Nathan Augustus Monroe Dudley (August 20, 1825 - April 29, 1910) was a soldier who served as a brigadier general for the Union side during the American Civil War. He led the 30th Massachusetts Volunteers and spent time as an aide to Major General Nathaniel Banks. His military career in fact continued until 1889. He spent much of his career on the Indian frontier, and did much good service which has been somewhat overshadowed by his part in the Lincoln County War.
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Lincoln County War
Dudley's part in the Lincoln County War of 1877-1879 is at best controversial and at worst despicable. He was the commanding officer of the local fort, Fort Stanton. Despite orders not to interfere in civilian matters, he did, nominally to protect civilians. In fact, he seems to have favored the Dolan faction throughout. Attempts to have him removed as commander went all the way to the Secretary of War, but were refused. Susan McSween, the wife of one of the key participants, Alexander McSween, had charges filed in 1879 against Dudley. Having been implicated by Billy Campbell in the murder of Huston Chapman, Dudley was removed by General Hatch as commander on March 7, 1879, and a court of inquiry into his actions was commissioned. In July 1879, the inquiry ruled that a court martial against Dudley was not justified, and Dudley was transferred to Fort Union. Dudley was also found not guilty in his trial for arson in November 1879. Dudley was not always so fortunate; on two occasions, he was found guilty at court martial for drunkenness and "behaviour unbecoming."
Subsequent career
Towards the end of his career, he assisted Colonel George Buell's expedition against Victorio, which indirectly led to Victorio's death at the hands of the Mexican army. In 1887, as a colonel of the 1st Cavalry, he suppressed the unrest on the Crow Nation reservation, during which the leader of a faction of the Crow, Sword Bearer, was killed. Promoted in 1904, during his retirement, to regular army brigadier general, Dudley died in 1910, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
External links
- Dudley's grave in Arlington Cemetery
- Chronology of Billy the Kid and the Lincoln County War
- History of the First Cavalry
- Buell's expedition against Victorio
Other references
- Monograph biography of Dudley by E. Donald Kaye (Outskirts Press, 2007)
