Burnside

Burnside, Ambrose Everett, was born at Liberty, Indiana, U.S.A., in 1824, and graduated at the Military College, West Point, in 1847. He served as a cavalry officer in Mexico and New Mexico, seeing a little fighting against the Apaches, but in 1853 left the army and ultimately became treasurer of the Illinois Central Railway. At the outbreak of the Civil war he was colonel of volunteers, and in 1861 commanded a brigade on the Federal side at Bull river. He next assisted McClellan in organising his army, and early in 1862 directed the expedition which captured Roanoke Island, and he also took Newbern and other positions. As a major-general he joined McClellan on the James river, and took part in the battles of South Mountain and Antietam. At the end of 1862 he succeeded McClellan in the command of the army of the Potomac, and made a disastrous attack on Lee near Fredericksburg, after which he resigned. However, in the spring of 1863 he was once more in command in Ohio, whence he marched into East Tennessee and held Knoxville against Longstreet. In 1864 he was entrusted with the 9th corps under Grant and fought in all the chief engagements until Lee's surrender. From 1866 to 1871 he was Governor of Rhode Island, and in 1875 was elected to the Senate. He died in 1881.