Robert Sanford Foster facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Sanford Foster
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Robert Sanford Foster
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| Nickname(s) | "Sandy" |
| Born | January 27, 1834 Vernon, Indiana |
| Died | March 3, 1903 (aged 69) Indianapolis, Indiana |
| Place of burial |
Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis, Indiana
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| Allegiance | United States of America Union |
| Service/ |
United States Army Union Army |
| Years of service | 1861-1865 |
| Rank |  Brigadier General Brevet Major General |
| Commands held | 13th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
| Other work | U.S. Marshal |
Robert Sanford Foster (born January 27, 1834 – died March 3, 1903) was an American military officer. He served as a general for the Union Army during the American Civil War. He played an important part in the Siege of Petersburg and the Appomattox Campaign.
After President Abraham Lincoln was killed in April 1865, Foster was chosen to be part of a special group. This group investigated the people accused of the murder. He left the army in September 1865. Foster then went back to Indianapolis, Indiana, where he lived and worked for the rest of his life. He also served as a U.S. Marshal for a time.
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Early Life and Family
Robert Foster was born in Vernon, Indiana in 1834. He had three brothers: Wallace, Chapin, and Edgar. Wallace later became a captain in the Civil War.
Robert moved to Indianapolis. There, he first worked in his uncle's grocery store. He also learned how to be a tinsmith. His brothers also moved to Indianapolis and lived there their whole lives.
Marriage and Children
On May 1, 1861, Robert Foster married Margaret R. Foust. She was also from Indianapolis. Just one week later, Foster left to join the war.
Robert and Margaret had two children. Their son, Clarence Foster, later lived in Chicago. They also had a daughter, who sadly died in September 1898 from an accident.
Military Career
When the Civil War began, Foster joined as a private in the Indiana volunteers. He quickly became a captain in Lew Wallace's 11th Indiana Infantry Regiment. He fought in the Battle of Rich Mountain in western Virginia.
After these battles, he moved to the 13th Regiment Indiana Infantry. He became a major and then a colonel on April 30, 1862. Foster led his regiment during Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign of 1862. Later, his regiment moved to southeast Virginia, near Suffolk.
Leading Troops
At Suffolk, Foster took charge of a brigade, which is a large group of soldiers. This was part of John J. Peck's division. In 1863, when Confederate General James Longstreet threatened Suffolk, more soldiers were sent to Peck's group. Foster led the 2nd Brigade in Michael Corcoran's 1st Division. During the Siege of Suffolk, Foster's brigade defended the southwest side of the city. After the siege ended, Foster was promoted to brigadier general on June 12, 1863.
Foster then moved to Quincy A. Gillmore's X Corps near Charleston, South Carolina. Foster commanded the 1st Brigade of Union forces on Folly Island during the siege of Charleston Harbor. In early 1864, Foster led a brigade, and then a division, in Florida.
Key Battles
When Gillmore's corps moved to southeast Virginia, Foster took command of the 1st Division, X Corps. During the Bermuda Hundred Campaign, Foster worked as chief of staff for Gillmore. He briefly returned to lead the 1st Division before going back to brigade command. He led his brigade in the first and second battles of Deep Bottom. He also commanded the 2nd Division, X Corps, at the Battle of New Market Heights.
In the winter of 1864 and 1865, the Army of the James was reorganized. Foster was put in charge of the 1st Division of the XXIV Corps, now led by John Gibbon. Foster famously led his division in an attack on Fort Gregg during the Union breakthrough at Petersburg. Foster's division was part of the Union force that blocked Robert E. Lee's escape route at Appomattox Court House. This led to the Confederate surrender there. Foster was given the honorary rank of major general on March 13, 1865.
After the fighting ended, Foster was chosen to be part of the Military Commission in 1865. This group investigated the people involved in President Abraham Lincoln's assassination. Secretary of War Edward M. Stanton and Judge Advocate General Joseph Holt agreed that the assassination and related attacks were acts of war.
After this important service, Foster left the army in September 1865.
Life After the War
After the war, Robert Foster returned to Indiana. He settled in Indianapolis with his family. He became very involved in different community groups. He was elected to local government jobs and held state positions.
He served as an elected alderman, which is a city council member. He was also the city treasurer and president of the Board of Trade for several years. Presidents Garfield and Arthur appointed him as a United States Marshal for Indiana. The Governor of Indiana also appointed him as a director of the Northern Prison. He also served as Quartermaster-General of the National Guard of Indiana.
Robert Foster died in Indianapolis in 1903.
