Colonel George L. Shoup, U.S.V.

Colonel George L. Shoup (United States Senator from Idaho) was born in Kittanning, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, June 15, 1836; was educated in the public schools of Freeport and Slate Lick; moved with his father to Illinois in June, 1852, and to Colorado in 1859; was engaged in mining and mercantile business until 1861.

September 7, 1861, Colonel Shoup enlisted in Captain Backus's independent company of scouts at Nevada City, Colorado, to serve three years; was commissioned second lieutenant same company December 18, 1861. During the autumn and winter of 1861 was engaged in scouting; was ordered to Fort Union, New Mexico, in the early part of 1862; was kept on scouting duty on the Canadian, Pecos, and Red Rivers until the spring of 1863, and during this time was promoted to a first lieutenancy; was then ordered to the Arkansas River. Had been assigned in 1862 to the Second Colorado infantry, but was retained on duty in the cavalry service and assigned to the First Colorado Cavalry in May, 1863. In 1864 he was elected to the Constitutional Convention to prepare a constitution for the proposed State of Colorado, and obtained a leave of absence for thirty days to serve as a member of said Convention. He returned to active duty in the army, and served until honorably discharged as first lieutenant September 20, 1864, to accept promotion. He was mustered in as colonel of the Third Colorado Cavalry September 21, 1864, and was mustered out in Denver with the regiment at the expiration of term of service, December 28, 1864.

During his term of service in the army, Colonel Shoup was kept almost constantly on the border, where he achieved marked success in all his engagements with bands of Confederates and Indians, not losing an engagement in a single instance, for which he was frequently complimented by department and district commanders in general and special orders. The following is quoted from the records of the Department of New Mexico:

"HEAD-QUARTERS, DEPARTMENT OF NEW MEXICO,
"SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO, December 15, 1862.
"GENERAL ORDERS, NO. 103.

" On the 26th of August, 1862, Second Lieutenant G. L. Shoup, of Company C, Second Colorado Volunteers, was detached from Fort Union, New Mexico, with forty-five five men of that company, to overtake and chastise the Indians for robbing a train on the Cimarron Route of over one hundred mules and horses, and to recover the animals. He was gone on this service forty-one days, twenty days of which time his men were on half-rations. He went into the heart of the Comanche and Kiowa country, forced the Indians to give up ninety-two of the stolen animals, and to promise not again to depredate upon our trains. Lieutenant Shoup marched several hundred miles while on this duty.

" In November, 1862, Lieutenant Shoup pursued a party of men on their way to Fort Smith, Arkansas, and captured them three hundred and fifty miles on the plains east of the settlements east of New Mexico, and in the heart of the Comanche country.

" The zeal, energy, perseverance, and self-denial shown by this young gentleman deserve this public notice, and is worthy the emulation of every officer and soldier in this department.

" By order of Brigadier-General Carlton.
(Signed) " BEN. C. CUTLER,

Colonel Shoup's ancestry were early colonists in Eastern Pennsylvania, and were active participants in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. Colonel Shoup was married January 28, 1868, to Miss Lena Darnutzer. They have three sons and three daughters living,-William Henry, George Elmo, Walter Campbell, Lena Jane, Laura Mittie, and Margaret Elizabeth.

Source: Officers of the Volunteer Army and Navy who served in the Civil War, published by L.R. Hamersly & Co., 1893, 419 pgs.

Related Links:

• Civil War Records
• Civil War Microfilm at the National Archives
• Shoup Surname