John L. Gardner (brigadier general) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John L. Gardner
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1844 photo of Gardner taken by Mathew Brady
Daguerreotype collection (Library of Congress) |
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| Born | August 1, 1793 Boston |
| Died | February 18, 1869 (aged 75) Wilmington, Delaware |
| Place of burial | |
| Allegiance |  United States of America
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| Service/ |
 United States Army
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| Years of service | 1812–1865 |
| Rank |  Colonel Brevet Brigadier General |
| Unit | 4th U.S. Infantry 7th U.S. Infantry |
| Commands held | 4th U.S. Artillery |
| Battles/wars | |
John Lane Gardner (1793–1869) was an important officer in the United States Army. He served in many major conflicts, including the War of 1812, the Second Seminole War, the Mexican–American War, and the American Civil War. He eventually became a brevet Brigadier General. After leaving the military, he continued to help the Army by recruiting new soldiers.
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John L. Gardner's Early Life and Military Career
John Lane Gardner was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1793. This was during George Washington's second term as president. Gardner joined the U.S. Army during the War of 1812. He soon found his calling as a career army officer. He served for over 40 years in the U.S. Army.
Just before the Civil War, Gardner was in charge of the soldiers at Fort Moultrie. He was removed from his command. This happened because he disagreed with the plans of Secretary of War John B. Floyd. Floyd later joined the Confederacy. He was planning to give control of the forts in Charleston Harbor to the Confederates. Gardner's actions showed his loyalty to the Union.
Serving in the War of 1812
Gardner began his military career during the War of 1812. He was appointed as a Third Lieutenant in the 4th Infantry on May 20, 1813. His first battle experience was in Canada. He was wounded in the Battle of La Cole Mills on March 30, 1814. He served under General James Wilkinson during this time. Later, he worked as an aide-de-camp (a personal assistant) for Brigadier General T. A. Smith.
Fighting in the Seminole War
Gardner also fought in the second Seminole War. This war took place in Florida against various Seminole Indian tribes. He participated in battles between 1835 and 1839. One notable battle was the Battle of Wahoo Swamp on November 21, 1836. After this war, Gardner wrote a book called Military Control. In his book, he discussed ways to improve military organization and management.
Actions in the Mexican–American War
During the Mexican–American War, Gardner served under Major General Winfield Scott. He was promoted to Major in 1845. From 1846 to 1848, he commanded the 4th Artillery Regiment. He was stationed at Fort Polk in Texas.
Gardner fought bravely at the Battle of Cerro Gordo on April 18, 1847. For his "Gallant and Meritorious Conduct," he was given the honorary rank of lieutenant colonel. He also served in the Battle of Contreras on August 20, 1847. For his actions there, he was given the honorary rank of Colonel. At Cerro Gordo, he led a company of the 7th Infantry. Many of his soldiers were killed or wounded. His commanders, including General Scott, praised his important service.
During the occupation of northern Mexico, there were many mining operations. To prevent illegal shipments of valuable metals, General Scott set up a system. Gardner oversaw these operations in January 1848. He made sure taxes were collected on the valuable metals. He was the Superintendent of Assessment for the Federal District.
Role in the Civil War
In June 1858, Gardner arrived at Fort Moultrie with his soldiers. They joined other companies to form the new U.S. Army group there. In August, a serious illness called yellow fever spread among the soldiers. Many became sick, and some died. To stop the illness from spreading, Gardner was allowed to move his troops outside the fort temporarily.
Gardner lived with his family outside the fort. This made it hard for him to openly help the fort. He feared for his family's safety. He once sent word to Captain Abner Doubleday to take command of the fort. This happened when a meeting of people who wanted to leave the Union was taking place nearby.
Gardner was a Union officer, but he understood some of the South's feelings. He felt the South had been treated unfairly. However, he was firm about defending the forts in Charleston Harbor. As tensions grew before the Civil War, Gardner asked President James Buchanan's Secretary of War, John B. Floyd, for more troops. He wanted to strengthen the garrison at Fort Moultrie on Sullivan's Island.
Floyd, who sympathized with the South, ignored Gardner's requests. Instead, he sent only about 70 men. Many of these men supported the South. They were supposedly there to repair the fort. However, their actions actually made the fort weaker. Floyd also planned to starve out the soldiers by limiting their food supplies. Gardner became suspicious of Floyd's plans. He secretly requested more provisions for his men. He wanted enough food for one hundred men for six months.
On November 8, 1860, Colonel Gardner ordered Captain Truman Seymour to move weapons from the Charleston arsenal to Fort Moultrie. News of this shipment leaked, and civilians blocked it. At that time, Fort Moultrie was the only one of four forts in Charleston Harbor with soldiers. Floyd sent an observer to the fort. The observer found that Gardner and his men were working hard to strengthen its defenses. They had also increased their supplies of food and ammunition.
Because Gardner was not cooperating with Floyd's plans to make the fort an easy target, he was removed from duty. This happened on November 15, 1860. Gardner was ordered to report to General David E. Twiggs in Texas. Major Robert Anderson replaced him. Anderson was chosen because he was from Kentucky and had connections in the South. Floyd wrongly believed Anderson would side with the Confederates.
Gardner's Final Years
After 40 years of continuous service, Gardner retired from active duty on November 1, 1861. Even after retiring, he continued to serve. He helped with recruitment efforts for the rest of the war. In 1866, he was given the honorary rank of brigadier-general. This was for his "long and faithful service." This rank was dated from March 13, 1865. On August 30, 1866, he began serving on a board in Philadelphia. This board helped disabled officers retire.
John L. Gardner died from pneumonia in Wilmington, Delaware, on February 19, 1869. He is buried in the cemetery at Immanuel Episcopal Church on the Green.
See also
- List of American Civil War brevet generals (Union)
- Battle of Fort Sumter
- List of American Civil War battles
- Bibliography of the American Civil War
- List of American Civil War generals (Union)
- List of American Civil War generals (Confederate)
