William T . H . Brooks William Thomas Harbaugh Brooks ( January 28 , 1821 – July 19 , 1870 ) was a career military officer in the United States Army , serving as a major general during the American Civil War . Early life . Brooks was born in New Lisbon ( now Lisbon ) , Ohio , and was educated in public schools . He graduated from the United States Military Academy , ranking 46th out of 52 students in the Class of 1841 . Appointed a second lieutenant , he served on garrison and frontier duty . Seminole and Mexican Wars . Brooks saw combat in both the Seminole and Mexican - American War s . He participated in the battles of Battle of Palo Alto and the Battle of Resaca de la Palma in 1846 . He saw considerable action in the Battle of Monterrey , and received a brevet to captain for " gallant and meritorious conduct . " The following year , Brooks was at the Siege of Vera Cruz , the Battle of Cerro Gordo , the Skirmish of Ocalaca , the Battle of Contreras , and Battle of Churubusco . He was received a brevet promotion to major , August 20 , 1847 , for gallant and meritorious conduct at Contreras and Churubusco . He served on the staff of Gen . David E . Twiggs for the rest of the war . He was promoted to Captain , 3rd Infantry , November 10 , 1851 , then served on frontier duty in the New Mexico Territory until 1858 , at times skirmishing with local Navajos . He then served at Fort Clark , Texas , until 1861 , when he returned to the East for garrison duty at Fort Hamilton , New York , where he was stationed when the Southern states seceded . Civil War . With the outbreak of the Civil War , Brooks was appointed brigadier general of volunteers in September 1861 . He commanded the 2nd Brigade , 2nd Division of the IV Corps in the Peninsula Campaign , and the 2nd Brigade , 2nd Division of the VI Corps at the Seven Days Battles , where he was wounded at the Battle of Savage ' s Station . Recovering , he resumed command of his brigade for the Maryland Campaign and led his men at Crampton ' s Gap , where they captured a Confederate battle flag belonging to the 16th Virginia Infantry . At the Battle of Antietam , Brooks ' s brigade was mainly in reserve , although under " galling fire of both artillery and sharpshooters " for 48 hours . Promoted to divisional command , Brooks led the 1st Division of VI Corps at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville . In June 1863 , he was promoted to major general of volunteers , but this was later revoked . This demotion has been blamed on Brooks ' s being involved in intrigues by VI Corps commanders against Maj . Gen . Ambrose Burnside after Fredericksburg . During the Gettysburg Campaign , he commanded the Department of the Monongahela , with his headquarters in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania . He supervised the construction of a series of earthworks to protect the city from a possible Confederate raid . Returning to field duty in the late spring of 1864 , Brooks commanded the 1st Division of XVIII Corps at Cold Harbor and Petersburg . In July 1864 , he was forced to resign from the Army due to poor health and returned home . Retirement and death . After the war , Brooks retired to Alabama and established a farm . He died in Huntsville , Alabama , and is buried there in Maple Hill Cemetery .