Military officer; born in
Andover, Mass.. March 25, 1818; graduated at
West Point, first in his class, in 1839, and entered the engineer corps.
He was attached to
General Scott's staff during the war in
Mexico (1847-48) as adjutant, and was severely wounded in the attack on the city of
Mexico.
He resigned in 1853, and was appointed governor of
Washington Territory and placed in charge of the survey of a route for a North Pacific railway, establishing its practicability.
Governor Stevens was a delegate to Congress from
Washington Territory from 1857 till 1861.
A leading Democrat, he was in the convention at
Charleston and
Baltimore in 1860, and supported
Breckinridge for the Presidency; but when the secession movements began he advised
Buchanan to dismiss
Floyd and
Thompson, and supported the government nobly with his sword in the
Civil War that ensued, entering the military service as colonel of the 79th New York Highlanders.
He was active under
Sherman in the
Port Royal expedition in 1862; was afterwards attached to
Pope's command, leading a division; and in the
battle at Chantilly fell while bearing aloft the colors of one of his regiments and cheering on his men, Sept. 1, 1862.
He had been promoted major-general of volunteers, July 4, 1862.
