May 2011 Meeting
On May 18, 2011, SDCWRT member Gene Armistead presented “Generally Despicable: Men Who Wore the Star During the Civil War”. This presentation was not necessarily about generals who were not good commanders or those who the other side abhorred, but rather generals with bad personalities, which usually led to either of the former. These generals, and some admirals, lied, cheated, womanized, and some still kept their commands! Mr. Armistead presented a list of twelve such commanders in descending order, which were:
12. John Buchanan Floyd (1806-1863) a Confederate Brigadier General: He was the infamous Secretary of War under President Buchanan who gave arms to the increasingly hostile South on the eve of war, weakening the North. He resigned in 1860 and later became a Brigadier General in the Confederate Army in Virginia. He was posted to Fort Donelson with General Gideon Johnson Pillow, but the two escaped at night during the Battle of Fort Donelson. Floyd was relieved of his command by Confederate President Davis in 1861 and returned to the Virginia Militia where he died.
11. Gideon Johnson Pillow (1806-1878) a Confederate Brigadier General: He was a law partner of President James K. Polk in the late 1820s. He argued with his superiors—General Scott—in the Mexican War. He became a Brigadier General in the Confederate Army and was in charge of Fort Donelson along with General John Buchanan Floyd. During the Battle of Fort Donelson, Pillow escaped and continued his poor command until captured in 1865. He was pardoned in August of 1865 and became a lawyer again.
10. Edward Ferrero (1831-1899) a Federal Brevet Major General: He was from Spain and was a dance instructor at West Point before the war. He served in the Western Theatre at the Siege of Vicksburg. At the Battle of the Crater in 1864 he stayed behind the lines drinking liquor with General Ledlie. He went through a court of inquiry, but was promoted to brevet Major General in December of 1864.
9. James Hewett Ledlie (1832-1882), a Federal Brigadier General: He was a railroad engineer and joined the New York Infantry after the war began. He gave unexceptional service and General Grant did not like him. At the Battle of the Crater in 1864 he stayed behind the lines drinking liquor with General Ferrero. The Battle did not go well for the Federal Army and after a court of inquiry, he resigned in January of 1865.
8. Jeremiah Clemens (1814-1865) a Republic of Alabama/Confederate Major General: He was a distant relative of famed writer Samuel Clemens—Mark Twain—and was a newspaper editor in Alabama. He was also a Senator from Alabama from 1849 to 1853. He was at Alabama’s secession convention but was a Unionist Whig. Confederate President Davis refused to give him a commission given his unionist history and Clemens resigned from the Army of the Republic of Alabama which had become a part of the Confederate Army and spoke against the Confederacy.
7. Daniel Marsh Frost (1823-1900) a Federal Brigadier General: Originally from New York and a hero from the Mexican War, General Frost joined the Confederate Army in Missouri. When his wife and children were forced to flee to the Dominion of Canada in 1863, Frost also went there to see them, but did not gain permission to do so and became a deserter—the only general to do so—and remained there until after the war when he returned to Missouri.
6. Edwin Walker Price (1834-1908) a Confederate Brigadier General: He had a good record in 1861, but in the winter of 1861-62, while on recruiting duty in Missouri, he was captured, some say on purpose, and was later exchanged, but resigned and returned to Missouri where he denounced the Confederacy and gave allegiance to the Union and received a pardon from President Lincoln. With this, he was alienated from his father, Confederate General Sterling Price, but after the war, the two reconciled.
5. Justus McKinstry (1814-1897) a Federal Brigadier General: He was a Quartermaster in the West at St. Louis. He was accused of being dishonest and was placed under investigation and in January of 1863 he became the only general in the war to receive a dishonorable discharge. He worked with contractors and helped contractors receive generous sums of money. After the war, he became a stockbroker and a real estate agent.
4. William Henry Carroll (1810-1868) a Confederate Brigadier General: He was from Tennessee and commanded Knoxville where he declared martial law. He was present at the Battle of Fishing Creek where his errors cost the Rebels a victory. He was deemed unsafe to command and was later arrested for neglect of duty while being drunk behind lines. He resigned in February of 1862 after a court of inquiry and then moved to the Dominion of Canada.
3. Jefferson Columbus Davis (1828-1879) a Federal Brigadier General: He was an officer in the Mexican War and with the Civil War, he was noted for having the same first and last name as the Confederate president. He was present at Ft. Sumter after which he was promoted and continued to rise in rank. He performed decently at the Battle of Pea Ridge. He had a quarrel with his superior at Louisville, Major General William Nelson, whom he later shot and killed after a supposed insult. Surprisingly, Davis was not punished for this act and even returned to duty and did well until Sherman’s March to the Sea where he left some freed slaves behind, but he got away with this too. He was the first commander of the Department of Alaska following its purchase from the Russians in 1867.
2. William David Porter (1808-1864) a Commodore, USN: He was the son of the famous Commodore David Porter of the War of 1812 and the brother of Admiral David Porter and foster brother of the famous Admiral Farragut. Commodore Porter (the younger) was infamous for his foul mouth. He was cruel to his family and blackmailed them, but the hatred was mutual. He was not a popular officer and was even placed on reserve before the war. When the war broke out, he showed his allegiance to the North—since he was from New Orleans—by divorcing his wife who was also from New Orleans. He was given command of a gunboat which he renamed “Essex” after his father’s ship in the War of 1812. He stole Army supplies and after a boiler explosion, he had $91,000 in unauthorized repairs made to the “Essex”. He never followed orders and blamed others for his errors and even took credit for actions which were not his own. Despite his record, he remained in the Navy until his death.
1. Hugh Judson Kilpatrick (1831-1881) a Federal Brigadier General: General Kilpatrick was a drunk, liar, libertine, etc. He was an infamous cavalry commander who earned himself the nickname of “Kill-Cavalry”. He was from New Jersey and graduated from West Point in 1861. He also held the distinction of being the first officer to be injured in the war at the Battle of Big Bethel in June of 1861. He engaged in some raiding activities, including a failed raid of Richmond. His moral character, however, left much to be desired as he was arrested in Washington for a drunken spree, despite claiming he was a teetotaler. He was also corrupt in that he sold confiscated goods and kept the money. He was also a liar in that he bragged about his achievements and at the third day of Gettysburg he ordered a cavalry despite the already apparent Federal victory at great cost, just to bolster his reputation. He also had political aspirations as he wanted to be governor of New Jersey and then President of the United States. He was placed under General Sherman during his March to the Sea, but was not popular there either. He kept three women in his tent as “aides” but when it was noticed he was receiving more than aid from them, it became apparent they were women. After the war, he was United States Envoy to Chile until 1870 and again in 1881