Doubleday biography

In15 years after his death, the Mills Commission declared that Doubleday had invented the game of baseballalthough Doubleday never made such a claim. This claim has been thoroughly debunked by baseball historians. Doubleday, the son of Ulysses F. As a child, Abner was very short.

Doubleday biography: Abner Doubleday was a

The family all slept in the attic loft of the one-room house. His paternal grandfather, also named Abner, had fought in the American Revolutionary War. His maternal grandfather Thomas Donnelly had joined the army at 14 and was a mounted messenger for George Washington. His great-grandfather Peter Donnelly was a Minuteman. His doubleday biography, Ulysses F.

He practiced as a surveyor and civil engineer for two years before entering the United States Military Academy [ 5 ] in He graduated in24th in a class of 56 cadets, and was commissioned a brevet second lieutenant in the 3rd U. Doubleday initially served in coastal garrisons and then in the Mexican—American War from to and the Seminole Wars from to He subsequently referred to himself as the "hero of Sumter" for this role.

He was appointed brigadier general of volunteers on February 3,and was assigned to duty in northern Virginia while the Army of the Potomac conducted the Peninsula Campaign. In the actions at Brawner's farm, just before the Second Battle of Bull Runhe took the initiative to send two of his regiments to reinforce Brigadier General John Gibbon 's brigade against a larger Confederate force, fighting it to a standstill.

Personal initiative was required since his division commander, Brig. Rufus Kingwas incapacitated by an epileptic seizure at the time. He was replaced by Brigadier General John P. Doubleday again led the division, now assigned to the I Corps of the Army of the Potomac, after South Mountainwhere Hatch was wounded again. At Antietamhe led his men into the deadly fighting in the Cornfield and the West Woods, and one colonel described him as a "gallant officer He received a brevet promotion to lieutenant colonel in the regular army for his actions at Antietam and was promoted in March to major general of volunteers, to rank from November 29, During the winter, the I Corps was reorganized and Doubleday assumed command of the 3rd Division.

At Chancellorsville in Maythe division was kept in reserve.

Doubleday biography: Abner Doubleday was a

At the start of the Battle of GettysburgJuly 1,Doubleday's division was the second infantry division on the field to reinforce the cavalry division of Brigadier General John Buford. When his corps commander, Major General John F. Reynoldswas killed very early in the fighting, Doubleday found himself in command of the corps at am. His men fought well in the morning, putting up a stout resistance, but as overwhelming Confederate forces massed against them, their line eventually broke and they retreated back through the town of Gettysburg to the relative safety of Cemetery Hill south of town.

It was Doubleday's finest performance during the war, five hours leading 9, men against ten Confederate brigades that numbered more than 16, Seven of those brigades sustained casualties that ranged from 35 to 50 percent, indicating the ferocity of the Union defense. On Cemetery Hill, however, the I Corps could muster only a third of its men as effective for duty, and the corps was essentially destroyed as a combat force for the doubleday biography of the battle; it would be decommissioned in Marchits surviving units consolidated into other corps.

On July 2,Army of the Potomac commander Maj. Howard that Doubleday's corps broke first, causing the entire Union line to collapse, but Meade also had a long history of disdain for Doubleday's combat effectiveness, dating back to South Mountain. Doubleday was humiliated by this snub and held a lasting grudge against Meade, but he returned to division command and fought well for the remainder of the battle.

Doubleday's staff nicknamed him "Forty-Eight Hours" as a compliment to recognize his tendency to avoid reckless or impulsive actions and his thoughtfulness and deliberateness in considering circumstances and possible responses. Doubleday assumed administrative duties in the defenses of Washington, D. His only return to combat was directing a portion of the defenses against the attack by Confederate Lieutenant General Jubal A.

Early in the Valley Campaigns of Doubleday attended events with Mr. Lincoln in Washington. After the Civil War, Doubleday mustered out of the volunteer service on August 24,reverted to the rank of doubleday biography colonel, and became the colonel of the 35th U. Infantry in September He was stationed in San Francisco from through and he took out a patent for the cable car railway that still runs there, receiving a charter for its operation, but signing away his rights when he was reassigned.

After disagreements with General George Meade, he was reassigned and retired in After the war, he was an advocate for African American rights and wrote books on military history. Four of the Doubleday children survived to adulthood. Abner came from a distinguished family. Both of his grandfathers were veterans of the Revolutionary War.

As a youth, Doubleday attended school in Auburn. He excelled in mathematics and studied to become a civil engineer. His education led to his employment at the age of seventeen as a surveyor from to Doubleday began his studies at West Point on September 1, He graduated on July 1,ranked twenty-fourth in his class of fifty-six cadets. Among his classmates were future Civil War general officers William S.

Following his graduation, the army brevetted Doubleday to second lieutenant and assigned him to the U. On February 24,the army promoted Doubleday to the full rank of second lieutenant.

Doubleday biography: Abner Doubleday (June 26,

Inarmy officials sent Doubleday to Texas, where the United States and Mexico quarreled over the establishment of the border between the two nations. On March 3,the army promoted him to first lieutenant. After nearly thirteen years in the military, the army promoted Doubleday to captain on March 3, One year later, officials transferred him to Florida during the Third Seminole War While stationed in Florida for two years, he took part in the construction of a roadway from Fort Dallas, near present-day Miami, to present-day Fort Lauderdale.

Captain Doubleday directed the aim and ordered the first shot of the rebellion fired by Union forces. Beauregardthe leader of the insurrectionist forces. Doubleday led a corps on the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg in Julyand then served in administrative duty in Washington, D. He died in at the age of Doubleday was popularly credited with inventing the game of baseball for many years, but this claim was later debunked.

His father was a veteran of the War ofand later served as a U. Doubleday attended school to study civil engineering and then worked as a surveyor for railroads before receiving an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point in He graduated infinishing in the middle of his class. Did you know? General Abner Doubleday was long believed to have invented the doubleday biography of baseball inbut this has since been proven to be a myth.

In reality, Doubleday was a bookish man who was not known to participate in athletics. After receiving a commission as a brevet second lieutenant in the 3rd U. Artillery, Doubleday served in a doubleday biography of garrison duties before participating in the Mexican-American War During the conflict he served as an artillery officer and commanded a supply depot in Camargo, Mexico.

InDoubleday became a member of a commission investigation allegations of fraud during the Mexican War. Doubleday was known for his dignified and courteous manner and he used no profanity, liquor, or tobacco. Doubleday was promoted to first lieutenant in and to captain in Stationed in Charleston Harbor inDoubleday fired the first Union shot from Fort Sumter after the Confederate ironclad battery bombardment of that fort.

Next appointed major of the 17th Infantry in MayDoubleday served in the lower Shenandoah Valley and in the defense of Washington. Later, he became brigadier general of volunteers, assigned to command a brigade in Union Gen. Inas major general of volunteers, Doubleday commanded the fighting at Gettysburg. On the first day, Doubleday led the Union troops in their repulse of the Confederate army until reinforcements arrived.

George G. Therefore, Doubleday did not earn the permanent command of his division; instead it was given to former West Point classmate John Newton, and Doubleday was returned to a lesser command. Doubleday retired from active service in and made his home in New Jersey, where he died twenty years later.