George Francis McGinnis George Francis McGinnins ( March 19 , 1826 – May 29 , 1910 ) was a volunteer soldier during the Mexican - American War and a Union general during the American Civil War . Early life . McGinnis was born in Boston , Massachusetts . His mother died when he was an infant and he lived with his aunt for a time . At age 11 he and his father moved to Ohio where his father became a hatter . It was during his time in Ohio that war with Mexico broke out and George volunteered his services as a lieutenant in the 2nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry . He was mustered out of the volunteers with the rank of captain in 1847 and returned to Ohio to take up hatting . Civil War . Western Virginia . Immediately after the Civil War began , McGinnis volunteered for service in the 11th Indiana Volunteer Regiment being raised by Col . Lew Wallace for 3 moth service . Within a month he rose from private to captain and then on April 25 , lieutenant colonel . McGinnis and the 11th Indiana took part in Wallace ' s raid on Romney , West Virginia on June 13 , 1861 . Fort Donelson & Shiloh . The 3 month enlistments ran out but the regiment was re - mustered and on August 31 , 1861 McGinnis was again made lieutenant colonel with Wallace as colonel . Due to the style of training this regiment became known as " Wallace ' s Zouaves " . On September 3 , Wallace was promoted to brigadier general and McGinnis became colonel of the regiment . McGinnis led the regiment during the capture of Fort Henry and then overland toward Fort Donelson . During the battle of Fort Donelson his regiment was temporarily attached to Lew Wallace ' s division and fought in the counterattack on the Union right . He received the praise of Lew Wallace for his actions that battle . McGinnis also led his regiment in the following battles of Shiloh and Corinth . Vicksburg . On April 4 , 1863 McGinnis was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers , to rank from November 29 , 1862 . He was in command of a brigade in the District of Eastern Arkansas . After a time of garrison duty McGinnis was appointed to command the 1st Brigade in Alvin P . Hovey ' s 12th Division of the XIII Corps , commanded by John A . McClernand . McGinnis ' brigade was heavily engaged in the Battle of Champion Hill and fought with distinction . During the siege of Vicksburg his troops occupied a length of siege lines in the center of the Union army near Fort Garrott . A bronze plaque of McGinnis is located near this spot . After the fall of Vicksburg McGinnis fell upon a series of insignificant commands . This was possibly due to his connection with McClernand and Wallace , both of whom had become unpopular with Ulysses S . Grant and the regular army officers of the Army of the Tennessee . More significantly McGinnis belonged to the XIII Corps which was assigned to the Department of the Gulf . The Department of the Gulf had become relatively quiet after the fall of Vicksburg and Port Hudson . McGinnis rose to command of the 3rd Division and held that command during most of 1864 . During the winter of 1864 - 1865 he was transferred to command the " Forces on the White River " in the Department of Arkansas . This was essentially a brigade sized command guarding the mouth of the White River . Later life . McGinnis was mustered out of the volunteer services on August 24 , 1865 . He moved to Indianapolis and ran a fiduciary business and served in various local political positions . From 1867 - 1871 he served as the Marion County auditor and then from 1900 was appointed postmaster of Indianapolis . He died on May 29 , 1910 in Indianapolis and is buried in that city ' s Crown Hill Cemetery .