Edward S. Canby This is Me

 Web References

1. 1. Civil War Indiana Biographies - Edward Richard Sprigg Canby

   www.civilwarindiana.com/biogra - [Cached]

   Published on: 1/29/2006   Last Visited: 6/21/2008

   Canby fought in the Seminole War and was involved in the "Trail of Tears" forced removal of the Creeks, Cherokees, and Choctaws to Arkansas.He earned the brevets of major and lieutenant colonel in the Mexican War.Canby served staff duty on the Pacific Coast and in Washington, and he was promoted to major of the 10th Infantry in the army reorganization of 1855.Canby served frontier duty for five years before the Civil War and was serving at Fort Defiance in New Mexico Territory when the war broke out.On May 14, 1861, he was appointed colonel of the 19th Infantry and put in command of the Department of New Mexico.In January 1862, he fought off the invasion of Confederate General Henry H. Sibley, whose ultimate objective was the conquest of California.At Valverde, Canby was defeated, but was able to draw Sibley away from his supplies resulting in starving Confederates retreating to Texas.On May 31, 1862, he was appointed brigadier general of volunteers.He was ordered to the East where he served as an adjutant general in Washington and, in 1863, went to New York City to enforce order after the draft riots.On May 7, 1864, he was promoted to major general of volunteers and placed in command of the Military Division of the West Mississippi.Canby reorganized the forces of N. P. Banks and, with the cooperation of the navy, captured Mobile, Alabama.
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   Mobile surrendered April 12, 1865, and Canby received acknowledgment from President Lincoln and the War Department.He accepted the surrender of Generals Richard Taylor and Edmund Kirby Smith.Mustered out of volunteer service on September 1, 1866, he was promoted to brigadier general U. S. Army in the reorganization of 1866.He served in Washington and on Reconstruction Duty in the South.In 1870, he went to the West Coast, accepted command of the Department of Columbia, and, in 1873, was promoted to command the Division of the Pacific.Edward R. S. Canby was attacked by Captain Jack and other Modoc Indians and killed April 11, 1873, while in the midst of negotiations.His death led to further fighting.He was buried in Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis.