He emigrated to Burlington, Iowa, in 1844, and became interested in journalism and polities in that locality. He was appointed second assistant postmaster-general in 1849, and afterward served as first assistant. During the civil war he was in command of the 1st Iowa cavalry, and he became brigadier-general of volunteers, 16 July, 1862, and afterward major-general by brevet, being mustered out of the service, 24 Aug., 1865. He was a member of the Iowa state senate in 1866, minister to Guatemala in 1867-'8, and a presidential elector on the Democratic ticket in 1872. He was editor of the Burlington (Iowa) "Hawkeye" for a time, and was also, at a later period, connected with the "Sun" and the "Tribune" in New York city.
WARREN, George William, musician, b. in Albany, N. Y., 17 Aug., 1828. He displayed musical talent early in life, but for seven years was
engaged in business. During that time he began to study music, and played the organ at St. Peter's church, Albany. He subsequently settled in New
York, where he became a successful organist. In 1860 he was invited to take charge of the music of the Church of the Holy Trinity, Brooklyn, and
ten years later he became organist of St. Thomas's church. He has written much church music and several pieces for the piano, and has published
" Hymns and Tunes as sung at St. Thomas's Church, New York" (New York, 1888).
WARREN, Gouverneur Kemble, soldier, b. in
Cold Spring, N. Y., 8 Jan., 1830; d. in Newport,
R. I., 8 Aug., 1882. He was graduated at the U. S.
military academy in 1850, standing second in his
class, and was assigned to the topographical
engineers as brevet 2d lieutenant. After four years of
duty in connection with the surveys of the delta
of the Mississippi and other river surveys under
Capt. Andrew A. Humphreys, he engaged in
compiling reports of the Pacific railroad exploration.
In 1855 he accompanied the Sioux expedition as
chief topographical engineer on Gen. William S.
Harney's staff, being engaged in the action of Blue
Water, and subsequently until 1859 he was occupied
in Dakota and Nebraska in making maps of
those territories for the exploration of the routes
for railroads between Mississippi river and the
Pacific ocean. The general direction of this route
was under Capt. Humphreys, and Lieut. Warren
was his principal assistant. He then served at the
military academy as assistant professor of
mathematics until the beginning of the civil war, when
he entered active service as lieutenant-colonel of
the 5th New York volunteers, of which regiment
he became colonel on 31 Aug., 1861. He was also
promoted captain in the engineers on 9 Sept., 1861.
His regiment was ordered to Fortress Monroe and
he took part in the action of Big Bethel, where he
was the last to leave the field, remaining to rescue
the body of Lieut. John T. Greble, the first officer
in the regular army killed in the civil war. During
the remainder of the year he was stationed at
Baltimore, where he constructed the fort on
Federal Hill. In the spring of 1862 he joined the
Army of the Potomac, serving in the peninsular
campaign, and at Yorktown his regiment formed
part of the siege-train under the command of the
chief of artillery. He was given a brigade in the
5th army corps in May, with which he covered the
extreme right of the army and took part in the
capture of Hanover Court-House, the pursuit of
Confederate cavalry under Gen. James E. B. Stuart,
the battle of Gaines's Mills, the affair at Malvern
Hill and subsequent battle, and the skirmish at
Harrison's Landing. His brigade was then sent to
re-enforce Gen. John Pope, and he participated in
the battle of Manassas. In the subsequent
campaign he served with the 5th corps, was engaged
at Antietam, and then took part in the Rappahannock
campaign and the battle of Fredericksburg.
On 26 Sept., 1862, he was appointed brigadier-general
of volunteers for his services at Gaines's Mills.
During the winter months of 1862-'3 he did much
individual work in reconnoitring and correcting
maps, and on 2 Feb., 1863, he was ordered, as chief
of topographical engineers, to the staff of Gen.
Joseph Hooker, then in command of the Army of
the Potomac. Soon after the consolidation of the
two corps of engineers on 3 March, 1863, he was
appointed chief of engineers of the Army of the
Potomac, and during the Chancellorsville
campaign he took part in the action on Orange Pike,
the storming of Marye's Heights, and the battle of
Salem. He continued as chief of engineers under
Gen. George G. Meade, and was engaged at Gettysburg,
where he seized Little Round Top, the key
to the entire National position, and, using Gen.
Meade's name as his staff-officer, ordered the 140th
New York regiment, under Col. Patrick H. O'Rorke
(q. v.) to occupy the hill. This was accomplished
after a severe hand-to-hand fight. Thereafter he
was engaged in engineering duties connected with
the passage of the Potomac until 11 Aug., when
on the receipt of his major-general's commission,
bearing date of 3 May previous, he was assigned
to the temporary command of the 2d corps. His
next important service was during the march on
Centerville in October, 1863, when he was attacked
by Gen. Ambrose P. Hill, and, although his force
was about one half that of the Confederates, he
held his position until he was re-enforced by the
5th corps. In the official report it was said: “The
handling of the 2d corps in this operation, and the
promptitude, skill, and spirit with which the enemy
was met, were admirable.” When the Army of
the Potomac was reorganized into three corps for
the Richmond campaign, he received the permanent
command of the 5th corps and participated in
the battles of the Wilderness, North Anna, Bethesda
Church, Cold Harbor, and those around
Petersburg. Before the battle of Five Forks, Gen.
Sheridan, having expressed
to Gen. Grant his dissatisfaction
with Gen. Warren's
habit of criticising the acts
and orders of his superior
officers, received authority
to remove him, should there
be satisfactory reasons for
so doing. At Five Forks,
when the 5th corps
advanced according to Gen.
Sheridan's orders, it was
found that the indicated
point of attack was too far
to the right. This error was
corrected by Gen. Warren,
who in person led the charge
that closed the battle and
secured the victory. At this
moment he received an
order relieving him from the
command of his corps. The
reasons given by Gen. Sheridan for this act were:
1. “That Warren failed to reach me on the 1st
of April, when I had reason to expect him”; 2.
“That the tactical handling of his corps was
unskilful”; 3. “That he did not exert himself to
get his corps up to Gravelly run church”; and 4.
“That when portions of his line gave way he did
not exert himself to restore confidence to his
