William Stretch Abert

William Stretch Abert (1 February 1836 – 25 August 1867) was an American officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

William Stretch Abert
Born(1836-02-01)February 1, 1836
Washington, D.C.
DiedAugust 25, 1867(1867-08-25) (aged 31)
Galveston, Texas
Buried
Rock Creek Cemetery
Washington, D.C.
AllegianceUnited States
Service/branchUnited States Army
Union Army
Years of service1855–1867
Rank Colonel
Bvt. Brigadier General
Unit4th U.S. Artillery
3rd U.S. Cavalry
6th U.S. Cavalry
7th U.S. Cavalry
Commands held3rd Massachusetts Heavy Artillery
Battles/warsAmerican Civil War

Biography

Abert was born on February 1, 1836 in Washington, D.C.. He was the youngest son of Colonel John James Abert,[1] chief of topographical engineers of the US Army. William Abert was appointed lieutenant in the 4th U.S. Artillery in July 1855.[2] At the beginning of the Civil War, Abert was promoted to captain and assigned to the 3rd U.S. Cavalry[3] before serving as an aide to General George B. McClellan. He participated in the battles of the Peninsula Campaign in spring 1862. After the Battle of Antietam he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel of volunteers and joined the staff of General Nathaniel Banks. After being promoted to colonel, he was given command of the 3rd Massachusetts Heavy Artillery Regiment. He was brevetted to Brigadier on March 13, 1865 for "bravery and meritorious service during the war". After the war, he returned to the army and was promoted to major in June 1867 in the United States 7th U.S. Cavalry.

Colonel Abert died on August 25, 1867 in Galveston, Texas,[4] from yellow fever, which was an epidemic on the Gulf Coast at that time,[5] with his death being announced by General Charles Griffin, "paying a high tribute to his memory".[6] Abert is buried in Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington, DC.

References
  1. Mary Marshall Duffee, "Your Last Name", The Wilmington Evening Journal, (March 2, 1923), p. 20.
  2. "Army Appointments", The Triweekly Washington Sentinel (July 26, 1855), p. 4, 5.
  3. Caughey, Donald C.; Jones, Jimmy J. (2013). The 6th United States Cavalry in the Civil War: A History and Roster. McFarland. p. 9-11. ISBN 9-780-78-646835-5. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  4. Herringshaw, Thomas William (1909). Herringshaw's National Library of American Biography. American Publishers' Association. p. 41. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  5. "The victims by yellow fever at New Orleans, Galveston &c., along the Gulf coast", Memphis Daily Post (September 9, 1867), p. 1.
  6. "From Texas", The Philadelphia Inquirer (August 29, 1867), p. 1.

General references

The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography (pp 396)

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