Stevens was the
adjutant of the Corps of Engineers during the
Mexican–American War, seeing action at the siege of
Vera Cruz and at
Cerro Gordo,
Contreras, and
Churubusco. In the latter fight, he caught the attention of his superiors, who rewarded him with the
brevet rank of
captain. He was again cited and breveted for gallantry at the
Battle of Chapultepec, this time to the rank of
major. Stevens participated in combat at
Molino del Rey, and the
Battle for Mexico City, where he was severely wounded. He later wrote a book on his adventures,
Campaigns of the Rio Grande and Mexico, with Notices of the Recent Work of Major Ripley (New York, 1851). He superintended fortifications on the New England coast from 1841 until 1849. He was given command of the
U.S. Coast Survey office in Washington, D.C., working closely with the Survey's superintendent
Alexander D. Bache. Stevens served in that role until March 1853.
Governor of Washington (1853–1857) Stevens was a firm supporter of former
brigadier general Franklin Pierce's candidacy for
President of the United States in 1852, as both men had served in the Mexican–American War. Stevens was rewarded by President Pierce on March 17, 1853 by being named governor of the newly created
Washington Territory. (The position also included the title of
Superintendent of Indian Affairs for that region). Stevens chose to add one more duty as he traveled west to the territory he would govern: the government was calling for a
surveyor to map an appropriate
railroad route across the northern
United States, hoping that a transcontinental railroad would open up Asian markets. With Stevens' engineering experience (and likely the favor of Pierce yet again, as well as
Secretary of War Jefferson Davis), he won the bid. His party, which included
George Suckley,
John Mullan and Fred Burr, son of
David H. Burr, spent most of 1853 moving slowly across the prairie, surveying the way to Washington Territory. There Stevens met
George McClellan's party, which had surveyed the line between the
Puget Sound and the
Spokane River. He took up his post at
Olympia as governor in November that year. As a result of his expedition, Stevens wrote a third book,
Report of Explorations for a Route for the Pacific Railroad near the 47th and 49th Parallels of North Latitude, from St. Paul, Minnesota, to Puget Sound, (commissioned and published by the
United States Congress) (2 vols., Washington, 1855–1860). Stevens was a controversial governor in his time. Historians consider him even more controversial, for his role in compelling the
Native American tribes of Washington Territory by intimidation and force, into signing treaties that ceded most of their lands and rights to Stevens' government, likely forging some of the signatures. These included the
Treaty of Medicine Creek,
Treaty of Hellgate,
Treaty of Neah Bay,
Treaty of Point Elliott,
Point No Point Treaty, and
Quinault Treaty. During this time, the Governor imposed martial law to better impose his will on the Indians and whites who opposed his views. The consequent political and legal battles would soon overshadow the Indian war. Stevens did not hesitate to use his troops for vengeance, and waged a brutal winter campaign against the
Yakama tribe, led by
Chief Kamiakin. This, along with his unjustified execution of the
Nisqually chieftain
Leschi, led to widespread pleas to President Pierce to remove Stevens from his post. Two men were particularly vocal in their opposition to Stevens and his policies, territorial judge Edward Lander and influential private citizen
Ezra Meeker. While Meeker was ignored, Lander was arrested by Stevens' forces due to his opposition. Pierce refused to remove Stevens from his position, but eventually sent word to the governor expressing his disapproval. Any opposition eventually died down, as most white settlers in Washington Territory felt that Stevens was on "their side", while they considered Meeker to be too sympathetic to Native Americans. As a result of this public perception, Stevens was popular enough to be elected as the territory's delegate to the
United States Congress in 1857 and 1858. The tensions between whites and Native Americans would be left for others to resolve. Stevens is often charged with responsibility for the later conflicts in eastern
Washington and
Idaho, especially the war fought by the United States against
Chief Joseph and the
Nez Perce, These events were decades in the future when Stevens left Washington State for good in 1857.
Martial law In January 1856, Governor Stevens declared to the territorial House of Representatives in Olympia that "war shall be prosecuted until the last hostile Indian is exterminated", although there is uncertainty among historians about whether this was a call for genocide or instead for war crimes against certain "hostile Indians". In April 1856, Governor Stevens removed settlers whom he believed to be aiding the enemy (in many cases because they had married into local tribes) and placing them in the military's custody. Governor Stevens declared martial law in
Pierce County in order to conduct a military trial of those settlers. He next declared martial law in Thurston County. But only the territorial legislature had the authority to declare martial law, and representatives fought Stevens' effort to abrogate their authority. A bitter political and legal battle ensued. Stevens was forced to repeal the declaration and fight subsequent calls for his removal. His decision to use martial law was the result of his determination to enforce a blockhouse policy in the war against the Indians of the Puget Sound region. Indian raids on scattered settlements and an intimidating attack on the city of Seattle in February 1856 resulted in Governor Stevens concluding that he needed to concentrate on defensive measures, given the limited number of men at his disposal. He determined that the white population should be concentrated at specific strongly protected points. For that reason, the volunteers under Stevens' command built a series of forts and
blockhouses along the
Snoqualmie, White, and
Nisqually rivers. Once completed, Stevens ordered the settler population to leave their claims and take temporary residence in these safer areas. Once Stevens proclaimed martial law, he raised a new and more significant issue. Stevens' proclamation of martial law in Pierce County stated: On May 11, 1856, attorneys George Gibbs and H. A. Goldsborough sent a letter to the Secretary of State denying that the war situation throughout the territory, and especially in Pierce County, was as grave as Governor Stevens had declared at the time of proclaiming martial law. They said that Stevens' allegations made against Charles Wren, John McLeod, John McField, Lyon A. Smith, and Henry Smith, were based wholly on suspicion. They asserted that the only factual related evidence was that on Christmas Day, a party of Indians had visited McLeod's cabin and had forced him to give them food. Gibbs and Goldsborough declared that: The territorial organic act designated the governor as "commander-in-chief of the militia thereof," but there were not a regularly constituted militia. Stevens assumed his powers from his control of local volunteer troops, which had been organized to meet the necessities of the situation. These had not been authorized either by the federal government or by the territorial legislature. Stevens' position as Superintendent of Indian Affairs for the territory had a broad administrative responsibility but possessed no direct military power. On May 24, 1856, following a legal opinion rendered by Judge Chenoweth, ruling that Stevens had no legal power to declare martial law, Governor Stevens rescinded his proclamation in Pierce and Thurston counties.
Civil War After the
Civil War began in 1861, and following the Union defeat at the
First Battle of Bull Run, Stevens was commissioned in the army again. He was appointed as
colonel of the
79th New York Volunteers, known as the "Cameron Highlanders." He was promoted to a
brigadier general on September 28, 1861, and fought at
Port Royal. He led the Second Brigade of the Expeditionary Forces sent to attack the
Sea Islands off the coast of
South Carolina. He led a
division at the
Battle of Secessionville, where he led an attack on Fort Lamar, in which 25% of his men were casualties. Stevens was transferred with his
IX Corps division to
Virginia to serve under Major General
John Pope in the
Northern Virginia Campaign and the
Second Battle of Bull Run. He was killed in action at the
Battle of Chantilly on September 1, 1862, after picking up the fallen regimental colors of his old regiment, shouting "Highlanders, my Highlanders, follow your general!" Charging with his troops while carrying the banner of
Saint Andrew's Cross, Stevens was struck in the temple by a bullet and died instantly. He was buried in
Newport, Rhode Island, at
Island Cemetery. In March 1863, he was posthumously promoted to
major general, backdated to July 18, 1862. , third from left, circa 1861–1862. Stevens had married. His son,
Hazard Stevens, had become a career officer and was also injured in the Battle of Chantilly. He survived and eventually became a general in the U.S. Army and an author. Together with
P. B. Van Trump, he participated in the first documented ascent of
Mount Rainier in Washington State. ==Death on battlefield==