Biography of

Charles H. Grosvenor

(courtesy U. S. Army Military History Institute)

     Lt. Colonel Charles Henry Grosvenor was adjutant and later commander of the 18th Ohio. He was born in Pomfret, Windham County, Connecticut on September 20, 1823. Moving to Ohio in 1838, he attended log school, taught school, studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1857. His service saw him rise from a Private to General in the course of the war. Enlisting in the 18th Ohio (3 months service) as a private, he was elected to the position of Major which he held in the 18th until being promoted to Lt. Colonel at the time Col. Josiah Given took command of the 18th when its original commander, Col. Stanley was named brigade commander. Upon Col. Given's promotion in late 1863, Grosvenor took command of the 18th and led it during the breakout at Chattanooga and into the campaign against Lookout mountain. On Provost and Engineering duty, Grosvenor commanded throughout 1864 and served in that capacity when the 18th became the 18th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry late in 1864. In October 1865, he and the men of the 18th were mustered out.

     After the war, he remained active militarily by being in the National Guard Unit in Athens County, Ohio becoming a Brigadier General. On the political scene, Grosvenor was elected to the Ohio Legislature for 1874-1878, where he was speaker for two years. He was elected to the U. S. House of Representatives from 1885-1891 and again from 1893-1907 and held many important committee positions. During his years of public service, he found time to collect and research information about the life of William McKinley, culminating in his publishing a biography titled, "Willliam McKinley, His Life and Work."

Colonel Grosvenor died in 1917.