Background
Julius was born on November 5, 1825 in Szeged, Hungary. He was a son of Andreas and Barbara (Nagy) Stahel.
Julius was born on November 5, 1825 in Szeged, Hungary. He was a son of Andreas and Barbara (Nagy) Stahel.
He received a classical education at Budapest.
In the struggle for Hungarian independence in 1848 Stahel espoused the patriotic cause, became a lieutenant in the forces of Louis Kossuth, was wounded and decorated for bravery. With the triumph of Austrian arms in 1849, however, he was forced to flee the country.
He then maintained himself in Berlin and London by teaching and journalism until 1856, when he came to America and settled in New York City. There he continued a journalistic career until the outbreak of the Civil War, at which time he was on the staff of the New York Illustrated News. When Lincoln called for volunteers in April 1861, Stahel at once responded, helped organize the 8th New York Infantry, and became its lieutenant-colonel.
On July 21, 1861, when the Union army was routed at Bull Run, Stahel, then in command of his regiment, was with a brigade in reserve at Centerville; ordered to cover the retreat, the brigade performed its task very well. The following month Stahel was promoted to colonel and soon thereafter assigned to command a brigade.
On November 12, 1861, he was appointed brigadier-general of volunteers. He fought under General Fremont in the Shenandoah Valley in the spring of 1862, particularly distinguishing himself at Cross Keys on June 8, when his brigade bore the brunt of the fighting. At the second battle of Bull Run, Augusst 30, 1862, he temporarily commanded a division and was commended for gallantry.
In October 1862 he was assigned to command a division in the Army of the Potomac, and for a short time during the next winter he commanded the XI Corps.
In the spring of 1864 he was transferred to a cavalry division in the department of West Virginia and led General Hunter's advance in the Shenandoah Valley gallantly until June 5, 1864, when he was badly wounded in the arm while personally leading a successful charge against the Confederate flank.
After recovering from his wound he served on court-martial duty in Washington, and in the Middle Department until February 8, 1865, when he resigned his commission. He was soon given opportunity to show his abilities in a new field of public service, being appointed in 1866 consul at the important post of Yokohama. He returned to the United States in 1869, and for the next eight years engaged in mining operations.
In 1885 he resigned because of ill health, thus ending an eventful public career which throughout was characterized by ability and the highest standards of honor and duty. He returned to New York, where for a number of years he held an executive position with the Equitable Life Assurance Company. He died in 1912.
He was never married.