Civil War biographies from the western waters: 980 Confederate and Union naval and military personnel, contractors, politicians, officials, steamboat pilots and others

338 Pages·2015·106.256 MB·English

by  Smith, Myron J

Civil War Biographies
from the Western Waters
ALSOBYMYRONJ. SMITH, JR.
ANDFROMMCFARLAND
The Fight for the Yazoo, August 1862–July 1864: Swamps, Forts
and Fleets on Vicksburg’s Northern Flank (2012)
The CSS Arkansas: A Confederate Ironclad on Western Waters (2011)
The USS Carondelet: A Civil War Ironclad on Western Waters (2010)
Tinclads in the Civil War: Union Light-Draught Gunboat
Operations on Western Waters, 1862–1865 (2010)
The Timberclads in the Civil War: The Lexington, Conestogaand Tyler
on the Western Waters(2008; paperback 2013)
Le Roy Fitch: The Civil War Career of a Union River
Gunboat Commander(2007; paperback 2014)
The Baseball Bibliography, 2d ed. (4 volumes, 2006)
Civil War Biographies
from the Western Waters
956 Confederate and Union Naval and
Military Personnel, Contractors, Politicians,
Officials, Steamboat Pilots and Others
Myron J. Smith, Jr.
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Jefferson, North Carolina
LIBRARYOFCONGRESSCATALOGUING-IN-PUBLICATIONDATA
Smith, Myron J.
Civil War biographies from the western waters : 956 Confederate
and Union naval and military personnel, contractors, politicians,
officials, steamboat pilots and others / Myron J. Smith, Jr.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-7864-6967-3 (softcover : acid free paper) ♾
ISBN 978-1-4766-1698-8 (ebook)
1. United States—History—Civil War, 1861–1865—Naval operations—Encyclopedias.
2. United States—History—Civil War, 1861–1865—Biography—Encyclopedias.
I. Title.
E591.S65 2015 973.7'503—dc23 2014048237
BRITISHLIBRARYCATALOGUINGDATAAREAVAILABLE
© 2015 Myron J. Smith, Jr. All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying
or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the publisher.
On the cover: Capture of New Orleans,
artist Julian Oliver Davidson (Library of Congress)
Printed in the United States of America
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Box 611, Jefferson, North Carolina 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
For Dennie,
My Wonderful Wife
Acknowledgments
Personnel at a number of libraries and archives helpfully provided insight and access to resources
during the research and writing stages of this outing. Among them were the kind folks manning the
libraries and collections of the U.S. Navy Department; Library of Congress; National Archives; Emory
University; University of Tennessee; Mississippi Department of Archives and History; University of
Southern Mississippi; Missouri Historical Society; Rosenberg Library, Galveston; University of Arkansas;
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Duke University; East Tennessee State University; Kentucky
Historical Society; U.S. Army Historical Center; Vicksburg National Military Park; Louisiana State Uni-
versity; Tennessee State Library and Archives; Illinois State Library; Indiana Historical Society; Chicago
Historical Society; Ohio Historical Society; The Ohio State University; G reeneville-G reene County
Public Library; and Tusculum College.
For their insights and suggestions, I would also like to thank those who have offered comments or
other suggestions regarding the biographees on the Civil War Navies Message Board. These include
Alouisianan Doyle, Tom Ezell, Henry E. Whittle, Ed Cotham, George Wright, Terry Foenander, Shawn
Clouisianark, David Adams, Gary Matthews, and Terry G. Scriber.
From the Vicksburg National Military Park, chief historian Terrence J. Winschel kindly provided
assistance and answers to several questions. The late Tennessee state historian Walter T. Durham and for-
mer North and Southmagazine editor Keith Poulter offered their support as well.
A special tip of the hat goes to several colleagues who have been especially helpful. Their interest
and assistance has aided this project tremendously.
Bill Stafford, Louisiana State Archives, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Amber King, Office of the Louisiana State Treasurer, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Mark F. Jenkins, Columbus, Ohio
Weldon W. Nash, Jr., Construction Specifications Institute, Jefferson, Texas
David Tschiggfrie, editor, S&D Reflector
vi
Contents
Acknowledgments
vi
Introduction
1
Abbreviations
7
The Biographies
9
Appendix A: Individuals by Organization
271
Appendix B: Campaigns, Battles and Engagements
277
Appendix C: Ship Registers
292
Bibliography
305
Index
319
vii
This page intentionally left blank
Introduction
The War between the States, better known as the Civil mained key. This fact was as well known in Richmond as it
War, at its eruption in 1861 occasioned the largest conflict was in New Orleans, Memphis, St. Louis, Louisville, Cincin-
ever seen on the North American continent. Most of the nati, or Washington, D.C.
Southern states, for several reasons, elected to secede from the As a part of its overall strategy for independence, the
United States of America and form a confederacy. There were Confederate central government, with aid from the states, es-
a few border states that would also be contested. In general, tablished a number of citadels and fortified positions. Nearly
however, with the Allegheny Mountains as the dividing line, every major coastal city had fortifications, many strengthened
the land- based fighting that came after April 1861 was divided from prewar forts. Along the Western rivers, key river towns
into two main theaters: East and West.There was also a nau- were protected, starting to the north with Columbus and Pa-
tical component to the war, fashioned along the Southern At- ducah, Kentucky. Forts Henry and Donelson were established
lantic and Gulf coastlines where a Union blockade was even- to guard Nashville, Tennessee, while Island No. 10 and Fort
tually successful. The great dispute was also carried into the Pillow shielded Memphis. Further south, New Orleans, fol-
open oceans where Confederate commerce raiders sailed. But lowed in time by Vicksburg and Port Hudson, all on the Mis-
it is the rivers of the West, the great early to mid– 19th-century sissippi, were the most significant of all Rebel river bastions.
internal communications arteries, that interest us here and To accomplish its Western aims, the Lincoln govern-
which, in Civil War literature, refers generally to the land and ment was obligated to physically push south, largely along
water geography of the Western theater of operations.1 the rivers due to the inadequacy of land routes. In addition
Despite one or two incursions, the southern bank of the to capturing territory, the Union had to maintain commerce
Ohio River was seen as a major northern boundary of South- where it existed and open it where it did not. This was a much
ern aspiration and disposition in the West, despite various easier goal to conceptualize in that famous early grand strat-
cries to carry the war beyond it emanating from politicians egy known as the Anaconda Plan than to accomplish. On top
and firebrands. The Southern states would be required to de- of all the difficulties associated with military combat, the Yan-
fend their collective territory from Yankee invasion and kees faced the twin problems of logistical support and coun-
Northerners, particularly from the Midwest, who were anx- terinsurgency operations. Getting enough men and materiel
ious that trade access to the Gulf of Mexico and the world to the appropriate spots and countering attacks from mem-
beyond not be stifled. For the North, any plan to counter bers of nonregular indigenous populations both turned out
Confederate secession necessitated military conquest and oc- to be significant challenges, occasionally as formidable as win-
cupation of the rebellious regions. For such a strategy to be ning set- piece battles.
successful in the West, complete control of the navigable In the six months or so after the opening of the conflict
reaches of the Mississippi River passing through D ixie- in April 1861, the U.S. Navy slowly grew as its organization
oriented states had to be seized by armed force. Although was refined, manpower was increased, and more vessels were
other Western rivers, such as the Ohio, Cumberland, Ten- built or otherwise acquired. In accordance with national pol-
nessee, Kanawha, Green, White, Yazoo, Red, and Arkansas icy, a blockade of the South was established along the ocean
would also be battlegrounds, it was the Mississippi that was coasts; its initially shaky effectiveness would grow over the
crucial. Railroads entered the transportation mix by the course of the war to a point where the South’s imports were
1860s, joining the a nimal-p owered wagons that had been effectively shut off. In addition, a major Union squadron, the
used for eons, but for sheer bulk logistical support of invading Gulf Squadron, was broken into two halves, with the West
armies, river shipment of men and goods with steamboats re- Gulf Blockading Squadron (WGBS) assigned to action on
1