United States Volunteers

Item CDV-10453

Description

United States Volunteers
Robert C. Schenck
Backmark: Anthony/Brady

Schenck, Robert C., major-general, was born in Franklin,
Warren county, Ohio, Oct. 7, 1809. He was graduated at Miama
university in 1827, remained there three years as a tutor in
French and Latin, studied law, and was admitted to the bar in
Settling in Dayton, Ohio, he soon acquired a large practice,
and entered political life as a Whig. In 1838 he was defeated
as a candidate for the legislature, in 1840 stumped the state
for William Henry Harrison in 1841 was elected to the
legislature, and in 1842 was re-elected to the legislature and
also elected to Congress. In Congress he rendered conspicuous
service both on the floor and in several committees to which
he was appointed. He was re-elected three times serving from
1843 to 1851, and during 1847-49 he was chairman of the
committee on roads and canals, and had the opportunity for
carrying out some of the plans he had formed for the internal
improvement of several commercial sections in the western
states. In 1850, he declined a renomination for Congress, and
in 1851 was appointed United States minister to Brazil.
During his two years residence in South America he negotiated
commercial treaties with the states bordering the La Plata
river, personally visiting Buenos Ayres, Montevideo, and the
Uruguay, Paraguay, and Parana river regions. Returning to the
United States in 1853, he resumed professional practice and
was engaged in the management of the Fort Wayne railroad till
the beginning of the Civil war. When the first call for
volunteers was made, he offered his services to Gov. Dennison,
and was appointed a brigadier-general of state militia. On
reaching the field he was placed in command of all the Ohio
troops in eastern Virginia, and had his first encounter with
the Confederates at Vienna June 17, 1861. Soon afterward he
was transferred to western Virginia, where he aided Gen.
Rosecrans in driving the Confederates from that department.
In the spring of 1862 he succeeded Gen. Lander in command at
Cumberland, Md., on June 8 he commanded the right of Gen.
Fremont's army in the battle of Cross Keys, and during the
interval between Gen. Fremont's relief and Gen. Sigel's
assumption of the command of the 1st corps of the Army of
Virginia Gen. Schenck was its commander. On Aug. 30, he was
wounded in the second battle of Bull Run and had to retire
from the field and on Sept. 18 he was promoted major-general
United States volunteers, his commission dating from Aug. 30.
While on disability leave he was again elected to Congress as
a Republican, where he was appointed chairman of the committee
on military affairs, and, resigning his commission in the
army, was re-elected to Congress in 1864, 1866, and 1868, and
defeated in 1870. In 1870 he was appointed United States
minister to England, but before departing he served by
appointment as a member of the joint high commission, which
resulted in the treaty of Washington, the Geneva arbitration,
and the settlement of the "Alabama" controversy. While he was
in England a charge was preferred against him of complicity in
the celebrated Emma mine fraud, and as a result of such charge
he resigned his position and returned home to appear before a
committee of investigation. He was completely exonerated by
the committee, but never re-entered public life, and he died
in the city of Washington on March 23, 1890.

Source: The Union Army, vol. 8