19th Indiana Infantry - Iron Brigade Commander at Gettysburg - Wounded at Gettysburg

Item CDV-10250

Description

19th Indiana Infantry
Iron Brigade Commander at Gettysburg
Wounded at Gainesville, VA
Wounded at Gettysburg, PA
Solomon Meredith
Colonel, Brigadier General & Brevet Major General
Backmark: Gardner, Washington, DC

Meredith, Solomon, brigadier-general, was born in Guilford
County, North Carolina, May 29, 1810. He removed to Wayne County, Indiana,
when nineteen years old, and by means of manual labor secured
for himself a fair education. He then located at Cambridge
City, was sheriff of this county in 1834 and 1836, and a member
of the state legislature, 1846-48 and 1854-56. In 1849 he
became U. S. Marshal for the district of Indiana, and he was
clerk of the courts of Wayne County, 1859-1861. He was director
and financial agent of the Indiana Central Railroad, 1854-1859,
and subsequently president of the Cincinnati & Chicago railroad
company. On July 29, he became colonel of the 19th Indiana
regiment which saw its first service in Virginia and lost half
its number at Gainesville, where Colonel Meredith was wounded. He
commanded his regiment also at Sharpsburg and Antietam, was
promoted brigadier general of volunteers October 6, 1862, and
commanded the "Iron Brigade" at Fredericksburg,
Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg, where he was so severely
wounded as to be disabled for active service until November 1863.
He was then assigned to command the 1st Division, 1st Army
Corps, but failing health compelled him to relinquish the
charge, and he commanded the military post of Cairo, Illinois, in
1864, and the district of western Kentucky in 1864-1865. He was
brevetted major general of volunteers for meritorious service
during the war and was honorably mustered out May 22, 1865.
After the war General Meredith was United States assessor of
internal revenue for his district, 1866-1867, surveyor general of
Montana territory, 1867-1869, and then retired to his farm,
"Oakland," near Cambridge City, Indiana. He died in Cambridge
City, Indiana on October 2, 1875.

Source: The Union Army, vol. 8