Background
On Aug. 8, 1849, he married Elizabeth, daughter of John E. Smith of Trenton, by whom he had one child.
On Aug. 8, 1849, he married Elizabeth, daughter of John E. Smith of Trenton, by whom he had one child.
He received schooling at Trenton Academy until he was fourteen years old, when he became a clerk in a drygoods store in New York.
He served throughout the Mexican War without distinguishing incident.
Following his discharge from the army, he served as collector of the port, Lamberton, N. J. , until his appointment in 1850 to a position with the Bordentown, Delaware & Raritan Canal Company.
His active service was with the Army of the Potomac.
His regiment was in support during the Seven Days' battles, but saw action at the second battle of Bull Run, where Mott was wounded.
He was wounded again at the battle of Chancellorsville in May 1863.
At the latter, he was particularly selected to command the 4th Division and restore its fighting efficiency after casualties and hardships had so lowered its morale that its officers could not control the men.
In this task he succeeded admirably.
As a division commander on July 30, 1864, he personally led his 3rd Division in making important gains at the crater of Petersburg.
Appointed brevet major-general of volunteers on Aug. 1, for distinguished services, he continued with his division through the Richmond campaign until its completion.
In May 1865, he was appointed major-general of volunteers and ordered to Washington for duty, serving there until discharged on Feb. 20, 1866.
From 1873 until his death he was major-general, commanding the New Jersey National Guard.
His memory was publicly honored at Trenton, N. J. , in 1896, when the Mott School was named after him.
[Colls.
N. J. Hist.
Soc. , vol.
IX (1916); E. M. Woodward and J. F. Hageman, Hist.
of Burlington and Mercer Counties, N. J. (1883); Record of Officers and Men of N. J. in the Civil War (2 vols. , 1876); F. B. Heitman, Hist.
Reg.
and Dict.
U. S. Army (1903); The Soc.
of the Cincinnati in the State of N. J. (1898); Report of the Adj. Gen. of the State of N. J. , 1906 (1907); Boyd's N. J. State Directory, 1874; War of the Rebellion: Official Records (Army); N. Y. Geneal.
and Biog.
Record, Apr. 1894; N. Y. Times, Nov. 30, 1884. ]
His brigade took part in the operations of the summer and fall of 1863 against Lee, being present during the Mine Run Campaign in Meade's attempt to surprise Lee on the Rapidan, and operated from the Rapidan to the James in the winter and spring of 1864.