Wager Swayne Wager Swayne ( November 10 , 1834December 18 , 1902 ) was a Union Army colonel during the American Civil War who eventually was appointed as the last major general of volunteers of the Union Army . Swayne received America ' s highest military decoration the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Second Battle of Corinth . He also was effectively the military governor of Alabama from March 2 , 1867 to July 14 , 1868 after the passage of the first Reconstruction Act by the U . S . Congress until Alabama was readmitted to the Union . Robert M . Patton remained the nominal governor during this period but as the local army commander , Swayne controlled the State government . Biography . Born in Columbus , Ohio , he was the son of Noah Haynes Swayne , Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court . He graduated from Yale University and became a lawyer in Ohio . He served in the Union Army during the Civil War as a field officer in one of Ohio ' s three - year infantry regiment s . In August 1861 , Governor William Dennison appointed Swayne as major of the 43rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment , which was being organized in Mount Vernon , Ohio . He fought at the battles of Iuka and Corinth , and was promoted to fill the vacancy caused by the death of the regiment ' s colonel . Swayne led the 43rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry with distinction during the Atlanta Campaign and in the Carolinas Campaign until February 2 , 1865 when he suffered a severe wound at River ' s Bridge , South Carolina on the Salkehatchie River , which resulted in the amputation of his right leg . On March 13 , 1865 , President Abraham Lincoln appointed Swayne brigadier general of volunteers to rank from March 8 , 1865 . President Lincoln submitted the nomination to the U . S . Senate on that date and the Senate confirmed the appointment on March 10 , 1865 . On May 1 , 1866 , President Andrew Johnson appointed Swayne as major general of volunteers to rank from June 20 , 1865 . The President nominated Swayne for the promotion on March 21 , 1866 and the U . S . Senate confirmed the appointment on April 26 , 1866 . This appointment took precedence over his appointment as a brevet major general of volunteers to which grade he had been appointed by President Johnson on January 13 , 1866 to rank from October 13 , 1865 . The U . S . Senate confirmed this appointment on March 12 , 1866 . He was the last major general of volunteers appointed during the American Civil War period . He also was commissioned colonel of the 45th United States Infantry Regiment . Later , on April 10 , 1867 , President Johnson appointed Swayne to the grade of brevet major general in the Regular Army to rank from March 2 , 1867 . The Senate approved this nomination on April 15 , 1867 . Swayne was mustered out of the volunteer army on September 1 , 1867 , but stayed in the Regular Army . After the war , he served as head of the Freedmen ' s Bureau for Alabama from July 26 , 1865 to January 14 , 1868 . From March 2 , 1867 to July 14 , 1868 , as local army commander , Swayne effectively controlled the State government although Robert M . Patton remained the nominal governor during this period . Swayne was unassigned as of March 15 , 1869 when the army was reorganized and his regiment was consolidated with the 14th U . S . Infantry Regiment . Swayne retired from the army on July 1 , 1870 . He then moved to Toledo , Ohio , where he established a law practice . He moved in 1881 to New York City , where he set up another law practice , specializing in representing telegraph and railroad companies . In 1893 , he was awarded a Medal of Honor for " conspicuous gallantry in restoring order at a critical moment and leading his regiment in a charge " at Corinth . He died in New York City and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery Arlington County , Virginia , Plot : Section 3 , Lot 1406 . Medal of Honor citation . Rank and Organization : Citation : Conspicuous gallantry in restoring order at a critical moment and leading his regiment in a charge .