John M . Corse John Murray Corse ( April 27 , 1835 – April 27 , 1893 ) was an American politician and soldier who served as a general in the Union Army in the American Civil War . He was a staff officer during the liberation of the Upper Mississippi , and then served in the front line at Corinth and Vicksburg , being promoted brigadier . He is chiefly remembered for his stubborn defence of the Allatoona Pass ( October 1864 ) against superior numbers , despite being seriously wounded , while Sherman signalled a message which was turned into a popular ballad " Hold the fort , for I am coming . " Early life and career . Corse was born in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , but moved at the age of seven with his family to Burlington in the Iowa Territory . His father , John Lockwood Corse , served six terms as the mayor of that town and established a prosperous book and stationery business . Young Corse became a partner in the family business . He was appointed to the United States Military Academy and studied there for two years . Leaving West Point in 1855 , Corse chose not to stay in the military , but instead attended a law school in Albany , New York , and passed his bar exam . He later returned to Iowa and was nominated as the new state ' s lieutenant governor by the Iowa Democratic Party . In 1860 , he unsuccessfully ran for secretary of state . Civil War . Corse joined the 6th Iowa Infantry as its Major in July 1861 and initially served under Maj . Gen . John C . Fremont . He then served on the staff of Maj . Gen . John Pope early the following year during the Battle of Island Number Ten and associated engagements . He returned to field duty with his regiment and fought in the Siege of Corinth , being promoted to lieutenant colonel . He was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers on August 11 , 1863 , in recognition of his service at the Siege of Vicksburg . Assigned command of the 4th Brigade , 4th Division , XV Corps , in the Federal Army of the Tennessee , Corse participated in the Chattanooga Campaign . After recuperating from an injury suffered at Missionary Ridge , Corse returned to active duty as the inspector general on Maj . Gen . William Tecumseh Sherman ' s staff . In July 1864 , he returned to field duty in command of a division in XVI Corps . General Corse is perhaps best known for his role in the Battle of Allatoona in October 1864 . On Sherman ' s orders , Corse went with 2 , 100 men to secure Allatoona Pass to prevent Confederate Gen . John Bell Hood from severing Union communications . The small band of Union soldiers fought determinedly against the 7 , 000 troops under Hood ' s command . During the bloody battle , Corse " lost one third of his men and one third of his ear " but secured the pass on October 5 , the date on which he was later appointed a brevet major general . In the midst of the fighting , General Corse received the famous message from General Sherman , " Hold on , I am coming ! " Newspapers later amended the text to " Hold the fort , for I am coming " , which inspired a popular ballad . Corse was badly wounded during the stubborn defense , losing a cheekbone and one ear , but recovered to resume his front - line combat duties . Corse later participated in Sherman ' s March to the Sea and the Siege of Savannah . In the final months of the Civil War , he led his division during the Carolinas Campaign . At the end of the war he was appointed brevet major general for his Allatoona service . Postbellum career . Following the Civil War , Corse served in a variety of posts . He refused the offer of a commission as a lieutenant colonel in the regular army and instead mustered out of the volunteer service in April 1866 . He soon returned to Iowa , where he built railroads and bridges . With the political patronage system of the period , he was named the regional Collector of Internal Revenue , with his office in Chicago . Corse later moved to Massachusetts and was chairman of the state ' s Democratic committee . He was then appointed Postmaster of Boston . He was married to the grandniece of former U . S . President Franklin Pierce . Corse died on his 58th birthday in Winchester , Massachusetts . His body was transported to Burlington , Iowa , and interred in Aspen Grove Cemetery , the large red brick , and limestone mausoleum is plainly visible from the rear entrance of the cemetery , and is one of the cemetery ' s landmarks . A bronze equestrian statue of General Corse by sculptor Carl Rohl - Smith stands in Crapo Park in Burlington ; the statue was recently restored at a cost of $ 100 , 000 . An elementary school within the Burlington School District bears both his , and his father ' s , names . A bridge over the Iowa River at state Highway 6 in Iowa City , Iowa has been named the John Corse Memorial Bridge .