WARREN, GOUVERNEUR KEMBLE American soldier, was born at Coldspring (N.Y.), on Jan. 8, 1830, and was graduated from West Point in 1850. He was assigned to the engineers, and was employed in survey work in the West, where he took part in some expeditions against the Indians. In 1859 he was made assistant instructor in mathematics at West Point. At the outbreak of the Civil War he was made lieutenant colonel of volunteers and posted to the newly raised 5th New York volunteer infantry. In August he was promoted to the rank of colonel. He commanded a brigade of the volunteer corps at Gaines's Mill, Second Bull Run and Antietam, and was promoted to the rank of brigadier general of volunteers. During the Fred ericksburg campaign he was on the engineer staff of the Army of the Potomac, but after Chancellorsville he was appointed chief of engineers, and in that capacity rendered brilliant services at Gettysburg (q.v.), his reward being promotion to major general U.S. volunteers and the brevet of colonel in the Regular Army.
When the Army of the Potomac was reorganized in the spring of 2864, Warren returned to the volunteer corps as its commander. His services in the Wilderness (q.v.) and Petersburg (q.v.) campaigns proved his fitness for this command, but his lively imagination and the engineer's habit of caution made him a brilliant but somewhat unsafe subordinate. At the critical mo ment preceding the battle of Five Forks, Sheridan, in charge of the operations, was authorized by Grant to relieve Warren of his command if he thought fit. At first the volunteer corps fell into confusion, which Warren exerted himself to remedy, and the battle was an important Union victory. But after it had ended Sheri dan sent for Warren and relieved him of his command. A court of inquiry entirely exonerated Warren from the charges of apathy which Sheridan brought against him. General Warren died Aug. 8, 1882, at Newport (R.I.).