Edward Canby
Edward Richard Sprigg Canby (November 9, 1817 – April 11, 1873) was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. He served as a military governor after the war.
Edward R. S. Canby | |
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Major General E. R. S. Canby in U.S. uniform | |
| Born | November 9, 1817 Piatt's Landing, Kentucky |
| Died | April 11, 1873 (aged 55) near Tule Lake, California |
| Place of burial | |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/ | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1839–1873 |
| Rank | Major general |
| Commands held | Department of New Mexico Fort Snelling |
| Battles/wars | Indian Wars |
| Signature | |
In 1861–1862, Canby commanded the Department of New Mexico, defeating the Confederate General Henry Hopkins Sibley at the Battle of Glorieta Pass, forcing him to retreat to Texas. At the war's end, he took the surrender of Generals Richard Taylor and Edmund Kirby Smith. Canby was regarded as an administrator, more than a leader. General Ulysses S. Grant believed that he lacked aggression, but declared him irreplaceable for his knowledge of army regulations and constitutional law.
As commander of the Pacific Northwest in 1873, he was assassinated by Chief Kintpuash during peace talks with the Modoc, who were refusing to move from their California homelands.