Felix Agnus

Felix Agnus
Agnus in 1914 publication
Born(1839-07-04)4 July 1839
Lyon, France
Died31 October 1925(1925-10-31) (aged 86)
Buried
Allegiance
Service / branchFrench Army
Union Army
Years of service1859 (France)
1861–1865 (US)
Rank Major
Brevet Brigadier General
Battles / wars
AwardsOrdre du Nichan El-Anouar
Children2[1]
Other workPublisher of the Baltimore American
Signature

Felix Agnus (4 May 1839 – 31 October 1925) (born Antoine-Felix[2]) was a French-born sculptor, newspaper publisher and soldier who served in the Franco-Austrian War and the American Civil War. Agnus studied sculpture before enlisting to fight in the Franco-Austrian War. Upon the conclusion of the war, he travelled to the United States and again briefly worked as a sculptor. In 1861, upon the outbreak of the American Civil War, Agnus enlisted in the 5th New York Volunteer Infantry, and served with merit, rising to brevet brigadier-general before being mustered out of service. Agnus was then inspector general of the Department of the South and supervised the dismantling of Confederate forts.

After the war, Agnus settled in Baltimore and worked for the Baltimore American, eventually becoming publisher of the paper. Charles Fulton, the previous publisher, was his father-in-law, Agnus having married Fulton's daughter Annie on 13 December 1864. As the publisher, Agnus was an original member of the Associated Press, and a prominent citizen in Baltimore. He was offered political positions, including as a United States Senator and a United States Consul, both of which he declined. He served on several local and national commissions. Agnus died in 1925. A funerary statue formerly placed on his grave, known as Black Aggie, is the subject of urban legends.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Archives municipales de Lyon". Registre des naissances 01/01/1839-02/07/1839, pp.301-302. Ville de Lyon. Retrieved 8 February 2024.