James Gwyn

Who was James Gwyn?

James Gwyn was an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He immigrated at a young age from Ireland in 1846, initially working as a storekeeper in Philadelphia and later as a clerk in New York City. At the onset of the war, in 1861, he enlisted and was commissioned as a captain with the 23rd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. He assumed command of the 118th Pennsylvania Regiment in the course of the war. Gwyn led that regiment through many of its 39 recorded battles, including engagements at Seven Pines, Fredericksburg, Shepherdstown, Five Forks, and Gettysburg.

Gwyn was wounded at the Battle of the Wilderness in 1864, but returned to service after recuperating to take command of the Third, and eventually the First and Second Brigades of the First Division of the Union Army's V Corps. Gwyn was brevetted both as a brigadier general and as a major general by President Abraham Lincoln for his service. His men described him as "a handsome and accomplished officer, and a bold and aggressive leader". After the war, Gwyn returned to Philadelphia, although later moving to New York, and resumed his business dealings.