Battle of New Orleans.
Showing posts with label brevetting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label brevetting. Show all posts

Thursday, September 24, 2015

William Goldsmith Belknap-- Part 3

William  Belknap was involved in may battles during the Mexican War and brevetted to colonel for gallantry in Gen. Zachary Taylor's Rio Grande Campaign.  He was inspector general at the Battle of Monterrey, became a lieutenant colonel  September 26, 1847 and brevetted to brigadier general on February 23, 1847, for service at the Battle of Buena Vista.

After the war he commanded Fort Gibson in Oklahoma, then Indian Territory, from 1848 to 1850.

He died of dysentery on November 10, 1851 while searching for a location for a military post to protect California-bound settlers and Texas emigrants.

He was also the father of William W. Beknap who became a Union general during the Civil War and was later Secretary of War under President U.S. grant from 1869 to 1876.

--Brock-Perry

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

What Does Brevetted Mean?

In the last entry, I mentioned that William G. Belknap was brevetted three times during the course of his long military career.  Some folks might not understand what this means.

When a person is brevetted in the U.S. military, this means that they attain a higher rank, but without the pay or most of the privileges that go with it.

This often happens at retirement.  But often it also takes place as a reward for gallant service.

--Brock-Perry