Curtis, Samuel Ryan, 1805-1866

Samuel Ryan Curtis, engineer, legislator, and Union general. A graduate of West Point (class of 1831), he briefly served on the frontier, and then worked as an engineer and studied law. During the Mexican War, he commanded the 3rd Regiment of Ohio Infantry, and he served as military governor of Matamoras, Camargo, Monterrey, and Saltillo. After the war, Curtis resumed his engineering career, working in Iowa and Missouri. In 1853, he moved to Iowa and entered politics as a member of Republican party. He was elected to Congress in 1856, and was re-elected in 1858 and again in 1860, having defeated Chester Cicero Cole. With the outbreak of Civil War, he resigned his seat to join the Army. He commanded the Army of the Southwest, Dept. of the Missouri, Dept. of Kansas, and Dept. of the Northwest. After the war, he briefly served as an Indian commissioner and a member of the commission to examine the Union Pacific Railroad.

Commander, U.S. Army Dept. of Kansas; of Fort Leavenworth (Kan.).

Samuel Curtis was the son of Zarah and Phalley Curtis, had an older brother Henry B., and a younger brother, Hosmer. Samuel grew up in Ohio, living in Mt. Vernon, then moved to Newark, Ohio where he worked as a law clerk,then Mansfield where he worked as a store clerk. He became a cadet at West Point in 1827 and graduated in 1831. He married Belinda Buckingham that year, served at Ft. Gibson with the 7th Infantry, and resigned from the Army in 1832. He then became a civil engineer in Ohio, working on the National Road.

Curtis worked on the National Road in Ohio in the 1830s, raised and was Colonel of the 3rd Regiment Ohio Volunteers in the Mexican War, had a private practice in Keokuk from 1855-1861, was elected to Congress from Iowa in 1856, and later fought in the Civil War.

Samuel Ryan Curtis (1805-1866), was a Colonel of the 3d Regiment of the Ohio Volunteers. Before the Mexican War, Curtis was chief engineer for the Muskingum River project and, at the same time, maintained a law office in Wooster, Ohio.

Iowa congressman who resigned his seat in the House of Representatives in 1861 to take over command of the 2nd Iowa Regiment. Had graduated from West Point and served as Adjutant General of Ohio during the Mexican War. Also a civil engineer and interested in building the railroad to California. During the war he was accused of speculating in cotton while in Helena, Arkansas but after investigation was exonerated of all charges.

Samuel Ryan Curtis, born in New York, moved to Ohio in 1809, graduated from West Point, served at Ft. Gibson with the 7th Infantry, and left in 1832. He worked in Ohio as engineer on the National Road, served in the Mexican War, returned to engineering as chief engineer for the Des Moines River and city engineer in St. Louis. He represented Iowa in Congress, 1856-61, entered the Union army, commanding the Depts. of Missouri, Kansas, and the Northwest.

Henry Zarah Curtis (d. 1863), a major in the United States Army, served during the Civil War as assistant adjutant general on his father's staff while Samuel R. Curtis commanded the Dept. of Missouri, and then transferred to General Blunt's staff in Kansas. He was killed by guerrillas under Quantrill.

Samuel Stephen Curtis, a colonel in the United States Army, served during the Civil War as aide-de-camp on his father's (Samuel R. Curtis) staff during the campaign in Arkansas and later was major of the 2d Colorado Regiment.

Samuel Ryan Curtis (1805-1866), Union general. A West Point graduate, he left the regular army to pursue a career in law and civil engineering. He served in the Mexican War, and then resumed his engineering career, working in Iowa and Missouri. In 1856 he sucessfully ran for Congress, as a Republican. He was re-elected in 1858 and again in 1860, having defeated Chester Cicero Cole. He soon resigned his seat to join the army. In 1862 he commanded the Army of the Southwest, and after victory at Pea Ridge and occupation of Helena, was put in charge of the Departments of Missouri. In May 1863 he was removed following a conflict with the governor of Missouri H. R. Gamble, and later assigned to the command of the Department of Kansas and the Department of the Northwest.

His son Samuel Stephen Ryan was aide-de-camp on his father's staff during the campaign in Arkansas and later served in the regular army.

Samuel Ryan Curtis was born in New York State on February 3, 1805 and moved with his family to Licking County, Ohio, in 1809. After graduation from West Point in 1831, he was sent to Fort Gibson with the 7th Infantry. On November 3, 1831, Curtis married Belinda Buckingham of Mansfield. In the summer of 1832, he resigned his commission, returned to Ohio, was employed as an engineer on the construction of the National Road, and took up the study of law. After service in the Mexican War, he went to Iowa as chief engineer for improvements in the Des Moines River, was city engineer of St. Louis, and became interested in railroading. He represented the First Congressional District of Iowa from 1856 to 1861, interesting himself especially in the promotion of the Pacific Railroad. He resigned his seat in Congress in August, 1861, to report for duty to Major General Frémont at St. Louis. He commanded the victorious Union Army at Pea Ridge, Arkansas, in 1862, and, as a result, was given command of the Department of Missouri. Curtis was later removed on account of friction between civil and military authorities. In 1864, he was assigned to command the Department of Kansas and in 1865 was sent to the Department of the Northwest. After the Civil War, he was one of the commissioners to treat with the Indians along the Missouri, and also served on the commission to examine and report on the construction of the Union Pacific Railroad. While engaged on this survey, he died at Council Bluffs in 1866.

Both of General Curtis' sons served in the Civil War. Major Henry Zarah Curtis was assistant adjutant general on his father's staff while the latter was in command of the Department of Missouri. He was later transferred to General Blunt's staff in Kansas. He was killed in 1863 by guerrillas under Quantrill. A second son, Samuel Stephen Curtis, was aide-de-camp on his father's staff during the campaign in Arkansas and major of the 2d Colorado Regiment.