Henry Atkinson (1782 – June 14, 1842) was a United States Army officer serving on the western frontier during the War of 1812 and the Yellowstone expedition. With Benjamin O'Fallon, he negotiated treaties with Indigenous nations of the upper Missouri River in 1825. Over his career in the army, he served in the West, the Gulf Coast, and in New York at the border with The Canadas.

Early life

Henry Atkinson was born in 1782 in Caswell County (now Person County, North Carolina). His mother died soon after the birth of her sixth child. His father, John Atkinson, married Francis Dickens shortly after his first wife's death and he had two more children with Francis.

In 1748 and 1749, John Atkinson received land grants from the colonial government.

Career after War of 1812

After the war, Atkinson received orders in 1818 to lead the Yellowstone expedition along the Missouri River to the mouth of the Yellowstone River. The goal was to establish military forts to control Native Americans and allow American members of the fur trade to operate safely in the region. Colonel Talbot Chambers led the 1st Battalion of the Rifle Regiment left Belle Fontaine on August 30, 1818, up the Missouri River. On October 18 they arrived at Isle des Vaches, and spent the winter at Cantonment Martin. They left for Council Bluff where they met Major Stephen Harriman Long. Colonel Atkinson joined the military detachment and established their winter lodging, Cantonment Missouri. He led another expedition in 1825.

He was appointed brevet brigadier general and was in overall command of U.S. forces during the Black Hawk War (1832). Although he delivered the final blow to the Black Hawk Indians at the Battle of Bad Axe, Atkinson was criticized for mishandling the operations of the war. Zachary Taylor and Henry Dodge, who served under him, were well-respected for their service during the war.

Personal life

He married Mary Ann Bullitt on January 15, 1826, in the Christ Episcopal Church in Louisville, Kentucky. They had a son, Henry born in February 1827

References

Bibliography

Further reading

  • Nichols, Roger L. General Henry Atkinson: A Western Military Career. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1965.
  • Ghent, W. J. "Atkinson, Henry." Dictionary of American Biography. Vol. 1, Charles Scribner's Sons. 1928.
  • Letter to Ann Gentry