Ranald Slidell Mackenzie

Ranald Slidell Mackenzie
Ranald S. Mackenzie
Nickname(s)	"Bad Hand", "No-Finger Chief"
Born	(1840-07-27)July 27, 1840 Westchester County, New York
Died	January 19, 1889(1889-01-19) (aged 48) Staten Island, New York
Place of burial	West Point Cemetery
Allegiance	United States of America Union
Service/branch	United States Army Union Army
Years of service	1862–1884
Rank	Brigadier General Brevet Major General
Commands held	2nd Connecticut Heavy Artillery 41st U.S. Infantry 24th U.S. Infantry 4th U.S. Cavalry
Battles/wars	American Civil War Battle of Second Bull Run Battle of Antietam Battle of Gettysburg Overland Campaign Second Battle of Petersburg Battle of Cedar Creek Battle of Five Forks Battle of Appomattox Courthouse Indian Wars Battle of Blanco Canyon Battle of the North Fork Remolino Raid Red River War Battle of Palo Duro Canyon Dull Knife Fight
Relations	John Slidell (uncle) Alexander Slidell Mackenzie (father) Alexander Slidell MacKenzie (brother)

American Civil War

Indian Wars

Ranald Slidell Mackenzie, also called Bad Hand, (July 27, 1840 – January 19, 1889) was a career United States Army officer and general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was described by General Ulysses S. Grant as its most promising young officer. He also served with great distinction in the following Indian Wars.

Mackenzie was born in Westchester County, New York, to Commodore Alexander Slidell Mackenzie and Catherine Alexander Robinson. He was the nephew of diplomat and politician John Slidell and the older brother of two United States Navy officers; Rear Admiral Morris Robinson Slidell Mackenzie and Lieutenant Commander Alexander Slidell MacKenzie. His grandfather was John Slidell, a bank president and a political power broker in New York City.

He initially attended Williams College, where he was a member of the Kappa Alpha Society, and then accepted a nomination to the United States Military Academy, where he graduated at the head of his class in 1862. He immediately joined the Union forces already fighting in the Civil War.

Commissioned a second lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers, Mackenzie served in the battles of Second Bull Run, Antietam, Gettysburg, and through the Overland Campaign and Petersburg in 1864. He was wounded at Bull Run, Gettysburg and Jerusalem Plank Road. His wounding at Jerusalem Plank Road during the siege of Petersburg cost him the first two fingers of his right hand and was the probable cause for his nickname, "Bad Hand". By June, 1864, he had been brevetted to lieutenant colonel in the Regular Army due to bravery.