Born on his father's
farm near St. Louis, MO, he graduated from West Point on
July 1, 1843 with a brevet to 2nd Lieutenant, 6th Infantry.
Of this class of 39 men, 27 were living in 1861 and 15 became
general officers of full rank in the Union or Confederate
armies, one of whom was Ulysses S. Grant, who Dent introduced
to his sister who later became Grant's wife. He served on
Frontier Duty at Ft. Towson, Indian Territory, 1843-1846
and in garrison at Baton Rouge, LA, 1846-1847. He was promoted
to 2nd Lieutenant, 5th Infantry, March 30, 1846.
In the War with Mexico,
he was engaged in the Siege of Vera Cruz, March 9-29, 1847;
Capture of San Antonio, August 20, 1847 and the Battle of
Churubusco, August 20, 1847. He was breveted to 1st Lieutenant,
August 20, 1847, for gallant and meritorious conduct in
the Battles of Contreras and Churubusco. He was next engaged
in the Battle of Molino del Rey, September 8, 1847, where
he was severely wounded. He was breveted to Captain, September
8, 1847, for gallant and meritorious conduct at the Battle
of Molino del Rey and promoted to 1st Lieutenant, 5th Infantry,
September 11, 1847.
Dent was in garrison
at Baton Rouge, LA, 1848 and on the Pacific Railroad Survey,
1849. He served on Frontier Duty, at Ft. Gibson, Indian
Territory, 1849-1850; Removing Seminole Indians, 1850-1851;
at Ft. Gibson, Indian Territory, 1851; on the March to Texas,
1851; at Ft. Belknap, TX, 1851; Clear Fork of the Brazos
River, TX, 1851-1853; and Ft. McIntosh, TX, 1853-1854. He
was on Recruiting Service, 1854- 1855 and in garrison at
Ft. Monroe, VA, 1855, being promoted to Captain, 9th Infantry,
March 3, 1855.
He served on Frontier
Duty at Ft. Vancouver, WA, 1856; Scouting, 1856, being engaged
in a Skirmish on the Cedar River; on the Yakima Expedition,
1856; at Ft. Dalles, OR, 1856-1857; Ft. Hoskins, OR, 1857;
Ft. Dalles, 1857; and Ft. Walla Walla, WA, 1857-1858. On
the Spokane Expedition, WA, he was engaged in the Combat
at Four Lakes, September 1, 1858; Combat on Spokane Plain,
September 5, 1858; and Skirmish on Spokane River, September
8, 1858. He returned to Frontier Duty at Ft. Walla Walla,
WA, 1858-1860; on the Expedition to Snake River, OR, to
rescue survivors of the Massacre at Salmon Fall, 1860; at
Ft. Hoskins, OR, 1861 and San Francisco, CA, 1861-1863.
He was promoted to Major, 4th Infantry, March 9, 1863.
Dent served in command
of Regiment in the Army of the Potomac, August 12-September
8, 1863; in New York to suppress anticipated riots, September
10, 1863 to January 17, 1864; and as Member of Military
Commission for the Trial of State Prisoners, January 17-March
29, 1864. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, Staff,
March 29,1864, and assigned as Aide-de-Camp to the General-in-Chief,
Lieutenant-General Ulysses S. Grant, March 29, 1864-April
19, 1865, being present in the Battles and Military Operations
of the Richmond Campaign, 1864-1865; and as Military Commander
of the City of Richmond, VA, April 19-May 27, 1865.
He was breveted to
Colonel, February 24, 1865, for faithful and meritorious
service; and breveted to Brigadier-General, U. S. Army,
March 13, 1865, for gallant and meritorious services in
the field during the Rebellion. He was promoted to Brigadier-General,
U. S. Volunteers. April 5, 1865.
After the War, Dent
served in garrison at Washington, D. C., August 26, 1865-April
10, 1866. He was on the Staff of the General-in-Chief, at
Washington, D. C., May 3, 1866-May, 1873. During this period
he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, Staff, Aide-de-Camp
to the General- in-Chief, July 25, 1866 and Colonel, July
25, 1866. He was transferred to the 14th Infantry, August
21, 1866; commissioned Lieutenant Colonel, 32nd Infantry,
December 31, 1867.
Dent served in command
of Ft. Trumbull, CT, May 18, 1873-November 26, 1875; of
St. Augustine, FL, December, 1875-July 1, 1881. He was made
Colonel, 1st Artillery, January 2, 1881, and transferred
to the 3rd Artillery, November 4, 1882. He retired on December
1, 1883. After his retirement he moved to Denver, CO where
one of his sons was practicing law. He died there on December
23, 1892 and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
