[This "sketch" was written in Bradley's own hand.
When the six volumes of Appletons' Cyclopedia of Amercian Biography started appearing in 1887,
Bradley's published biography, in Volume I, was about one-eighth as long as this sketch.]

Sketch furnished for Cyclopedia of American Biography

Bradley, Luther Prentice. Soldier born in New Haven, Conn., Dec. 8, 1822. Received his education in the Lancasterian (1) and Grammar schools of his native city, and was trained to the book business, which he followed until 1861. Son of Luther Bradley and Nancy Prentice, grandson of Phineas Bradley, captain of artillery in 1778 and of Jonas Prentice, captain of Infantry in 1776, Connecticut troops in the Revolutionary War. Descended from William Bradley of Bingley, Yorkshire, England, who settled in New Haven, Conn., in 1644, and from Thomas Prentice of Earls-Colne, Essex, England, who settled in Newton, Mass., about 1650.

Served in the Connecticut militia for several years and was commissioned Lieutenant in 1850. He went to Chicago, Ill. in 1855. On the breaking out of the Civil War he engaged in recruiting troops and was commissioned Lieut. Colonel of the Fifty-First Illinois Infantry, Oct. 15, 1861. Joined Pope’s army in Missouri in March 1862 with his regiment and participated in the capture of New Madrid and Island No. 10 and in operations against Fort Pillow, Ark. and Corinth, Miss. in the spring of 1862. In command of Decatur, Ala., operating against guerrillas in the summer. Promoted to colonel of the Fifty-First Illinois Infantry Sept. 30. 1862. Joined Sheridan’s Division of the Twentieth Corps, Army of the Cumberland, Dec. 12 and engaged in the Battle of Stone River, Tenn. Dec 31, 1862 to Jan 2, 1863. commanded brigade in Sheridan’s Division during the battle and in the campaigns of Tullahoma and Chickamauga. Engaged in the Battle of Chickamauga, Ga. and was twice wounded on the first day of the contest in checking the attack of Hood’s Division on the right of the Union Army.

On leave until Dec. 8, 1863. Joined Sheridan’s command in East Tennessee Jan 1, 1864. Re-enlisted the Fifty-First Illinois Infantry as veterans on the expiration of three years service and recruited the regiment in Illinois in Feb. and March. Returned to Georgia and joined the Fourth Army Corps in April.

Engaged in the Atlanta campaign in Georgia from May to Sept. Appointed Brig. General of volunteers July 30, 1864. Participated in the battles of Dalton, Resaca, New Hope Church, Kenesaw Mountain, Peach Tree Creek, Atlanta and Jonesboro in the summer of 1864, and in the campaign against Hood’s army in Tenn. in Oct. and Nov. Wounded in resisting rebel flanking movement at Spring Hill, Tenn, Nov. 29 and on leave from Dec 15, 1864 to March 15, 1865. Resigned commission as Brig. General of Volunteers June 30, 1865.

Appointed Lieut. Colonel, U.S. Army, July 28, 1866 and assigned to the Twenty-Seventh Infantry. Marched from Nebraska to Montana in the summer of 1867 and built Fort C. F. Smith on the Big Horn River, Montana. Engaged against hostile Sioux and Cheyenne Indians in Montana, Nebraska, and Kansas in 1867 and 1868. In command of Omaha Barracks, Nebraska, winter of 1868-69.

Transferred to Ninth Infantry as Lieut. Colonel, March 15, 1869. Commanded Fort Russell, Neb and Forts Steel and Sanders, Wyoming, most of the years 1869-70-71 and 72. In command of a regiment of infantry on expedition escorting the engineers locating line of the Northern Pacific railroad from the upper Missouri River, across Dakota and Montana to the Yellowstone and Musselshell Rivers,[2] in the summer... [line of text illegible]… command of the District of Green River in 1864, stationed at Fort Laramie, Wyo, and in command of the District of the Black Hills until April, 1876.

On duty at the Centennial International Exhibition, Philadelphia, summer of 1876. Stationed at Fort Robinson, Neb. in charge of surrendered hostile Sioux Indians in 1877. In command of expedition against hostile Indians in Montana in 1878. Appointed colonel of the Third U. S. Infantry March 20, 1879 and transferred to the Thirteenth Infantry, June 14, 1879.

In camp at Atlanta, Ga. and at Jackson Barracks, La. from June 1879 to June 1880. Transferred with Thirteenth Infantry to New Mexico, July 1880 and stationed at Fort Wingate until June 1884. In command of the District of New Mexico, headquarters at Santa Fe, from 1884 to 1886. Engaged in operations against hostile Mescalero, White Mountain and Chiracauha [also “Chiricahua”] Apaches in New Mexico and Arizona in 1885 and 1886.

Was retired from active service by operation of law, at the age of 64, December 8, 1886.

Served for twenty years among the hostile Indian tribes in the territories from the extreme north to the extreme south and had a large acquaintance with representative men of the Sioux, Cheyennes, Arapahos, Absarakas, Utes, Navahos, and Apaches, assisting in bringing many of these peoples under the influence of civilization and in becoming peaceful and self-supporting men.

[1] Joseph Lancaster (1778-1838) championed a school reform that he called the “Monitorial” system, which was also known as the “Lancasterian” system. The heyday of this reform movement was the first thirty years of the Nineteenth Century. Under the Lancasterian system advanced students taught other less-advanced students. This allowed adult master teachers to educate more students at lower cost.

[2] A central-Montana tributary, about 300 miles long, of the Missouri River.

SOURCE: Luther P. Bradley Papers, United States Army Military History Institute, Carlisle Barracks, Carlisle, Pennsylvania.