Charles Edward Cross

He graduated 2nd in the May 1861 Class at West Point, and was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, Corps Of Engineers, USA on 6 May 1861. He was assigned to construction of the defenses of Washington, DC from July 1861 to March 1862, but was at Manassas, VA in July. He was promoted to First Lieutenant on 6 August 1861. He was brevetted Major on 1 July 1862 for service on the Peninsular Campaign.

Cullum has him in command of the Regular Engineer Battalion, attached to Headquarters, Army of the Potomac on the Maryland Campaign. He was at Sharpsburg on 17 September, then at Harpers Ferry and Berlin, MD building, guarding, and repairing pontoon bridges across the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. He received another brevet, to Lieutenant Colonel (17 Sep 62) for Antietam.

He commanded the Engineer Battalion from December 1862 to February 1863. He was responsible for bridging the Rappahannock and saw action at Fredericksburg in December. He was promoted to Captain, COE on 3 March 1863, and was killed in action while assisting in "throwing a bridge across the Rappahannock" in the "face of the enemy" at Fredericksburg, VA on 5 June 1863. He was honored on that date by brevet to Colonel for that action.

Service information from Heitman1 and Cullum2. His gravesite is on Findagrave, source also of his photograph - posted by Matthew Pearcy, from the Office of History, US Army Corps of Engineers.

09/24/1837 in MA

06/05/1863; Fredericksburg, VA; burial in Sawyer Hill Burying Ground, Newburyport, MA