Civil War Union Major General. An 1838 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, he is known today more for the myth that he invented Modern Baseball while a cadet at West Point than for his accomplishments as a Major General in the Union Army during the Civil War. On the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (July 1, 1863), he began the day as the Senior Division Commander in the Army of the Potomac's I Corps. When I Corps Commander Major General John F. Reynolds was killed early in the fighting, General Doubleday took command of the troops in the field and held the Federal left flank during much of rest of the day's fighting. Although his troops were eventually pushed back to Cemetery Hill in retreat, he held the Confederates off long enough to allow substantial amounts of the Union Army come onto the scene of the battle and take strong defensive positions. Despite his performance under extreme conditions, he was not given credit for his defense and was replaced as Corps Commander at the end of the day.

Civil War Union Major General. An 1838 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, he is known today more for the myth that he invented Modern Baseball while a cadet at West Point than for his accomplishments as a Major General in the Union Army during the Civil War. On the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (July 1, 1863), he began the day as the Senior Division Commander in the Army of the Potomac's I Corps. When I Corps Commander Major General John F. Reynolds was killed early in the fighting, General Doubleday took command of the troops in the field and held the Federal left flank during much of rest of the day's fighting. Although his troops were eventually pushed back to Cemetery Hill in retreat, he held the Confederates off long enough to allow substantial amounts of the Union Army come onto the scene of the battle and take strong defensive positions. Despite his performance under extreme conditions, he was not given credit for his defense and was replaced as Corps Commander at the end of the day.