James B.

Steedman
James Blair Steedman (July
29, 1817 – October 18, James Blair Steedman
1883) was
an American general in the
Union Army in the Civil
War. A printer by trade,
and then President of
Public Works in Ohio, he
raised a ninety-day
regiment that saw action
in the early fighting at
Philippi, Western Virginia
(June 1861). Posted to the
Western theatre and
promoted brigadier under Nickname(s) Steady
Buell, Steedman was Born July 29, 1817
credited with saving a Northumberland
whole division from being County, Pennsylvania

routed at the Battle of Died October 18, 1883 (aged 66)

Perryville. Toledo, Ohio
Place of Woodlawn Cemetery, Toledo,
At the desperate Battle of
burial Ohio
Chickamauga, he lent
Allegiance  Republic of Texas
valuable support to
 United States of America
General George Thomas,
Service/ Texian Army
and his courageous acts
branch United States Army
were praised as the
Years of 1835 (Texas Army)
salvation of the remaining
service 1861–1866 (U.S.)
Union forces after their
Rank  Major general (U.S.)
defeat. He reunited with
Commands 14th Ohio Infantry
Thomas
held
at Nashville (December
Battles/wars Texas War of Independence
1864), taking heavy losses
American Civil War
at first, but playing a big
Battle of Rich Mountain
part in the dramatic victory
Battle of Mill Springs
that ended the war in the Siege of Corinth
west. Battle of Perryville
Battle of Stone's River
Battle of Chickamauga
Early life and Second Battle of Dalton

career edit Battle of Nashville

Other work Ohio legislator, printer, Toledo
police captain
Steedman was born
in Northumberland
County, Pennsylvania, in the summer of 1817, the second out of five
children.[1] Steedman would not receive any formal education while growing
up.[2] He was fifteen years old when both of his parents died, and to support his
siblings he worked as a typesetter for the Lewisburg Democratnewspaper
in Lewisburg. Two years later he moved to Louisville, Kentucky, and found work
there again as a typesetter for the Louisville Journal. He was employed as
a printer until joining the Texas Army of Sam Houston in 1835.[1]

After fighting in the Texas War of Independence, Steedman returned to home

to Pennsylvania, where he worked on a public works project as a supervisor. In
1835 Steedman moved to Ohio, desiring to become a public works contractor, but
failed initially to find work for his firm. He decided to return to his newspaper
roots and bought a printing press in the city of Napoleon in Henry County, Ohio,
where he began publishing the Northwest Democratnewspaper in 1838. Also
during this time he married Miranda Slides, and contracts for public works began
to come in. Steedman prospered as a contractor, his firm building early parts of
both the Wabash and Erie Canal and the Toledo, Wabash and Western Railway.[1]

Steedman began his career in politics in 1847, serving two terms in the Ohio
General Assembly. Afterwards he worked as a railroad conductor and then went
to California in 1849, prospecting for gold.[3] In 1850, he returned to Ohio, and
was on the state's board for public works from 1852 to 1857, three out of those
four years serving as its president. Also during that time, he was admitted to the
state's bar association and then established a law practice in Toledo.[1]Steedman
became an editor of the North-Western Democrat and Toledo Times newspaper
and a major general of the 5th Division in the Ohio State Militia in 1857, holding
both positions until the beginning of the American Civil War in 1861. From 1856
to 1860, he also worked as a printer to the United States Congress.[3]

In 1860, Steedman was part of Ohio's delegation to the Democratic National

Convention when it met in Charleston, South Carolina, and was an active
supporter of Stephen Douglas in Baltimore, Maryland. Also in 1860, he
campaigned unsuccessfully for election to the U.S. House of Representatives for
the district of Toledo.[2]

Civil War service edit

At the start of the American Civil War in 1861,

Steedman chose to follow the Union cause and
volunteered in the United States Army. He raised and
was elected colonel of the 14th Ohio
InfantryRegiment on April 27.[3] The 14th Ohio was
initially a ninety-day unit, but was re-organized that
fall by Steedman when their enlistments were up.
Steedman was mustered out of the volunteer service
on August 13, and was appointed a regular
army colonel of the 14th Ohio on September
1,[3] shortly after the regiment re-enlisted for three Steedman as a
brigadier general
years.[2] Steedman and the 14th first saw action in June
during the Union victory at the Battle of
Philippi in Barbour County, Virginia (now part of West Virginia.)[2]

Steedman and his regiment were then sent to serve in the Western Theater. They
took part in Union victory during the Battle of Mill Springs near modern-
day Nancy, Kentucky, in January 1862. The 14th Ohio also participated in
the Siege of Corinth at Corinth, Mississippi, in late April and early
June.[2] Steedman was promoted to the rank of brigadier general on July 17, 1862,
and given brigade command in the Army of the Ohio.[3]

Following the Union victory at the Battle of Shiloh in April 1862, Steedman and his
brigade were sent to join Maj. Gen. Don Carlos Buell's army in Kentucky that fall.
During the Battle of Perryville on October 8, his brigade reinforced Brig.
Gen. Rousseau's division, timely filling a gap in the Union line and saving the
division from being pushed from the field. Steedman would receive a high
commendation from Buell in his official report of the battle.[1]

Steedman and his brigade fought during the Battle of Stones River in December
1862 and into January 1863,[1]with his command a part of Brig. Gen. Speed S.
Fry's division of the renamed Army of the Cumberland, now under the command
of Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans[3]
Chickamauga edit

Main article: Battle of Chickamauga

During the Battle of Chickamauga in Tennessee in the
fall of 1863, Steedman led the vanguard of Union Maj.
Gen. Gordon Granger's Reserve Corpsto Maj.
Gen. George Henry Thomas' aid on September 20.
From his position north of the battlefield at MacAfee's
Church, Granger heard the sounds of the fight to the
south. Without orders from Rosecrans, Granger sent
Steedman's brigade to support Thomas' last-ditch
defensive effort as the rest of Rosecrans' defeated
army raced for Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Steedman moved quickly and arrived about 2:30 p.m., Attacks at

just in time to stop Confederate Lt. Gen. James Chickamauga on
September 20, 1863
Longstreet's attempt to turn Thomas's right. Steedman
is credited with "performing the most conspicuous act
of personal courage recorded by any army officer during the Battle of
Chickamauga"[4][5] and preventing Rosecrans' defeat turning into a Union
"disaster."[1] Military historian Ezra J. Warner stated that "His heroism was virtually
the salvation of the Union forces left on the field" at Chickamauga.[6]During the
fight, Steedman was wounded when his horse was shot and killed under him.[3]

In late 1863, Steedman participated in the Siege of Chattanooga, as well as

the Third Battle of Chattanoogafrom November 23–25.[2] He remained in
Chattanooga, commanding all forces there until May 1864, during which he was
promoted to the rank of major general on April 20.[3] Steedman also participated
in much of the Atlanta Campaign,[2] and then commanded the District of Etowah
in the Department of the Cumberland from June 15 to November 29, and again
from January 5, 1865.[3]

Nashville edit

Main article: Battle of Nashville

In between his stints of district command, Steedman fought with Thomas' army
during the Battle of Nashville on December 15–16, 1864. At Nashville Steedman
led a "provisional" division[7] consisting of 11
regiments on the Union left.[5]He had arrived over two
days from Chattanooga by rail with about 6,000 men,
a collection of his own brigade plus men returning
from furlough but belonging to other
units.[8] Steedman would be the only non-West
Point graduate of Thomas' six chief commanders at
Nashville.[9]

A few days before the battle, Thomas found a telegram Attacks at Nashville
addressed to Ulysses S. Grant, now commander of all on December 16,
U.S. Army forces, written by Maj. Gen. John Schofield, 1864
one of his subordinates. In it Schofield complained of
Thomas' slowness at attacking the Army of Tennessee,
something Grant had prodded Thomas about repeatedly. Thomas turned to
Steedman, who was with him at the time, and asked "Steedman, can it be possible
that Schofield would send such a telegram?" to which he replied the commanding
general must be able to recognize Schofield's handwriting. Thomas admitted he
could and asked "Why does he send such telegrams?" Steedman smiled at his
commander's innocence and replied "General Thomas, who is next in command to
you in case of removal?" referring to Schofield. After a brief pause Thomas let out
a quiet "Oh, I see."[10]

Thomas ordered Steedman and his three-

brigade division to make a diversionary
attack at 6 a.m. on December 15, thereby
keeping the Confederate Army of
Tennessee's right (the corps of Maj.
Gen. Benjamin F. Cheatham) occupied all
day and preventing them from aiding
against the main assault elsewhere. The
orders were later modified to say if his
Steedman (seated, left) and his diversion could be made into a successful
staff
attack, then Steedman should do
so.[11] On December 16, Thomas ordered
an attack by the corps of Maj. Gen. Thomas J. Wood (along with Steedman's men)
against the right of the Army of Tennessee, now held by Maj. Gen. Stephen D.
Lee's corps. At noon the attack was begun, but initially was without success.
Steedman's men took heavy losses in the first assaults this day, including one of
his regiments, the 13th USCT Infantry, losing 221 men, the most of any regiment
that day, Union or Confederate.[12] When the rest of Thomas' force finally broke
through Cheatham's men on the left as well as the Confederate center at 4 p.m.,
Wood and Steedman renewed their attack and helped the rest of Thomas' army
overwhelmed Lee's corps, driving it from the field.[13]

After the Battle of Nashville, Steedman returned to Etowah until he was given
command of the Department of Georgia, an assignment lasting from June 27 to
December 10, 1865. He remained in the Army after the end of the American Civil
War until resigning on August 18, 1866.[3]

Postbellum edit

After resigning his commission from the U.S. Army, Steedman returned home to
Ohio in 1866. During the administration of U.S. President Andrew Johnson, he was
the collector of internal revenue at New Orleans, Louisiana, until 1869. He again
returned to Toledo, became the editor of the town's Northern Ohio
Democrat newspaper, and in 1870 he was elected to the Ohio State Senate.[2]
In May 1883 he was appointed the Chief of Police in Toledo, a post he held until
his death. Steedman died in Toledo, and is buried there in Woodlawn Cemetery.[5]