Silas Colgrove
{{short description|Union Army officer during the American Civil War}}
{{Infobox military person
| name = Silas Colgrove
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1816|5|24}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1907|1|13|1816|5|24}}
| birth_place = Woodhull, New York, U.S.
| death_place = Kerr City, Florida, U.S.
| placeofburial = Cremated; ashes scattered over Lake Kerr
| image = Colgrove1.jpg
| allegiance = United States
| serviceyears = 1861–1864
| branch = Union Army
| rank = Colonel
brevet Brigadier General
| commands = 8th Indiana Infantry Regiment
27th Indiana Infantry Regiment
| battles = Battle of Rich Mountain
Shenandoah Valley Campaign
Battle of Front Royal
First Battle of Winchester
Battle of Cedar Mountain
Battle of Antietam
Battle of Chancellorsville
Battle of Gettysburg
Atlanta Campaign
Battle of Resaca
Battle of Peachtree Creek
}}
Silas Colgrove (May 24, 1816 – January 13, 1907) was an American lawyer, judge, and Union Army officer during the American Civil War. He commanded the 27th Indiana Infantry Regiment through significant battles in both the Eastern and Western Theaters, earning a brevet promotion to brigadier general for his distinguished service.{{cite web | last=Shaffer | first=Scott | title=A Look Back At Randolph County’s Connection to 'Special Order 191' | website=Winchester News Gazette | date=2022-05-26 | url=https://www.winchesternewsgazette.com/news/a-look-back-at-randolph-county-s-connection-to-special-order-191/article_8a5bb4b0-dc67-11ec-9c71-5bc55087a488.html | access-date=2025-06-22}}{{cite book |last=Brown |first=Edmund R. |title=The Twenty‑Seventh Indiana Volunteer Infantry in the War of the Rebellion, 1861–1865 |year=1899 |publisher=Indiana Historical Society}}{{cite book |last=Jones |first=Wilbur D. |title=Giants in the Cornfield: The 27th Indiana Volunteer Infantry |publisher=Indiana University Press}}
Early life
Colgrove was born in Woodhull, New York, on May 24, 1816. He later moved to Winchester, Indiana, where he worked as a lawyer and served as prosecuting attorney. From 1856 until 1861, he represented Randolph County in the Indiana House of Representatives.{{cite web | last=Shaffer | first=Scott | title=A Look Back At Randolph County’s Connection to 'Special Order 191' | website=Winchester News Gazette | date=2022-05-26 | url=https://www.winchesternewsgazette.com/news/a-look-back-at-randolph-county-s-connection-to-special-order-191/article_8a5bb4b0-dc67-11ec-9c71-5bc55087a488.html | access-date=2025-06-22}}{{cite book |last=Terrell |first=W. H. H. |title=Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Indiana |volume=2 |year=1865 |publisher=Indiana Adjutant General’s Office}}
Civil War service
At the outbreak of the Civil War, Colgrove was commissioned lieutenant colonel of the 8th Indiana Infantry Regiment and participated in the Western Virginia campaign, including the Battle of Rich Mountain, which helped secure the region for the Union.{{cite book |last=United States War Department |title=The War of the Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies |series=Series I, Vol. 38, Part 1 |year=1893 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office}}{{cite web | title=Silas Colgrove | website=The Civil War in the East | date=2016-07-13 | url=https://civilwarintheeast.com/people/silas-colgrove/ | access-date=2025-06-22}}{{cite web | title=Antietam: Col Silas Colgrove | website=The Battle of Antietam on the Web | date=1907-01-13 | url=https://antietam.aotw.org/officers.php?officer_id=291 | access-date=2025-06-22}}
In September 1861, he was promoted to colonel and given command of the newly formed 27th Indiana Infantry Regiment. Under his leadership, the regiment gained a reputation for discipline and resilience.{{cite web |title=27th Indiana Regimental History Collection (S2425) |url=https://www.in.gov/library/finding-aid/4566.htm |website=Indiana State Library}}{{cite web | title=Silas Colgrove | website=The Civil War in the East | date=2016-07-13 | url=https://civilwarintheeast.com/people/silas-colgrove/ | access-date=2025-06-22}}{{cite web | title=Antietam: Col Silas Colgrove | website=The Battle of Antietam on the Web | date=1907-01-13 | url=https://antietam.aotw.org/officers.php?officer_id=291 | access-date=2025-06-22}}
Colgrove led his regiment through the Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1862, engaging in combat at Battle of Front Royal and the First Battle of Winchester. The regiment played a key role in holding defensive positions and delaying Confederate advances during this critical campaign.{{cite book |last=Brown |first=Edmund R. |title=The Twenty‑Seventh Indiana Volunteer Infantry in the War of the Rebellion, 1861–1865 |year=1899 |publisher=Indiana Historical Society}}{{cite web | title=Silas Colgrove | website=The Civil War in the East | date=2016-07-13 | url=https://civilwarintheeast.com/people/silas-colgrove/ | access-date=2025-06-22}}{{cite web | title=Antietam: Col Silas Colgrove | website=The Battle of Antietam on the Web | date=1907-01-13 | url=https://antietam.aotw.org/officers.php?officer_id=291 | access-date=2025-06-22}}
At the Battle of Cedar Mountain in August 1862, Colgrove and the 27th Indiana fought valiantly under heavy enemy assault, helping to blunt Confederate attacks. Shortly thereafter, at the Battle of Antietam, the regiment suffered nearly 50% casualties while holding their position in Miller's Cornfield amid some of the war’s fiercest fighting.{{cite book |last=Jones |first=Wilbur D. |title=Giants in the Cornfield: The 27th Indiana Volunteer Infantry |publisher=Indiana University Press}}{{cite web | title=Silas Colgrove | website=The Civil War in the East | date=2016-07-13 | url=https://civilwarintheeast.com/people/silas-colgrove/ | access-date=2025-06-22}}{{cite web | title=Antietam: Col Silas Colgrove | website=The Battle of Antietam on the Web | date=1907-01-13 | url=https://antietam.aotw.org/officers.php?officer_id=291 | access-date=2025-06-22}}
In May 1863, Colgrove was wounded at the Battle of Chancellorsville during intense fighting as Union forces faced a surprise Confederate flank attack. Despite his injuries, he returned to lead the regiment at the Battle of Gettysburg, where the 27th Indiana was engaged in the brutal fight for Culp's Hill. Colgrove was again wounded but remained with his men on the front lines.{{cite web | title=Order of Battle Chancellorsville Union 12th Corps | website=Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park (U.S. National Park Service) | date=2015-02-26 | url=https://www.nps.gov/frsp/learn/historyculture/order-of-battle-chancellorsville-union-12th-corps.htm | access-date=2025-06-22}}{{cite web | title=Silas Colgrove | website=The Civil War in the East | date=2016-07-13 | url=https://civilwarintheeast.com/people/silas-colgrove/ | access-date=2025-06-22}}{{cite web | title=Antietam: Col Silas Colgrove | website=The Battle of Antietam on the Web | date=1907-01-13 | url=https://antietam.aotw.org/officers.php?officer_id=291 | access-date=2025-06-22}}
Later in 1864, the regiment transferred west to participate in the Atlanta Campaign. Colgrove led his men in the Battle of Resaca and the Battle of Peachtree Creek, where he sustained serious wounds. Recognized for his meritorious service, he was brevetted brigadier general in July 1864. Due to lingering effects of his injuries, Colgrove resigned from active service on December 30, 1864.{{cite book |last=Brown |first=Edmund R. |title=The Twenty‑Seventh Indiana Volunteer Infantry in the War of the Rebellion, 1861–1865 |year=1899 |publisher=Indiana Historical Society}}{{cite web | title=Silas Colgrove | website=The Civil War in the East | date=2016-07-13 | url=https://civilwarintheeast.com/people/silas-colgrove/ | access-date=2025-06-22}}{{cite web | title=Antietam: Col Silas Colgrove | website=The Battle of Antietam on the Web | date=1907-01-13 | url=https://antietam.aotw.org/officers.php?officer_id=291 | access-date=2025-06-22}}
Post-war career
After the war, Colgrove was elected Circuit Court judge for Randolph and Delaware Counties in Indiana, serving multiple terms. He also served as president of the Cincinnati, Fort Wayne & Grand Rapids Railroad. In 1888, he moved to Washington, D.C., where he worked at the Bureau of Pensions until retiring in 1893 due to ill health.{{cite book |last=Terrell |first=W. H. H. |title=Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Indiana |volume=2 |year=1865 |publisher=Indiana Adjutant General’s Office}}{{cite web | title=Silas Colgrove | website=The Civil War in the East | date=2016-07-13 | url=https://civilwarintheeast.com/people/silas-colgrove/ | access-date=2025-06-22}}{{cite web | title=Antietam: Col Silas Colgrove | website=The Battle of Antietam on the Web | date=1907-01-13 | url=https://antietam.aotw.org/officers.php?officer_id=291 | access-date=2025-06-22}}
Death
Silas Colgrove died on January 13, 1907, in Kerr City, Florida. He was cremated, and his ashes were scattered over Lake Kerr.{{cite book |last=Jones |first=Wilbur D. |title=Giants in the Cornfield: The 27th Indiana Volunteer Infantry |publisher=Indiana University Press}}{{cite web | title=Antietam: Col Silas Colgrove | website=The Battle of Antietam on the Web | date=1907-01-13 | url=https://antietam.aotw.org/officers.php?officer_id=291 | access-date=2025-06-22}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://archive.org/details/twentyseventhind00brow The Twenty‑Seventh Indiana Volunteer Infantry in the War of the Rebellion, 1861–1865 – full text at Internet Archive]
- [https://civilwarindex.com/27th-indiana-infantry.html Civil War Index: 27th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment roster and history]
- [https://www.in.gov/library/finding-aid/4566.htm 27th Indiana Regimental History Collection (S2425) at the Indiana State Library]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Colgrove, Silas}}
Category:People from Steuben County, New York