Edmund P. Gaines, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

    

Edmund P. Gaines

United States army officer

Date of Birth: 20-Mar-1777

Place of Birth: Culpeper County, Virginia, United States

Date of Death: 06-Jun-1849

Profession: military personnel

Nationality: United States

Zodiac Sign: Pisces


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About Edmund P. Gaines

  • Edmund Pendleton Gaines (March 20, 1777 – June 6, 1849) was a career United States Army officer who served for nearly fifty years, and attained the rank of major general.
  • He was one of the Army's senior commanders during its formative years in the early to mid-1800s, and was a veteran of the War of 1812, Seminole Wars, Black Hawk War, and Mexican–American War. A native of Culpeper County, Virginia, he was named for his great-uncle Edmund Pendleton.
  • Gaines was educated in Virginia and joined the Army as an ensign in 1799.
  • He served for a year before being discharged, but returned to service in 1801 and remained in uniform until his death.
  • In the early years of his military career, Gaines carried out important tasks including construction of a federal post road from Nashville, Tennessee to Natchez, Mississippi.
  • As commander of Fort Stoddert in 1807, he detained Aaron Burr, and Gaines subsequently testified at Burr's trial for treason.
  • During the War of 1812, Gaines advanced through the ranks to colonel as commander of the 25th Infantry Regiment and he fought with distinction at the Battle of Crysler's Farm.
  • Gaines was promoted to brigadier general during the war, and received a brevet promotion to major general. Gaines' post-war service included diplomacy with and military engagements against various tribes of Native Americans, though Gaines later opposed Andrew Jackson's Indian removal policy.
  • One of his infamous post war actions, as a General of the Federal Army, was the destruction of Negro Fort just over the state boundary in then Spanish held Florida.
  • Filled with escaped slaves, the enclave was viewed as a challenge to the authority of nearby states and slavery.
  • Residents included more than 270 people, many African Americans who had escaped slavery by running away.
  • When the fort was taken they were captured, killed, or enslaved.
  • The 1828 death of Jacob Brown, the Army's senior officer, touched off a bitter feud between Gaines and Winfield Scott over which had seniority and the best claim to succeed to command.
  • The quarrel became public and President John Quincy Adams decided to bypass both Gaines and Scott to offer the post to Alexander Macomb.
  • When Macomb died in 1841, President John Tyler quickly headed off a rekindling of the Gaines–Scott dispute by appointing Scott as the Army's commanding general.
  • Gaines continued to serve as a district, department and division commander, but became increasingly marginalized as Scott gained influence. At the start of the Mexican–American War, Gaines was stationed in Louisiana and issued a public call throughout the southern and southwestern states for volunteers to join Zachary Taylor's army.
  • He faced a court-martial for recruiting without prior authorization, but successfully defended his actions.
  • Gaines died in New Orleans, Louisiana and was buried at Church Street Graveyard in Mobile, Alabama.

Read more at Wikipedia

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