Henry Clitz was born in Sackett’s Harbor, New York on July
4, 1824. He attended West Point from 1841 until 1845 and entered
the service on July 1, 1845 as 2nd Lieutenant in the 7th U. S. Infantry.
He was transferred as 2nd Lieutenant to the 3rd U. S. Infantry on
September 21, 1846. He was brevetted to the rank of 1st Lieutenant
for gallant service in the Mexican War. He attained the rank of
Captain on December 6, 1858.
At the outbreak of the Civil War, Clitz was a Major in the 12th
U. S. Infantry. He was brevetted the rank of Lt. Colonel on June
27, 1862 for meritorious service in the Battle of Gaines’s
Mill, Virginia, where he was wounded and taken prisoner. He was
exchanged and during the period of his recovery, was appointed Commandant
of West Point. He became Colonel of the 6th U. S. Infantry and was
brevetted the rank of Brigadier General on March 13, 1865. After
the war, he rose to the full rank of General and was Commanding
Officer of several different garrisons. In 1880, he returned to
Detroit, his boyhood home, and was made Commandant of Fort Wayne.
General Clitz retired at the age of 61 after 44 years in the Army.
Henry Clitz disappeared on October 31, 1888 at Niagara Falls. It
is assumed that he drowned but his body was never recovered. He
is remembered with a memorial on the family lot in Elmwood.
Born: July 4, 1824
Disappeared: October 31, 1888
Memorial: Section G, Lot A
