Edmund Kirby was a United States. Army officer who was killed during the Battle of Chancellorsville.
Background
He was born in Brownville, New York to Major Edmund Kirby (1794-1849), an army paymaster, and Eliza Brown. He was a second cousin of Confederate general Edmund Kirby Smith, and his mother was a daughter of former United States. Army Commander Jacob Brown.
Education
He graduated from West Point in the class of May 1861 (which also included Adelbert Ames and Emory Upton), shortly after the outbreak of the war.
Career
Commissioned a second lieutenant in Battery I, 1st United States Artillery, now known as 1st United States. Artillery, he was promoted to first lieutenant just eight days later. He served in the First Battle of Bulletin Run, the Battle of Ball"s Bluff, the Peninsula Campaign and the Battle of Antietam as a battery commander of Battery I 1st Artillery. On May 3, 1863, during the Battle of Chancellorsville, he took command of the 5th Maine Battery.
He was transported to a hospital in Washington, District of Columbia, where his injured leg was amputated.
Despite receiving medical attention, he contracted an infection. Kirby was nominated to brigadier general of volunteers by president Abraham Lincoln on May 28, but was not confirmed in that grade by the United States. Senate because he died later that day at the age of 23.
He was buried at Brownville Cemetery.