William H. Emory facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Hemsley Emory
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | September 7, 1811 Queen Anne's County, Maryland |
| Died | December 1, 1887 (aged 76) Washington, D.C. |
| Place of burial |
Congressional Cemetery
|
| Allegiance | United States Union |
| Service/ |
United States Army Union Army |
| Years of service | 1831–1836, 1838–1876 |
| Rank |  Major General |
| Commands held | XIX Corps |
| Battles/wars | Mexican–American War American Civil War |
William Hemsley Emory (born September 7, 1811 – died December 1, 1887) was an important American surveyor and civil engineer in the 1800s. He was an officer in the U.S. Army's mapping team. He was very good at mapping the borders of the United States. This included the border between Texas and Mexico, and the area bought in the Gadsden Purchase. He also wrote important scientific reports about these regions.
Contents
Early Life and Career
William H. Emory was born in Queen Anne's County, Maryland. His family lived on an estate called "Poplar Grove." He went to the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. He finished his studies and graduated in 1831.
After graduating, he became a second lieutenant. He served in the Fourth Artillery until 1836. He then left the army to work as a civil engineer. But he returned to the army in 1838. He became a lieutenant in the new Corps of Topographical Engineers.
Emory was known as a great mapmaker and explorer. From 1839 to 1842, he surveyed harbors and the Delaware River. In 1844, he joined an expedition that made a new map of Texas. This map showed Texas's claims all the way to the Rio Grande. This work made him famous across the country. It was especially important because a war with Mexico seemed likely.
He then helped survey the Canada–United States border from 1844 to 1846. His maps were so good and accurate that they often replaced older maps. This made him the top expert for the western United States beyond the Mississippi River.
Mapping the Southwest
When the Mexican–American War began, Emory was chosen to join General Stephen Watts Kearny. He went with the Army of the West to take control of New Mexico and California. During this journey, he kept a detailed journal. He wrote about the march along the Rio Grande and across to the Gila River. He followed the Gila River to where it met the Colorado River, and then continued to the Pacific coast.
His journal was published in 1848 by the U.S. Congress. It was called Notes of a Military Reconnaissance from Fort Leavenworth to San Diego. This book became a very important guide for people traveling to Southern California. It described the land, rivers, cities, and forts. It also included observations about Native Americans and Mexicans. This report is still seen as a key record of the historic Southwest. It is especially famous for its detailed maps. Emory was a very careful and reliable mapmaker.
After the war, Emory was sent to survey the new United States-Mexico border. First, he mapped from the Gila River across California to the coast. Then, he worked with the Bartlett survey from El Paso westward from 1849 to 1853. There was a disagreement between Mexico and the U.S. about where the border started near El Paso. This was due to a mistake in the original map used in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848).
A compromise was reached with the Gadsden Purchase in 1854. Emory was chosen to lead the American team to survey this new border line from 1855 to 1856. He had earlier helped convince Senator Thomas Jefferson Rusk of Texas about the best route for a southern railroad. This was one of the main reasons for the Gadsden Treaty.
William H. Emory did more than just map the land. He also wrote notes about the plants and the people living in the sparsely populated Southwest. His multi-volume survey was published as the Report of the United States and Mexican Boundary Commission. This report was a huge contribution to understanding the geography and natural history of the region.
American Civil War Service
In 1861, when the American Civil War started, Emory was in the Indian Territory. He worried that his troops might be captured by Confederate soldiers. So, he got help from Black Beaver, a famous Lenape warrior. Black Beaver guided Emory's troops to safety. Emory promised that the government would pay Black Beaver for his ranch, which he lost.
Emory moved Union troops from Fort Washita to Fort Leavenworth. During this move, Black Beaver scouted for enemy troops. Emory then attacked and captured some of his pursuers. These were the first prisoners taken during the Civil War.
At the start of the war, Emory was worried about his family. He wrote a letter to resign from the army on May 9, 1861. He quickly regretted this and tried to stop the letter from being delivered, but he couldn't. Even though he resigned, he was unofficially made a major general. His resignation was later officially canceled. Important people like General Winfield Scott spoke up for him.
Emory served as a brigade commander in the Army of the Potomac in 1862. He was then moved to the western part of the war. He was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers on March 17, 1862. Later, he led a division in the Port Hudson campaign.
He then returned to the East. He commanded the Nineteenth Corps. He fought in all the major battles during the Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1864. At the Battle of Cedar Creek, Emory's actions helped save the Union army from a big defeat. This happened before Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan's arrival.
By the end of the war, Emory was a colonel in the regular army. He also had an honorary promotion (called a brevet) to major general. He was officially promoted to major general in the volunteers on September 25, 1865. He left the volunteer army on January 15, 1866.
After the War
After the war, Emory held several important jobs. He commanded the Department of the Gulf. This included federal troops in Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi. This was a tough and dangerous job during the Reconstruction period.
In September 1874, President Ulysses S. Grant sent Emory to New Orleans. There, he successfully made peace with the White League. This group had taken over the city by military force. As a result, Republican Governor Kellogg was put back in charge, and the White League broke up. General Sheridan later removed Emory from command for political reasons. Emory retired from the army in 1876.
Family Life
Emory married Matilda Wilkins Bache on May 29, 1838, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Matilda was the daughter of Richard Bache Jr. and Sophia Burrell Dallas. She was also a great-granddaughter of Benjamin Franklin. Her uncle was George Mifflin Dallas, who was the 11th Vice President of the United States.
Emory and his wife had 10 children. Their oldest son, Campbell Dallas Emory, was an aide to Major General George G. Meade during the Civil War. A younger son, William H. Emory Jr., became a rear admiral in the United States Navy.
Death and Legacy
William H. Emory died on December 1, 1887, in Washington, D.C. He is buried in the Congressional Cemetery there.
When he was at West Point, he earned the nickname "Bold Emory."
Many places are named after him:
- Emory Pass, a mountain pass in New Mexico.
- Emory Peak in Big Bend National Park.
- Fort Emory, a training area for Special Forces.
- Emory Elementary School in San Diego, located near the border he helped map.
- A small crater on the Moon, named by the astronauts of Apollo 17.
Several plants and animals are also named in his honor:
- The Great Plains rat snake, Pantherophis emoryi.
- The Texas spiny softshell turtle, Apalone spinifera emoryi.
- Emory's crucifixation thorn (Castela emoryi).
- The cacti Grusonia emoryi and Bergerocactus emoryi.
- The plant genus Emorya.
|
See also
In Spanish: William Hemsley Emory para niños
