John S. Casement

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John Stephen Casement

Nickname	"General Jack"
Born	(1829-01-19)January 19, 1829 Geneva, New York
Died	December 13, 1909(1909-12-13) (aged 80) Painesville, Ohio
Allegiance	United States of America Union
Service/branch	United States Army Union Army
Years of service	1861 – 1865
Rank	Brevet Brigadier General
Unit	103rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry
Commands held	2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, XXIII Corps.
Battles/wars	American Civil War Siege of Knoxville Atlanta campaign Battle of Franklin Battle of Nashville Battle of Wilmington
Other work	Directed the Union Pacific work crews during construction of the Transcontinental Railroad

John Stephen "Jack" Casement (January 1, 1829 – December 13, 1909) was a general and brigade commander in the Union Army during the American Civil War and a noted railroad contractor. He directed the constructional phase of the Transcontinental Railroad, which linked the Western United States with the East.

Early life and career

John S. Casement was born in Geneva, New York. He worked as a railroad contractor before marrying Frances Jennings in 1857.

General John S. Casement and His Outfit (1867-8). Photo by Andrew J. Russell.

Civil War

Just a few years later, as the Civil War was beginning in 1861, he was appointed as a major in an Ohio volunteer infantry regiment and served in the Shenandoah Valley against Confederates under Stonewall Jackson. Late in 1863, he was appointed colonel of the 103rd Ohio Volunteer Regiment and fought in the operations around Knoxville.

He continued to lead his regiment during the first phase of the Atlanta Campaign in 1864. During the Siege of Atlanta, he assumed command of the 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, XXIII Corps. His brigade held the center of the Union line at the Battle of Franklin, where his commanding officer, Jacob D. Cox, credited him with "saving the day for the Union."

He was appointed as a brigadier general by brevet commission in January 1865 and was transferred to North Carolina along with the rest of the XXIII Corps. During the Carolinas Campaign, he took a prominent part in the Battle of Wilmington, which was to be his last major combat.

Postbellum career

After the war, he resumed his involvement in the burgeoning railroad industry. In 1866, Thomas Clark Durant appointed Major General Grenville M. Dodge as the chief engineer for the Union Pacific Railroad during the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad. Dodge hired Casement and his brother Daniel to direct the construction crews. Daniel Casement was responsible for financing the operations, while John directed the construction crews who took to calling their boss "General Jack." The brothers oversaw the construction from Fremont, Nebraska, to the railroad's completion at Promontory, Utah.

Casement died in Painesville, Ohio, on December 13, 1909. Casement Airport is named in his memory, as was a World War II liberty ship, the SS John S. Casement.

References

"John S. Casement". Find a Grave. Retrieved 2008-02-14.

External links

Historic Downtown Painesville Casement-era Homes & Buildings

Authority control	VIAF: 43069784

Persondata
Name	Casement, John S.
Alternative names
Short description	Union Army officer
Date of birth	January 1, 1829
Place of birth	Geneva, New York
Date of death	December 13, 1909
Place of death	Painesville, Ohio

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