John T. Greble

John Trout Greble (1834-1861) - Born 19 Jan 1834 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A career U.S. Army artillery officer who served in the Third Seminole War and the U.S. Civil War where he became the first United States Military Academy graduate killed in that war. He died 10 Jun 1861, at the Battle of Big Bethel, Virginia.

John Trout Greble

He entered the United States Military Academy on 1 Jul 1850 and graduated in the Class of 1854 ranking 21st out of 46.

He served in Florida during the Third Seminole War in 1854-1855 with the 2nd U.S. Artillery and following that, at the United States Military Academy, where he was an assistant professor of geography and ethics, 1856-1860.

He served with the 2nd U.S. Artillery during the U.S. Civil War as a 1st Lieutenant and was killed while covering the retreat of Union forces with his artillery. Posthumously breveted as a Captain, a Major and as a Lieutenant Colonel for conspicuous gallantry and meritorious conduct at the Battle of Big Bethel, Virginia. He was the first United States Military Academy graduate killed in that war and possibly the first regular Union Officer killed. His body was borne back to Fort Monroe on the gun he was commanding and then accompanied back to Pennsylvania by his father and officers from his unit. His young widow, two year old son and the family viewed the body at their home. He was buried in West Laurel Hill Cemetery, Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.

Two forts and one Endicott Period gun battery were named for John T. Greble:

• Fort Greble (1) - A U.S. Civil War post in Washington DC.
• Fort Greble (2) - An Endicott Period Coast Defense Fort in Rhode Island.
• Battery Greble - A 3" Endicott Period Coast Defense Battery on Fort Terry, New York.

Personal Description:

• Height: 5' 7"
• Weight: 145
• Build: Compactly built
• Hair Color: Very dark brown
• Eye Color: Dark blue

Sources:

• Cullum Register - John T. Greble
• Find A Grave - John T. Greble
• U.S. Archive.org - Memoir of Lieut.-Col. John T. Greble (pdf)