OBITUARIES, AMERICAN. (WRHIHT.) 



040 



neers. For two years he was instructor of French 

 and engineering at the academy, and after other 

 service he became in 184(5 superintending engineer 

 of the building of Fort Jefferson at Tortugas, Fla., 

 in which duty he continued until 185(5, having 

 also, subsequent to 1852, charge of other engi- 

 neering works in Florida, notably at St. Augus- 

 tine and Key West; and he was lighthouse en- 

 gineer in Florida in 1852-'53. From 1856 to 1801 

 he was assistant to the Chief of Engineers in 

 Washington, and he received his majority on 

 April 6, 1861. During the civil war lie was in 

 field service from the beginning. In April, 1861, 

 he was chief engineer of the expedition sent to 

 destroy the navy yard at Norfolk, Va. From 

 May until July, 1861, he was engaged on the 

 defenses of Washington, after which he was chief 

 engineer of Heintzelman's division in the Ma- 

 nassas campaign, participating in the battle of 

 Bull Run. He was made brigadier general of 

 volunteers on Sept. 14, 1861, and commanded a 

 brigade in the Port Royal expedition, participat- 

 ing in the attack on Port Royal and the capture 

 of Hilton Head in November. From February 

 to June, 1862, he had command of the land forces 

 in the Florida expedition that captured Fernan- 

 dina, Jacksonville, and St. Augustine, and had 

 a division in the attack on Secessionville, James 

 island, S. C., in June, 1862. He was made major 

 general of volunteers on July 18, 1862, and as- 

 signed to the command of the Department of 

 Ohio, which he held until March, 1863, after which 

 for a month he had the division of Louisville, Ky. 

 During that period, which included Bragg's in- 

 vasion of Kentucky, Gen. 

 Wright displayed admin- 

 istrative talents of high 

 order. In May he re- 

 ceived command of the 

 1st division of the 6th 

 Corps of the Army of the 

 Potomac, and he partici- 

 pated in the Pennsylvania 

 campaign, being present 

 at the passage of the Rap- 

 pahannock and in the bat- 

 tle of Gettysburg, reach- 

 ing that field on the after- 

 noon of the first day after 

 a forced march of 35 miles. 

 Subsequent to the great 



battle he took part in the skirmish at Fairfield 

 and in the pursuit of Lee's army to Warrenton, 

 Va. He continued with the Army of the Potomac 

 during the Rapidan campaign, and commanded 

 the 6th Corps at the capture of Rappahannock 

 Station, receiving the brevet of lieutenant colo- 

 nel for gallant and meritorious services in that 

 battle. During the winter months he served as 

 a member of a board "to devise modifications of 

 the system of seaboard defenses. He resumed 

 command of his division in April, 1864, and par- 

 ticipated in the overland campaign, being present 

 in the battles of the Wilderness and those about 

 Spottsylvania, in the last of which he was wound- 

 ed, and received the brevet of colonel on May 12, 

 1864. On the death of Gen. Sedgwick he suc- 

 < ceded to the command of the 6th Corps, and he 

 was present in the battles of North Anna, Toto- 

 potomoy, Cold Harbor, and the siege of Peters- 

 burg, receiving his appointment of major gen- 

 eral of volunteers on March 13, 1864. In July, 

 1864, when Washington was threatened by Early, 

 who had come down the Shenandoah valley, 

 Wright with his command was sent to the capi- 

 tal by Grant, who wrote to President Lincoln 

 from Petersburg, " I have sent from here a whole 



corps commanded by mi excellent ofTiccr." Early, 

 who had been detained ly the sl.unly resistance* 

 of Lew Wallace; at the Monowu-y, reached Fort 

 Stevens, about 5 miles northeast of the executive 

 mansion, as the steamers with the (5th Corps ar- 

 rived at the wharves. Late in the afternoon 

 Wright and his men relieved the hastily gathered 

 volunteers at Fort Stevens, Karly's advance was 

 checked, and Washington was saved. On July 

 12 an engagement took place, at the close (if 

 which Early withdrew and was followed by 

 Wright, who overtook and defeated him in a 

 sharp skirmish at Snickers Gap, Va. Grant said: 

 " Boldness is all that is needed to drive the cue 

 my out of Maryland, and Wright is the man to 

 assume that." At Fort Stevens President Lin- 

 coln persisted in exposing himself to the Confed- 

 erate sharpshooters, until he was peremptorily 

 ordered down by Gen. Wright. Lincoln reminded 

 Wright that as President of the United States 

 he was commander in chief of the armies, to 

 which Wright is said to have replied with mili- 

 tary brevity and directness that he was in com- 

 mand at that particular spot; that he was re- 

 sponsible for the President's safety, and his orders 

 must be obeyed. Lincoln appreciated the force 

 of Wright's remark and withdrew. The Shenan- 

 doah campaign followed, in which Wright com- 

 manded the 6th Corps under Sheridan, and was 

 engaged in the fights at Charlestown, Opequan, 

 Fisher's Hill, and Cedar Creek, where he was 

 wounded, and in numerous skirmishes. The bat- 

 tle of Cedar Creek has been immortalized at the 

 expense of Wright by the famous incident of 

 Sheridan's ride. Sheridan, having posted his men 

 in a long drawn out line on the farther bank of 

 Cedar Creek, turned his command over to Wright 

 and went to Washington. A reconnoissance 

 showed that Early could not be found and had 

 fallen back, but with re-enforcements, and 

 after a forced march in the early morning, 

 aided by a fog, he suddenly captured a well- 

 connected picket line of old soldiers without 

 occasioning alarm, .and the first warning of his 

 presence was a volley of musketry fired into the 

 main line of unarmed soldiers. This demoralized 

 the veteran troops and gave Early, almost with- 

 out a struggle, the entire left of the line, with 

 considerable artillery. Seeing that no part of 

 the original line could be held, Wright ordered 

 the 6th Corps to fall back on a tenable position, 

 and while accomplishing this movement by well- 

 timed attacks did much toward checking Early 's 

 advance and giving time for the rest of the troops 

 to take position. When that was successfully ac- 

 complished Sheridan arrived, and when the ad- 

 vance was made, precisely as Wright had ordered " 

 it, the enemy fled in panic. These facts are taken 

 from Wright's report to Sheridan, the original of 

 \vhich has disappeared from the archives of the 

 War Department. Sheridan is quoted as saying: 

 " Read has given me a good send-off in Sheridan's 

 Ride, but as a matter of fact I robbed Wright of 

 the glory that he was clearly entitled to, for when 

 I reached the field he had already gotten his 

 forces well in hand, and but for my appearing 

 when I did he would have had the victory that 

 I got the honor for." (J. F. Saunders, in Wash- 

 ington Evening Star of July 4, 1899.) Wright 

 returned with his corps to the Army of the Poto- 

 mac and participated in the Richmond campaign. 

 It was Wright's corps that broke through the 

 strongly intrenched line at Petersburg and ter- 

 minated the siege. In his official report, Gen. 

 Grant wrote: "Gen. Wright penetrated the line 

 with his whole corps, sweeping everything before 

 him and to his left toward Hatcher's Run. cap- 



