55th & 38th New York Infantry - Gettysburg Brigade Commander

Item CDV-10249

Description

55th & 38th New York Infantry
Gettysburg Brigade Commander
Philip Regis DeTrobriand
Colonel, Brigadier General & Brevet Major General
Backmark: Brady

De Trobriand, Philip R., brigadier general, was born in
the Chateau des Rochetts, near Tours, France, June 4, 1816.
He became a page at the court of Charles X, then king of
France, but the revolution of 1830, changed the plans formed
for his military education and he was graduated at the
University of Orleans as bachelier-es-lettres in 1834 and at
Pontiers as licencie-en-droit in 1838. Coming to the United
States in 1841, he married the daughter of a New York merchant
and published in New York, in 1849-50, the "Revue de Nouveau
Monde," and was joint: editor of the "Courier des Etats-Unis"
in 1854-61. On August 28, 1861, he entered the service of the
United States as colonel of the 55th New York regiment. He was
engaged at Yorktown and Williamsburg, commanded a brigade of
the 3d army corps in 1862-1863 and took part in the engagements
at Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg, where, on
the second day, he held the peach orchard, the central point
of Gen. Sickles, line. He was then mustered out of the
service, but in January 1864, was commissioned brigadier-
general, a position which he accepted in May, and in May and
June, 1864, he commanded the defenses of New York City. As
commander of a brigade in the 2nd army corps he was present at
Deep Bottom, Petersburg, Hatcher's Run and Five Forks, and he
commanded the 3d division of the 2nd corps in the final
campaign, ending in the surrender of Lee at Appomattox. He
was brevetted major-general of volunteers, April 9, 1865, for
"highly meritorious services during the campaign terminating
with the surrender of the insurgent army under Gen. R. E.
Lee," being the only Frenchman besides Lafayette to hold that
rank in the United States army. He entered the regular army
as colonel in July, 1866, was brevetted brigadier-general
March 2, 1867, and commanded the district of Dakota in August
of that year. In March, 1869, he was transferred to the 13th
infantry and commanded the district of Montana, and
subsequently that of Green River. He was retired at his own
request, March 20, 1879, on account of age. General De Trobriand
became Baron de Trobriand upon the death of his father, in
1840, and inherited the title of count in 1874, but he never
carried the titles in the United States. He spent the last
years of his life in New Orleans, spending the summers
alternately in France and at the home of his daughter, Mrs.
Charles A. Post, at Bayport, New York, and he died at Bayport,
July 15, 1897.

Source: The Union Army, vol. 8