Francis J . Lippitt Francis J . Lippitt , ( 1812 – 1902 ) a lawyer and veteran of the Mexican American War and Colonel and Brigadier General in the American Civil War . Early life . He was born in Providence , Rhode Island in 1812 . After graduating from Brown University , Lippitt , who could speak and read French fluently , was hired by Alexis de Tocqueville to read the American pamphlets that he had collected during his visit to the United States and summarize them in French . To California with New York Regiment . In 1846 Lippitt was made a Captain of Stevenson ' s 1st Regiment of New York Volunteers for service in California and during the war with Mexico during the Mexican War . In 1847 . he served as Captain commanding the garrison in Santa Barbara , California . After mustering out in 1848 , he remained in the territory and was afterwards a member of the California Constitutional Convention , held in Monterey , California in 1849 . Civil War and the Bald Hills War . During the Civil war Lippitt raised and served as Colonel of the 2nd California Infantry . As such he was made the first commander of the Humboldt Military District between January 9 , 1862 and July 13 , 1863 . He was tasked with prosecuting the Bald Hills War against the Indians in the counties of northwestern California . Under his command several posts were established as bases for operations against the Indians and for the defense of the settlers . He was relieved on July 13 , 1863 by Lieutenant Colonel Stephen G . Whipple of the 1st Battalion California Volunteer Mountaineers , who advocated a more active prosecution of the war with men used to the hardships of war in the redwood forests . Colonel Lippitt and his regimental headquarters was transferred to Benicia Barracks , July 20 , 1863 and from there to Fort Miller , Fresno County , California , August 11 , 1863 , where they were stationed until October 1 , 1864 . They returned to the Presidio of San Francisco , October 9 , 1864 . There during the month of October 1864 , Colonel Lippitt was mustered out with men of his regiment who had completed their terms of enlistment . He was made Brevet Brigadier General , March 13 , 1865 , for faithful service during the war . Later life . Following the Civil War , General Lippitt wrote four military books , " A Treatise on the Tactical Use of The Three Arms , Infantry , Artillery , and Cavalry " in 1865 , " A treatise on intrenchments " in 1866 , " The Special Operations of War : comprising the forcing and defence of defiles ; the forcing and defence of rivers in retreat ; the attack and defence of open towns and villages ; the conduct of detachments for special purposes ; and notes on tactical operations in sieges " in 1868 , and " Field service in war : Comprising marches , camps and cantonments , outposts , convoys , reconnaissances , foraging , and notes on logistics " in 1869 . He became interested in spiritualism and wrote " Physical Proofs of Another Life " in 1888 . In 1902 he published his autobiography , " Reminiscences of Francis J . Lippitt , written for his family , his near relatives and intimate friends " . He died in New York on September 27 , 1902 at the age of ninety .