Lucius Fairchild

Lucius Fairchild
10th Governor of Wisconsin
In office January 1, 1866 – January 1, 1872
Preceded by	James T. Lewis
Succeeded by	Cadwallader Colden Washburn
Personal details
Born	December 27, 1831(1831-12-27) Franklin Mills, Ohio
Died	May 23, 1896(1896-05-23) (aged 78) Madison, Wisconsin
Resting place	Forest Hill Cemetery Madison, Wisconsin
Political party	Republican (Post war) Democratic (Pre war)
Spouse(s)	Frances Bull Fairchild
Children	Mary, Sarah, Caryl, Lucia, Charlotte
Profession	Clerk, Politician, Soldier
Religion	Protestant
Military service
Allegiance	United States of America Union
Service/branch	Union Army
Years of service	1858-1863
Rank	Brigadier General
Unit	Iron Brigade in the Army of the Potomac
Commands	2nd Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment
Battles/wars	American Civil War 1861 - Falling Waters (Captain) 1862 - Second Bull Run (Lieutenant Colonel) 1862 - South Mountain (Colonel) 1862 - Antietam (Colonel) 1862 - Fredericksburg (Colonel) 1862 - Chancellorsville (Colonel) 1863 - Gettysburg (Colonel)

Lucius Fairchild (December 27, 1831 – May 23, 1896) was an American politician, army general, and diplomat. He served as the tenth Governor of Wisconsin and as U.S. Minister to Spain.

Military career

Lucius Fairchild, Lieutenant Colonel of the 2nd Wisconsin Infantry, before his promotion to Colonel on November 17, 1862.

General Fairchild, as a Private in 1858, enlisted in a Wisconsin volunteer militia known as the "governor's guard". Under his guidance the militia was titled Company K, 1st Wisconsin volunteers and by 1861, was serving in the Civil War at Falling Waters against the "Stonewall Brigade" of General Thomas J. Jackson. In August 1861, Fairchild was appointed Captain of the 16th US Regulars as well as Major of the 2nd Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment. During the prior month of July 1861, General William T. Sherman commanded the newly-formed regiment for the First Battle of Bull Run and due to its poor performance, all upper chain of command needed replacement. Electing to stay with the 2nd, Major Fairchild was soon commissioned Lieutenant Colonel and, with his regiment now apart of the famed Iron Brigade within the Army of the Potomac, participated in the Second Battle of Bull Run. One week thereafter, on September 8, 1862, was promoted to the rank of full Colonel of the 2nd Wisconsin Volunteers. On February 27, 1863, the Iron Brigade, now under the command of Brig. Gen. Solomon Meredith, was redesignated the "1st Brigade, 1st Division, I Corps". This gave Colonel Fairchild the distinction of being the ranking pointman for all commissioned officers within the I Corp of the Army of the Potomac during the Spring and Summer of 1863.

Fairchild, and his WI 2nd Volunteers, distinguished themselves at The Battle of Antietam, then culminating at Battle of Gettysburg, at Seminary Ridge on July 1, 1863, being the first infantry regiment to make close contact with the CSA Army. While drawing first blood, at roughly 10:00, the WI 2nd Vols delivered a striking blow capturing very first Confederate General Officer of the war, Brig. Gen. James J. Archer. Almost immediately after this success, the regiment was ambushed from a northern flank to their right, and lost seventy-seven percent of their ranks, including most officers. Colonel Fairchild was shot in the upper arm, captured, tended to and released. While recovering from his amputated left arm, Lucius Fairchild was fully commissioned as Brigadier General of the 2nd Wisconsin Volunteers by U.S.A President Abraham Lincoln on October 19, 1863.

Political and diplomatic career

Fairchild resigned from the military in November, 1863 and was appointed Secretary of State of Wisconsin (1864–1866), before being elected three term Governor of Wisconsin (1866–1872). After his time as governor, Fairchild was appointed U.S. consul at Liverpool (1871) and then consul general at Paris (1880–1881), Fairchild was Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Spain. Fairchild's later served as Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic (1886-87) and of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (1893-95); during the former of these terms, he came to national prominence for calling upon God to "palsy" U.S. President Grover Cleveland for ordering some captured Confederate standards returned to the appropriate southern states. General Fairchild also received 95 degrees in the Masonic Order "Egyptian Masonic Rite of Memphis."

Family

Lucius Fairchild is a descendant of Thomas Fairchild who emigrated to North America in 1639. His father was Democrat, Jairus C. Fairchild, the first Treasurer of the State of Wisconsin and the first Mayor of the city of Madison, Wisconsin. His brother, Cassius Fairchild served as Democratic Party Leader in the Wisconsin State Assembly, and also served in the Union Army during the American Civil War with the rank of Colonel (brevet Brigadier General) . He also had a brother named Charles who served in the Union Navy during the war. His wife was Frances Bull Fairchild, and together they had five daughters, Mary, Sarah, Caryl, Lucia, and Charlotte.

Legacy

The town of Fairchild, Wisconsin is named in his honor. The 422 foot WW II Liberty Ship SS Lucius Fairchild was named in his honor, built in 1943 in Portland, Oregon for the United States War Shipping Administration. A John Singer Sargent portrait of General Fairchild is housed at the Wisconsin Historical Museum located in Madison, Wisconsin.

See also

• Fairchild family
• List of American Civil War generals
• List of U.S. political families-Fairchild

Bibliography

(Ross, Sam) The Empty Sleeve: A biography of Lucius Fairchild Madison, State Historical Society of Wisconsin for the Wisconsin Civil War Centennial Commission, 1964

Notes

Political offices
Preceded by James Lewis	Secretary of State of Wisconsin 1864–1866	Succeeded by Thomas Allen
Preceded by James Lewis	Governor of Wisconsin 1866 – 1872	Succeeded by Cadwallader C. Washburn
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by James Russell Lowell	U.S. Minister to Spain 1880–1881	Succeeded by Hannibal Hamlin