Mahlon Dickerson Manson Papers

Mahlon Dickerson Manson (February 20, 1820 – February 4, 1895) was a druggist, Indiana politician (serving in the Indiana legislature, as a U.S. Congressman, and as Indiana Lieutenant Governor), and a Union general in the American Civil War. Manson was born in Piqua, Ohio, to David Manson, Jr., and Sarah Cornwall and was a descendant of David Manson (aide to Revolutionary War General George Washington). Manson’s family would later move from Ohio to Crawfordsville, Indiana, and, after studying medicine in Cincinnati and New Orleans, Manson served in the Mexican-American War as a captain of the 5th Indiana Volunteers. He later became a druggist in Crawfordsville and a member of the Indiana Legislature. At the beginning of the Civil War, Manson was appointed a captain in the 10th Indiana Infantry and was promoted to colonel in less than a month. He commanded a brigade in the Army of the Ohio at the 2 Battle of Mill Springs in 1862 and was promoted to brigadier general in March 1862. General Manson was wounded in the thigh and captured by Confederate forces at the Battle of Richmond, Kentucky, in August, 1962. He was exchanged two months later and fought Morgan on his raid into Ohio. In the span of two months Manson advanced from brigade, to division, and then to command the 23rd Corps. He led the corps during the Knoxville Campaign seeing action at Campbell's Station and Knoxville. General Manson returned to brigade command (in the Army of the Ohio) during the Atlanta Campaign and was seriously wounded in the Battle of Resaca, Georgia. He resigned from his command on December 21, 1864. After the war he served in the United States House of Representatives as a Democrat from 1871 to 1873, was state auditor, and the 20th Lieutenant Governor of Indiana from 1885-1886. He married Caroline Mitchell Manson, of Crawfordsville, and they had six children. Manson died in Frankfort, Indiana, and is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, Crawfordsville.