Campbell, Cleaveland John, 1836-1865

Civil War Union Brevet Brigadier General. He enlisted in the Union Army on September 6, 1861, and was mustered in as a Private in Company C, 44th New York Volunteer Infantry. Two months later he received a commission of 2nd Lieutenant, and transferred to Company C, 1st New York Volunteer Cavalry on November 1, 1861. He served in the cavalry unit until October 24, 1862, when he was promoted to 1st Lieutenant, and transferred to the 152nd New York Volunteer Infantry to serve as its Regimental Adjutant. In April 1863 his rise in the ranks continue, when he was promoted to Captain, and transferred to the 121st New York Volunteer Infantry to command Company C. Almost a year later on March 20, 1864 he was commissioned Lieutenant Colonel and assigned to the 23rd United States Colored Infantry. On July 15, 1864 he was promoted to Colonel and commander of the regiment, completing a rare rise from lowest enlisted man to full regimental commander. Fifteen days after his assuming command of the 23rd USCI, he led them in the disastrous July 30 Battle of the Crater during the Siege of Petersburg, where he sustained a gunshot wound to the chest. He would never fully recover from the wound, and attracted pneumonia while convalescing in his home in New York State, where he died of the affliction in June 1865. He was posthumously brevetted Brigadier General, US Volunteers for "faithful and meritorious services", with the date of the brevet backdated to March 13, 1865.