The New Student's Reference Work/Halleck, Henry Wager

Halleck, Henry Wager, an American general, was born at Westernville, N. Y., Jan. 16, 1815, and graduated at West Point in 1839. He served in the Mexican War, and was brevetted captain for gallant services in 1847. He became captain of engineers in 1853, left the service in 1854, and for some time practiced law in San Francisco. At the beginning of the Civil War he was commissioned major-general in the regular army, and in November, 1861, was appointed commander of the department of the Missouri. In March, 1862, his command was enlarged so as to embrace the Mississippi valley, and after the battle of Shiloh he took personal command of the army operating against Corinth. In July he was made general-in-chief of all the Federal armies, with headquarters at Washington, from which point he directed the operations of the generals in the field until March, 1864, when he was superseded by General Grant. After the close of the war he commanded the military division of the Pacific until 1869 and that of the South until his death, Jan. 9, 1872. He was the author of Elements of Military Art and of books on mining laws.