Halleck, HENRY WAGER

Halleck, HENRY WAGER, an American general, was born at Westernville, New York, 16th January 1815, and graduated at West Point in 1839. During the Mexican war he was employed in the operations on the Pacific coast, and for his gallant services was breveted captain in 1847. He took a leading part in organising the state of California, became captain of engineers in 1853, left the service in 1854, and for some time practised law in San Francisco. On the outbreak 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, which in a few weeks he reduced to order. In March 1862 the Confederate first line had been carried from end to end, and Halleck's command was extended so as to embrace, under the name of the department of the Mississippi, the vast stretch of territory between the Rocky Mountains and the Alleghanies. His services in the field ended with the capture of Corinth, with its fifteen miles of intrenchments, in May 1862. In July he became general-in-chief of all the armies of the United States; and henceforth he directed from Washington the movements of the generals in the field, until, in March 1864, he was superseded by General Grant. Halleck was chief of staff until 1865, commanded the military division of the Pacific until 1869, and that of the South until his death, 9th January 1872. His Elements of Military Art and Science (1846; new ed. 1861) was much used during the civil war; and he also published books on mining laws, &c.