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Thomas Gamble Pitcher
(October 23, 1824 ? October 21, 1895) was an American army officer who served as the
Superintendent of the United States Military Academy
from 1866 until 1870.
Biography
[
edit
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Pitcher was born at
Rockport, Indiana
, a son of Judge John Pitcher, who loaned his law books to young
Abraham Lincoln
.
[1]
He graduated from
West Point
in 1845 as 40th out of a class of 41. He was commissioned into the
5th U.S. Infantry Regiment
but transferred to the
8th U.S. Infantry Regiment
a year later. He fought in the
Mexican?American War
and received the
brevet rank
of
first lieutenant
for his services in the battles of
Contreras
and
Churubusco
. He spent most of the following decade as Adjutant and then Quartermaster of his regiment; and was promoted to
captain
in 1858.
[2]
During the
Civil War
, Pitcher led a provisional battalion in the defense of
Harpers Ferry
in June 1862, where he and his men were among the thousands of Union soldiers who surrendered to
Stonewall Jackson
. After being released and exchanged, he served in the
Virginia campaign
until the
battle of Cedar Mountain
(August 9, 1862), where he was severely wounded. He was then brevetted
major
in the
regular army
, and three months later was commissioned
brigadier general
of
United States Volunteers
. For the remainder of the war he served as
Provost Marshal General
, first for Vermont and then for Indiana. On March 13, 1865, he was brevetted
lieutenant colonel
,
colonel
, and brigadier general in the regular army.
[2]
[1]
On July 28, 1866, Pitcher was commissioned as the colonel of the
44th U.S. Infantry Regiment
. From 1866 to 1870 he was superintendent of the
United States Military Academy
, and from 1870 until 1877 was superintendent of the
New York Soldiers and Sailors Home
.
[1]
He died of tuberculosis on October 21, 1895. He is buried in
Arlington National Cemetery
,
[3]
along with his sons, Lt. Col. John Pitcher (also a West Point graduate, class of 1876) and Col. William L. Pitcher.
[1]
See also
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References
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External links
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