Charles A.R. Dimon

Charles Augustus Ropes Dimon (April 27, 1841 – May 5, 1902) was a volunteer soldier in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Beginning his service as a private in the 8th Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, Dimon rose through the ranks to become a colonel of a US Volunteer Infantry Regiment and was awarded the honorary grade of brevet brigadier general United States Volunteers, by appointment of President Andrew Johnson on January 13, 1866, to rank from March 13, 1865, and confirmation by the U.S. Senate on March 12, 1866. His success was due in part to the sponsorship of Major General Benjamin F. Butler.

In August 1864, Dimon (then only 23) was placed in command of the 1st United States Volunteer Infantry, consisting of former Confederate soldiers who had been prisoners-of-war. In exchange for an Oath of Allegiance to the United States and their volunteer service, the prisoners were pardoned. Due to their uncertain loyalty, however, the U.S. Volunteer regiments composed of ex-Confederates were primarily sent to the American West to combat Native Americans. Dimon therefore spent much of 1864 and 1865 in command of Fort Rice near present-day Bismarck, North Dakota.

After the war, Dimon became manager of the U.S. Cartridge Company in Lowell, Massachusetts and, in 1901, became mayor of Lowell.

Early life Born in Fairfield, Connecticut, to James and Amelia Dimon, Charles Dimon was educated at Fairfield Academy and relocated as a young man to Salem, Massachusetts, finding employment as a bookkeeper.

Civil War service

8th Massachusetts The 8th Massachusetts was one of the first regiments to respond to President Lincoln's initial call for volunteer troops following the fall of Fort Sumter. The unit enlisted for a period of 90 days. Dimon served as a private in Company J of the 8th Massachusetts, which was a Zouave company commanded by Captain Arthur F. Devereux. Upon their arrival in Maryland, Company J was assigned to the frigate in Annapolis, Maryland, to safeguard the iconic vessel as she was transported to New York. For the remainder of their service, the 8th Massachusetts was employed in repairing and guarding railroad lines in the vicinity of Baltimore, Maryland. Dimon returned to Massachusetts with the rest of the regiment and was mustered out on August 1, 1861.

30th Massachusetts In the fall of 1861, Dimon assisted in the recruitment of a new regiment which would become the 30th Massachusetts Infantry. The regiment was one of several being raised by Maj. Gen. Benjamin Butler for his planned expedition to take New Orleans, Louisiana, the largest city in the Confederacy. The regiment left Massachusetts on January 2, 1862, arrived off the Louisiana coast in mid February, and played a minor role in the Siege of New Orleans in April and May 1862.

Early in his service with the 30th Massachusetts, Dimon caught the attention of Maj. Gen. Butler who was impressed with the young man's energy and enthusiasm. Through Butler's influence, Dimon was commissioned 1st lieutenant on February 20, 1862, and given the position of regimental adjutant—an administrative role assisting Colonel Nathan Dudley, the commanding officer of the regiment.

Serving with the 30th Massachusetts, Dimon played a role in the regiment's efforts, in July 1862, to dig a canal opposite Vicksburg, Mississippi (the major Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River). The aim was to redirect the river and circumvent Vicksburg, thus opening the Mississippi to the Union. The effort was unsuccessful, however, and the 30th's brigade marched to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at the end of July. On August 5, 1862, Dimon and the 30th Massachusetts saw their first heavy combat during the Battle of Baton Rouge as the Confederates unsuccessfully attempted to recapture the state capital.

2nd Louisiana In September 1862, the 2nd Louisiana Infantry, a unit of Louisiana unionists and former Confederate prisoners-of-war was formed. Again, through Butler's sponsorship, Dimon was promoted to major and assigned to the 2nd Louisiana as third-in-command, serving under Col. Charles Jackson Paine.

1st United States Volunteers After his recovery, in early 1864, Dimon sought a position on the staff of Maj. Gen. Butler, who was then in command of the Department of Virginia and North Carolina with headquarters at Fortress Monroe. Instead of placing Dimon on his staff, Butler appointed him as major of a new regiment, the 1st United States Volunteer Infantry, then being formed under Butler's supervision. The regiment, organized at the prisoner-of-war camp at Point Lookout, Maryland, would consist entirely of "Galvanized Yankees", Confederate prisoners willing to take an oath of loyalty to and fight for the Union in exchange for their freedom. Eventually, six such regiments would be formed. Dimon's new commission was effective March 18, 1864. Dimon was promoted to lieutenant colonel on April 2, 1864, and, on August 7, 1864, was promoted to colonel and command of 1st United States Volunteers at age 23. Therefore, in August 1864, just as Dimon assumed command of the regiment, the 1st U.S. Volunteers were transferred to Fort Rice in the Dakota Territory. After travel by rail from New York and steamship up the Missouri River, the regiment marched the final 250 miles, reaching Fort Rice on October 17, 1864. As commander of the post, Dimon was instructed to complete the construction of the fort, aid settlers, and manage relations with Native Americans in the region. and the U.S. Senate confirmed the award on March 12, 1866.

Post-war life Dimon's most notable position in civilian life was once again achieved through his connection to Benjamin Butler. In 1869, Butler founded the U.S. Cartridge Company in Lowell, Massachusetts, and secured major government contracts to produce small arms ammunition. Butler hired Dimon to manage the company in the mid-1870s and, under Dimon's direction, the company grew. By the 1880s it had a work force of approximately 250 and had expanded its operations to include the production of the "Lowell Battery Gun," a weapon similar to the Gatling gun.

Towards the end of his life, Dimon engaged in a political career, becoming the 37th mayor of Lowell in 1901. He died while holding that office in 1902 of throat cancer.