General Edward Ferrero was born in Granada, Spain, January 18th, 1831. His parents were Italian, and he was brought to the United States when an infant. At the beginning of the war he was lieutenant colonel of the Eleventh New York Militia Regiment. In 1861 he raised the fifty-first New York Regiment, called the Shepard Rifles," and led a brigade in Burnside's expedition to Roanoke Island, where his regiment took the first fortified redoubt captured in the war. He was in the battles of South Moutain and Antietam, and for his bravery in the latter engagement was appointed brigadier general, September 19th, 1862. He served with distinction at Fredericksburg, Vicksburg and the siege of Petersburg. He was brevetted a major general, December 2nd, 1864, and mustered out in 1865." - Frank Leslie, 1896