Zenas Randall Bliss (1835 - 1900)

Born 17 Apr 1835 in Rhode Island, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Martha Nancy (Work) Bliss — married 21 Oct 1863 in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States

Died 2 Jan 1900 at age 64 in Washington, District of Columbia, United States

Biography

Zenas was born in 1835. ^[1] He is the son of Zenas Bliss and Phebe Randall. ^[2] He was appointed to the United States Military Academy at West Point on 1 July 1850. He graduated on 1 July 1854 as a brevet Second Lieutenant. ^[3] His first post was to Fort Duncan in Texas. When he was promoted to Second Lieutenant he was transferred to an Eighth Infantry assignment at Fort Davis. He also served briefly at Camp Hudson, Fort Inge, Fort Mason and Fort Clark. ^[4] He was promoted to First Lieutenant in 1860 and to Captain in 1861. When Texas seceded from the Union, Bliss attempted to march his garrison to the Texas Gulf Coast, but was intercepted by Confederate troops under General Earl Van Dorn west of San Antonio. They were held prisoner until 5 April 1862. ^[5] He was commissioned a Colonel of the 10th Rhode Island Infantry and by August he was transferred to the Seventh Rhode island Infantry. He saw his first action at the Battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia where he led his troops to within a few yards of the Confederate lines and was awarded the Medal of Honor. ^[6] He was soon promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in 1864 for his service at the Battle of the Wilderness. ^[7]

After the war, Bliss was assigned to the 39th Infantry on 6 August 1867, then transferred to the all black 25th United States Infantry on 15 March 1869. He was later appointed commander of the Department of Texas and made his headquarters at San Antonio. ^[8] He also served at Fort Bliss, Fort Clark, Fort Davis, and Fort Duncan. He was appointed Lieutenant Colonel of the 19th Infantry in 1879 and promoted to Colonel of the 24th Infantry in 1886. In 1895 he was promoted to Brigadier General and to Major General in 1897. ^[9] He retired from active duty on 22 May 1897.

General Bliss left an unpublished memoir, entitled "Reminiscences of Zenas R. Bliss." It is housed in the Barker Texas History Center of the University of Texas at Austin. ^[10]

Birth

General Bliss was born 17 April 1835 in Rhode Island. ^[11]

Death

General Bliss was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Section 1 Site 8-B-Swc. ^[12]

Sources

1. ↑ Handbook of Texas Online
2. ↑ Bliss
3. ↑ Handbook of Texas Online
4. ↑ Handbook of Texas Online
5. ↑ Handbook of Texas Online
6. ↑ Handbook of Texas Online
7. ↑ Handbook of Texas Online
8. ↑ Handbook of Texas Online
9. ↑ Handbook of Texas Online
10. ↑ Handbook of Texas Online
11. ↑ Bliss
12. ↑ Nationwide Gravesite Locator

• Handbook of Texas Online, E. Douglas Sivad, "KIBBETTS, JOHN," accessed July 24, 2018, http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fki53.
• Bliss, John Homer. Genealogy of the Bliss Family in America, from about the year 1550-1880, Boston, Massachusetts: Printed by the author, 1881; pg. 388.
• National Cemetery Administration. Nationwide Gravesite Locator; database, "U.S. Veterans' Gravesite, ca. 1775-2006," Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2006 (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 29 July 2018).
• Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 29 July 2018), memorial page for Zenas Randall Bliss (17 Apr 1835–2 Jan 1900), Find A Grave Memorial no. 4885, citing Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia, USA ; Maintained by Find A Grave . Find A Grave: Memorial #4885
• Tenth Census of the United States, 1880. (NARA microfilm publication T9, 1,454 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.; database and digital images, "1880 United States Federal Census," Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010 (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 29 July 2018); Year: 1880; Census Place: Davids Island, Westchester, New York; Roll: 946; Page: 52A; Enumeration District: 115