If ever there was a man born with a name that foretold what his future career would be it was probably Napoleon Jackson Tecumseh Dana. On April 15, 1822, this eventual soldier and later in life business executive, was born at the military post of Ft Sullivan, located at Eastport, Maine. His father, Nathaniel Giddings Dana, was an army officer and his grandfather had been an officer in the navy during the Revolution. On his mother's side he descended from Woodbury Langdon, a member of the Continental Congress. His name undoubtedly came from his military father's respect for three great leaders who were in current news when Napoleon Dana was born. He graduated the U. S. Military Academy at West Point July 1, 1842, and was commissioned a 2nd lieutenant in the 7th US Infantry. He married Susan (Sue) Lewis Martin Sandford in June 1844, not long before he left for Texas. Sue and Napoleon had three children. They were Mary Langdon (June 1845), Charles Peaselee (Aug. 15, 1849) and Alfred Sandford (Nov. 1851). Napolean served with the 7th Infantry in the Mexican War from 1845 to 1848. He served with his regiment in Louisiana and Mississippi until Aug, 1845. He was promoted to 1st lieutenant on Feb 16, 1847. He was appointed captain and assistant quartermaster on March 13, 1848. He was involved in the military occupation of Texas until he was wounded at the Battle of Cerro Gordo on April 18, 1847. He was severely wounded, while storming the entrenchments on Telegraph Hill. He was left for dead on the battlefield until picked up by a burial party 36 hours later. He was absent sick and on recruiting service until March, 1849. He then went on Quartermaster duty at Boston, Massachusetts. He was stationed at Ft Snelling from 1848-49. During this time as an officer of the Quartermaster Dept., he was asigned to the development of Fort Ripley. This was a new outpost to be located 150 miles northwest of Minneapolis. He served again at Fort Snelling in 1853. While there, he became familiar with business conditions in Minnesota, In 1855 resigned from the army and established a banking business in St Paul, as a member of the firm of Dana and Borup. He served as a brigadier general of the Minnesota militia from 1857-61. He entered the volunteer army on October 10, 1861, and was appointed the colonel of the First Minnesota, replacing Willis Gorman, who had received a promotion to brigadier general. Within a few days he took it into action at Ball's Bluff. He was promoted to brigadier general on February 3, 1862, to command the 3rd brigade of the 2nd Div, 2nd Army Corps in the Peninsular campaign. On Sept 17, 1862, at Antietam, he received a gunshot wound in his left leg. The ball entered his calf and traveled forwards and inwards, lodging near the surface of his shin 1 1/2" below the knee. Though painful it was not a dangerous wound. He was, however, disabled for many months. Napoleon was promoted to the rank major general on March 1, 1863. He was put in command of the defenses of Philadelphia, Pa, from June 16, 1863 to Aug 27, 1863. He served in the Dept of the Gulf in Texas and was placed in command of 2nd Div, 13th Army Corps from Sept 28, 1863, to Oct 26, 1863. He then commanded the entire 13th Army Corps from Dec, 1863 to Jan, 1864. He commanded the district of Vicksburg from Aug 17 to Oct 30, 1864. He commanded the 16th Army Corps and the districts of west Tenn and Vicksburg in Nov, 1864, and of the Dept of the Mississippi from Dec, 1864, to May 27, 1865. He resigned from military service on May 27, 1865. After the war he worked for five years as general agent of the American-Russia Commercial Company of Alaska. Thereafter he was an executive of several railroads, notably the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy. He was deputy commissioner of pensions in Washington DC, from 1895 to 1897. He died at Portsmouth, NH on July 15, 1905. Sources: The Stillwater Messenger, September 30, 1862. Generals in Blue, Ezra J Warner, Louisiana State University Press, 1964, p 111-112. Military Pension File, Napoleon Dana, National Archives, Wash. D. C. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
