January 26 – This day in the Civil War

Posted on January 26, 2009 by Michael Noirot

1814

  • US Brigadier General Rufus King was born in New York City.  His grandfather was a delegate, from Massachusetts, to the Continental Congress, and would be involved in the Constitutional Convention.  King would graduate from Columbia University.  He would later be appointed to West Point, where he would graduate in 1833, near the top of his class.  With the outbreak of the Civil War, King would be appointed brigadier general of the Wisconsin Militia, and on May 17, 1861 he was appointed brigadier general of U.S. Volunteers and was authorized to raise a regiment in Wisconsin.  As a division commander, his Wisconsin regiments, plus the 19th Indiana, would be involved in the fighting at Second Manassas.  This western brigade would become known as the Iron Brigade.  Unfortunately, due to an epileptic seizure, King would not be in command of his division, at Second Manassas.  In December 1862, he would sit on the court martial that convicted Fitz John Porterof disobedience and cowardice for his actions at Second Manassas.

1861

  • Louisiana becomes the sixth state to secede from the United States.  The state convention voted 113-17 in favor of secession.

About Michael Noirot

I grew up in the Central Illinois farming community, of Dunlap. Growing up, I played sports, tinkered with cars and enjoyed photography. While I did well in school, I did not become passionate about history until my early 30's. I have built a large library, of books on early America, politics and the Civil War. I am an avid reader. Fortunately, I have had plenty of opportunities to travel, over the years, and have been to most of the Civil War battlefields. I work while I travel, so more often than not, I am up, in the middle of the night, to get sunrise pictures, or I will be out until well after dark, exploring Civil War battlefields. I have other hobbies, and passions, that I really enjoy. Number one on the list would be guitar. I play my guitars on a regular basis, and enjoy the Bluegrass, and Contemporary Christian (CCM) genres. I play a style of guitar, called FLATPICKING, where using a flat pick, you play lead solos, similar to the way a fiddle would have been played during the 19th and early 20th Centuries. Laura, my wife, and I also enjoy scuba diving, travel and spending time at our property, in the country. Lastly, we spend as much time with our families, as possible. Thanks for stopping by.
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