Open main menu
Open main menu
J.F. McQuesten
(1835 - 1864)
Home State: New Hampshire
Education: US Military Academy, West Point, NY, Class of 1861;Class Rank: 39th (May)
Command Billet: Regimental Adjutant
Branch of Service: Cavalry
Before Antietam
He entered the Military Academy at West Point in July 1856 and graduated with his class in May 1861. He was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, 2nd US Dragoons (redesignated 2nd Cavalry in August) and assigned to drill recruits until July 1861. He was at Bull Run on 21 July and afterward stationed in Washington, to March 1862. He was promoted First Lieutenant on 13 August 1861 and appointed Adjutant of his regiment on 1 January 1862. He was with the headquarters element on the Peninsular (March to August) and Maryland (September to November 1862) Campaigns.
On the Campaign
He was 2nd Lieutenant and Adjutant on the campaign.
The rest of the War
He was on the Rappahannock Campaign (December 1862 to May 1863) and at Gettysburg in July. He was at HQ, Regular Army Brigade into February 1864 and on mustering duty in New Hampshire until 5 June 1864.
He was appointed Assistant Inspector-General of Cavalry and was on Sheridan's Raid, at Trevillian Station, Darbytown, and, finally, on the Shenandoah Campaign. He was killed in action at the Battle of Opequon (Third Winchester), 19 September 1864.
References & notes
Birth
03/07/1835; Litchfield, NH
Death
09/19/1864; Opequon, VA; burial in Litchfield Presbyterian, Litchfield, NH
1 Caughey, Don, Crossed Sabers, first accessed 07 February 2007, <http://crossedsabers.blogspot.com/>, Source page: /2011/04/2nd-us-cavalry-in-maryland-campaign.html [AotW citation 2259]
2 Cullum, George Washington, Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the US Military Academy, 2nd Edition, 3 vols., New York: D. Van Nostrand, 1868-79, Cullum #1926 (Vol II, pg. 545) [AotW citation 2274]