Francis Edmond Lacey

A 25 year old tailor, he enlisted in Chicago on 10 May 1858 as Private, Company I, 2nd United States Infantry and was First Sergeant by 1862.

On 17 September 1862 at Antietam:

Lieutenant McKee, commanding Companies I and A, Second Infantry, while deploying to the front, was severely wounded and compelled to leave the field. The command of these companies devolved on First Sergt. Francis E. Lacey, Company I, Second Infantry, who handled them well. In advancing to the fence, at which our line was to rest, the skirmishers were obliged to pass over a ridge completely commanded by the enemy's sharpshooters and battery posted to the left of the corn-field in front of the right of my line. When we appeared above its crest of the enemy opened with a heavy fire of case-shot and canister. The line did not waver, but rapidly moved to the fence. The right advanced beyond, however, before I could convey the order to them to halt at the fence, and by a well-directed fire compelled the enemy's cannoneers to leave their guns. At this juncture the fire from our own batteries compelled them to fall back to the fence, as their shells fell short. Lieutenant McLoughlin and Sergeant Lacey commanded the companies on the right. Sergeant Lacey was soon after wounded, and unwillingly compelled to leave the field.

He was treated for a flesh wound to his left shoulder at the Locust Springs Hospital on the Geeting Farm near Keedysville, MD, and in a US Army General Hospital in Frederick, MD from 27 September to 25 October. He was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant on 3 October 1862 (to date from 18 July) and promoted to First Lieutenant on 1 May 1863. He was dismissed from the service on 21 April 1864 but was reinstated on 22 July.* He was honored by brevet to Captain on 2 July 1863 for his service at Gettysburg.

He continued in Regular Army service and was promoted to Captain on 8 August 1866. He transferred to the 10th US Infantry on 5 July 1870 and was promoted to Major of the 8th Infantry on 16 September 1892. He transferred again, to the 17th Infantry in 1895, and was appointed Lieutenant Colonel of the 3rd US on 4 February 1897. He retired on 8 August 1897 after nearly 40 years in uniform.

Service information from Heitman1 and the Register.2 The quote above from Lieutenant Poland's after-action Report. Hospital details from Nelson3 and the Patient List.4 His gravesite is on Findagrave.

He married Annie Virginia Lewis (-1891) and they had a son, Francis, Jr. (1868-1925). He was USMA Class of 1889 and a career Army officer; retired as Colonel in 1922.

* By Special Orders, Numbers 154, paragraph 49, War Department, Adjutant-General's Office, April 21, 1864, Lieutenants Lacey, Byrne, and Butler were dismissed the service of the United States [for for having absented themselves from their camp in violation of orders], but this dismissal was revoked, by direction of the President, in Special Orders, Numbers 254, paragraph 43, War Department, Adjutant-General's Office, July 22, 1864.

c. 1833; County Limerick, IRELAND

04/08/1907; burial in Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery, Fort Leavenworth, KS