Joseph Bailey
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1825-1867
An Ohio-born Wisconsin civil engineer and lumberman, Joseph Bailey
entered the Union army and became one of only 14 men to receive the
Thanks of Congress for the Civil War-the only one who was not an army
or corps commander at the time.
His assignments included: captain, 4th Wisconsin (July 2, 1861);
major, 4th Wisconsin (May 30, 1863); lieutenant colonel, 4th
Wisconsin (July 15, 1863); lieutenant colonel, 4th Wisconsin Cavalry
(change of designation August 22, 1863); colonel, 4th Wisconsin
Cavalry (June 1, 1864); commanding Engineer Brigade, 19th Corps,
Department of the Gulf (June 10-August 10, 1864); commanding District
of West Florida, same department (October 20-November 25, 1864);
brigadier general, USV (November 10, 1864); commanding District of
Baton Rouge and Port Hudson, same department (December 3-28, 1864);
commanding Cavalry Division, same department (December 28, 1864-
February 9, 1865); commanding Northern District of Louisiana, same
department (February 9-March I 1, 1865); commanding Engineer Brigade,
Military Division of West Mississippi (March 11 - May 2,1865); and
brigadier general, USV (April 16, 1865 to rank from November 10,
1864, his original appointment having expired on March 4, 1865).
After taking part in the capture of New Orleans, he soon became
acting chief engineer of the city's defenses and as an engineer was
distinguished in the capture of Port Hudson. On Banks' Red River
Campaign he was the chief engineer; when the joint army-navy
expedition failed and many of the vessels were left stranded by low
water in an exposed position, it was Bailey who came to their rescue.
Utilizing 3,000 troops he was able to construct a dam across the
river, and through a spillway the craft made their escape down river
on May 12, 1864. For this he received a brevet as brigadier and was
given the Thanks of Congress.
Soon appointed a full brigadier general he held various commands and
then directed the engineers in the campaign against Mobile for which
he was brevetted major general. Resigning on July 7, 1865, he was
shot and killed on March 21, 1867, while serving as a Missouri
sheriff.
