Thomas W . Egan Thomas Wilberforce Egan ( 1836 - February 24 , 1887 ) was a Union Army officer who led the Mozart Regiment during most of the American Civil War , later becoming a general . Early life . Egan was born in New York City of Irish immigrant parents in 1836 . Little is known about his life before the Civil War . He is believed to have married an actress and fathered a child who died young . Military career . Egan joined the 40th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment , called the Mozart Regiment , in April 1861 at the beginning of the Civil War , as a private . ( The regiment was sponsored by the Democratic Party ' s Mozart Hall Committee . ) Egan was made lieutenant colonel on June 14 , 1861 . Lieutenant Colonel Egan participated in most of the major battles of the Army of the Potomac . Initially , the Mozart Regiment served in first division III Corps . Col . Egan is reported to have arrested the colonel of the regiment for misconduct at the Battle of Fair Oaks in May 1862 . In June 1862 , Egan was promoted to the rank of colonel . He led the regiment at the Second Battle of Bull Run , the Battle of Chantilly and the Battle of Chancellorsville . At Chancellorsville , Colonel Egan became acting commander of first brigade first division III Corps , when Brigadier General Charles K . Graham was assigned to command of the third division following the death of Major General Amiel W . Whipple . At the Battle of Gettysburg on July 2 , 1863 , Colonel Egan , once more leading his regiment , was wounded in action near Devil ' s Den , being hit in a leg ; and the regiment ’ s monument stands near that site . The Mozart Regiment lost 150 of 431 troops engaged . Egan also led the Mozart Regiment in the Mine Run Campaign during the autumn of 1863 . Just before Lieutenant General Ulysses S . Grant ' s Overland Campaign of 1864 , III Corps was dissolved . First division became third division II Corps . Egan led his regiment in the Battle of the Wilderness . He became commander of a brigade during the Battle of Spotsylvania , after Brigadier General J . H . Hobart Ward was relieved for drunkenness on the night of May 12 , 1864 . His command was involved in a counterattack against the Confederates during the fighting at Harris Farm . Egan led the brigade at the Battle of North Anna , attacking Henagan ' s Redoubt . He also led it at the Battle of Cold Harbor . Egan was wounded during the Second Battle of Petersburg in June 1864 , suffering slight paralysis as a result . Colonel Egan received his commission as brigadier general on September 3 , 1864 . ( Secretary of War Edwin Stanton personally handed him his commission . ) At the Battle of Boydton Plank Road on October 27 , he commanded the second division II Corps in place of Brigadier General John Gibbon . Egan was seriously wounded on November 14 , 1864 . The wound disabled his right arm . On recovering , he was given a division in the Army of the Shenandoah on the request of Major General Winfield Scott Hancock . On December 12 , 1864 , President Abraham Lincoln nominated Egan for appointment to the brevet grade of major general of volunteers to rank from October 27 , 1864 for his service at the Battle of Boydton Plank Road , and the U . S . Senate confirmed the nomination on February 14 , 1865 . Later life . General Egan was mustered out of the service , January 15 , 1866 , and subsequently lived in New York City . He served as deputy collector of customs for the port of New York . He also belonged to the Grand Army of the Republic . Brigadier General Egan died in New York City on February 24 , 1887 . According to the " New York Times " , General Egan was struck down by epilepsy while staying at the International Hotel in New York City . He was taken to the Chambers Street Hospital , a charity hospital , where he died .