Asa B. Carey

Asa Bacon Carey (July 12, 1835 – April 4, 1912) was a career officer in the United States Army. A veteran of the American Civil War, American Indian Wars, and Spanish–American War, he served from 1854 to 1899 and attained the rank of brigadier general as Paymaster-General of the United States Army.

A native of Canterbury, Connecticut, Carey worked as a farm laborer as a teenager, then began attendance at the United States Military Academy. He graduated in 1858 and began his career in the Western United States, including postings to Utah Territory and New Mexico Territory. He took part in the Utah War in 1859 and 1860, and in the final battles of the Navajo Wars in 1860 and 1861.

During the American Civil War, Carey served in the Union Army and performed recruiting, mustering, commissary, and paymaster duties, primarily in New Mexico. After the war, he joined the Paymaster Department, and his subsequent assignments included chief paymaster of army departments throughout the United States. In January 1899, he was promoted to brigadier general and appointed as the army's paymaster-general. In March 1899, he personally transported $3,000,000 to Cuba to be used in paying the salaries of Spanish–American War soldiers during the United States Military Government in Cuba.

Carey left the army upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 64 in July 1899. In retirement, he was a resident of Tisbury, Massachusetts and Orlando, Florida. He died in Orlando on April 4, 1912. Carey was buried at Oak Grove Cemetery in Tisbury.

Early life Asa B. Carey was born in Canterbury, Connecticut on July 12, 1835, a son of James Benajah Carey and Mary Bacon (Adams) Carey. He was raised and educated in Windham County, Connecticut; according to the 1850 U.S. Census, he worked as a laborer on the Windham, Connecticut farm owned his grand-aunt Abigail (Bacon) Paine and her husband Walter Paine. He graduated in 1858 ranked 20th of 27. Carey was appointed a second lieutenant of Infantry and assigned to the garrison at Fort Columbus, New York. In 1860 and 1861, he was posted to New Mexico Territory, where he took part in some of the last battles of the Navajo Wars.

Continued career After an extended post-war leave of absence, Carey served as chief commissary of the Department of Dakota from August to October 1867. As Paymaster-General, Carey took personal responsibility for transporting from New York City to Cuba $3,000,000 in cash that was intended for use in paying U.S. troops performing Spanish–American War duty during the United States Military Government in Cuba.

Retirement and death In retirement, Carey was a summer resident of Tisbury, Massachusetts, and spent winters in Orlando, Florida. They were the parents of two children, son Edward Colby Carey, and daughter Edith Colby Carey. Their daughter, Cary Walker, was the wife of Marine Corps Lieutenant General Robert B. Luckey.