Joseph Cabell Breckinridge Sr.

Joseph Cabell Breckinridge Sr.
Born January 14, 1842
Baltimore, Maryland
Died 1920
Washington, D.C.
Resting place Lexington Cemetery
Title Inspector General of the United States Army
Predecessor Roger Jones
Successor Peter D. Vroom
Spouse(s) Louise Ludlow Dudley
Children Joseph Cabell Breckinridge Jr., Henry Skillman Breckinridge
Parent(s) Robert Jefferson Breckinridge & Ann Sophonisba Preston

Joseph Cabell Breckinridge Sr. (1842–1920) was a Union Army officer from Kentucky during the American Civil War. In later life, he became a brigadier general in the U.S. Regular Army and Inspector General of the Army as well as a major general of volunteers in the Spanish–American War. His cousin, John C. Breckinridge, a Confederate major general and former Vice President of the United States and his two oldest brothers fought for the Confederacy, while he and another younger son of Robert Jefferson Breckinridge, a Presbyterian minister, politician, public office holder and abolitionist, fought for the Union.[1]

Biography

Breckinridge was born in 1842, a member of the prominent Breckinridge family, in Baltimore, Maryland. His father, Robert Jefferson Breckinridge, a minister, was one of the most distinguished divines and one of the most prolific writers of the century; a leader of the Kentucky emancipation party in 1849; and a strong Union man in 1861 at the outbreak of the Civil War.

Joining the Army in August 1861, Breckinridge was appointed an aide-de-camp to George H. Thomas, and served with him at Mill Springs and Shiloh. While serving at Corinth, he was commissioned a lieutenant in the 2nd US Artillery. He served in the Atlanta Campaign, and was captured following the death of James B. McPherson. After being exchanged, he served out the remainder of the war as a mustering officer, and received brevet promotions to captain (July 1864) and major (March 1865). He received promotions to the full ranks of captain and major in 1874 and 1881 respectively.[2]

On January 30, 1889, Breckinridge was promoted to brigadier general and Inspector General of the Army. He was promoted to Major General of volunteers in the Spanish–American War. He served on the staff of V Corps in Cuba and was engaged in the battles of El Caney and San Juan Hill, where he had a horse shot from under him. Tragically, his eldest son, Joseph Cabell Breckinridge Jr., died while serving on the torpedo boat USS Cushing (TB-1). Ensign Breckinridge was washed overboard and drowned in Cuban waters.

General Breckinridge retired from the Army on April 12, 1903, having been promoted to major general the day before.

General Breckinridge was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR). He served as president of the District of Columbia Society in 1894 and as President General of the National Society of the SAR from 1900 until 1901.[3] He was also a member of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, Grand Army of the Republic and the Military Order of Foreign Wars.

Major General Breckinridge was married to Louise Ludlow Dudley, daughter of Ethelbert Ludlow Dudley of Lexington, Kentucky in July 1868.

Military awards

Dates of rank

  • 2nd Lieutenant - 14 April 1862
  • 1st Lieutenant - 1 August 1863
  • Brevet Major - 13 March 1865
  • Captain - 17 June 1874
  • Major - 19 January 1881
  • Lieutenant Colonel - 5 February 1885
  • Colonel - 22 September 1885
  • Brigadier General - 30 January 1889
  • Major General, Volunteers - 4 May 1898
  • Mustered out of Volunteers - 30 May 1898
  • Major General - 11 April 1903
  • Retired - 12 April 1903

Notes

  1. ↑ See generally Hollingsworth, Randolph. "Breckinridge, Robert Jefferson" In Encyclopedia of the American Civil War: A Political, Social, and Military History, edited by David S. Heidler and Jeanne T. Heidler. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2000. ISBN 0-393-04758-X. pp. 279–280.
  2. ↑ https://archive.org/stream/officersofarmyna00powe/officersofarmyna00powe_djvu.txt
  3. ↑ http://www.sar.org/NSSAR-Presidents-General

References

  • Hollingsworth, Randolph. "Breckinridge, Robert Jefferson" In Encyclopedia of the American Civil War: A Political, Social, and Military History, edited by David S. Heidler and Jeanne T. Heidler. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2000. ISBN 0-393-04758-X. pp. 279–280.
  • http://www.old-picture.com/mathew-brady-studio/Breckinridge-General-Cabell-Joseph.htm
  • https://web.archive.org/web/20100917235417/http://breckinridge.com/breckbio.htm
  • The Cabells and Their Kin By Alexander Brown
Military offices
Preceded by
Roger Jones		 Inspector General of the U. S. Army
January 30, 1889-April 11, 1903		 Succeeded by
Peter D. Vroom
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