Civil War Confederate Brigadier General. Born in Frankfort, Kentucky, his family moved to Mississippi while he was still a child. As an adult there he read law and was admitted to the Mississippi Bar. Moving to Louisiana, in 1861 he was appointed by Governor Thomas O. Moore to a military board organizing the state for war. He entered military service as a Lieutenant Colonel of the 1st Louisiana Infantry regiment and was advanced to Colonel after the unit was ordered to Pensacola, Florida. Early in 1862 he and his men were transferred to the Western Theatre, where he remained for the duration of the war. He distinguished himself by leading a successful attack on Brigadier General Benjamin Prentiss' Division at the April 1862 Battle of Shiloh, where he lost his right eye. On May 23, 1862, he was commissioned Brigadier General and that year led the Louisiana Brigade at the October 8 Battle of Perryville, Kentucky, and the December 1862 Battle of Stone's River, Tennessee. Wounded again in the latter battle, he returned to the field in time to command at the Battle of Chickamauga, in September 1863. On the second day of the battle, his men broke through Union lines but were driven back by reinforcements, and he was wounded a third time and captured. After his exchange and recovery, he briefly commanded a cavalry brigade in Alabama. During the last month of the war, he was given command of the Department of the Gulf, taking part in the defense of Selma, Alabama, and in resisting the final Union advances in April 1865. He was paroled at Meridian, Mississippi, on May 9, 1865. After spending some time in England, he resumed practicing law in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he died. He was the brother of William Wirt Adams, who was a prominent Mississippi secessionist and a Confederate Brigadier General.
Civil War Confederate Brigadier General. Born in Frankfort, Kentucky, his family moved to Mississippi while he was still a child. As an adult there he read law and was admitted to the Mississippi Bar. Moving to Louisiana, in 1861 he was appointed by Governor Thomas O. Moore to a military board organizing the state for war. He entered military service as a Lieutenant Colonel of the 1st Louisiana Infantry regiment and was advanced to Colonel after the unit was ordered to Pensacola, Florida. Early in 1862 he and his men were transferred to the Western Theatre, where he remained for the duration of the war. He distinguished himself by leading a successful attack on Brigadier General Benjamin Prentiss' Division at the April 1862 Battle of Shiloh, where he lost his right eye. On May 23, 1862, he was commissioned Brigadier General and that year led the Louisiana Brigade at the October 8 Battle of Perryville, Kentucky, and the December 1862 Battle of Stone's River, Tennessee. Wounded again in the latter battle, he returned to the field in time to command at the Battle of Chickamauga, in September 1863. On the second day of the battle, his men broke through Union lines but were driven back by reinforcements, and he was wounded a third time and captured. After his exchange and recovery, he briefly commanded a cavalry brigade in Alabama. During the last month of the war, he was given command of the Department of the Gulf, taking part in the defense of Selma, Alabama, and in resisting the final Union advances in April 1865. He was paroled at Meridian, Mississippi, on May 9, 1865. After spending some time in England, he resumed practicing law in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he died. He was the brother of William Wirt Adams, who was a prominent Mississippi secessionist and a Confederate Brigadier General.
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