Ormsby M. Mitchel
Ormsby MacKnight Mitchel | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Old Stars |
| Born | August 28, 1810 Union County, Kentucky |
| Died | October 31, 1862 (aged 52) Beaufort, South Carolina |
| Place of burial | |
| Allegiance | United States of America Union |
| Branch | United States Army Union Army |
| Years of service | 1829–1832, 1861–1862 |
| Rank | Major General |
| Commands | Department of the Ohio X Corps Department of the South |
| Battles / wars | American Civil War |
| Other work | Astronomer |
| Signature | |
Ormsby MacKnight (or McKnight) Mitchel (August 28, 1810, or possibly 1809, – October 31, 1862) was an American astronomer, polymath, and major general in the American Civil War.
He is known for publishing the first astronomy magazine in the United States. He is also known for ordering the raid that came into prominence as the Great Locomotive Chase during the American Civil War.