James G. Grindlay

Infobox Military Person
name=James Glas Grindlay
born=birth date|1840|2|14
died=death date and age|1907|10|19|1840|2|14
placeofbirth=Edinburgh, Scotland
placeofdeath=Troy, New York
placeofburial=


caption=James Grindlay
nickname=
allegiance= United States of America Union
branch= United States Army Union Army
serviceyears=
rank= Brevet Brigadier General
commands=146th New York Infantry
unit=
battles=American Civil War
awards=Medal of Honor
relations=
laterwork=

James Glas Grindlay (February 14, 1840 – October 19, 1907) was a Union Army officer in the American Civil War and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions during the Battle of Five Forks. He served with the 146th New York Infantry Regiment and rose to become commander of that unit for the last year of the war. He twice briefly led his brigade after his superior officers became casualties, and was brevetted brigadier general shortly before the end of the conflict.

Early life

Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Grindlay immigrated to the United States as a young man.Brainard, p. 347] He was trained as a clerk, accountant, and insurance agent.Eicher and Eicher, p. 270] Before enlisting in the Army he worked as a bookkeeper for a tannery in Boonville, New York.

Civil War service

Grindlay enlisted from Boonville on September 8, 1862 for a three-year term of service in the Union Army. He joined Company D of the 146th New York Infantry as a captain. In May and June 1864 the regiment took part in General Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign in Virginia. At the Battle of the Wilderness in the first week of May, the 146th took heavy casualties. Both the regimental commander and the second-in-command were killed in action, leaving Grindlay as the most senior officer. [Brainard, pp. 195–198] He assumed command of the regiment and led it through the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House which immediately followed.Brainard, p. 523] Promoted to major, Grindlay led the 146th for the remainder of the campaign, including the battles of North Anna, Totopotomoy Creek, and Cold Harbor.

During the subsequent Siege of Petersburg, Grindlay again led his regiment through a series of battles, beginning with the Second Battle of Petersburg in June 1864 and the Battle of Globe Tavern in August.Brainard, p. 524] At the Battle of Peebles' Farm, the commander of 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, V Corps, of which the 146th New York was a part, was severely wounded. The injured officer, Elwell Stephen Otis, was carried from the field and Grindlay took over his position. [Brainard, pp. 245–246] Grindlay's tenure as brigade commander lasted only two days, from October 1, to October 3, before a replacement was found. He reverted back to his previous position as leader of the 146th, and saw the regiment through several more battles from late 1864 into early 1865. He led his men at the Battle of Boydton Plank Road in late October, and, after being promoted to lieutenant colonel, at Hatcher's Run in early February.

In the final weeks of the war, Grindlay was promoted to colonel and brevetted before seeing action again in the Appomattox Campaign. On March 13, 1865, he was simultaneously awarded the brevet ranks of lieutenant colonel for his actions as Spotsylvania, colonel for his actions at North Anna, and brigadier general for his "gallant and meritorious services".cite news |title=MEDAL FOR GEN. GRINDLAY.; THE CONSPICUOUS SERVICES OF A MAN WHO STARTED IN THE RANKS. |page=1 |publisher=The New York Times |date=1891-08-20 |url=http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9803E7D6143AE533A25753C2A96E9C94609ED7CF |accessdate=2008-03-25 ] At the Battle of Five Forks on April 1, 1865, the 1st Brigade, including the 146th New York, led the 2nd Division's attack on the Confederate breastworks. Just after breaching the defenses, brigade commander Frederick Winthrop was mortally wounded. For a second time, Grindlay took over command of 1st Brigade. Under his leadership, the brigade took the Confederate defenses and captured more than one-thousand prisoners and four battle flags. Two of the flags were captured by his own regiment, the 146th New York. [Brainard, pp. 293–295] Again, Grindlay was brigade commander for only two days until another replacement was found. For his actions during the engagement, Grindlay was awarded the Medal of Honor twenty-six years later, on August 14, 1891. His official citation states that he was " [t] he first to enter the enemy's works, where he captured 2 flags."cite web |publisher=U.S. Army Center of Military History |title=Civil War Medal of Honor Recipients (A–L) |work=Medal of Honor Citations |date=July 16, 2007 |url=http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/civwaral.html |accessdate=2008-03-24 ]

Grindlay and the rest of the 146th New York were mustered out of service on July 16, 1865, three months after the end of the war.

Post-war life

After the war, Grindlay lived in Utica, New York. He married twice, first to a Miss Anderson from Boonville and second to Mary Peckham from Utica. He was active in the Loyal Legion veterans' group and was president of the V Corps Veteran Association. In 1874 and 1875 he served as the U.S. consul to Kingston, Jamaica, and from 1891 onwards he worked at the New York State Comptroller's office in Albany. Grindlay died in a car accident in Troy, New York, at age 67 and was buried at Forest Hill Cemetery in Utica.

ee also

*List of Medal of Honor recipients
*

Notes

References

*cite book
last = Brainard
first = Mary Genevie Green
title = Campaigns of the One Hundred and Forty-sixth Regiment, New York State Volunteers
publisher = G. P. Putnam's Sons
year = 1915
location = New York and London
url = http://books.google.com/books?id=MHW7YcY9KeoC

*cite book
last = Eicher
first = John H.
coauthors = David J. Eicher
title = Civil War High Commands
publisher = Stanford University Press
year = 2001
location = Stanford, California
page = p. 270
url = http://books.google.com/books?id=Fs0Ajlnjl6AC
isbn = 0804736413

External links

*findagrave|8289518 Retrieved on 2008-07-02

Persondata
NAME= Grindlay, James G.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION= United States Army Medal of Honor recipient
DATE OF BIRTH=
PLACE OF BIRTH=
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=