Edwin Vose Sumner, Jr.

Edwin Vose Sumner, Jr. (August 16, 1835 – August 23, 1912) was an American Union brevet brigadier general during the period of the American Civil War.
He was the son of the more famous Civil War general Edwin Vose Sumner. The elder Sumner was one of the oldest generals to serve during the Civil War and died while on active duty in March 1863 at the age of 66. The younger Sumner was the 2nd cousin once removed of Senator Charles Sumner.

The younger Sumner began his military career, shortly after the outbreak of the Civil War, when he was commissioned as a lieutenant in the 1st Cavalry Regiment on August 5, 1861. He was promoted to major of Volunteers and assigned as an aide de camp on May 19, 1863.

On September 8, 1864, he was appointed colonel of the 1st New York Mounted Rifles (at the age of 29), where he served until the end of the war. He received his appointment as brevet brigadier general dated to March 13, 1865. He was mustered out of Volunteers and reverted to his Regular Army rank of captain on September 29, 1865.

After the Civil War, Sumner served in the Indian Wars. He was successively assigned to the 5th Cavalry, the 8th Cavalry, and the 7th Cavalry regiments. He was promoted to the rank of colonel and placed in command of the 7th Cavalry on November 10, 1894.

In 1890, he was elected a member of the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati by right of his collateral descent from Major Job Sumner, a veteran of the American Revolution.

At the beginning of the Spanish–American War, he was appointed brigadier general of Volunteers on May 27, 1898 and was discharged from the Volunteers on February 24, 1899.

He was promoted to brigadier general in the Regular Army on March 27, 1899 and retired from the Army three days later after 37 years of service.

He was buried at U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

He was married to Margaret Forster, the daughter of General John Forster (1777–1863). His brother was Major General Samuel S. Sumner.

• Civil War Campaign Medal
• Indian Campaign Medal
• Spanish War Service Medal (posthumously eligible)

• Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army. Francis B. Heitman. 1903. p. 936.
• Edwin Vose Sumner, Jr. at Find a Grave