The Twenty - Five Things That Made Genesee County Famous
Number 5
Emory Upton
On the western edge of the town of Batavia, near the Pembroke town line, on August 27, 1839, a son was born to Daniel and Electa Randall Upton. The boy, named Emory, was destined to leave farm life behind and become one of the greatest minds in American military history.
Upton lived like most children of the mid-19th century. He went to a small one- room schoolhouse and did chores before and after school, working alongside his brothers and sisters on the family farm. His father, although not wealthy, was able to send Emory to Oberlin College for the winter of 1854 – 1855. While at Oberlin, Upton helped his parents pay for tuition plus room and board by getting a job in a mill working for 8 cents per hour. He went to Oberlin to help him get into the United States Military Academy at West Point. His desire to be a career military man started after a suggestion from his older brother, James, and was ignited after reading a biography of Napoleon.
 |
Upton's West Point Cadet Uniform (Click on the photo for a larger version) |
In June 1856, Upton arrived at West Point to begin his training for a career in the Army. He was accepted on the recommendation of Congressman Benjamin Pringle. Emory Upton loved West Point. The discipline of the day-to-day regime was familiar to him and its ranking system encouraged him to succeed. Upton graduated 8th in his class of 45.
Upon graduation, he received his commission as second lieutenant and was assigned to the Fifth United States Artillery Regiment and sent to Washington D.C., where he was promoted eight days later to first lieutenant. As an artillery officer, Upton ordered the first shots to be fired at the Battle of Bull Run in July 1861. During the battle he was wounded when a musket ball passed through a pocket Bible and his orders and entered his arm. Upton took a few weeks to recover, and by mid-August he was back with the Army.
 |
Upton's Orders with the musket ball hole. (Click on the photo for a larger version) |
Upton was looking for opportunities for promotion and was appointed colonel of the 121st New York Volunteer Infantry regiment on October 23, 1862. His regiment participated in the Battle of Fredericksburg. He marched his men 35 miles in one night to get to the Battle of Gettysburg. During the Overland Campaign in 1864, he was promoted to brigadier general and after the Third Battle of Winchester Upton received two promotions: colonel in the regular Army and major general of volunteers.
After the Civil War, he commanded a cavalry brigade from July to September 1865, and then was sent to Colorado where he served until 1866. From 1870 to 1875, Upton was the Commandant of Cadets at West Point and taught classes in tactics.
In 1875, Upton received orders from General William T. Sherman to leave West Point and go on a world tour to observe and study all the great armies of Asia and Europe. Upton and his group headed west by train to San Francisco, got on a boat and headed to Japan. After observing the Japanese army, they went to China, India, Persia, Turkey, Russia and finally ended up in Western Europe. Upon his return stateside, he published the book The Armies of Asia and Europe.
He took all that he had learned from his travels and started writing a book called The Military Policy of the United States From 1775. The book was unfinished when Upton died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on March 15, 1881 at the Presidio of San Francisco.
He was 42 when he died and is buried in Fort Hill Cemetery in Auburn, New York.
Video from www.thebatavian.com. They did a story about us transcribing the letters |
How Does He Make Genesee County Famous?
Throughout Upton’s career he developed new strategies and tactics. He is considered one of the most influential young reformers in the history of the United States Army.
Upton first gained fame in May 1864 at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House. During the battle he developed a new tactic to attack the Confederate breastworks. It foreshadowed tactics used in trench warfare during World War I. The tactic was for mass infantry to rush against a small part of the line and overrun it. This became a staple in military books on how to break an enemy line.
On May 10, 1864, at Spotsylvania Court House, Upton led 12 regiments in an assault on the “Mule Shoe Salient.” The assault penetrated the line and was considered a success, but Upton was forced to withdraw because the regiment was unsupported with more troops. Later in the day, General Winfield Hancock used Upton’s tactic with success against the Confederates. Because of the success, Upton was promoted to Brigadier General.
 |
Copy of Upton's Infantry Tactics. (Click on the photo for a larger version) |
From 1867 to 1875, Upton published three of the most influential military books of the late nineteenth century. He wrote Infantry Tactics (1867), Cavalry Tactics (1874) and Artillery Tactics (1875). His book on the armies of Asia and Europe was a must read for military scholars for decades, but his most influential book was The Military Policy of the United States (published posthumously in 1904).
 |
Upton Monument at the intersection of Routes 5 & 63 in Batavia, NY (Click on the photo for a larger version) |
In 1917, Camp Upton opened to train soldiers for World War I. The camp closed for good in 1946 and the facility was transferred to the Brookhaven National Laboratory. The town of Upton on Long Island, New York, where the lab is located, is named for Genesee County’s most famous soldier.
Today, his statute guards the old Genesee County Court House and is seen by over 35,000 cars that pass the monument daily. It serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made by thousands of Genesee County veterans.
| Books Available in the Holland Land Office Museum Store About Emory Upton | |
 |
The Life and Letters of Emory Upton by Peter S. Michie |
 |
Upton and the Army by Stephen E. Ambrose |
| To order, Call the Museum at (585) 343-4727 | |
Do you agree or disagree? Comment on our blog Here