Thomas Gamble Pitcher

Infobox Military Person
name=Thomas Gamble Pitcher
born= birth date|1824|10|23
died= death date and age|1895|10|21|1824|10|23


caption=
placeofbirth=Rockport, Indiana
placeofdeath=Fort Bayard, New Mexico
placeofburial=Arlington National Cemetery
allegiance=flagicon|United States United States of America
branch= United States Army
serviceyears=1845-78
rank= Brigadier General
commands= Superintendent of the United States Military Academy
battles=Mexican-American War American Civil War

Thomas Gamble Pitcher (October 23, 1824 – October 21, 1895) was a career American soldier who served as the Superintendent of the United States Military Academy from 1866 until 1870.

Pitcher was born at Rockport, Indiana, a son of Judge John Pitcher, who loaned his law books to young Abraham Lincoln. He graduated from West Point in 1845. During the Mexican War, he won the brevet rank of first lieutenant. He was promoted to captain in 1858.

During the Civil War, Pitcher participated in the defense of Harpers Ferry in June 1862, where he and his men were among the thousands of Union soldiers who surrendered to Stonewall Jackson. After being released and exchanged, he served in the Virginia campaign until the battle of Cedar Mountain (August 9, 1862), where he was severely wounded. He was then brevetted major in the regular army, and three months later was commissioned brigadier general of volunteers, but saw no further active service. On March 13, 1865, he was brevetted lieutenant colonel, colonel, and brigadier general in the regular army.

On July 28, 1866, Pitcher was commissioned as the colonel of the 44th U.S. Infantry. From 1866 to 1870 he was superintendent of the United States Military Academy, and from 1880 until 1887 was superintendent of the New York Soldiers and Sailors Home.

He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, along with his sons, Lt. Col. John Pitcher and Col. William L. Pitcher, also West Point graduates.

External links

*findagrave|12944 Retrieved on 2008-02-12
* [http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/tgpitcher.htm Arlington National Cemetery biopgraphy of Pitcher]

Persondata
NAME= Pitcher, Thomas Gamble
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION= Superintendent of the United States Military Academy 1866-70
DATE OF BIRTH=October 23, 1824
PLACE OF BIRTH=Rockport, Indiana
DATE OF DEATH=October 21, 1895
PLACE OF DEATH=Fort Bayard, New Mexico