Civil War Union Brevet Brigadier General. He enlisted in the Union Army, and was commissioned as a 1st Lieutenant in Company H, 9th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry on November 11, 1861. As his regiment took part in campaigns in North Carolina and Virginia during most of its tenure, James Stewart Jr. would rise steadily in its ranks. He was promoted Captain and commander of Company H on March 9, 1862 after its previous commander was killed in operations against Roanoke Island, North Carolina, promoted to Major on December 22, 1862 when the vacancy opened in the command structure after Colonel Charles H. Heckman was promoted to Brigadier General, and to Lieutenant Colonel only a few weeks later on January 8, 1863. He served as second-in-command to Colonel Abram Zabriskie, and occasional led the regiment itself while Colonel Zabriskie exerted district command. At the May 1864 Battle of Drewry’s Bluff, Virginia near Richmond, the 9th New Jersey Infantry was part of a failed assault on Confederate defenses there, and Colonel Zabriskie was mortally wounded, dying twelve days later. James Stewart Jr, was promoted Colonel to replace him on June 15, 1864, and led the regiment through the end of the conflict. He was brevetted Brigadier General, U.S. Volunteers on March 13, 1865 for "meritorious services", and was honorably mustered out on July 12, 1865. He would go on to serve as Philadelphia, Pennsylvania's Police Chief for many years, and was the one that instituted daily morning briefings for all police captains and lieutenants at Police Headquarters. When he passed away in 1930 he was the next to the last surviving New Jersey Regimental commander, being outlived only by Lieutenant Colonel John Schoonover of the 11th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry.
Civil War Union Brevet Brigadier General. He enlisted in the Union Army, and was commissioned as a 1st Lieutenant in Company H, 9th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry on November 11, 1861. As his regiment took part in campaigns in North Carolina and Virginia during most of its tenure, James Stewart Jr. would rise steadily in its ranks. He was promoted Captain and commander of Company H on March 9, 1862 after its previous commander was killed in operations against Roanoke Island, North Carolina, promoted to Major on December 22, 1862 when the vacancy opened in the command structure after Colonel Charles H. Heckman was promoted to Brigadier General, and to Lieutenant Colonel only a few weeks later on January 8, 1863. He served as second-in-command to Colonel Abram Zabriskie, and occasional led the regiment itself while Colonel Zabriskie exerted district command. At the May 1864 Battle of Drewry’s Bluff, Virginia near Richmond, the 9th New Jersey Infantry was part of a failed assault on Confederate defenses there, and Colonel Zabriskie was mortally wounded, dying twelve days later. James Stewart Jr, was promoted Colonel to replace him on June 15, 1864, and led the regiment through the end of the conflict. He was brevetted Brigadier General, U.S. Volunteers on March 13, 1865 for "meritorious services", and was honorably mustered out on July 12, 1865. He would go on to serve as Philadelphia, Pennsylvania's Police Chief for many years, and was the one that instituted daily morning briefings for all police captains and lieutenants at Police Headquarters. When he passed away in 1930 he was the next to the last surviving New Jersey Regimental commander, being outlived only by Lieutenant Colonel John Schoonover of the 11th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry.
Bio by: RPD2
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