Emory upton biography of rory

Emory Upton was one of the most influential military thinkers to emerge from the Civil War.  Born in Batavia, New York in 1839, Upton attended Oberlin College prior to accepting an appointment at West Point.  While at the academy, Upton, an outspoken abolitionist, became involved in a fist fight when fellow cadet Wade Gibbs uttered a racial slur against him.  In spite of this incident, Upton was an otherwise exemplary student and graduated eighth in the May class of 1861. 

The newly commissioned Lieutenant Upton was assigned to the 5th Artillery Regiment in time to serve in the First Battle of Bull Run.  During the battle he was wounded but refused to leave the field—the first of many such instances in Upton’s career.  Upton commanded his battery during the Peninsula Campaign and was the head of an artillery brigade in the Sixth Corps during the Battle of Antietam.

In October of 1862, Upton received a promotion to colonel of the 121st New