John G. Foster facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Gray Foster
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Portrait of John Foster by Mathew Brady, ca. 1863
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| Born | May 27, 1823 Whitefield, New Hampshire |
| Died | September 2, 1874 (aged 51) Nashua, New Hampshire |
| Place of burial |
Nashua Cemetery
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| Allegiance | United States of America Union |
| Service/ |
United States Army Union Army |
| Years of service | 1846–1874 |
| Rank |  Major General |
| Commands held | Department of North Carolina Army of the Ohio XVIII Corps Department of the South |
| Battles/wars | Mexican–American War
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| Other work | Assistant Professor of Engineering at West Point, Assistant to the Chief of Engineers in Washington D.C., Superintendent of the Harbor of Refuge, Author |
John Gray Foster (born May 27, 1823 – died September 2, 1874) was an American soldier. He was a career officer in the United States Army. During the American Civil War, he became a Union general. He served in North and South Carolina during the war.
After the war, Foster became an expert in underwater demolition. This means he knew a lot about destroying things underwater. He even wrote a book about it in 1869. He continued to work for the Army, using his skills in Washington, D.C., and at a post near Lake Erie.
From 1862 to 1863, General Foster was in charge of the Department of North Carolina. After President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, Foster helped formerly enslaved people. He created the Freedmen's Colony of Roanoke Island to help them start new, independent lives. By 1864, about 2,200 freed people lived there. After the war, the colony was closed.
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Early Life and Military Training
John Foster was born in Whitefield, New Hampshire. When he was ten, his family moved to Nashua. He went to local schools there. Later, he attended the West Point military academy. He graduated in 1846, ranking fourth in his class.
Foster first worked as an engineer during the Mexican–American War. He served under General Winfield Scott. He was badly wounded at the Battle of Molino del Rey. For his bravery, he received two special promotions. After the war, Foster taught at West Point. In 1858, he helped build Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor.
Service During the Civil War
When the Civil War began, Foster was a captain in the U.S. engineers. He was in charge of the soldiers at Fort Moultrie. He quickly moved his small group to Fort Sumter. There, he became second-in-command to Maj. Robert Anderson during the Battle of Fort Sumter. This was the first battle of the Civil War.
On October 23, 1861, Foster became a brigadier general. He led a brigade in Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside's expedition to North Carolina. He fought bravely at the battles of Roanoke Island and New Bern. After the Battle of Roanoke Island, a Confederate fort was renamed Fort Foster in his honor.
After General Burnside left, Foster took command of the Department of North Carolina. He was promoted to major general on July 18, 1862. He then led the Goldsboro Expedition.
During a Confederate attack on Washington, North Carolina, Foster personally took charge of the town's defenses. When Confederate General D. H. Hill demanded the town surrender, Foster famously replied, "If you want Washington, come and get it." Hill's forces surrounded the town. Foster managed to escape and led a group of soldiers back to help. Hill's forces soon left.
In December, Foster led the Goldsboro campaign. He won two smaller battles at Kinston and Goldsboro. These battles briefly shut down an important Confederate supply line.
Helping Freed People
In April 1863, after President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, General Foster appointed Horace James. James was a chaplain who became the "Superintendent of Negro Affairs for the North Carolina District." Foster wanted James to help formerly enslaved people. He directed James to create a colony on Roanoke Island for them. This became the Freedmen's Colony of Roanoke Island (1863–1867).
By 1864, about 2,200 freed people lived on Roanoke Island. They were given plots of land for their homes. Many worked for the Army for pay. James also found teachers and started several schools. A sawmill was built, and a fishing business began. More than 150 freedmen from the island joined the United States Colored Troops.
After the war, the colony was closed. This was because President Andrew Johnson returned land to former Confederate owners. Most of the freed people chose to move back to the mainland to find work. By 1870, only about 300 remained on the island.
In December 1863, Foster was sent to Tennessee. He took command of the Department of the Ohio. He was injured when he fell from his horse. After he recovered, he took command of the Department of the South. He helped force the surrender of Savannah, Georgia. He was preparing for the surrender of Charleston, but his old injuries forced him to give up command.
At the end of the war, Foster was put in charge of the Department of Florida. He was promoted to major general in the volunteer service. He also received a special promotion to major general in the regular army.
After the War
After the Civil War, John Foster stayed in the army. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel of engineers in 1867. In 1871, he became a colonel of engineers. He worked on military and underwater surveys. He became a leading expert in underwater demolition. His book on the subject, published in 1869, became a key reference.
From 1871 to 1874, he was an assistant to the Chief of Engineers in Washington, D.C.. His last job was overseeing the Harbor of Refuge on Lake Erie.
John Foster died in Nashua, New Hampshire. He was buried in Nashua Cemetery. The first meeting of the New Hampshire Veterans Association in 1875 was named Camp J.G. Foster in his honor.
Honors
- The John G. Foster Post #7 of the Grand Army of the Republic in Nashua was named after him.
- In 1900, Fort Foster in Maine was named in his memory by the U.S. Army. Today, it is a park.
