Charles Pomeroy Stone
Charles Pomeroy Stone was a career United States Army officer, civil engineer, and surveyor. He fought with distinction in the Mexican–American War, earning two brevet promotions for his performance in the conflict. After resigning and surveying for the Mexican Government, he returned to the U.S. Army to fight in the American Civil War.
Stone was reportedly the first volunteer to enter the Union Army, and during the war he served as a general officer, noted for his involvement at the Battle of Ball's Bluff in October 1861. Held responsible for the Union defeat, Stone was arrested and imprisoned for almost six months, mostly for political reasons. He never received a trial, and after his release he would not hold a significant command during the war again. Stone later served again with distinction as a general in the Egyptian Army, and is also noted for his role in constructing the base of the Statue of Liberty.
Early life
Stone was born in Greenfield, Massachusetts, a son of Alpheus Fletcher Stone, the town's doctor, and his wife Fanny Cushing. He was one of ten children in a Protestant family of Puritan descent. In 1841 he entered the United States Military Academy at West Point and graduated four years later, standing seventh out of 41 cadets. His time at the academy was shared with a number of other recruits who would go on to have important roles in the Civil War and the lead-up to it, including such ardent secessionists as William Logan Crittenden. He was appointed a brevet second lieutenant of ordnance on July 1, 1845. He and his younger sister, Fanny Cushing Parker, were Roman Catholic converts.Military career, marriage and civilian career
Ordnance officer
Stone stayed at West Point, serving as an assistant professor and teaching geography, history, and also ethics from August 28, 1845, to January 13, 1846. Afterwards he was posted to the Watervliet Arsenal in New York as Assistant Ordnance Officer, and then to Fortress Monroe at Old Point Comfort, Virginia, both in 1846. While there Stone worked in the facilities arsenal and was an assistant to Capt. Benjamin Huger, whom he would serve under in the war with Mexico.Mexican war
Fighting with Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott's army in the Mexican–American War, Stone was promoted to second lieutenant on March 3, 1847. He first saw action during the siege of Veracruz from March 9-29, then the skirmishing near Amazoque on May 14, and the Battle of Contreras on August 19-20. Stone then fought notably during the Battle of Molino del Rey on September 8, and was appointed a brevet first lieutenant from that date for "gallant and meritorious conduct" in this fight.On September 13, 1847, Stone participated in the Battle of Chapultepec, and was appointed a brevet captain for his conduct on that day. He then fought in the Battle for Mexico City until September 15, and was part of a successful climbing party of the volcano at Popocatepetl, raising an American Flag at its summit. He was an original member of the Aztec Club of 1847, a military society formed by U.S. Army officers who had served in Mexico.
Pacific coast
After the war with Mexico ended, Stone returned to the Watervliet Arsenal in 1848, again taking up his position as Assistant Ordnance Officer. He then was granted a leave of absence from the U.S. Army, and proceeded to Europe to study military practices of the armies there for two years. In 1850 he resumed duty at the Watervliet Arsenal briefly, and then was given command of the Ft. Monroe Arsenal into 1851. Later that year Stone was appointed Chief of Ordnance for the Pacific Department, a post he held until 1855, and also began construction of the Benicia Arsenal in California that year. During this time he was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant, effective February 26, 1853.Marriage
In 1853, Stone married Maria Louisa Clary, daughter of Esther Philipson and Robert Emmett Clary.Post-military career
On November 17, 1856, he resigned his commission in the U.S. Army, "finding the pay inadequate" for his family. He briefly became a banker in 1856 in San Francisco, but the bank failed the following year due to the "…absconding of its treasurer". Stone then went back to Mexico, where he worked in various government jobs. From 1857 to 1860 he surveyed the Mexican state of Sonora, and from 1858 to 1860 he surveyed the lower region of California. Also from 1858 to 1859 Stone served as acting consul at Guaymas, Mexico, the municipal center of Sonora. In 1860 he moved his family back to the U.S., settling in Washington, D.C. In 1861 he published his survey findings, entitled Notes on the State of Sonora.Civil War
At the outbreak of secession, Stone found himself in Washington writing his report on Sonora. After a dinner with his former commander Winfield Scott, Stone was requested to be Inspector General of the District of Columbia Militia at the rank of colonel as of January 1, 1861, and was thus reputed to be the first volunteer officer mustered into the Union Army before the Civil War. In this role, he secured the capital for the arrival of President-elect Abraham Lincoln, and was personally responsible for security at the new president's inaugural. One of his most important acts in this role was to frustrate an attempt by southern militias and the secret society known as the Knights of the Golden Circle to carry out a coup against the nascent Lincoln administration. Stone received word that militia groups from Baltimore and surrounding areas intended to infiltrate Washington, D.C., and seize the city by force during Lincoln's inauguration. He dealt with two militia officers promptly: First Stone maneuvered one commander into handing Stone a full 100-man roster of his 300 men company to receive an order for arms; Stone accepted the roster and locked it into a desk drawer and wished the commander good morning; in turn the commander left his Washington D.C. home to give service to the Confederacy, his organization broken up; the second officer was forced by Stone to give up two howitzers; as well as sabers and revolvers to the D.C. Armory on the grounds such weapons did not belong to a rifle company. Stone's next offer to the man was a commission of Major. The man declined to take the Oath of Office and then found out he had lost his commission of captain as well since he had not enclosed a copy of the Oath of Office with his letter of acceptance. Schaeffer and the secession members left the "National rifles" Company which was transformed by Stone into a loyal Union company under Lt Smead. Stone's prompt actions disintegrated the plot against the inaugural. Stone was appointed Colonel of the 14th U.S. Infantry Regiment on May 14, and then a brigadier general in the Union Army that August, to rank from May 17. He commanded a brigade in Maj. Gen. Robert Patterson's Army of the Shenandoah during the First Bull Run campaign in June and July. Stone then was given command of a division, called the Corps of Observation, guarding the fords along the upper Potomac River that fall.In his efforts to carry out his orders and maintain discipline, Stone drew the attention and wrath of his home state's governor, John A. Andrew, and Charles Sumner, the senior U.S. senator from Massachusetts, both powerful and influential Radical Republican politicians. In late September Stone issued general orders that required his men "not to incite and encourage insubordination among the coloured servants in the neighbourhood". When two runaway slaves came into their lines, one of his regiments, the 20th Massachusetts Infantry, promptly caught them and returned them to their owner. This was done in compliance with Stone's orders as well as both Federal and Maryland law. However, many of the 20th Massachusetts were abolitionists, who disagreed with Stone's insistence on returning runaways back into slavery and wrote both their families and their representatives about the incident. Governor Andrew strongly reprimanded the colonel of the regiment, who gave the letter to Stone. After reading it Stone wrote back, its contents summarized by military historian Bruce Catton as follows: "this regiment was in United States service now and the governor had no business meddling with discipline, the young lieutenant and the colonel had properly done what they were told to do and were not subject to reprimand from any governor, and would the governor in future please keep his hand off?"
More heated letters passed between Andrew and Stone, and then Andrew involved Sumner, who quickly and strongly denounced Stone to the U.S. Senate. Stone's written response to this—described as "in terms so bitter that it almost seemed as if he were challenging the senator to duel"—further inflamed the situation. Stone's dealings with these two men would have tragic consequences in his near future.
Ball's Bluff
On October 20, 1861, Stone was ordered by Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan to conduct a reconnaissance across the Potomac River to report on Confederate activities in Leesburg, Virginia. McClellan also hoped this action, combined with a movement by Brig. Gen. George A. McCall's division of 13,000 men toward Dranesville the day before, would encourage a Confederate withdrawal from the area without an engagement occurring. This message from McClellan's staff related the situation and outlined Stone's orders:From this order Stone reasonably believed he had support nearby from McCall if needed; what he did not know was that McClellan had ordered McCall back to his previous position at Langley on October 21, putting any help for Stone further away. Stone's division numbered about 10,000 men and was posted around Poolesville, Maryland, about eight miles from Leesburg, with portions of his command at points along the Potomac shore. He moved his artillery to Edward's Ferry along the Potomac, from which he could shell the woods on the opposite side of the river, held by Confederate forces. Stone then sent three small boats with about 100 men from the 1st Minnesota Infantry across, who returned shortly without incident. Near sunset he sent out a small patrol of 20 soldiers of the 15th Massachusetts Infantry to scout toward Leesburg and see whether the Union movements had the desired effect or not. Crossing at Harrison's Island on the river, these men scaled Ball's Bluff and encountered what they believed was a Confederate camp of at least thirty men less than a mile inland. The patrol returned to Harrison's Island around 10 p.m. and reported by messenger to Stone at Edwards Ferry.
In response to this report, Stone thought the Confederate forces were indeed leaving Leesburg and decided to investigate further. While he led part of his command directly across at Edwards Ferry at 5 p.m., Stone ordered Col. Charles Devens and 300 men of his 15th Massachusetts to immediately cross over to Ball's Bluff that night. Stone's instructions were to "March silently under cover of night to the position of the camp attack and destroy it at daybreak… and return rapidly to the island". Devens carried out Stone's orders and made the difficult crossing on three small 10-man boats, taking him four hours to accomplish. Stone also gave Devens discretion over what to do after the attack; either hold Leesburg or return to Harrison's Island. Stone ordered the rest of the 15th Massachusetts over and added the 20th Massachusetts Infantry, under Col. William R. Lee, to this effort as well, and ordered Colonel and U.S. Senator Edward D. Baker to take overall command. Devens found no camp since an earlier patrol apparently confused corn shocks as tents in the evening shadows; he halted and asked Stone for instructions, who responded to push closer to Leesburg. Devens determined to hold there, waiting several hours for reinforcements, when skirmishing began at 7 a.m., before Baker had arrived.
Confederate Col. Nathan G. "Shanks" Evans was in charge of the forces opposing Stone, and when he learned of the crossings he split his 2,000-man command. Three of his regiments were ordered to deal with Stone by blocking the road from Edwards Ferry to Leesburg, while the remainder fought and defeated Baker's force at Ball's Bluff. Since Baker sent no updates, Stone had no idea a battle was occurring there and, finding his path blocked by Confederates, Stone returned to Edwards Ferry. He then moved toward Harrison's Island, learned of the defeat at Ball's Bluff, and quickly asked McClellan for help from McCall, whom he thought nearby but was actually more than twenty miles away.
Stone lost about 1,000 men who were either killed, wounded, captured, or drowned during Ball's Bluff, while the Confederates lost less than 160. The Union total included Baker, the only sitting U.S. Senator killed in combat when "four bullets ripped into him, and he was dead before he hit the ground". Baker's death and the action at Ball's Bluff would have serious consequences for Stone, and also affect the way the American Civil War would be prosecuted. In his official report about the battle on October 24, McClellan did not hold Stone personally responsible for the defeat, saying "The disaster was caused by errors committed by the immediate Commander— not General Stone".