Civil War Confederate Major General. He was born in Nashville, Tennessee, and later graduated from Yale Law School in 1854, returning to his hometown he opened his practice, and in 1858 was elected city attorney. A political ally of Nashville Republican Banner editor Felix K. Zollicoffer, he became associate editor of the Banner and in 1860 won the office of district attorney for Davidson, Williamson, and Sumner counties. When the Confederate 11th Tennessee Infantry organized in May 1861, he joined as a Private, then was elected Colonel, and with his regiment mustered into Zollicoffer's brigade in midsummer. He fought in his first skirmish in Laurel County, Kentucky, on September 26, 1861, north of Cumberland Gap, and in November occupied the gap with 2 regiments and 7 cannon. He held this position until confronted by Union Brigadier General George W. Morgan's forces in June 1862, then, on orders, retired to Tennessee. The next month he returned with elements of Major General E. Kirby Smith's force, drove Morgan from the gap, and in Major General Carter L. Stevenson's division fought through the Kentucky Campaign. For this service he was promoted to Brigadier General on November 4, 1862, and assigned command of the 2nd Brigade in Major General John P. McCown's division for the Battle of Stone's River. There, leading his brigade in a sweeping maneuver against the Federal right flank, he was killed. Following the battle, a clergyman received Union Major General William S. Rosecrans' permission to move his body through Union lines for burial at Nashville on the condition that the funeral did not become a Confederate propaganda event. It did, however, and he, young and talented, briefly achieved the status of Confederate martyr.
Civil War Confederate Major General. He was born in Nashville, Tennessee, and later graduated from Yale Law School in 1854, returning to his hometown he opened his practice, and in 1858 was elected city attorney. A political ally of Nashville Republican Banner editor Felix K. Zollicoffer, he became associate editor of the Banner and in 1860 won the office of district attorney for Davidson, Williamson, and Sumner counties. When the Confederate 11th Tennessee Infantry organized in May 1861, he joined as a Private, then was elected Colonel, and with his regiment mustered into Zollicoffer's brigade in midsummer. He fought in his first skirmish in Laurel County, Kentucky, on September 26, 1861, north of Cumberland Gap, and in November occupied the gap with 2 regiments and 7 cannon. He held this position until confronted by Union Brigadier General George W. Morgan's forces in June 1862, then, on orders, retired to Tennessee. The next month he returned with elements of Major General E. Kirby Smith's force, drove Morgan from the gap, and in Major General Carter L. Stevenson's division fought through the Kentucky Campaign. For this service he was promoted to Brigadier General on November 4, 1862, and assigned command of the 2nd Brigade in Major General John P. McCown's division for the Battle of Stone's River. There, leading his brigade in a sweeping maneuver against the Federal right flank, he was killed. Following the battle, a clergyman received Union Major General William S. Rosecrans' permission to move his body through Union lines for burial at Nashville on the condition that the funeral did not become a Confederate propaganda event. It did, however, and he, young and talented, briefly achieved the status of Confederate martyr.
Bio by: Ugaalltheway
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