Henry Livermore Abbott was a Union General during the Civil War. Henry was born in Lowell, Massachusetts on January 21, 1842 to Josiah G. Abbott and Caroline Abbott Livermore along with 10 other siblings. His father was a lawyer and a member of the United States House of Representatives and a loyal Republican. When he was just 14 he was admitted into Harvard, he struggled but in 1860 he graduated.
He didn’t completely agree with Lincoln’s decision to invade southern states. He described himself as “Constitutionally Timid”. His brothers and others around him were eager to join the army, he wasn’t really wanting to join. Despite his hesitation he volunteered so he wasn’t left behind when they all went off to war. He served for a short while …show more content…
Because of this he was promoted to first lieutenant. At the Battle of Glendale he finished out the campaign after being wounded. After the battle was over he went home to recover and while he was home one of his brothers were killed at Cedar Mountain in 1862. Abbott was one of the few officers that was not wounded or killed in the street fights of Fredricksburg.
During the Battle of Gettysburg his regiment was apart of Pickett’s Charge. When Colonel Paul Revere was critically wounded and Colonel George Macy was wounded Abbott had to take charge as Major. When Colonel George Macy returned, Abbott remained second in command for the rest of the battle.
On the second day of the Battle of Fort Wilderness Abbott was along Plank Road with the 20th Massachusetts. They were all tired out due to a fight against Confederate General A.P. Hill’s corp and then a heavy attack from General Longstreet’s corp. As he tried to rally his men many were shot down because they were surrounded. His men began to panick and as he was trying to calm them he was shot in the abdomen and went down. Eventually his men got the chance to cary him off to the Second Corps Field hospital. When he arrived shortly before he died he was informed that the wound was going to be fatal and he asked to be left alone to gather his