Charles D. Viele

Charles Delavan Viele (February 7, 1841 – October 6, 1916) was an American brigadier general of Dutch descent during the American Civil War and the Spanish–American War. He was known for commanding the 1st Cavalry Regiment during the Battle of San Juan Hill and the Siege of Santiago.

Charles Delavan Viele
Viele in 1898
Born(1841-02-07)February 7, 1841
Albany, New York, U.S.
DiedOctober 6, 1916(1916-10-06) (aged 75)
Good Samaritan Hospital, Los Angeles, California
Buried
San Francisco National Cemetery, San Francisco, California, U.S.
Branch United States Army
Years of service1861–1904
Rank Brigadier General
UnitV Corps
Commands held1st Cavalry Regiment
Battles/warsAmerican Civil War

Spanish–American War

American Civil War

Viele was born on February 7, 1841, as the son of Rufus King and Phoebe Ann (née Gregory) Viele at Albany, New York.[1] He is of Dutch descent, being a descendant of a Knickerbrocker family that arrived to New Amsterdam as early as 1639.[2] Upon the outbreak of the American Civil War, Veile enlisted as a second lieutenant within the Regular Division of the V Corps. He was promoted to first lieutenant on April 6, 1862.[3] For his service during the Siege of Vicksburg, Veile was brevetted to captain and would later command the 4th Cavalry Brigade during the Red River campaign under Nathan Dudley.[4]

Frontier service and Spanish–American War

On April 22, 1968, Viele was promoted to captain within the Regular Army and be part of the 10th Cavalry Regiment on January 1, 1871.[5][6] While at Cincinnati, Ohio, on January 10, 1872, Viele married Nannie D. Minor.[4] By August 6, 1873, Viele was stationed at Fort Griffin, Texas, while being intoxicated. He was then struck repeatedly with a sabre by William L. Foulk. This led to a court-martial against Foulk and despite pleading not guilty, Foulk was found guilty and dismissed from service in 1874.[7] By 1894, Viele was a major[8] and was promoted to lieutenant colonel on November 21, 1897.[9] Upon the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, Viele was stationed at Fort Sheridian until he was ordered to head for Tampa, Florida, to embark for Cuba. This was later changed for Chickamauga, Georgia, where he remained for some time until being called for Tampa once again until his destination was switched to Lakeland, Florida, and he arrived there on June 7. Viele embarked with the rest of his regiment from Tampa on June 8, landing on Daiquirí, Oriente Province, on June 23 and began heading for Santiago de Cuba.[10]

After participating in the Battle of San Juan Hill, Viele was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers for gallantry in service. He continued to command the 4th Cavalry Regiment during the Siege of Santiago.[11] He remained at the camp by Santiago de Cuba from June 23 to August 8 and after the surrender of the city on August 17, he remained at the rear of Santiago de Cuba until September 8.[10]

Later career

After the war's conclusion, Viele was honorably discharged from volunteer service on November 30, 1898.[12] He was promoted to colonel of the 4th Cavalry Regiment on September 14, 1899. Despite retiring on January 23, 1900, due to disability, Viele was promoted to brigadier general in 1904 for his service in the American Civil War.[5] On June 1, 1907, Viele was made the junior vice-commander as part of the Commandery of the State of California.[13] Viele died on October 6, 1916, at the Good Samaritan Hospital.[4][14]

References
  1. Sons of the Revolution, California Society (1915). Orra Eugene Monnette; Leon Le Lanne French (eds.). Spirit of Patriotism as Evidenced by the Revolutionary and Ancestral Records of the Society, Sons of the Revolution of the State of California. Los Angeles. p. 238. Retrieved June 19, 2023.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  2. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly. Vol. 48. Texas State Historical Association. 1945. p. 187. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  3. United States Department of War (1864). General Orders, Adjutant General's Office for 1863 with an Index. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Publishing Office. p. 11. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  4. "U. S. GENERAL, HERO OF TWO WARS, DIES IN L. A., Charles Delavan Viele, Retired Army Officer, Passes Away at Hospital". Los Angeles Herald. Los Angeles. October 6, 1916. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  5. Viele, Kathlyne Knickerbacker (1909). Viele, 1659–1909: Two Hundred and Fifty Years with a Dutch Family of New York. New York City: Tobias A. Wright. p. 116. ISBN 9780608325842. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  6. United States Department of the Interior (1879). Official Register of the United States: Containing a List of Officers and Employés in the Civil, Military, and Naval Service. Vol. 1. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Publishing Office. p. 259. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  7. United States Army Adjutant General's Corps (January 9, 1873). General Court-martial Orders No. 2. Washington, D.C.: United States Department of War. p. 2. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  8. Edward McPherson; Horace Greeley; John Fitch Cleveland, eds. (January 1894). The Tribune Almanac and Political Register No. 1. Vol. 6. New York City: The Tribune Association. p. 101. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  9. United States Senate (1909). Journal of the Executive Proceedings of the Senate: Issues 1–3. Vol. 55. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Publishing Office. p. 270. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  10. United States Department of War (1900). Food Furnished by Subsistence Department to Troops in the Field, Letter from the Secretary of War: Part 1. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Publishing Office. pp. 49–59. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  11. Lee, Fitzhugh; Wheeler, Joseph; Roosevelt, Theodore; Wainright, Richard (1895). Cuba's Struggle Against Spain with the Causes of American Intervention and a Full Account of the Spanish-American War (Including Final Peace Negotiations). New York City: The American Historical Press. pp. 431, 501. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  12. Official Army Register for 1899. Washington, D.C.: United States Department of the Army. January 1, 1899. p. 14. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  13. Journal of the Meeting of the Board of Officers and of the Commandery-in-Chief Held in the City of Philadelphia. Philadelphia: Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States. October 11, 1905. p. 346. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  14. United States Army Adjutant General's Corps (December 1, 1918). Official Army Register. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Publishing Office. p. 1121. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
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