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Civil War Soldiers - Couch
| Couch, Darius N., major-general, U.S.
Army, was born in South East, Putnam county, N. Y., July 23, 1822, and
was graduated at the United States military academy at West Point in
1846, entering immediately thereafter upon active service in the
Mexican war. He was brevetted first lieutenant for gallantry at Buena
Vista, and was later, upon the promotion of Capt. Washington to the
command of the artillery battalion of Gen. Taylor's army, made
adjutant. After service in the Seminole war, at various artillery
posts, and in the department of natural history in the Smithsonian
institution, he resigned from the army in 1855, and engaged, until
1857, in business in New York city, and afterwards, until the Civil
war, in manufacturing in Norton, Mass. In 1861 he offered his services
to Gov. Andrew, and was appointed colonel of the 7th Mass. volunteers.
He was given a commission as brigadier-general, dating from May 17,
1861, and was promoted major-general of volunteers July 4, 1862. On
the reorganization of the Army of the Potomac, he was assigned a
division in Gen. Keyes' corps, with which he distinguished himself at
Fair Oaks, Williamsburg and Malvern hill, and later commanded a
division in the retreat from Manassas to Washington, Aug. 30 to Sept.
2, 1862, and took part in the battle of Antietam in Franklin's corps.
He took a prominent part in the battles of Fredericksburg and
Chancellorsville, being twice wounded in the latter engagement and
having his horse killed under him. He commanded the Department of the
Susquehanna from June 11, 1863, to Dec. 1, 1864, and was then at the
head of the 2nd division of the 23d army corps until May, 1865. He was
present at the battle of Nashville, and took part in the operations in
North Carolina in Feb., 1865. He resigned, May 25, 1865, was the
unsuccessful candidate for governor of Massachusetts that year, and in
1866 was appointed by President Johnson collector of the port of
Boston, serving from October of that year until March 4, 1867, when he
was forced to vacate the office, the senate having refused to approve
the appointment. He became president of a Virginia mining and
manufacturing company in 1867, but subsequently moved to Norwalk,
Conn., and was quartermaster of the state from 1876 to 1878 and
adjutant-general in 1883 and 1884. He died in Norwalk, Conn., Feb. 12,
1897.
Source: The Union Army: A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal
States 1861-1865, Volume 8 Biographical, 1908
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