Charles Powell Adams

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Charles Powell Adams (1831–1893) was an American doctor, Civil War officer, and Minnesota politician. He served as a Union Army colonel (brevet brigadier general) and later held public office in Minnesota, including mayor of Hastings and a state senator.

Early life and education
- Born March 3, 1831, in Rainsburg, Pennsylvania, to a family of English, Scottish, and German descent.
- Attended public schools and the Bedford Academy in Coshocton County, Ohio.
- Studied medicine in West Bedford, Amity, and at Ohio Medical College, graduating in 1851.
- Began practicing medicine in Waymansville, Indiana, then moved to Hastings, Minnesota, in 1854.
- In the mid-1850s he pursued community leadership, helping in local business and medicine.

Career before and during politics
- In 1856 he was elected to Minnesota’s territorial House of Representatives, representing Dakota, Rice, and Scott counties.
- In Hastings, he ran a grocery store and began publishing a newspaper, the Hastings Democrat, around 1859.
- In 1872 he was elected mayor of Hastings and served one term.
- In 1878 he was elected to the Minnesota State Senate for a four-year term.

Military service
- Enlisted as a private on April 29, 1861, and became captain of Company H, 1st Minnesota Infantry.
- Promoted to major in 1862, then lieutenant colonel, serving until the regiment’s muster-out in 1864.
- Returned to service as a major in July 1864, commanding Hatch’s Minnesota Cavalry Battalion, and was promoted to lieutenant colonel in September 1864.
- Brevetted as colonel in March 1865 and brigadier general in May 1866; mustered out in June 1866.
- Fought at key battles, including Malvern Hill, Antietam, and Gettysburg, where he was severely wounded.
- After the war, he led cavalry and artillery campaigns against the Sioux in 1866 and later headed the Dakota County Veterans Association.

Injuries and recognition
- Adams suffered many wounds during his military career, including serious injuries at Gettysburg. He endured multiple wounds and long recoveries, with contemporaries praising his battlefield bravery.

Medical and professional affiliations
- Active in the Minnesota State Medical Society and the American Medical Association.
- Honored by the California Medical Society and involved with the Rocky Mountain Medical Society; was a member and former president of these professional groups.
- Active in the Masonic Grand Lodge of Minnesota.

Personal life
- Married three times: Mary Florence Buxton (married 1852; died 1858) with two children; Mary J. Hoover (married 1860) who died later; and Mary S. Pettibone (married 1873).
- Died November 2, 1893, in Vermillion, Minnesota, and was buried in Lakeside Cemetery in Hastings, Minnesota.

Legacy
- After his death, his papers were given to the Minnesota Historical Society and used by historians, including William W. Folwell, in works about Minnesota’s history.
- Adams is remembered as a dedicated physician, soldier, and public servant who helped shape Minnesota during the 19th century.