Civil War Service
After the start of the war, Osborn became the Lieutenant Colonel of the 39th Illinois Infantry on October 11, 1861, and was promoted to Colonel the following year on January 1. He led the regiment in several campaigns and battles in the Eastern Theater.
Osborn and his command saw action in the 1862 Valley Campaign against Confederate forces under Lt. Gen. Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson, participating in the Battle of Port Republic on June 9. From July until September 1863, Osborn took part in Union operations against Charleston, South Carolina, including attacks on Fort Wagner and Fort Sumter.
In 1864, Osborn commanded the 1st Brigade, 1st Division of the XXIV Corps of the Army of the James. Osborn was badly wounded at the Battle of Drewry's Bluff on May 14, 1864, when a musket ball shattered his right elbow and lodged in his arm. He stayed in the hospital until September before being released for duty. In December, he had recovered enough to report for duty. However, he suffered from ankylosis of the injured elbow for the rest of his life.
During the Siege of Petersburg in 1864 into 1865, Osborn led a brigade in the XXIV Corps. He was brevetted to the rank of Brigadier General on March 10, 1865.
On April 2, 1865, Osborn's command was instrumental in the capture of Fort Gregg during the Union breakthrough, and he brevetted to Major General to rank from that date. He was promoted to Brigadier General in the Regular Army on May 1, 1865, and led the 1st Division of the XXIV Corps from May 2 – July 8. Osborn resigned from the Army on September 28.
Read more about this topic: Thomas O. Osborn
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