Edward S. Salomon
| Edward Selig Salomon | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 9th Governor of Washington Territory | |
|
In office March 4, 1870 – April 26, 1872 |
|
| Preceded by | Alvan Flanders |
| Succeeded by | Elisha P. Ferry |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
December 25, 1836 Duchy of Schleswig |
| Died | July 18, 1913 (aged 76) San Francisco, California |
| Resting place | Salem Memorial Cemetery, Colma, California |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States of America Union |
| Service/branch | Union Army |
| Years of service | 1861, 1862–1866 |
| Rank |
Lieutenant Colonel Brevet Brigadier General |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
Edward Selig Salomon (December 25, 1836 – July 18, 1913) was a German Jew who immigrated to the United States and served as an Union brigadier general in the American Civil War and later became governor of Washington Territory and a California legislator.
Salomon, who was Jewish, was born in the Duchy of Schleswig. He emigrated to Illinois in 1856 and 5 years later, at age 24, was elected an alderman of Chicago's sixth ward in 1861, the youngest in Chicago history.
In July 1861, Salomon was commissioned as a first lieutenant in Colonel Friedrich Hecker's 24th Illinois Infantry Regiment. Disagreements arose between Hecker and some of his officers, after which Hecker and his supporters resigned, including Salomon. Salomon became a civilian again from December 1861 to September 1862. In August 1862, Hecker formed a new regiment, the 82nd Illinois Infantry, or the "Second Hecker Regiment", composed mainly of German, Jewish, Swedish, and other European volunteers. Salomon joined and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel on September 26, 1862.
Salomon became a hero during the Battle of Gettysburg. He had two horses shot out from under him and assumed command of the regiment when Hecker was wounded. Fellow-immigrant major general Carl Schurz, his corps commander, described him during the battle: "He was the only soldier at Gettysburg who did not dodge when Lee's guns thundered; he stood up, smoked his cigar and faced the cannon balls with the sang froid of a Saladin ..."
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