Dec. '56       

    Gen. Kautz, the distinguished cavalry officer and railroad raider of the Army of the Potomac, was formerly stationed at Port Orford in Oregon. Then he belonged to the Fourth Infantry, and was a sous lieutenant. In the summer of 1855, being inclined to do something more than merely go through the spiritless routine of an obscure post with a lieutenant's command, he spent much of his time in exploring the Coast Mountains in search of a road from Port Orford to the Rogue River and Umpqua countries. Here for weeks at a time, with a few men and some pack animals, he was completely isolated from the outside world, and in such times battles might have [been] lost and won without his being aware of it. On the 8th of October of that year the Indian war broke out in Oregon, on Rogue River, on the east side of the Coast Range. Kautz was in the mountains, west and not far from the troubles, nothing dreaming of the war or his proximity to it. But not so the wily Indians, who, well aware of his whereabouts, waylaid him and his party one day in the woods. The first intimation of the approach of the Indians was a volley of rifle shots, and Kautz found himself on the ground badly stunned. Soon recovering himself he arose, and keeping his little party in the protection of the timber, kept his red foes at bay and made his way to a place of safety without material loss. [Two of his men were killed.] Upon subsequent examination he ascertained that at the first fire when he fell to the ground, that he was struck in the left breast with a minié ball [sic]. At the time in the side pocket of his coat there was a small memorandum book about half an inch thick. The ball struck this somewhat slantingly, and after cutting nearly through it passed off under his arm. I saw the memorandum book soon afterwards, and had an account of the adventure from Kautz. My first acquaintance with him was in the early part of that year, when we two journeyed afoot up the beach from Coos Bay to Umpqua, a distance as the crow flies of 18 miles, but which pedestrians who follow the ceaseless curves of the water line, to avoid the deep sand, reckon at about 25 miles--often Irish miles at that. He is a man of brains, square built, of medium height, heavy set and substantial; somewhat fond of an argument, and when well committed, dogged and obstinate--would "cavil with the devil in a matter of right for the ninth part of a hair." But take him all in all, he is an agreeable companion and a man of sterling worth, as I knew him here. He is generally represented as a Buckeye, but this is a mistake. He came with his father when a child from Germany to Baltimore, where his father settled and followed his trade of carpenter. Subsequently he moved to Ohio and settled in Gen. Hamet's district. Young Kautz went to the Mexican War in Hamet's regiment, as a private, and rose to the rank of sergeant of his company. At the close of the war, Hamet procured his nomination to West Point, where he graduated and was appointed brevet 2nd lieutenant 4th Infantry, July 1st, 1852.
"Letter from Portland," San Francisco Bulletin, August 9, 1864, page 1


    MRS. CHARLOTTE KAUTZ, wife of General KAUTZ, and daughter of Ex-Governor TOD, of Ohio, died at Columbus, Mississippi--where her husband is stationed--a day or two ago.
"The News," Cincinnati Commercial, June 5, 1868, page 4

    WASHINGTON, April 20.--Col. Augustus Valentine Kautz, eighth infantry, was today appointed brigadier general in the place of Gen. John Gibbon, who retired at noon today at the age of sixty-four years. General Kautz is at present president of the small arms board, which meets in New York. The new brigadier general has a brilliant record as a fighter, and is a veteran of several wars. He is a German by birth, and was brought to this country by his parents before he was a year old. When a youth he enlisted as a private in the First Regiment, Ohio Volunteers, and served in the Mexican War. Upon his discharge he was appointed to the United States Military Academy, and upon graduation was assigned to the fourth infantry. He was wounded in the Rogue River wars in 1853-5, and again in the Indian war on Puget Sound in 1856. In 1855 he received his first promotion, becoming first lieutenant, and after that his record is brilliant with achievements. General Scott commended him for gallantry in 1857. In 1861 he was appointed captain in the sixth United States cavalry, and in a year was appointed colonel of the second Ohio cavalry as a result of the hard service in the peninsula campaign and in the seven days' fighting before South Mountain. In 1863 he led a cavalry brigade into Kentucky and took part in the capture of Monticello, for which he was brevetted major. He was instrumental in the pursuit and capture of John Morgan, and in May 1864 was made a brigadier general of volunteers and assigned to the command of the cavalry division, Army of the James, so that in 1864 General Kautz held a rank in the volunteer army similar to that conferred upon him today, twenty-eight years later. For entering Petersburg with a small cavalry command he was brevetted lieutenant colonel. He led the advance in the Wilson raid, which cut off Richmond from the south, was brevetted major general of volunteers in October 1864, and marched into Richmond on the succeeding year, commanding a division of colored troops. He maintained his reputation for gallantry and activity, it appears, for he was brevetted colonel in the regular service for gallant and meritorious service at Darbytown Road, Va., and also brigadier and major general for gallant field service in March 1865. After the Civil War, Lieutenant Colonel Kautz, as he was then, entered vigorously into the Mescalero Apache campaign and succeeded in placing them permanently upon their reservation. In June 1874 he was promoted colonel of the eighth infantry, and in 1875 was placed in command of the department of Arizona. When he relinquished the command of the department of Arizona, Colonel Kautz proceeded to Fort Niobrara, in the northwest [in Nebraska], where he remained with his regiment until detailed for temporary special duty in New York. Whether or not General Kautz will be appointed to the command of the department of Dakota, just vacated by General Ruger, is not yet determined. General Kautz is nearly sixty-four years of age, and will retire on that account January 5 next.
The Sun, Baltimore, April 21, 1891, page 1


    General August Valentine Kautz, one of the most distinguished soldiers in the United States army, arrived at the Rainier Hotel yesterday. He has many acquaintances in Seattle, and will spend several days here looking over property which he holds in this vicinity.
    General Kautz is a soldierly looking man, not very tall, but compactly built. His hair is almost white, and a mustache and imperial, also turning to the white, somewhat cover the firm lines about his mouth.
    He was born in Ispringen, Baden, Germany, January 5, 1828. In the same year his parents came to this country, and four years later they settled in Brown County, Ohio. The son served as a private in the First Regiment of Ohio volunteers in the Mexican War, and in his discharge was appointed to the United States military academy, where he was graduated in 1852, and assigned to the Fourth Infantry. He served in Oregon and Washington Territory till the Civil War, and in the Rogue River wars of 1853-55, and was wounded in the latter. He was also wounded in the Indian war on Puget Sound in 1856. In 1855 he was promoted first lieutenant, and in 1857 commended by General Scott for gallantry. In 1859-60 he traveled in Europe. He was appointed captain in the Sixth United States cavalry in 1861, and served with the regiment from its organization through the Peninsular campaign of 1862, commanding it during the seven days, until just before South Mountain, when he was made colonel of the Second Ohio cavalry. His regiment was ordered to Camp Chase, Ohio, to remount and refit, and he commanded that post from December 1862 to April 186, 3. when he led a cavalry brigade in Kentucky, forming a part of General Carter's division of the army of the Ohio. He took part in the capture of Monticello, Ky., May 1, 1863, and on June 9 was brevetted major for commanding in an action near there. He was engaged in the pursuit and capture of John Morgan, in July, 1863, preventing him from crossing the Ohio. Afterward Colonel Kautz served as chief of cavalry of the Twenty-third Corps.
    On May 7, 1864, he was made brigadier general of volunteers and assigned to the command of the cavalry division of the army of the James. He entered Petersburg with his small cavalry command June 9, 1864, for which attack he was brevetted lieutenant colonel. Later he led the advance of the Wilson raid, which for more than forty days cut the roads leading into Richmond from the south.
    On October 28, 1864, he was brevetted major general of volunteers, and in March, 1865, was assigned to the command of a division of colored troops, which he marched into Richmond April 3. He was brevetted colonel in the regular service for gallant and meritorious service in action on the Derbyshire road, Virginia, October 7, 1864; also brigadier and major general for gallant service in the field March 13, 1865.
    General Kautz was appointed lieutenant colonel of the Thirty-fourth Infantry in 1866, transferred to the Fifteenth in 1869, and commanded the regiment on the Mexican frontier till 1874. He organized several successful expeditions against the Mescalero Apaches, who had fled from their reservation in 1864, and in 1870-1 he succeeded in establishing the tribe on its reservation, where it has since remained. In June, 1874, he was appointed colonel of the Eighth Infantry, and in 1875 was placed in command of the Department of Arizona. He served in California from 1878 till 1886, and then in Nebraska. He is now stationed in New York, a member of the magazine gun board, appointed last December, which has for its duty the choosing of the best magazine system for the guns used in the fortifications and warships of the United States.
    Genera! Kautz has written extensively on military subjects, being the author of "The Company Clerk," "Customs of Service for Non-Commissioned Officers and Soldiers," "Customs of Service for Officers," and other works.
    "I came to Seattle," said he last evening. " from Walla Walla, where I have been active as a member of the board of inquiry appointed to investigate the lynching affair there. There is nothing to be said in this matter until the matter comes out through the War Department at Washington City.
    "Yes, I was here in 1853, when Seattle was nothing but Yesler's sawmill. The places on the Sound then were Olympia, Steilacoom and Port Townsend. I went through the various Indian fights in this vicinity, and I can assure you that the Puyallups. although they do not now seem very warlike, were then a dangerous foe to meet in the field. In 1857-8 I helped to erect the present building at Fort Steilacoom.
    "After the Civil War I did not get a chance to come back here until in the eighties, but lately I have visited the Sound country quite regularly. In those early days I foresaw the ultimate development of the country and made a number of investments here. I bought lots in Steilacoom when that seemed the most prominent point, and since that I have invested in several of the places on the Sound. In January next I shall be put on the retirement list, and then I hope to give more attention to my property here.
    "My belief is that ultimately the headquarters for the Department of the Columbia must be removed to some point on Puget Sound. The increase of population which is reasonably to be expected for the Sound country must make that a mere matter of policy before very long. The same reason exists why the Puget Sound region should be fortified. It is not now as important as New York City, but it is all the time becoming more populous, and, in case of war with Chile or Great Britain, for instance, it would be necessary to fortify it at once.
    "From time to time I have expressed my opinion pretty strongly as to the means to be taken to improve the morale of the army and prevent desertions. The trouble is that we are enlisting the wrong kind of men--those but little better than tramps. They come into the army because they are hungry and out of work, but the roving spirit is strong in them, and as soon as they weary of the routine of life at a post they run away.
    "I should make every post a military school something like West Point, only not quite so elaborate. Then I should enlist young men, train them for five years in military tactics and other studies as at West Point. After that I should turn them out, ready to be made into officers in time of need. Such a system would cost but little more than the present one, and would immensely improve the tone of the service. Then there would be competitive examinations for admission to the army. Yes, I believe in the school system."
Seattle Post-Intelligencer, May 31, 1891, page 8

    Seattle, Sept. 5.--Gen. A. V. Kautz passed away at the family residence, on James Street, a few minutes past 10 o'clock last evening, after an illness of only twenty-three hours. He died, after suffering intense pain, with a smile on his face, and he retained consciousness until nearly the last instant. The cause of his death was an obstruction of the bowels.
    August Valentine Kautz was born in Ispringen, Baden, Germany, January 5, 1828. With his parents he emigrated to this country, settling in Bowen County, Ohio, in 1832. When the war was declared against Mexico and the muster for troops under Scott, Taylor, Worth and Wool began, Kautz, who was a mere boy, volunteered as a private, June 8, 1846, and went to the front with the First Ohio Infantry. So creditable were the boy's services in the land of the Montezumas that in 1848 he was appointed a cadet at the United States Military Academy, and was graduated with honors in 1852. Assigned to the Fourth Infantry, Grant's regiment, he passed most of his life from the day of his graduation to the outbreak of the Civil War in the territories of Oregon and Washington. Like Grant and Sherman, he won distinction in the Pacific Northwest. He took part in the Rogue River Indian War, in Southern Oregon, in 1853-55, was wounded, and was stationed at Steilacoom during the trouble with Great Britain over San Juan Island. He was again wounded by Indians during the Puget Sound Indian War of 1856. December 4, 1855, he was promoted to be first lieutenant, and was in 1857 commended in a general order by Gen. Winfield Scott, commanding the army, for special acts of bravery.
    He was appointed captain in the Sixth United States Cavalry in 1861, and served with the regiment from its organization through the peninsular campaign of 1862, commanding during the seven days until just before Stony Mountain, when he was appointed colonel of [the] Second Ohio Cavalry. On May 7, 1864, he was made brigadier general of volunteers and assigned to the command of the cavalry division of the army of the James.
    Gen. Kautz was the author of the "Company Clerk," "Customs of Service for Noncommissioned Officers and Soldiers," and "Customs of Service for Officers."
    Gen. Kautz leaves one son, now in the East, and two daughters.
Morning Olympian, Olympia, Washington, September 5, 1895, page 4