Samuel Beatty (general)

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Samuel Beatty
December 16, 1820(1820-12-16) – May 26, 1885 (aged 64)
Place of birth	Mifflin County, Pennsylvania
Place of death	Jackson Township, Ohio
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	Union Army
Years of service	1846—1848; 1861—1865
Rank	Brigadier General
Commands held	19th Ohio Infantry
Battles/wars	Mexican-American War American Civil War Battle of Rich Mountain Battle of Shiloh Battle of Perryville Battle of Stones River Battle of Chickamauga Battle of Nashville

Samuel Beatty (December 16, 1820 – May 26, 1885) was an American soldier, sheriff, and farmer from Ohio. He was a brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

Beatty was born in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, but was raised in Stark County, Ohio. He served as a lieutenant in the Third Ohio Infantry during the Mexican-American War in the 1840s, and then was the sheriff of Stark County in the late 1850s.

When the Civil War erupted, he formed a volunteer unit that mustered in as Company A of the 19th Ohio Infantry — the “Canton Light Guards.” Beatty was elected as the regiment's first colonel. After initial organization and training at the local fairgrounds, the regiment was transported to Camp Chase in Columbus, Ohio, for additional drilling. Beatty led the 19th Ohio in a series of battles in western Virginia, including the Battle of Rich Mountain. He fought at the Battle of Shiloh in the spring of 1862. He subsequently commanded a brigade (11th Brigade, Fifth Division, II Corps) in the Army of the Cumberland at the Battle of Perryville in Kentucky that autumn.

Beatty, although still a colonel in rank, took command of Brig. Gen. Horatio Van Cleve’s division during the Battle of Stones River after the general was wounded. His men were driven back by a charge by Confederates under John C. Breckinridge.

Promoted to brigadier general backdated to November 1862, Beatty's personal bravery at the Battle of Chickamauga in September 1863 received the commendation of XXI Corps commander Thomas L. Crittenden, who wrote, "With pride I mention the name of Brig. Gen. Samuel Beatty for his conduct on this occasion."^[1]

Beatty led a brigade in the IV Corps of the Army of the Cumberland during the Atlanta Campaign. He was brevetted as a major general for his actions at the Battle of Nashville, making him the highest ranking officer from Stark County during the war.

After the war, Beatty returned to Stark County and farmed in Jackson Township. He died at home and was buried in the City Cemetery in Massillon, Ohio.

[edit] References

Reid, Whitelaw, Ohio in the War: Her Statesmen, Her Generals, and Soldiers. Volume 2. Cincinnati: Moore, Wilstach, & Baldwin, 1868.
U.S. War Department, The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, 70 volumes in 4 series. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, 1880-1901.