Reuben D. Mussey, Jr.

Reuben D. Mussey, Jr.
Born May 30, 1833(1833-05-30)
Hanover, New Hampshire
Died May 29, 1892(1892-05-29) (aged 58)
Washington, D.C.
Place of burial Oak Hill Cemetery (Washington, D.C.)
Allegiance United States of America
Union
Service/branch Union Army
Years of service 1861–1866
Rank Colonel
Unit 100th U.S. Colored Troops
Battles/wars American Civil War
Other work Lawyer

Reuben D. Mussey, Jr. (often called RD Mussey) (May 30, 1833–May 29, 1892) was a Union Army colonel during the American Civil War and a distinguished lawyer. Between April 1865 and November 1865, Mussey was President Andrew Johnson's private secretary. Johnson nominated Mussey for appointment to the brevet grade of brigadier general of volunteers, but the U.S. Senate did not confirm the appointment. Mussey was the husband of Ellen Spencer Mussey who was also his law partner and became the head of the practice upon his death.

Contents

Biography

Mussey was the son of the medical doctor Reuben D. Mussey and his wife Hettie Osgood. He was born in Hanover, New Hampshire on May 30, 1833.[1] RD Mussey graduated from Dartmouth College in 1854. He campaigned for Abraham Lincoln in 1860 and at the outbreak of the Civil War began serving in the regular army of the United States as captain of the 19th U.S. Infantry Regiment.[1]

Some sources list his name as Reuben Delevan Mussey, suggesting that Jr. may not be technically correct, but since both he and his father are referred to as Reuben D. Mussey or Reuben Mussey, the Jr. is the best way to distinguish the two.

Mussey was an anti-slavery officer in the Union Army who contributed to the end of slavery in Tennessee by his actions as a recruiter and regimental commander there.[2] Mussey was a strong advocate of enlisting African-American soldiers and in correspondence with his superiors took issue with William T. Sherman's view on this issue.[3] As a captain of the 19th U.S. Infantry Regiment from May 14, 1861 until June 14, 1864,[1] Mussey helped recruit African-American soldiers for the Union Army. On June 14, 1864, Mussey was appointed colonel of the 100th U.S. Colored Infantry.[1][4]

Mussey served as President Andrew Johnson's private secretary from April 1865 to November 1865.[1] At some date for which the record has not been found, Johnson nominated Mussey for appointment to the brevet grade of brigadier general in the regular army, to rank from March 13, 1865, but the U.S. Senate did not confirm the appointment.[1][5]

Mussey was mustered out of the volunteers on December 26, 1865 and resigned from the regular army on February 19, 1866.[1] Soon after this date, he began a law practice in Washington D.C. He had two daughters with his first wife. It was after her death he met and latter married Ellen Spencer. Mussey also served as an adjunct professor of law at Howard University.

Reuben Delevan Mussey died in Washington, D.C. on May 29, 1892.[1] He is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery (Washington, D.C.).[1]

See also

United States Army portal
American Civil War portal

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher, Civil War High Commands. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. ISBN 0-8047-3641-3. p. 606
  2. ^ [1]
  3. ^ [2]
  4. ^ [3]
  5. ^ Mussey is shown on page 440 of Hunt, Roger D. and Jack R. Brown, Brevet Brigadier Generals in Blue. Gaithersburg, MD: Olde Soldier Books, Inc., 1990. ISBN 1-56013-002-4, but no confirmation date is given and the Eicher's positively state that Mussey's appointment to rank from March 13, 1865 was not confirmed by the U.S. Senate. On the other hand, despite the Eichers statement that Reuben D. Mussey, Jr. was not confirmed as a brevet brigadier general, other sources list him as a brevet brigadier general without reservation, including the relatively recent source of Hunt and Brown, 1990, p. 440. The Eichers cite Hunt and Brown but there is nothing in the Mussey entry in that book which supports their conclusion about Mussey's appointment not being confirmed and the editor of this footnote found nothing elsewhere in the Hunt and Brown book concerning Mussey. This means that it must be said that Mussey's full actual substantive rank was colonel and, pending the discovery of information from another definitive source, that there is a conflict in the sources as to whether or not his nomination as a brevet brigadier general ever was confirmed.

References