Henry B. Carrington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Henry Beebee Carrington
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Henry B. Carrington
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| Born | March 2, 1824 Wallingford, Connecticut |
| Died | October 26, 1912 (aged 88) Boston, Massachusetts |
| Place of burial |
Fairview Cemetery
Hyde Park, Massachusetts |
| Allegiance | United States of America Union |
| Service/ |
United States Army Union Army |
| Years of service | 1861–1870 |
| Rank |  Colonel (USA)Brigadier General (USV) |
| Commands held | 18th U. S. Infantry District of Indiana |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War Indian Wars |
| Other work | Adjutant-General of Ohio author, lawyer |
Henry Beebee Carrington (born March 2, 1824 – died October 26, 1912) was an American lawyer, professor, and writer. He also served as an officer in the United States Army. He was active during the American Civil War and later in the Old West during Red Cloud's War.
Carrington was a skilled engineer. He built several forts to protect the Bozeman Trail. However, he faced a major defeat from the Native American war chief Red Cloud.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Henry Carrington was born in Wallingford, Connecticut. When he was young, he strongly opposed slavery. He graduated from Yale University in 1845. From 1846 to 1847, he taught natural science and Greek at the Irving Institute in Tarrytown, New York. He was inspired by the school's founder, Washington Irving. Later, Carrington wrote a book called Battles of the American Revolution, which came out in 1876.
In 1847, he studied at Yale Law School. He also taught briefly at a women's school. The next year, he moved to Columbus, Ohio. There, he worked as a lawyer with William Dennison, Jr.. Dennison later became the Governor of Ohio in 1860.
Carrington was a strong opponent of slavery and a member of the Whig Party. He helped create the Republican Party in 1854. He became good friends with Governor Salmon P. Chase. In 1857, Chase appointed him as a Judge Advocate General. The next year, he became the Adjutant-General of Ohio. His job was to reorganize the state's citizen army, known as the militia.
Serving in the Civil War
When the American Civil War began, Carrington helped organize many soldiers. He gathered ten militia groups and twenty-six Ohio regiments. In May 1861, he became a colonel of the new 18th U.S. Infantry. He also set up Camp Thomas near Columbus, Ohio.
In August 1862, the state of Indiana needed more soldiers. Governor Oliver P. Morton asked for an experienced military officer to help. The War Department sent Carrington. He quickly organized thousands of new troops and sent them to the front lines.
Carrington also investigated groups that tried to stop people from joining the army. These groups also encouraged soldiers to leave the army without permission. In December, he told Governor Morton and President Abraham Lincoln about these secret organizations. Governor Morton found Carrington's help very important. He asked to keep Carrington in Indiana.
Carrington continued to investigate secret groups like the Knights of the Golden Circle. These groups helped soldiers desert and tried to stop people from joining the army. In March 1863, Carrington was promoted to brigadier general. He became the commander of the District of Indiana.
Carrington worked as an intelligence officer in Indianapolis. He built a network of spies and gathered information from many people. His work as a spy master was recognized by Major General Samuel P. Heintzelman. Carrington believed the leaders of these secret groups should be tried in court. However, Governor Morton, Secretary Stanton, and President Lincoln decided to try them in military courts. Carrington gathered evidence for these trials. He stayed in Indianapolis until 1865.
Red Cloud's War and Later Life
After the Civil War, Carrington's 18th Infantry unit moved West. In 1866, Carrington became the commander of the Mountain District. He moved his headquarters to Colorado. His job was to protect the Bozeman Trail. He personally oversaw the building of the remote Fort Phil Kearny during Red Cloud's War.
Some of Carrington's officers thought he was not aggressive enough in fights with Native Americans. In December 1866, a large group of Native Americans attacked soldiers who were cutting wood. They then attacked a group of eighty soldiers led by Captain William J. Fetterman. Fetterman had ignored Carrington's order not to chase the Native Americans too far from the fort. Fetterman's group was led into a trap and all eighty soldiers were killed. This event is known as the Fetterman Fight.
Because Fetterman was popular, rumors spread that Carrington had ordered his men into the disaster. General Ulysses S. Grant wanted to put Carrington on trial. However, General William T. Sherman suggested a special investigation instead. This investigation cleared Carrington of blame. Another investigation by the Department of the Interior also found him innocent. Even so, Carrington was removed from command right after the disaster. This effectively ended his military career.
In 1868, Carrington's first wife, Margaret Carrington, wrote a book about Fort Phil Kearny. It was called Absaraka, Home of the Crows. After Margaret died in 1870, Carrington published new versions of the book. These included more details about his experiences. The book was published seven times.
In 1870, Carrington retired from active military service. He became a professor of military science at Wabash College in Indiana. He taught there until 1878. Then, he moved to Hyde Park in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1871, Carrington married Frances Grummond. She was the widow of Lt. George W. Grummond, who was killed in the Fetterman massacre.
Carrington received an honorary law degree from Wabash College in 1873. In 1889, he traveled to Montana. He helped negotiate the move of the Bitterroot Salish people from their traditional lands to the Flathead Indian Reservation. In 1890, he counted the populations of the Six Nations in New York and the Cherokee Nation.
In 1908, Carrington and his second wife, Frances C. Carrington, were honored in Sheridan, Wyoming. Carrington spoke at the memorial site for the Fetterman massacre. With Carrington's help, Frances wrote Army Life on the Plains in 1910. This book described their experiences at Fort Phil Kearny.
Carrington's Writings
Henry Carrington wrote many books and articles. Some of his notable works include:
- The Scourge of the Alps (1847)
- Russia Among the Nations and American Classics (1849)
- Battles of the American Revolution, 1775-81 (1876)
- Crisis Thoughts (1878)
- Battle Maps and Charts of the American Revolution (1881)
- The Indian Question (1884)
- Battles of the Bible
- Boston and New York, 1775 and 1776 (1885)
- Washington the Soldier (1899)
- The Exodus of the Flat Head Indians (1902)
His first wife, Margaret, wrote Absaraka, Home of the Crows: Being the Experience of an Officer's Wife on the Plains (1868). This book was based on a daily journal she kept. His second wife, Frances, wrote My Army Life and the Fort Phil. Kearney Massacre, With an Account of the Celebration of "Wyoming Opened," (1910).
