Regiment.
Stedman's Rise in Rank
On June 11, 1862, Griffin Stedman was promoted to lieutenant colonel. He and his regiment returned to the Army of the Potomac. They fought in the Battle of Antietam. During this battle, he led the right side of his regiment in an attack on a stone bridge. He was wounded in the leg during this fight.
He became a full Colonel on September 25, 1862. He was in command during the Battle of Fredericksburg.
In January 1864, his regiment signed up to serve again. When they returned to the front lines, they joined the Eighteenth Corps. On May 9, his troops fought in the Battle of Swift Creek. On May 16, they were at the Battle of Drewery's Bluff. There, he lost almost 200 of his men. In late May, he led a larger group called a brigade and fought at Cold Harbor.
Final Battle and Legacy
Griffin Stedman was badly wounded by a bullet in his side. This happened during the Battle of Petersburg on August 5, 1864. He passed away the next day, on August 6, 1864.
Major General Edward Ord tried to get Stedman promoted to brevet brigadier general before he died. This special honor was given to him after his death instead.
Griffin Stedman was first buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery. Later, on May 20, 1875, he was moved to his family's burial spot. This is at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Hartford, Connecticut. His stone coffin, called a sarcophagus, has carvings of his sword, cap, and belt. It also lists the battles he fought in. It says he was "Brave, just, generous and pure, without fear and reproach."
Remembering Griffin Stedman
Fort Stedman in Petersburg, Virginia, was named in his honor.
There is a bronze statue of Griffin A. Stedman in the Barry Square neighborhood of Hartford, Connecticut. The artist Frederick Moynihan designed it. The statue was made at the Gorham Manufacturing Company.
This neighborhood was once called Camp-Field. It was where soldiers from Hartford trained for the Civil War. After the war, two regiments, the 22nd and 25th, wanted to build a monument there. They wanted the statue to show a typical Connecticut soldier. They chose Griffin Stedman as the subject for the statue.
A street in Hartford, Stedman Street, is named after him. Also, the General Griffin A. Stedman Jr. Memorial Scholarship at Trinity College was created to honor him.
