Cyrus Hamlin (general) - Civil War

Civil War

Hamlin was commissioned as a captain in the Union Army in April 1862, serving as an aide-de-camp to Maj. Gen. John C. Frémont. Hamlin was among the first to advocate enlisting African-American troops in the Union Army. In February 1863, he was appointed the first colonel of the 80th United States Colored Troops and was assigned to field duty in Louisiana, where he eventually took charge of a brigade of black troops and participated in the Siege of Port Hudson. He was promoted to brigadier general in December 1864 and assigned command of the military district of Port Hudson, Louisiana, Department of the Gulf. Hamlin was mustered out of the United States Volunteers on January 15, 1866. On February 21, 1866, President Andrew Johnson nominated Hamlin for the award of the honorary grade of brevet major general, U.S. Volunteers, to rank from March 13, 1865, and the U.S. Senate confirmed the award on April 26, 1866.