Edmund P. Gaines
| Edmund Pendleton Gaines | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
March 20, 1777 Culpeper County, Virginia |
| Died | June 6, 1849 (aged 72) New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Buried at | Church Street Graveyard, Mobile, Alabama |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Army
|
| Years of service | 1799 - 1800, 1801 - 1849 |
| Rank |
 Brevet Major General
|
| Battles/wars |
War of 1812 Seminole Wars Black Hawk War Mexican-American War |
| Awards | Act of Congress Gold Medal |
Edmund Pendleton Gaines (March 20, 1777 – June 6, 1849) was a United States army officer who served with distinction during the War of 1812, the Seminole Wars, and the Black Hawk War.
Edmund Pendleton Gaines was born in Culpeper County, Virginia on March 20, 1777 as the seventh of fourteen children to James and Elizabeth (Strother) Gaines. He was named after his great-uncle Edmund Pendleton, who was a political leader of Virginia during the Revolution. James Gaines had been a captain during the Revolutionary War and afterwards moved his family North Carolina, where he was a delegate to the state convention that ratified the United States Constitution and became a state representative. The James Gaines family later moved to Kingsport, Tennessee; Edmund Gaines joined the army in 1799, and as commissioned as an ensign. He was discharged in 1800, but returned to service as a second lieutenant in 1801. He was promoted to first lieutenant in 1802, and captain in 1807.
In the early 19th century, Gaines surveyed routes and boundaries in the Mississippi Territory including parts of the Natchez Trace. In 1800, Lt. Gaines commanded ten companies of the 2d U.S. Infantry in the construction of the Congressionally designated post road from Nashville to Natchez. His experience led him to become a strong advocate of using the military to construct a national railroad system.
In 1807, Gaines was the commandant of Fort Stoddert. During this time, he arrested former Vice President Aaron Burr at Wakefield, Alabama, and testified at his trial. Gaines also surveyed the route that would become the portion of the Gaines Trace from the Tennessee River to Cotton Gin Port, Mississippi. He afterwards took a leave of absence from the army to practice law.
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