Erasmus Burt
Encyclopedia
Erasmus R. Burt was an American
physician, politician, and soldier. He served as the State Auditor of Mississippi
, and was then a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives
. During the American Civil War
, he was a colonel
in the Confederate States Army
and was killed in action at the Battle of Ball's Bluff
in Northern Virginia
. He was known as “the Father of the Deaf and Dumb Institute of Mississippi”.
, a member of South Carolina House of Representatives
from 1798 to 1800, and Catherine Miles. His brothers included Armistead Burt
(November 16, 1802 – October 30, 1883), who was elected to Congress
in 1843 for South Carolina
and served until 1853 and who was married to the niece of John C. Calhoun
, and Francis Burt
(January 13, 1807 - October 18, 1854), who served in Washington, D.C.
as the Third Auditor of the Treasury, and in 1854 was appointed the first Territorial Governor of Nebraska
.
Erasmus and two other brothers, Matthew and Oswell, studied medicine in Alabama. Dr. Matthew Burt practiced medicine in Jacksonville, Alabama
, where he died in 1839. Oswell E. Burt moved to Alabama
where he founded the town of Alexandria, and then moved to Texas. Erasmus Burt first practiced medicine in Calhoun county, Alabama and then moved to Mississippi.
On September 16, 1840, in Jacksonville, Alabama, Erasmus married Lucy Ann Morgan (October 22, 1821 – c. 1887), the daughter of George Washington Morgan and Mary Frances Irby. By 1845 he was practicing medicine in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi
, and became a member of the House of Representatives representing Oktibbeha County, and State Auditor. While chairman of the Committee on Claims and a member of the Committee of Education he was instrumental in founding the Mississippi Institution for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb in 1854.
for the Confederate side known as the "Burt Rifles," which became Company K of the 18th Mississippi Infantry on April 22, 1861, starting with the rank of captain. He was made a colonel
on June 7, 1861. They first saw action at the First Battle of Manassas on July 21, 1861.
At the Battle of Leesburg near Leesburg, Virginia
, he led his men in an attack on a Union
artillery battery
, but his regiment was caught in a crossfire by nearby enemy infantry. Burt was shot through his hip by a bullet which entered his stomach. His men were so enraged by his loss that that they helped drive the Federals into the Potomac River
where a number of them drowned. He was taken into Harrison Hall in Leesburg, Virginia. Burt was promoted to general for his bravery, but died before the promotion was received. His body was taken back to Jackson, Mississippi
, where he was buried. He had eight children, and after his death his wife and younger children were moved back to Alabama by his widow’s family.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
physician, politician, and soldier. He served as the State Auditor of Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, and was then a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives
Mississippi House of Representatives
The Mississippi House of Representatives is the lower house of the Mississippi Legislature, the lawmaking body of the U.S. state of Mississippi....
. During the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, he was a colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
in the Confederate States Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
and was killed in action at the Battle of Ball's Bluff
Battle of Ball's Bluff
The Battle of Ball's Bluff, also known as the Battle of Harrison’s Island or the Battle of Leesburg, was fought on October 21, 1861, in Loudoun County, Virginia, as part of Union Maj. Gen. George B...
in Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia consists of several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in a widespread region generally radiating southerly and westward from Washington, D.C...
. He was known as “the Father of the Deaf and Dumb Institute of Mississippi”.
Early life and career
Erasmus Burt was born around 1820 in Edgefield County, South Carolina. He was one of ten children of Francis BurtFrancis Burt
Sir Francis Theodore Page Burt, AC, KCMG, QC , commonly known as "Red", Australian jurist, served as Chief Justice of Western Australia from 1977 until 1988 and as Governor of Western Australia from 1990 to 1993. He was also Lieutenant Governor of the State from 1977 to 1990...
, a member of South Carolina House of Representatives
South Carolina House of Representatives
The South Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Carolina General Assembly, the upper house being the South Carolina Senate. It consists of 124 Representatives elected to two year terms at the same time as US Congressional elections...
from 1798 to 1800, and Catherine Miles. His brothers included Armistead Burt
Armistead Burt
Armistead Burt was a U.S. Representative from South Carolina.Born at Clouds Creek, near Edgefield, Edgefield County, South Carolina, Burt moved with his parents to Pendleton, South Carolina...
(November 16, 1802 – October 30, 1883), who was elected to Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
in 1843 for South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
and served until 1853 and who was married to the niece of John C. Calhoun
John C. Calhoun
John Caldwell Calhoun was a leading politician and political theorist from South Carolina during the first half of the 19th century. Calhoun eloquently spoke out on every issue of his day, but often changed positions. Calhoun began his political career as a nationalist, modernizer, and proponent...
, and Francis Burt
Francis Burt (Nebraska)
Francis Burt was an American politician politician from South Carolina who served as the first Governor of Nebraska Territory.-Background:...
(January 13, 1807 - October 18, 1854), who served in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
as the Third Auditor of the Treasury, and in 1854 was appointed the first Territorial Governor of Nebraska
Nebraska Territory
The Territory of Nebraska was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until March 1, 1867, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Nebraska. The Nebraska Territory was created by the Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854...
.
Erasmus and two other brothers, Matthew and Oswell, studied medicine in Alabama. Dr. Matthew Burt practiced medicine in Jacksonville, Alabama
Jacksonville, Alabama
Jacksonville is a city in Calhoun County, Alabama, United States. which is a 49% increase since 2000. It is included in the Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, where he died in 1839. Oswell E. Burt moved to Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
where he founded the town of Alexandria, and then moved to Texas. Erasmus Burt first practiced medicine in Calhoun county, Alabama and then moved to Mississippi.
On September 16, 1840, in Jacksonville, Alabama, Erasmus married Lucy Ann Morgan (October 22, 1821 – c. 1887), the daughter of George Washington Morgan and Mary Frances Irby. By 1845 he was practicing medicine in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi
Oktibbeha County, Mississippi
-National protected areas:*Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge *Tombigbee National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 42,902 people, 15,945 households, and 9,264 families residing in the county. The population density was 94 people per square mile . There were 17,344 housing...
, and became a member of the House of Representatives representing Oktibbeha County, and State Auditor. While chairman of the Committee on Claims and a member of the Committee of Education he was instrumental in founding the Mississippi Institution for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb in 1854.
Civil War service
When the War between the States broke out, Burt raised a regimentRegiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
for the Confederate side known as the "Burt Rifles," which became Company K of the 18th Mississippi Infantry on April 22, 1861, starting with the rank of captain. He was made a colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
on June 7, 1861. They first saw action at the First Battle of Manassas on July 21, 1861.
At the Battle of Leesburg near Leesburg, Virginia
Leesburg, Virginia
Leesburg is a historic town in, and county seat of, Loudoun County, Virginia, United States of America. Leesburg is located west-northwest of Washington, D.C. along the base of the Catoctin Mountain and adjacent to the Potomac River. Its population according the 2010 Census is 42,616...
, he led his men in an attack on a Union
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
artillery battery
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
, but his regiment was caught in a crossfire by nearby enemy infantry. Burt was shot through his hip by a bullet which entered his stomach. His men were so enraged by his loss that that they helped drive the Federals into the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
where a number of them drowned. He was taken into Harrison Hall in Leesburg, Virginia. Burt was promoted to general for his bravery, but died before the promotion was received. His body was taken back to Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
, where he was buried. He had eight children, and after his death his wife and younger children were moved back to Alabama by his widow’s family.