John Eaton Tourtellotte
{{Short description|American Civil War Union general (1833–1891)}}
File:Bvt. Brig. Genl. J.E. Tourtelotte LCCN2002736835.jpg
John Eaton Tourtellotte (July 3, 1833 – July 22, 1891) was an American Union brevet brigadier general during the period of the American Civil War. He received his appointment as brevet brigadier general dated to March 13, 1865.{{cite book | year= 1983 | title= The Photographic History of the Civil War: Three Volumes in One | publisher= Random House Value Publishing, Inc. | location= New York | isbn=0-517-20155-0 | page= 314}}
Early life and military career
Tourtellotte was born on July 3, 1833, in either Windham, Connecticut, or Thompson, Connecticut. He attended Brown University and studied law at New York state's Albany Law School. After pursuing his education, he moved to Mankato, Minnesota. When the Civil War began, he served as a private and a captain in the 4th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment. On September 1, 1862, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel. On October 5, 1864, he was promoted to colonel. During the war, he participated in the Siege of Vicksburg. In the Battle of Allatoona in Georgia, he commanded 2,000 Union troops to victory over 7,000 Confederates. On October 5, 1864, during the battle, he was wounded in the hip, but commanded from an ambulance instead of leaving the battlefield.{{cite web |title=Minnesota Architecture – History Inventory Form – Tourtellotte Park |url=http://destinyhosted.com/mankadocs/2015/CCREG/20150223_11/97_Attachment%207%20-%20Tourtellotte%20Park%20Survey.pdf |publisher=City of Mankato |location=Mankato, Minnesota |access-date=26 June 2020}} The battle's victory inspired the song "Hold the Fort" by Philip Bliss.{{cite web |title=Hold the Fort! – Christian Hymn inspired by Civil War Battle |url=https://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/Allatoona2.html |access-date=26 June 2020}} He recovered to participate in Sherman's March to the Sea and the Battle of Bentonville.{{cite book | editor= Samuel Hart | year= 1917 | title= Encyclopedia of Connecticut Biography: Genealogical–Memorial Representative Citizens, Volume 4 | publisher= The American Historical Society | location= Boston | pages= 38}}
After the war, Tourtellotte entered the army again. He was assigned to be Detailed Superintendent of Indian Affairs in Utah with the 26th Infantry Regiment. After serving, he was transferred to General Custer's army, but did not make it—he was called back to Washington D.C. by William Tecumseh Sherman. Tourtellotte served as Sherman's aide-de-camp from January 1, 1871, until February 8, 1884. He finally retired from the army on March 20, 1885.{{cite web |url=https://blueearthcountyhistory.com/2019/06/02/tourtellotte-pool/ |publisher=Blue Earth County |location=Mankato, Minnesota |title=Tourtellotte Pool |last1=Afolayan |first1=Gideon |date=2 June 2019 |access-date=10 June 2020}}
Later life and death
Though he moved to Washington D.C., Tourtellottee continued to visit and boost the city of Mankato. He donated $8,800 to build the first hospital in Mankato, and he continued to practice law in the city, as well as nearby Lake Crystal, Minnesota.
Tourtellotte died on July 22, 1891, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.{{cite web|url=https://ancexplorer.army.mil/publicwmv/#/arlington-national/search/results/1/igEBMaoBBDE0LWE-/|title=Burial Detail: Tourtelotte [sic], John E |website= ANC Explorer|access-date=2020-12-23}}
Tourtellotte Park and Pool
The hospital Tourtellotte helped build was torn down in 1903. Four decades later in the same location, the city developed and formed the 13-acre Tourtellotte Park.{{cite news |last1=Krohn |first1=Tim |title=Tourtellotte helped 'Hold the Fort' |url=https://www.mankatofreepress.com/news/local_news/tourtellotte-helped-hold-the-fort/article_fb70bb46-9517-5b03-9325-12b3207a889e.html |access-date=26 June 2020 |publisher=Mankato Free Press |date=9 April 2011}} The park was built as a WPA project, and it included a bathhouse and Olympic-sized outdoor pool, which was also named after the colonel. [https://www.mankatomn.gov/city-services-a-z/city-services-n-z/parks/tourtellotte-pool Tourtellotte Pool] and the bathhouse fell into disrepair in the 1980s, but were saved by donations from local residents.
See also
{{Portal|American Civil War}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
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- {{Find a Grave|12385622}} (gravemarker at Arlington National Cemetery)
- {{Find a Grave|12499950}} (cenotaph at Tourtellotte Cemetery in Thompson, Connecticut)
- {{citation|url=http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/jetourtellote.htm |title=John Eaton Tourtellotte |publisher=ArlingtonCemetery.net |id=an unofficial website}}{{Unreliable source?|date=December 2020|reason=WP:SPS with uncertain/no attribution of sources}}
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Category:People from Windham County, Connecticut
Category:People from Mankato, Minnesota
Category:People of Connecticut in the American Civil War
Category:People of Minnesota in the American Civil War
Category:Albany Law School alumni