Horatio Wright

Horatio Gouverneur Wright
Horatio G. Wright
Born(1820-03-06)March 6, 1820
Clinton, Connecticut, US
DiedJuly 2, 1899(1899-07-02) (aged 79)
Washington, D.C., US
Place of burial
Allegiance United States of America
Service / branch United States Army
Years of service1841–1884
Rank Major General
CommandsDepartment of the Ohio
Army of the Ohio
VI Corps
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Battles / warsAmerican Civil War

Horatio Gouverneur Wright (March 6, 1820 – July 2, 1899) was an engineer and general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He took command of the VI Corps in May 1864 following the death of General John Sedgwick. In this capacity, he was responsible for building the fortifications around Washington DC, and in the Overland Campaign he commanded the first troops to break through the Confederate defenses at Petersburg. After the war, he was involved in a number of engineering projects, including the Brooklyn Bridge and the completion of the Washington Monument, and served as Chief of Engineers for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.