James B . Steedman James Blair Steedman ( July 29 , 1817 – October 18 , 1883 ) was an American general in the Union Army in the Civil War . A printer by trade , and then President of Public Works in Ohio , he raised a ninety - day regiment that saw action in the early fighting at Philippi , Western Virginia ( June 1861 ) . Posted to the Western theatre and promoted brigadier under Buell , Stoneman was credited with saving a whole division from being routed at the Battle of Perryville . At the desperate Battle of Chickamauga , he lent valuable support to General George Thomas , and his courageous acts were praised as the salvation of the remaining Union forces after their defeat . He reunited with Thomas at Nashville ( December 1864 ) , taking heavy losses at first , but playing a big part in the dramatic victory that ended the war in the west . Early life and career . Steedman was born in Northumberland County , Pennsylvania , in the summer of 1817 , the second out of five children . Steedman would not receive any formal education while growing up . He was fifteen years old when both of his parents died , and to support his siblings he worked as a typesetter for the " Lewisburg Democrat " newspaper in Lewisburg . Two years later he moved to Louisville , Kentucky , and found work there again as a typesetter for the " Louisville Journal " . He was employed as a printer until joining the Republic of Texas Army of Sam Houston in 1835 . After fighting in the Texas War of Independence , Steedman returned to home to Pennsylvania , where he worked on a public works project as a supervisor . In 1835 Steedman moved to Ohio , desiring to become a public works contractor , but failed initially to find work for his firm . He decided to return to his newspaper roots and bought a printing press in the city of Napoleon in Henry County , Ohio , where he began publishing the " Northwest Democrat " newspaper in 1838 . Also during this time he married Miranda Slides , and contracts for public works began to come in . Steedman prospered as a contractor , his firm building early parts of both the Wabash and Erie Canal and the Toledo , Wabash and Western Railway . Steedman began his career in politics in 1847 , serving two terms in the Ohio General Assembly . Afterwards he worked as a railroad conductor and then went to California in 1849 , prospecting for gold . In 1850 , he returned to Ohio , and was on the state ' s board for public works from 1852 to 1857 , three out of those four years serving as its president . Also during that time , he was admitted to the state ' s bar association and then established a law practice in Toledo . Steedman became an editor of the " North - Western Democrat and Toledo Times " newspaper and a major general of the 5th Division in the Ohio State Militia in 1857 , holding both positions until the beginning of the American Civil War in 1861 . From 1856 to 1860 , he also worked as a printer to the United States Congress . In 1860 , Steedman was part of Ohio ' s delegation to the Democratic National Convention when it met in Charleston , South Carolina , and was an active supporter of Stephen Douglas in Baltimore , Maryland . Also in 1860 , he campaigned unsuccessfully for election to the U . S . House of Representatives for the district of Toledo . Civil War service . At the start of the American Civil War in 1861 , Steedman chose to follow the Union cause and volunteered in the United States Army . He raised and was elected colonel of the 14th Ohio Infantry Regiment on April 27 . The 14th Ohio was initially a ninety - day unit , but was re - organized that fall by Steedman when their enlistments were up . Steedman was mustered out of the volunteer service on August 13 , and was appointed a regular army colonel of the 14th Ohio on September 1 , shortly after the regiment re - enlisted for three years . Steedman and the 14th first saw action in June during the Union victory at the Battle of Philippi in Barbour County , Virginia ( now part of West Virginia . ) Steedman and his regiment were then sent to serve in the Western Theater . They took part in Union victory during the Battle of Mill Springs near modern day Nancy , Kentucky , in January 1862 . The 14th Ohio also participated in the Siege of Corinth at Corinth , Mississippi , in late April and early June . Steedman was promoted to the rank of brigadier general on July 17 , 1862 , and given brigade command in the Army of the Ohio . Following the Union victory at the Battle of Shiloh in April 1862 , Steedman and his brigade were sent to join Maj . Gen . Don Carlos Buell ' s army in Kentucky that fall . During the Battle of Perryville on October 8 , his brigade reinforced Brig . Gen . Rousseau ' s division , timely filling a gap in the Union line and saving the division from being pushed from the field . Steedman would receive a high commendation from Buell in his official report of the battle . Steedman and his brigade fought during the Battle of Stones River in December 1862 and into January 1863 , with his command a part of Brig . Gen . Speed S . Fry ' s division of the renamed Army of the Cumberland , now under the command of Maj . Gen . William S . Rosecrans Chickamauga . During the Battle of Chickamauga in Tennessee in the fall of 1863 , Steedman led the vanguard of Union Maj . Gen . Gordon Granger ' s Reserve Corps to Maj . Gen . George Henry Thomas ' aid on September 20 . From his position north of the battlefield at MacAfee ' s Church , Granger heard the sounds of the fight to the south . Without orders from Rosecrans , Granger sent Steedman ' s brigade to support Thomas ' last - ditch defensive effort as the rest of Rosecrans ' defeated army raced for Chattanooga , Tennessee . Steedman moved quickly and arrived about 2 : 30 p . m . , just in time to stop Confederate Lt . Gen . James Longstreet ' s attempt to turn Thomas ' s right . Steedman is credited with " performing the most conspicuous act of personal courage recorded by any army officer during the Battle of Chickamauga " and preventing Rosecrans ' defeat turning into a Union " disaster . " Military historian Ezra J . Warner stated that " His heroism was virtually the salvation of the Union forces left on the field " at Chickamauga . During the fight , Steedman was wounded when his horse was shot and killed under him . In late 1863 , Steedman participated in the Siege of Chattanooga , as well as the Third Battle of Chattanooga from November 23 – 25 . He remained in Chattanooga , commanding all forces there until May 1864 , during which he was promoted to the rank of major general on April 20 . Steedman also participated in much of the Atlanta Campaign , and then commanded the District of Etowah in the Department of the Cumberland from June 15 to November 29 , and again from January 5 , 1865 . Nashville . In between his stints of district command , Steedman fought with Thomas ' army during the Battle of Nashville on December 15 – 16 , 1864 . At Nashville Steedman led a " provisional " division consisting of 11 regiments on the Union left . He had arrived over two days from Chattanooga by rail with about 6 , 000 men , a collection of his own brigade plus men returning from furlough but belonging to other units . Steedman would be the only non - West Point graduate of Thomas ' six chief commanders at Nashville . A few days before the battle , Thomas found a telegram addressed to Ulysses S . Grant , now commander of all U . S . Army forces , written by Maj . Gen . John Schofield , one of his subordinates . In it Schofield complained of Thomas ' slowness at attacking the Army of Tennessee , something Grant had prodded Thomas about repeatedly . Thomas turned to Steedman , who was with him at the time , and asked " Steedman , can it be possible that Schofield would send such a telegram ? " to which he replied the commanding general must be able to recognize Schofield ' s handwriting . Thomas admitted he could and asked " Why does he send such telegrams ? " Steedman smiled at his commander ' s innocence and replied " General Thomas , who is next in command to you in case of removal ? " referring to Schofield . After a brief pause Thomas let out a quiet " Oh , I see . " Thomas ordered Steedman and his three - brigade division to make a diversionary attack at 6 a . m . on December 15 , thereby keeping the Confederate Army of Tennessee ' s right ( the corps of Maj . Gen . Benjamin F . Cheatham ) occupied all day and preventing them from aiding against the main assault elsewhere . The orders were later modified to say if his diversion could be made into a successful attack , then Steedman should do so . On December 16 , Thomas ordered an attack by the corps of Maj . Gen . Thomas J . Wood ( along with Steedman ' s men ) against the right of the Army of Tennessee , now held by Maj . Gen . Stephen D . Lee ' s corps . At noon the attack was begun , but initially was without success . Steedman ' s men took heavy losses in the first assaults this day , including one of his regiments , the 13th USCT Infantry , losing 221 men , the most of any regiment that day , Union or Confederate . When the rest of Thomas ' force finally broke through Cheatham ' s men on the left as well as the Confederate center at 4 p . m . , Wood and Steedman renewed their attack and helped the rest of Thomas ' army overwhelmed Lee ' s corps , driving it from the field . After the Battle of Nashville , Steedman returned to Etowah until he was given command of the Department of Georgia , an assignment lasting from June 27 to December 10 , 1865 . He remained in the Army after the end of the American Civil War until resigning on August 18 , 1866 . Postbellum . After resigning his commission from the U . S . Army , Steedman returned home to Ohio in 1866 . During the administration of U . S . President Andrew Johnson , he was the collector of internal revenue at New Orleans , Louisiana , until 1869 . He again returned to Toledo , became the editor of the town ' s " Northern Ohio Democrat " newspaper , and in 1870 he was elected to the Ohio State Senate . In May 1883 he was appointed the Chief of Police in Toledo , a post he held until his death . Steedman died in Toledo , and is buried there in Woodlawn Cemetery .