He Was Honored By His Men

At the Battle of Gaines’ Mills on June 27th 1862 Colonel Jesse Augustus Gove was killed.

Jesse A Gove was born December 5th 1824 in Ware New Hampshire. Wishing to persue a career in the military, Gove attended the Norwich Military Academy than located in Norwich Vermont. He served with the 9th US Infantry during the Mexican-American War. He than study law and became a Deputy Secertary for the State of New Hampshire from 1850 to 1855. In 1855 he found that he missed the army. He was given a commission of Captain and was doing duty with Company I of the 10th Infantry in Utah when the Civil War began.

At the start of the war Gove was recalled to Washington DC, to succeeded Colonel Henry Wilson as the commander of the 22nd MA Volunteer Infantry. He was the only regular Army officer to command the 22nd and depite this was much loved by the men. Gove was killed in action on June 27th 1862 at the Battle of Gaines Mill in Virginia. After the Civil War the veterans of the 22nd MA chose the date of their reunion to honor Col Gove’s death.

For more reading
Colonel Jesse A. Gove, U.S.A.