The first Regular U.S. Army officer to be wounded in action during the Civil War, June 1861

He was wounded again in the 1864 Atlanta, Georgia campaign

United States Minister to Chile

(1836-81) Born near Deckertown, New Jersey, he graduated in the West Point class of May 1861, and only a month after graduating from the academy he had the distinction of being the first Regular U.S. Army officer to be wounded in action during the Civil War, this coming at the battle of Big Bethel, Va., which took place on June 10, 1861, on the Virginia Peninsula, near Newport News. In September 1861, he became the lieutenant colonel, and in December, colonel of the 2nd New York Cavalry. He successively commanded his regiment, a brigade, and later a division of cavalry in the Army of the Potomac, playing a creditable role in virtually every important cavalry action in the eastern theater of war, including Beverly Ford, Stoneman's raid, and Gettysburg. He was promoted to brigadier general, June 14, 1863. In February 1864, he commanded the celebrated Richmond raid which was to free the Union prisoners there, but instead resulted in a fiasco and the death of Colonel Ulric Dahlgren, the son of Admiral John A. Dahlgren. Sent south by General U.S. Grant, he was wounded in the early part of the Atlanta campaign, at Resaca, Ga. He returned to duty in late July 1864 to finish that campaign which included several raids and skirmishes against his old classmate, General Joseph Wheeler. He then took part in Sherman's March to the Sea, and the 1865 Carolina's campaign. General William T. Sherman was quoted as saying, "I want just that sort of man to command my cavalry in this expedition!" Kilpatrick was an early member of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, a military society composed of officers who had served in the Union armed forces. He was appointed United States Minister to Chile, by President Andrew Johnson, and served from 1866-70. He became active in politics as a Republican, and in 1880, was an unsuccessful candidate for the U.S. Congress from his home state of New Jersey. In March 1881, in recognition of Kilpatrick's service to the Republican Party, in New Jersey, as well as a consolation prize for his defeat for a House seat, President James A. Garfield appointed Kilpatrick once again to the post of Minister to Chile. Kilpatrick died, on December 4, 1881, shortly after his arrival in the Chilean capital of Santiago. He was only 45 years old. His remains were returned to the United States in 1887, and were interred at the West Point Cemetery, United States Military Academy.

Wet plate, albumen carte de visite photograph, mounted to 2 1/2 x 4 card. Large bust view in uniform. Gen. Judson Kilpatrick is imprinted on the front mount. Back mark: The New York Photographic Co., No. 453 Broadway, New York, with an American shield logo. There is a thin archival mounting strip on the upper edge of the verso from when this image was framed. This does not affect the imprint in any way. Very fine.