Major General John A. Logan
Army of the Tennessee Commander
Union Army
John A. Logan was a life-long politician. He has also been evaluated as one of the best volunteer generals of the Civil War because he was a tough fighter. John A. Logan fought in the Battle of Bull Run as a civilian. He also fought in the Battles of Belmont, Fort Donelson, Corinth, Vicksburg, Atlanta, and the Carolina Campaign. He received a Metal of Honor for his actions at Vicksburg, and he commanded the Army of the Tennessee in the Battle of Atlanta.
John A. Logan was born on February 9, 1826 in Jackson County, Illinois. He served as a quartermaster during the Mexican War. He studied law at Louisville University and was admitted to the bar in 1852. The political offices held by John A. Logan included Jackson County Clerk in 1849, Illinois House of Representatives in 1852-1853 and 1856-1857, U. S. House of Representatives in 1859-1862 and 1867-1871, and U. S. Senate in 1871-1877 and 1879-1886. John A. Logan was one of the prosecutors in the impeachment proceedings against President Andrew Johnson. He unsuccessfully ran for the vice presidency of the United States in 1884. He helped the effort to create Memorial Day as a national holiday. He died in Washington, D. C. on December 26, 1886.