David
Stuart was born on March 12, 1816,
in Brooklyn,
New York,
but as a young man he accompanied his father to Michigan,
finally settling in Detroit.He studied law and began his practice.Then, in 1852 he was elected to Congress as
a Democrat, but was defeated for re-election in 1854.He moved to Chicago
and became a solicitor for the Illinois Central Railroad.On July 22, 1861,
Stuart was commissioned lieutenant colonel of the 55th
Illinois Infantry and on October 31, in the spring of 1862 he commanded
a brigade of W.T. Sherman’s division and at Shiloh held the extreme left
of the Federal line‑his brigade had suffered heavily, was driven back,
and he himself was wounded.However, he was able
to take part in the subsequent capture of Corinth,
again in regimental command, and was next stationed in the vicinity of
Memphis
after its evacuation by the Confederates.
On November 29, 1862,
Stuart was appointed brigadier general (the Senate was not in session)
and took part in the fight at Chickasaw Bluffs, sometime known as First
Vicksburg, commanding a brigade of Morgan L. Smith’s division of Sherman’s
XV Corps.When Smith was wounded, Stuart assumed
command of the division and led it in the assault and capture of
Arkansas Post in January, 1863.He continued to direct the division until
the news reached the army that the Senate had rejected his appointment
as brigadier general on March 11, 1863; he was, of necessity, relieved
from command by Sherman.(652) Nothing in the
records explains the Senate’s action: Stuart seems to have done well and
had been esteemed by his colleagues, and Sherman
issued a laudatory order when relieving him, expressing the hope that he
would soon “return to the colors.”
Stuart
resigned from the service on April 3, returned to Detroit,
and resumed his legal practice.After the war he
practiced law in New Orleans
until the spring of 1868 when he once more returned to Detroit.He died on September 11, 1868,
and was buried in ElmwoodCemetery,
Detroit.
(653)
Biography of David Stuart contained in Generals In Blue, Ezra J.
Warner, pp. 484-485 (Louisiana State University press 1992)
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About the Author: Diana is an author with a passion for
writing. She has written screen plays and short stories. She resides
with her husband in Denver, Colorado.
