Joseph Horace Eaton

Joseph Horace Eaton
Joseph H. Eaton
Born	(1815-10-12)October 12, 1815 Salem, Massachusetts
Died	January 20, 1896(1896-01-20) (aged 80) Portland, Oregon
Burial place	River View Cemetery
Military career
Allegiance	United States of America Union
Branch	United States Army Union Army
Service years	1835–1856, 1861-1881
Rank	Major Bvt. Brigadier General
Conflicts	Mexican–American War Battle of Palo Alto Battle of Resaca de la Palma Battle of Monterrey Battle of Buena Vista American Civil War
Other work	Artist

Joseph Horace Eaton (October 12, 1815 – January 20, 1896) was an American artist and a career officer in the United States Army (Regular Army). He served as a major during the American Civil War. In recognition of his service, in 1866 he was nominated and in 1867 he was confirmed for appointment to the grade of brevet brigadier general in the regular army to rank from March 13, 1865.

Early life

Eaton was born in Salem, Massachusetts. He graduated from West Point in 1835. During the Mexican–American War he was an aide to Gen. Zachary Taylor and was twice brevetted and cited for gallantry, first at the Battle of Monterey and then at the Battle of Buena Vista. Following the Mexican War, Eaton was stationed on the frontier where he painted a series of landscapes in New Mexico in the 1850s. Those paintings are highly sought after by art collectors and museums today and even Eaton's autograph is sold at auction. Among his most important watercolors are Don Fernandez de Taos and Canoncito Bonito.

Civil War

At the start of the American Civil War, Eaton was aide-de-camp and military secretary to Maj. Gen. John C. Frémont and was paymaster of the Department of Kansas. He later was stationed in Washington, D.C., where he was assistant U.S. paymaster. On December 11, 1866, President Andrew Johnson nominated Eaton for appointment to the grade of brevet brigadier general in the regular army, to rank from March 13, 1865, and the United States Senate confirmed the appointment on February 23, 1867.

Postbellum career

After the Civil War Eaton was assigned to Fort Vancouver where he was the Army's Chief Paymaster of the Department of the Columbia until his retirement in 1881. The son of Dr. Joseph Eaton, he married the former Susan Blaney in 1845. He died in Portland, Oregon, and is buried in River View Cemetery.

See also

• List of American Civil War brevet generals (Union)

References

• Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher, Civil War High Commands. Stanford University Press, 2001. ISBN 978-0-8047-3641-1.
• American Civil War General Officers
• The Athenaum
• ArtFact.com
• AskArt.com The Artists Blue Book

External links

• Portland's Joseph Eaton remembered for his paintings of New Mexico
• The Brevet Generals of the American Civil War at the Wayback Machine (archived February 8, 2008)