Civil War Confederate Major General. Born in the District of Columbia, he was the son of US Army Surgeon General, Joseph Lovell. He graduated from West Point in 1842, was commissioned an officer in the US artillery and served in the Mexican War. With the start of the Civil War, he resigned his commission and was appointed a senior advisor officer in the Confederate Army. In October 1861, he was promoted Major General in command of the defenses of New Orleans and helped create the Confederate River Defense Fleet. Assigned to the command of an infantry division at the Battle of Corinth, he ordered the evacuation of New Orleans to save his troops because he had not sufficient men or material to repulse the Union forces. In April 1863, although a Confederate court found him innocent of the charges of incompetence for the incident at New Orleans, he was not given any assignments for the rest of the war. After the war, he went to New York City, where he worked as a civil engineer until his death.
Civil War Confederate Major General. Born in the District of Columbia, he was the son of US Army Surgeon General, Joseph Lovell. He graduated from West Point in 1842, was commissioned an officer in the US artillery and served in the Mexican War. With the start of the Civil War, he resigned his commission and was appointed a senior advisor officer in the Confederate Army. In October 1861, he was promoted Major General in command of the defenses of New Orleans and helped create the Confederate River Defense Fleet. Assigned to the command of an infantry division at the Battle of Corinth, he ordered the evacuation of New Orleans to save his troops because he had not sufficient men or material to repulse the Union forces. In April 1863, although a Confederate court found him innocent of the charges of incompetence for the incident at New Orleans, he was not given any assignments for the rest of the war. After the war, he went to New York City, where he worked as a civil engineer until his death.
Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith
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