Christopher Columbus Augur was born on July 10, 1821, in Kendall, New York. His family eventually moved to Michigan, and Augur enrolled at the United States Military Academy in 1839. He graduated in 1843 and served as aide-de-camp to General Enos Hopping and General Caleb Cushing in the Mexican American War.

 

He married Jane Arnold in the 1840s, and they had at least nine children: Colon, born around 1847; Jacob, born around 1849; Jane, born around 1851; John, born around 1852; Maria, born around 1856; Walter, born around 1858; Ford, born around 1860; Anius, born around 1864; and Nellie, born around 1866. He was stationed on the western frontier during the 1850s and took part in battles against the Yakima Indians and the Rogue River. By 1860, he and his family were stationed in Benton County, Oregon.

 

He was promoted to major in the 13^th United States Infantry on May 14, 1861. Three months later, on August 26, 1861, he became Commandant of Cadets at West Point. He remained there until December 1861. He became a brigadier general in the volunteer army in the fall of 1861, and he was promoted to major general a year later. In April 1865, he was present at the Petersen House as President Abraham Lincoln lay dying. He helped mobilize troops to pursue and capture John Wilkes Booth.

 

Augur remained in the Regular Army after the war. He was stationed in the Department of the Platte from January 1867 until November 1871, and by 1870, he owned $10,000 of real estate and $2,000 of personal property. He was stationed in the Department of Texas from November 1871 until March 1875, the Department of the Gulf from 1875 until July 1878, and the Department of the South from July 1878 until December 1880. He returned to the Department of Texas from January 1881 until October 1883, and he was stationed in Missouri from 1883 until 1885. He retired from the army in 1885 at the rank of brigadier general. He died in Georgetown in Washington, D.C., on January 16, 1898.

 

Image: Christopher Columbus Augur (courtesy Wikicommons)

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