August V. Kautz

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August Valentine Kautz (1828-1895) - Born 5 Jan 1828, Baden, Germany. Died 4 Sep 1895, Seattle, Washington. He graduated from U.S. Military Academy, West Point, Class of 1852.

Introduction

About 1828 his parents emigrated to Brown County, Ohio, via Baltimore, Maryland. He attended school in Georgetown, Ohio, and during the first year of Mexican War served as a Private, 1st Ohio Infantry. A Year after discharge, he was appointed to the United States Military Academy, where he graduated in the class of 1852.

Biography

He served for number of years in Pacific Northwest, where was twice wounded in operations against Indians. With the reorganization of the Regular Army in May 1861 he was made a Captain of the new 6th United States Cavalry, and served in the Washington, DC defense and most creditably in McClellan's Peninsular Campaign.

In September 1862, he was appointed Colonel of the 2nd Ohio Cavalry Volunteer Regiment and was sent to Fort Scott on the Kansas frontier. In the following year, after some duty in command of Camp Chase, Ohio, he took part in the pursuit and capture of Confederate General John Hunt Morgan in the course of latter's raid into Kentucky and Indiana.

From April 1864 March 1865 he commanded a Division of Cavalry in Benjamin F. Butler's Army of the James, having been made Brigadier General of Volunteers on May 7, 1864. He took part in a number of operations against various Confederate lines of supply coming into Richmond and Petersburg, including the fight at Ream's Station on June 29, 1864, during James Harrison Wilson's raid. In none of these actions was he substantially successful, and in March 1865 was shifted to command of a Division of Negro troops in XXV Corps at the head of which he entered the Confederate capital on April 3, 1865. In May and June he had dubious distinction of being one of members of military commission which acted out farce of "trying" the conspirators in assassination of Abraham Lincoln. With brevets of Major General in both the Regular Army and the Volunteers, he became Lieutenant Colonel of 34th US Infantry in 1866, Colonel of the 8th US Infantry in 1874, and Brigadier General, US Army, 1891. Meanwhile, he commanded effectively at various Indian posts on frontier and wrote several military treatises. He was the brother of Rear Admiral Albert Kautz.Pre-War Profession Mexican War, Graduated West Point 1852, service on Pacific coast. War Service May 1861 Capt. in 6th US Cavalry, defences of Washington, Peninsula campaign, Seven Days, September 1862 Col. of 2nd Ohio Cavalry, served in Kansas, fought in Morgan's raid into Kentucky and Indiana, May 1864 appointed Brig. Gen. of Volunteers, commanded the Cavalry Division in the Petersburg campaign, Reams's Station, commanded 1st Divn/XXV Corps in Richmond. Brevet Promotions Maj. Gen. U.S.V. October 28 1864, Brig. Gen. U.S.A. March 13 1865, Maj. Gen. U.S.A. March 13 1865. Post War Career Army service, frontier duty, retired 1892. Defended Chief Leschi's innocence in the 1857 murder trial. See further: http://washingtonhistory.org/wshm/education/prototype/leschi/leschitrial/documents/TruthTellerTranscript.pdf

In 1857, a well documented attempt to climb Mount Rainier was made by an Army lieutenant, August Valentine Kautz. He was stationed at Fort Steilacoom and had the mountain practically in his backyard. He developed a great desire to reach it's summit and with some companions hired a Nisqually Indian as their guide and headed for the foot of the Nisqually Glacier in July. After 6 days of traveling through forest and thicket, they finally began their climb up toward the summit. By the eighth day, Wahpowety the Nisqually guide, was suffering from snow blindness. His companions gave out as well, but Kautz went forward and continued until he reached what was probably the 14,000 feet level. He was about 400 feet shy of the summit. It was a great disappointment, however he proved that legends of Indians climbing Mount Rainier could be true. Mount Rainier could be climbed. -- National Park Service

Interred in Category:Arlington National Cemetery 22 Jun 1899, Section 2, Grave 992.

Genealogy

Father: George Kautz (1800-????) - Born 6 Nov 1800, Ispringen, Baden, Germany. Died ????.

Mother: Dorthea Lewing (1800-????) - Born 16 Oct 1800, Hesse-Kassel, Germany

Marriage:

  • Tenas Puss (1838-1???) - Born about 1838 in Pierce County, Washington. Married about 1856, Pierce County, Washington Territory.
  • Charlotte Delamater Tod (1845-1???) - Born 1845 in Brier Hill, Mahoning County, Ohio. Married 7 Sep 1865.
  • Fannie Markbreit (1850-1913) Born Jun 1850, Austria. Died 11 Aug 1913 and is buried with her husband. Married 27 Nov 1872, Hamilton County, Ohio.

Children:

  • By Tenas Puss
    • Nugent Kautz (1857-1???) - Born 17 Mar 1857, Fort Steilacoom, Pierce County, washington.
    • Augustus Kautz (1859-1???)
  • By Charlotte Delamater Tod
  • By Fannie Markbreit
    • Austin Kautz (1873-1???) - Born 11 Sep 1873, Kentucky.
    • Francisca Kautz (1878-1???) - Born Apr 1878, Arizona Territory.
    • Navarra Kautz (1882-1???) - Born 14 Jul 1882, Angel Island,Marin County, California.

Assignments: (incomplete)

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