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VITAL STATISTICS
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BORN: 1834 in Binghamton, NY.
DIED: 1893 in Baltimore, MD.
CAMPAIGN: First Bull Run, Gaines' Mill, Crampton's Gap, Antietam,
Fredericksburg, Salem Church.
HIGHEST RANK ACHIEVED: Major General.
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BIOGRAPHY
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Joseph Jackson Bartlett was born on November 21, 1834, in Binghamton, New York. At the beginning of the Civil War, Bartlett was an attorney living in Elmira, New York, having been in practice for only three years. After enlisting in a company of the 27th New York Infantry, he was elected its captain. Soon afterwards, the regiment chose Bartlett to be a major. The 27th New York received only a few weeks of training before it was sent onto the field at the First Battle of Bull Run. Bartlett was a calm presence on the battlefield, and composure in crisis became his trademark. When Col. Henry W. Slocum was wounded, Bartlett became commander of the regiment. He began moving his unit from the field in an organized fashion; instead of attacking the enemy position, as he had been ordered. While retreating, Bartlett's troops helped keep the Confederates at bay, which brought him to the attention of Maj. Gen. Irvin McDowell and earned Bartlett a promotion to colonel. As part of the Army of the Potomac, Bartlett fought in almost every battle, including Gaines' Mill, Crampton's Gap and the Antietam Campaign. On October 4, 1862, he was commissioned a brigadier general. In 1863, he led troops effectively at Fredericksburg and Salem Church, maintaining order despite huge losses. In 1865, at Appomattox, Bartlett was chosen to receive the ceremonial surrender of the arms of Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. For his service throughout the war, Bartlett was brevetted major general of volunteers, but was discharged in 1866. After the war, he served as US minister to Sweden from 1867 to 1869, worked as a deputy pension commissioner under President Grover Cleveland and returned to his law career. Bartlett died on January 14, 1893, in Baltimore, Maryland.
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