John Croxton
| John Thomas Croxton | |
|---|---|
Col. John T. Croxton
|
|
| Born |
November 20, 1836 Paris, Kentucky |
| Died | April 16, 1874 (aged 37) Bolivia |
| Place of burial | Paris Cemetery, Paris, Kentucky |
| Allegiance |
United States of America Union |
| Service/branch |
United States Army Union Army |
| Years of service | 1861 - 1865 |
| Rank |
 Brigadier General Brevet Major General
|
| Commands held |
4th Kentucky Infantry Regiment 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, XIV Corps 1st Brigade, 1st Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Cumberland |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
| Other work | United States Ambassador to Bolivia |
John Thomas Croxton (November 20, 1836 – April 16, 1874) was an attorney, a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War, and a postbellum U.S. diplomat.
Croxton was born near Paris, Kentucky, in rural Bourbon County. He was the oldest son among the twelve children of a Virginia-born wealthy planter and slave owner. In 1857, he graduated with honors from Yale University, where he was a member of the Skull and Bones secret society. He subsequently studied law under prominent attorney James Robinson and eventually joined the Freemasonry movement.
Croxton was admitted to the bar and taught law courses at a school in Mississippi in 1858. He returned to Kentucky the following year and established a profitable law practice in Paris, as well as owning a small farm outside of town. He married Catherine Rogers (1833–1882) and raised three daughters. His ardent support for the emancipation of slaves alienated him from much of his family.
In October 1861, as the Civil War escalated, President Abraham Lincoln appointed Croxton as the lieutenant colonel of the 4th Kentucky Mounted Infantry. He saw his first significant fighting in the Battle of Mill Springs. He later rose to its colonel in early 1862, and fought at Perryville. On September 19, 1863, his infantry brigade tangled with Confederate cavalry under Nathan Bedford Forrest, touching off the Battle of Chickamauga. Croxton was wounded during the fighting. He suffered a leg wound at the Battle of Nashville.
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