The following article is by guest columnist Robert Bredow of Carmel, NY.
As a self-described civil war buff, I thought I knew almost everything about the civil war. However when doing a recent google search in my office about a year ago with the search words “Civil War Putnam County New York”, I stumbled upon a biography of a union major general who was born in Southeast, Putnam County and graduated from West Point in the famous class of 1846. His name is Darius Couch.
Most civil war enthusiasts have heard of George Pickett (Gettysburg fame), George McClellan (the 2nd and 4th commander of the Army of the Potomac and the Democratic opponent to Lincoln in 1864), Stonewall Jackson, Jesse Reno and Ambrose Powell Hill. All these men along with Darius Couch, were West Point classmates graduating in 1846 and senior level generals, either north or south.
Sadly, general Couch has fallen into almost total obscurity in history books, but his value to our nation is most significant. Shortly after graduation from West Point in 1846, Lt. Couch participated in the battle of Buena Vista during the war with Mexico under general Zachary Taylor. Couch was placed in charge of a battery of cannon in the center of the American position. Santa Anna’s lancers and cavalry advanced directly toward Couch. Over the next 24 hours, the battle raged on with the advantage vacillating between opposing sides, but it ended with the retreat of Santa Anna. This was the only action he saw during the Mexican war, but two things came out of his months there: 1) he earned a promotion to permanent 2nd lieutenant in the regular army and 2) he contracted dysentery, which plagued him for the rest of his life.
During the civil war at Malvern Hill on July 1, 1862, brigadier general Couch received the brunt of the fighting. Despite the victory there, general McClellan commanding ordered a retreat. Couch, feeling perplexed, depressed and ill considered resigning his commission, But McClellan being his friend, classmate and commander offered instead a 20-day leave of absence. Upon return to duty, Couch received a promotion to major general.
At Fredericksburg, Va. during December 1862, General Couch commanded the 2nd Corps. The commanding general (and his friend) Ambrose E. Burnside ordered the uphill and ill-fated attack against Marye’s Heights where thousands of entrenched confederates waited behind a stonewall. Couch witnessed the slaughter of over 4,000 union soldiers from a steeple in town. In support of his men and without fear for his own life, he rode his horse to a point 50 yards from the confederates, then parallel to the enemy. Some high-ranking confederate officer must have given the order not to fire, probably his friend and classmate George Pickett. The valor of Darius Couch even stopped the guns at Fredericksburg for a moment or two.
Arguably, he was in a position to possibly end the civil war 2 years before Appomattox. This means that the confederate Army of Northern Virginia could have been defeated and Robert E. Lee captured at Chancellorsville on May 3, 1863. In that event, the battle of Gettysburg on July 1-3, 1863 would have been a non-event. Of course, this is only well-founded speculation had General Couch taken the solid advice of other high-ranking generals at Chancellorsville.
Joseph Hooker, the federal commander at Chancellorsville, initially outmaneuvered the confederates and held them as if in a pincer. This was an unusual situation since Bobby Lee was rarely surprised in the field. General Couch, the next in overall command, held the high ground. Despite the clearly obvious federal advantage, Hooker ordered a retreat. Generals Warren, Sykes and Hancock became very upset with Hooker. Couch was even encouraged to disobey the order. But orders were orders and the move to retreat was most reluctantly made by all. On May 3, Hooker was leaning against a pillar at the Chancellor House when a confederate cannon ball hit the pillar and knocked him senseless. A stunned Hooker probably received a severe concussion. Couch, as 2nd in command, was encouraged by his peers to wrest command from Hooker considering the federals still held a tactical and strategic advantage in the field. However Couch was not convinced that Hooker was medically unfit to command. Chancellorsville was therefore a clear and distinct Confederate victory.
Late in May 1863, a disgusted general Couch sent a letter to president Lincoln asking to be relieved. He also talked in person to the president about the incompetent Hooker. The president and secretary of war Stanton were already searching for a replacement to command the Army of the Potomac. The command was offered to Reynolds and Hancock. Both refused. The president then whimsically asked Couch, “how about you”? Couch refused for health reasons (acute dysentery), but recommended George Gordon Meade. Meade finally relieved Hooker a mere 3 days prior to the fighting at Gettysburg. That battle became a federal victory and turning point in the civil war. Couch essentially nominated the union commander.
But where was Darius Couch during the Gettysburg campaign? On June 1, 1863 he was ordered to take command of the newly created Department of the Susquehanna. This was a position of little authority and even less resources. During the rapid confederate advancement into southern Pennsylvania during late June of 1863, the confederate cavalry commander J.E.B. Stuart cut most lines of communication with Washington. The only useful, accurate and timely information pertaining to confederate troop movements was provided to Washington by general Couch. During the Gettysburg campaign, Lee and Richmond were in the dark. Lincoln and Stanton were well informed, thanks to Couch.
On November 18, 1863 president Lincoln arrived at the Gettysburg train station for the dedication of the National Military Cemetery. Who greeted the president at the train station and who was seated not 10 feet from him on the platform during the delivery of the Gettysburg Address? It was none other than Darius Couch.
There is a historical marker to Darius Couch affixed to a rock at the intersection of route 22 and Sodom Road in Brewster. It only briefly identifies his commands and that his birthplace is 2 miles east (actually northeast). But where is his birthplace exactly? It is identified on the 1854 map of Putnam County, which one can easily call up on the Internet. There the farm of C. H. Couch is listed. This is his brother to whom he sold his half of the farm in 1850. That is the birthplace of general Darius Nash Couch. The spot is about a half mile east of the Red Rooster on Rte. 22 in Brewster.
Recently, the writer of this article met the great granddaughter of the general. She is very well informed and provided much of the information in this article. Together we drove to the general’s private prep school (the current North Salem Town Hall), the Couch burial plot in Milltown Cemetery (general Couch is not buried there), and to the house of Hezekiah Couch (his uncle on Couch Road in Patterson). Darius must have spent some time there as a youth visiting family.
Another source of information is the book: “Enigmatic Valor, Major General Darius Nash Couch”, by A. M Gambone, to which much credit in writing this article must be given.
To the best of my knowledge, very few people in New York State are aware of general Couch’s military importance and even less know of the exact location where Darius Couch grew up. The next time you are in that area, think of the little boy in the 1830’s who played along the banks of the Croton River and the impact he had on history.
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About the Author: Robert Bredow is a merchant marine officer and is retired from Texaco Inc., the U.S. Naval Reserve (Lieutenant Commander), and also the NY State education system where he taught high school earth science for eight years. Robert has lived in Carmel, NY for the past 28 years with his wife Denise.