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Jeff Davis County, Texas
Albert Gallatin Brackett
?-1896
Albert Gallatin Brackett a soldier, born in Cherry
Valley, Otsego County, New York, 14 February, 1829. He removed to
Indiana in 1846, and, during the war with Mexico, was first
lieutenant in the 4th Indiana volunteers, attached to Lane's brigade,
being present at Huamantla, Puebla, and Atlixco. On 16 July, 1848, he
was honorably discharged. On 3 March, 1855, he became captain in the
2d United States cavalry, and, after raising a company in Indiana and
Illinois, served on the Texas frontier, distinguishing himself in
actions against the Comanche Indians. He was the first United States
officer that crossed into Mexico in pursuit of hostile Indians. When
General Twiggs surrendered to the confederates in 1861, Capt.
Brackett escaped. He commanded the cavalry at Blackburn's Ford
and the first battle of Bull Run, and in August, 1861, became colonel
of the 9th Illinois cavalry, serving with credit through the Arkansas
campaign, and being severely wounded at Stewart's Plantation, where
he saved a valuable train from falling into the hands of the
confederates. On 28 June, 1862, he was brevetted major in the regular
army for services in the Arkansas campaign, and on 17 July received
his full commission as major in the 1st cavalry. In 1863 he was chief
of cavalry in the department of the Missouri, and in 1864 assistant
inspector-general of cavalry, in the department of the Cumberland. He
was engaged in the battles around Atlanta, was brevetted lieutenant
colonel on 1 September, 1864, for his services there, and at the
close of the war was brevetted colonel. After that time he served
principally against hostile Indians in Nevada, Wyoming, and Arizona.
He received his full commission as lieutenant colonel, 2d cavalry, on
9 June, 1868, and on 20 March, 1879, when commanding the district of
the Yellowstone, was made colonel of the 3d cavalry. He was afterward
assigned to the command of Fort Davis, Texas, and in March, 1886, was
recommended by the congressional delegation of Indiana and Texas for
promotion to the rank of brigadier-general. He has published
"General Lane's Brigade in Central Mexico" (Cincinnati,
1854); "History of the United States Cavalry" (New York,
1865); and has written many magazine and newspaper articles,
especially in regard to military affairs and the development of the
country and was a popular book in its
time and is still used as a source by historians.(Edited
Appletons Encyclopedia) A
volunteer officer in the Mexican War, Brackett won a captaincy in the
Regular Army when the 2d Cavalry was organized in
1855. He retired a colonel in 1891 and died in 1896.
TXGenWeb Project USGenWeb Project
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