Brevet Brigadier-General Joseph Dickinson, U.S.V.

Brevet Brigadier-General Joseph Dickinson was born in Philadelphia December 25, 1830, being descended from a Pennsylvania ancestry distinguished for heroic patriotism in the old colonial days. His maternal grandfather and four grand uncles fought in the Revolutionary War under Washington. His father was in the War of 1812, and himself and nine others of the family entered the lists of the Union army during the Rebellion.

General Dickinson, early in 1861, blew the bugle-notes which assembled the Twenty-sixth Pennsylvania Infantry, which started for Washington wholly unequipped and unarmed, and accompanied the Sixth Massachusetts Regiment in its memorable passage through Baltimore. The regiment was afterwards reorganized as the first of the three years' volunteers.

General Dickinson was mustered into the United States service as first lieutenant and adjutant Twenty-sixth Pennsylvania Volunteers, to date from May 5, 186r; was commissioned by President Lincoln captain and assistant adjutant-general U. S. Volunteers August 22, 1861 major and assistant adjutant-general August 22, 1862, and lieutenant-colonel and assistant adjutant-general November Io, 1862. He was brevetted lieutenant-colonel, colonel, and brigadier-general for gallantry in battle. Was assigned to duty as assistant adjutant-general on the staff of General Joseph Hooker, August 22, 1861. Was wounded at Williamsburg, Virginia, May 5, 1862 severely wounded at Fair Oaks, Virginia, June 1, 1862, and again severely at the battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, July 3, 1863.

While at Taneytown, Maryland, General Meade showed his great confidence and appreciation of General Dickinson's eminent military skill and ability by selecting him for the important duty of proceeding to Gettysburg on the eve of June 30 for consultation with General John Buford, then holding the town with his cavalry, and determining the movements of the infantry column under General John F. Reynolds. It was upon the judgment and conclusions of Generals Buford and Dickinson, after an earnest consideration of the situation until long after midnight, with the enemy's forces rapidly concentrating about the outskirts of the to, n, that a staff officer was dispatched with orders to General Reynolds to move his command to Gettysburg. Thus it was that General Reynolds received the orders from General Meade that resulted in that great battle. General Dickinson having called on General Reynolds on his way up to Gettysburg and informing him of the nature of his duty and instructions, had prepared him for the receipt of any orders resultant there-from. It was General Dickinson who selected the position at the little farm-house on the Taneytown road for the head-quarters of General Meade during the battle which followed, and was himself severely wounded there on July 3. Being incapacitated for service in the field, he was assigned to inspection duty at Washington. He resigned Jan. 24, 1864, and was " honorably mustered out of service on account of wounds received in action."

General Dickinson greatly distinguished himself at the battle of Chancellorsville, where, during the battle, at great risk of life and capture, he rescued eighteen ladies and children from the burning Chancellor's House, which was destroyed by the bursting shells.

The general now resides in Washington, D. C., with his wife, a former Miss Blanton, of patriotic Kentucky stock.

Source: Officers of the Volunteer Army and Navy who served in the Civil War, published by L.R. Hamersly & Co., 1893, 419 pgs.

Related Links:

• Civil War Records
• Civil War Microfilm at the National Archives
• Dickinson Surname

Copyright, 2005-2010 by Webified Development all rights reserved.