John M. Corse (1835-1893)

John M. Corse was born April 27, 1835, at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1842 his father removed to the new Territory of Iowa, locating at Burlington. The son, John, after acquiring an education became a clerk in a drug and book store.

In 1853 General A.C. Dodge, who was a friend of the father, secured the son an appointment in the Military Academy at West Point. After two years' instruction he left the Academy and engaged in business with his father at Burlington. Later he studied law with C. Ben Darwin, finally took the law course at Albany, New York, and was admitted to the bar.

He was a "Douglas Democrat" and in 1860 received the nomination of that party for Secretary of State, but with his party was defeated.

When the Civil War began he helped raise men for the First Battery of Light Artillery. Soon after he received the appointment of major of the Sixth Regiment of Infantry and was in the Battle of Shiloh. In May he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel and was in command of the regiment.

In March, 1863, he was commissioned colonel and in August was promoted to Brigadier-General. In 1864 he was in Sherman's great campaign through the Gulf States and greatly distinguished himself by an heroic defense of Allatoona against an assault by a greatly superior force. He served with distinction to the close of the war and was brevetted Major-General of volunteers in April, 1866.

In 1867 he was appointed Collector of Internal Revenue in Chicago. He was one of the incorporators of the Texas Pacific Railroad Company. In 1871 he removed to Boston where in 1886 he was appointed postmaster. He died in that city on the 27th of April, 1893.