Christopher Columbus Augur – Major General, United States Army

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AUGUR, Christopher Columbus, soldier, born in New York in 1821. He was graduated at West Point in 1843, having been appointed to the academy from Michigan.

During the Mexican war he served as aide-de-camp to General Hopping, and, after his death, to General Caleb Cushing.

He was promoted Captain 1 August 1852, and served with distinction in a campaign against the Indians in Oregon in 1856.

On 14 May 1861, he was appointed Major m the 13th infantry, and was for a time commandant of cadets at West Point. In November of that year he was commissioned a Brigadier General of volunteers, and joined McDowell’s corps. In July 1862, he was assigned to a division under General Banks, and in the battle of Cedar Mountain, 9 August was severely wounded. He sat on the military court that investigated the surrender of Harper’s Ferry.

He was promoted Major General 9 August 1862, and in November joined his Corps and took part in the Louisiana campaign. At the siege of Port Hudson he commanded the left wing of the army, and for meritorious services on that occasion he was brevetted Brigadier General in the United States Army, 13 March 1865, receiving on the same date the brevet of Major-General for services in the field during the rebellion.

From 13 October 1863, to 13 August 1866, he was commandant of the Department of Washington ; from 15 January 1867, to 13 November 1871, of the Department of the Platte ; then of the Department of Texas until March 1875; of the Department of the Gulf until 1 July 1878, and subsequently of the Department of the South and the Department of the Missouri, and in 1885 was retired.

On 15 August 1886, he was shot and dangerously wounded by a Negro whom he attempted to chastise for using coarse language in .front of his house in Washington.His son, Jacob Arnold, is a Captain in the 5th United States Cavalry.

Born July 10,1821 at Kendall, New York, but was taken the same year by his widowed mother to Michigan, from where he was appointed to West Point in 1839. He graduated in 1843, 16th in a class of 39, a class which furnished ten general officers to the North and three to the South during the Civil War.

He performed routine garrison duty for some years and fought creditably in the Mexican War and during the 1850s saw frontier service. He was promoted through the grades and on May 14, 1861, attained the rank of Major in the Regular Army.

After spending the first months of the war as Commandant of Cadets at West Point, he was posted to the Washington, D.C. area defenses. He was appointed Brigadier General, U.S. Volunteers, November 12, 1861 and first saw action on the line at the Rappahannock during the Peninsular Campaign. He was breveted Brigadier General and Major General, U.S. Army, for his gallant services in the war.

In March 1866 he was appointed Colonel, 12th U.S. Infantry and Brigadier General, U.S. Army, in 1869. He thereafter commanded various military departments in the West and South during the postbellum years and retired from the Army in 1885. Of interest is the fact that he was the officer in charge of the escort of President’ Lincoln’s body from the Peterson House to the White House after the President’s assassination on the evening of April 14, 1865.

He died on January 16, 1898 and was buried in Section 1 of Arlington National Cemetery.

His wife, Jane Augur, and his sons, Colonel Jacob Arnold Augur and Colon Augur are buried with him.

GENERAL CHRISTOPHER C. AUGUR

WASHINGTON, January 17, 1898 – General Christopher C. Augur, one of the three surviving member of the class of ’43 at West Point, died last night at his home in West Washington, D.C., aged seventy-seven years. He was born in New York but appointed to the United States Military Academy from Michigan in 1839 and was a classmate of General Grant.  In July 1843 he was made a Brevet Second Lieutenant of the Second Artillery.

After serving in the Mexican War as the aide-de-camp to General Hopping, and, after the latter’s death, as aide-de-camp to General Caleb Cushing, he was promoted in 1852 to a Captaincy and served with distinction in the campaign against Indians in Oregon in 1856.  May 14, 1861, he was appointed Major in the Thirteenth Infantry and was for a time Commandant of Cadets at West Point.

In November 1861, he was commissioned a Brigadier General of Volunteers of joined McDowell’s corps.  For gallant and meritorious services at the battle of Cedar Mountain, where he sustained several wounds, he was made a Major General of Volunteers and brevetted a Colonel in the Regular Army.  He sat in the military court that investigates the surrender of Harper’s Ferry.  I November 1862 he rejoined his corps and took part in the Louisiana campaign.

At the siege of Port Hudson he commanded the left wing of the Army and again distinguished himself for gallantly and was brevetted Brigadier General in the United States Army, also receiving the brevet of Major General for services in the field during the rebellion.  From the close of the war until he retired in 1885, he commanded various departments in the West.  He then moved to Washington.

On August 15, 1886, he was shot and dangerous wounded by a Negro whom he attempted to chastise for using coarse language in front of his home.  He had two sons now in the Army, Captain Colon Augur at Fort Riley and Major J. A. Augur at Fort Leavenworth.

AUGUR, CHRISTOPHER C

  • AR United States Army
  • VETERAN SERVICE DATES: Unknown
  • DATE OF DEATH: 01/16/1898
  • DATE OF INTERMENT: 01/16/1898
  • BURIED AT: SECTION 1  SITE 63WS
  • ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

AUGUR, CHRISTOPHER C

  • BG USA
  • VETERAN SERVICE DATES: Unknown
  • DATE OF DEATH: 01/11/1898
  • DATE OF INTERMENT: Unknown
  • BURIED AT: SECTION 1 WS  SITE LOT 63 S
  • ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

AUGUR, COLON

  • CAPT, United States Army
  • VETERAN SERVICE DATES: Unknown
  • DATE OF DEATH: 02/13/1913
  • DATE OF INTERMENT: 02/13/1913
  • BURIED AT: SECTION 1  SITE 63ES
  • ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
  • Born in 1847 in New Jersey
  • Age 33  (1880 Census)
  • Occupation Capt. U.S.A.
  • Marital Status S <Single>
  • Race W <White>
  • Head of Household Christopher C. AUGER
  • Relation Son
  • Father’s Birthplace NY
  • Mother’s Birthplace NY
  • Census Place 2nd Ward, Newport,Campbell, Kentucky
  • NOTE: Family history gives birth information as 10 JUN 1847  Syracuse, Onondaga, New York

AUGUR, FORD SPENCER S/O CHRISTOPHER

  • BORN: 24 APRIL 1860 – Fort Hoskins, Benton, Oregon
  • DATE OF DEATH: 04/13/1938
  • DATE OF INTERMENT: 03/30/1939
  • BURIED AT: SECTION WEST  SITE 63
  • ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
  • SON OF CC AUGUR, BRIG GEN, USA
  • Born on 24 April 1860 at Fort Hoskins, Benton, Oregon

AUGUR, JANE E

  • DATE OF DEATH: 07/18/1906
  • DATE OF INTERMENT: 07/18/1906
  • BURIED AT: SECTION 1  SITE 63ES
  • ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
  • WIFE OF CC AUGUR, BRIG GEN USA

AUGUR, MURRAY BLACHLEY S/O C C

  • DATE OF DEATH: 03/17/1939
  • DATE OF INTERMENT: 03/30/1939
  • BURIED AT: SECTION WEST  SITE 63
  • ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
  • SON OF CC AUGUR, BRIG GEN, USA
  • 2LT AC USA
  • Born on 24 June 1870 at Omaha, Douglas, Nebraska
  • Christened 14 September 1870 atTrinity Cathedral-Episcopal, Omaha, Douglas,Nebraska
  • Census of 1880:
  • Census Place 2nd Ward, Newport, Campbell, Kentucky
  • Born Nebraska in 1870
  • Birthplace NE
  • Age 10
  • Occupation At School
  • Marital Status S <Single>
  • Race W <White>
  • Head of Household Christopher C. AUGER
  • Relation Son
  • Father’s Birthplace NY
  • Mother’s Birthplace NY

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