James Birdseye McPherson (November 14, 1828 – July 22, 1864) was a career
United States ArmyThe United States Army is the branch of the United States Military responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military and is one of seven uniformed services...
officer who served as a General in the
Union ArmyThe 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...
during the
American Civil WarThe American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several other names, was a civil war in the United States of America. Eleven Southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America...
. He was killed at the
Battle of AtlantaThe Battle of Atlanta was a battle of the Atlanta Campaign fought during the American Civil War on July 22, 1864, just southeast of Atlanta, Georgia. Continuing their summer campaign to seize the important rail and supply center of Atlanta, Union forces overwhelmed and defeated Confederate forces...
and was the highest ranking Union officer killed during the conflict.
Early life and career
McPherson was born near
ClydeClyde is a city in Sandusky County, Ohio, United States. The population was 6,064 at the 2000 census. The National Arbor Day Foundation has designated Clyde as a Tree City USA....
,
OhioOhio is a Midwestern state of the United States. The thirty-fourth largest state by area in the U.S., it is the seventh-most populous with nearly 11.5 million residents...
. He attended Norwalk Academy in Ohio, and graduated from the
United States Military AcademyThe United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. Established in 1802, USMA is the oldest of the United States's five service academies. The military garrison at West Point was occupied in 1778 and played a key...
in 1853, first in his class, which included
Philip H. SheridanPhilip Henry Sheridan was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to major general and his close association with Lt. Gen. Ulysses S...
,
John M. SchofieldJohn McAllister Schofield was an American soldier who held major commands during the American Civil War. He later served as U.S. Secretary of War and commanding general of the United States Army.-Early life:...
, and
John Bell HoodJohn Bell Hood was a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Hood had a reputation for bravery and aggressiveness that sometimes bordered on recklessness...
; Hood would oppose him later in the
Western TheaterThis article presents an overview of major military and naval operations in the Western Theater of the American Civil War.-Theater of operations:...
. McPherson was appointed to the
Corps of EngineersThe United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 34,600 civilian and 650 military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
with the rank of
brevetIn many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being brevetted...
second lieutenant. For a year after his graduation he was assistant instructor of practical engineering at the Military Academy, and was next engaged from 1854 to 1857 as assistant engineer upon the defenses of the harbor of
New YorkNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
and the improvement of
Hudson RiverThe Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. It rises at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains, flows past Albany, and finally forms the border between New York City and New Jersey at its mouth before emptying into...
. In 1857 he superintended the building of
Fort DelawareFort Delaware is a harbor defense facility built in 1859 on Pea Patch Island in the Delaware River. During the American Civil War, the Union used Fort Delaware as a prison for Confederate prisoners of war...
, and in 1857-61 was superintending engineer of the construction of the defenses of
Alcatraz IslandAlcatraz Island is an island located in the San Francisco Bay, offshore from San Francisco, California. Often referred to as The Rock, the small island early-on served as a lighthouse, a military fortification, a military prison, and a federal prison until 1963...
, at
San Francisco, Cal.San Francisco is the fourth most populous city in California and the 12th most populous city in the United States, with a 2008 estimated population of 808,976. It is the eighth most densely populated city in the U.S. and is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the larger San...
Civil War
At the start of the Civil War, he was stationed in
San FranciscoSan Francisco is the fourth most populous city in California and the 12th most populous city in the United States, with a 2008 estimated population of 808,976. It is the eighth most densely populated city in the U.S. and is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the larger San...
,
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
, but requested a transfer to the Corps of Engineers, rightly thinking that a transfer to the East would further his career. He departed California on August 1, 1861, and arrived soon after in
New YorkNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He requested a position on the staff of
Maj. Gen.In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general. Major general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the...
Henry W. Halleck, one of the senior Western commanders. He received this (while a captain in the Corps of Engineers), and was sent to
St. LouisSt. Louis is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. With an estimated population of 354,361 in 2008, it is the principal municipality of Greater St. Louis, population 2,866,517, the largest urban area in Missouri and sixteenth largest in the United States...
,
MissouriMissouri is a state in the Midwest region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. Missouri is the 18th most populous state with a 2008 estimated population of 5,911,605. It comprises 114 counties and one independent city....
.
McPherson's career began rising after this assignment. He was a
lieutenant colonelIn the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the rank of commander in the other uniformed services....
and the Chief Engineer in
Brig. Gen.A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed services.-...
Ulysses S. GrantUlysses S. Grant was general-in-chief of the Union Army from 1864 to 1869 during the American Civil War and the 18th President of the United States from 1869 to 1877....
's army during the capture of Forts
HenryThe Battle of Fort Henry was fought on February 6, 1862, in western Tennessee, during the American Civil War. It was the first important victory for the Union and Brig. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant in the Western Theater....
and
DonelsonThe Battle of Fort Donelson was fought from February 11 to February 16, 1862, in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. The capture of the fort by Union forces opened the Cumberland River as an avenue for the invasion of the South. The success elevated Brig. Gen. Ulysses S...
. Following the
Battle of ShilohThe Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. Confederate forces under Generals Albert Sidney Johnston and P.G.T. Beauregard launched a surprise...
, he was promoted to
brigadier generalA brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed services.-...
. On October 8, 1862, he was promoted to
major generalIn the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general. Major general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the...
, and was soon after given command of the
XVII CorpsXVII Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was organized December 18, 1862 as part of Ulysses S. Grant's Army of the Tennessee. It was most notably commanded by Maj. Gen. James B. McPherson and Maj. Gen. Francis P. Blair II, and served in the Western...
in Grant's
Army of the TennesseeThe Army of the Tennessee was a Union army in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, named for the Tennessee River. It should not be confused with the similarly named Army of Tennessee, a Confederate army named after the State of Tennessee....
. On March 12, 1864, he was given command of the
Army of the TennesseeThe Army of the Tennessee was a Union army in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, named for the Tennessee River. It should not be confused with the similarly named Army of Tennessee, a Confederate army named after the State of Tennessee....
, after its former commander, Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman, was promoted to command of all armies in the West (after Grant was sent to the East). His army was the Right Wing of Sherman's army, alongside the
Army of the CumberlandThe Army of the Cumberland was one of the principal Union armies in the Western Theater during the American Civil War. It was originally known as the Army of the Ohio.-History:...
and the
Army of the OhioThe Army of the Ohio was the name of two Union armies in the American Civil War. The first army became the Army of the Cumberland and the second army was created in 1863.-History:...
. On May 5, 1864, Sherman began his
Atlanta CampaignThe Atlanta Campaign was a series of battles fought in the Western Theater throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta, Georgia, during the summer of 1864, leading to the eventual fall of Atlanta and hastening the end of the American Civil War....
.
Sherman planned to have the bulk of his forces feint toward
DaltonDalton is a city in Whitfield County, Georgia, United States. It is the county seat of Whitfield County and the principal city of the Dalton, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of both Murray and Whitfield counties. The population was 27,912 at the 2000 census; the 2006...
,
GeorgiaGeorgia is a state in the United States. One of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution, it had been the last of the Thirteen Colonies to be established, in 1733. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January...
, while McPherson would bear the brunt of
ConfederateThe Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America during its brief existence from 1861 to 1865. It was established in two phases with provisional and permanent organizations, which existed concurrently....
General
Joseph E. JohnstonJoseph Eggleston Johnston was a career U.S. Army officer, serving with distinction in the Mexican-American War and Seminole Wars, and was also one of the most senior general officers in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.Johnston's effectiveness in the Civil War was undercut...
's attack, and attempt to trap them. However, the Confederate forces eventually escaped, and Sherman blamed McPherson (for being "slow"), although it was mainly faulty planning on Sherman's part that led to the escape. McPherson's troops followed the Confederates "vigorously", and were resupplied at
Kingston, GeorgiaKingston is a city in Bartow County, Georgia, United States. The population was 659 at the 2000 census; the 2005 official estimate listed a population of 868.-Geography:Kingston is located at ....
. The troops drew near Pumpkinvine Creek, where they attacked and drove the Confederates from
Dallas, GeorgiaDallas is a city in and the county seat of Paulding County, Georgia, United States. The population was 5,056 at the 2000 census It was named for George M. Dallas, Vice President of the United States of America under James K. Polk.-History:...
, even before Sherman's order to do so. Johnston and Sherman maneuvered against each other, until the Union disaster at the
Battle of Kennesaw MountainThe Battle of Kennesaw Mountain was fought on June 27, 1864, during the Atlanta Campaign of the American Civil War. Despite its name, much of the battle was fought to the southwest of Kennesaw Mountain, near Marietta, Georgia. The main participants in the battle were the Union armies under the...
. McPherson then tried a flanking maneuver at the
Battle of MariettaThe Battle of Marietta was a series of military operations from June 9 through July 3, 1864, in Cobb County, Georgia, between Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. The Union forces, led by Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman, encountered the Confederate Army of Tennessee, led...
, but that failed as well.
On July 17, Confederate President
Jefferson DavisJefferson Finis Davis was an American politician who served as President of the Confederate States of America for its entire history, 1861 to 1865, during the American Civil War....
became frustrated with Johnston's strategy of maneuver and retreat, and replaced him with
Lt. Gen.In the United States Army, the United States Marine Corps and the United States Air Force, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general. Lieutenant general is equivalent to the rank of vice admiral...
John Bell HoodJohn Bell Hood was a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Hood had a reputation for bravery and aggressiveness that sometimes bordered on recklessness...
. Hood was eventually defeated, and retreated into Atlanta. Meanwhile, McPherson had advanced his troops into
Decatur, GeorgiaDecatur is a city in, and county seat of, DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. With a population of 18,147 in the 2000 census, the city is sometimes assumed to be larger since multiple zip codes in unincorporated DeKalb County bear the Decatur name...
, and from there, they moved onto the high ground on Bald Hill overlooking Atlanta. On July 22, they noticed that the Confederate troops had left Atlanta. Sherman believed that the Confederates had been defeated and were evacuating; however, McPherson rightly believed that they were moving to attack the Union right and rear. While they were discussing this new development, however, four divisions under Lt. Gen.
William J. HardeeWilliam Joseph Hardee was a career U.S. Army officer, serving during the Second Seminole War and fighting in the Mexican-American War...
flanked Maj. Gen. Grenville Dodge's
XVI CorpsThe XVI Army Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War.The corps served under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant in the Army of the Tennessee. Usually it occupied regions of the South, such as protecting the supply lines of the army during the Vicksburg Campaign. Maj. Gen....
. While McPherson was riding his horse toward his old XVII Corps, a line of Confederate
skirmisherSkirmishers are infantry or cavalry soldiers stationed ahead or alongside of a larger body of friendly troops. They are usually placed in a skirmish line to either harass enemy troops or to protect their own troops from similar attacks by the enemy...
s appeared, yelling "Halt!". McPherson raised his hand to his head as if to remove his hat, but suddenly wheeled his horse, attempting to escape. The Confederates opened fire and mortally wounded McPherson.
His adversary, John Bell Hood, wrote,
Legacy
Fort McPhersonFort McPherson is a U.S. Army military base that is located in East Point, Georgia, on the southwest edge of the City of Atlanta, Ga. It is the home of the headquarters for the U.S. Army Installation Management Command, Southeast Region; the U.S. Army Forces Command; the U.S. Army Reserve Command;...
in the
Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta is the capital and most populous city in the state of Georgia, as well as the urban core of one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States....
, area was named in Gen. McPherson's honor on February 20, 1866.
McPherson SquareMcPherson Square is a square in downtown Washington, D.C.. It is bounded by K Street Northwest to the north, Vermont Avenue NW on the East, Eye Street NW on the south, and 15th Street NW on the West; it is one block northeast of Lafayette Park. It is served by the McPherson Square station of the...
in
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, founded on July 16, 1790...
, and its
Metro rail stationMcPherson Square is a Washington Metro station in Washington, D.C., on the Blue and Orange Lines. It is also scheduled to be on the Silver Line route, which is scheduled to start operations in 2013....
are named in the general's honor. At the center of the square is a statue of McPherson on horseback.
McPherson County, KansasMcPherson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of 2000, the population was 29,554. The largest city and county seat is McPherson. The county is named for Civil War General James B...
, and the town of
McPherson, KansasMcPherson is a city in and the county seat of McPherson County, Kansas, United States, in the central part of the state. The population was 13,770 at the 2000 census...
, are named in his honor. There is also an
equestrian statueAn equestrian statue is a statue of a horse-mounted rider. The term is from the Latin "eques", meaning "knight" and a derivative of "equus", meaning "horse". A statue of an unmounted horse is strictly an "equine statue".-Ancient Greece:...
of him in the park across from the McPherson County Courthouse.
McPherson County, South DakotaMcPherson County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of 2000, the population was 2,904. Its county seat is Leola. The county is named after American Civil War General James B. McPherson.-Geography:According to the U.S...
, founded in 1873, and organized in 1885, was also named in his honor.
McPherson County, NebraskaMcPherson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of 2000, the population was 533. Its county seat is Tryon.McPherson County is part of the North Platte, Nebraska Micropolitan Statistical Area....
, and the Fort McPherson National Cemetery, located near
Maxwell, NebraskaMaxwell is a village in Lincoln County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the North Platte, Nebraska Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 315 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Maxwell is located at ....
, were named in his honor, and the National Cemetery was established on March 3, 1873. This 20-acre cemetery is located two miles south of the highway
Interstate 80Interstate 80 is the second-longest Interstate Highway in the United States . It connects downtown San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, a suburb of New York City. I-80 is the interstate that most closely approximates the route of the Lincoln Highway, the first auto trail to cross the...
, near Exit 190.
A
monument marking the death of McPherson was established at the location of his death in
East AtlantaEast Atlanta is an area located east-southeast of downtown Atlanta, Georgia. It is generally considered to be the roughly 10% of Atlanta's area which was part of the 1909 annexation into a neighboring county, putting it into DeKalb while the remainder is in Fulton...
, at the intersection of McPherson Avenue and Monument Avenue. McPherson Avenue in Atlanta was named for him.
The two-dollar
Treasury notesA United States Treasury security is a government debt issued by the United States Department of the Treasury through the Bureau of the Public Debt. Treasury securities are the debt financing instruments of the United States Federal government, and they are often referred to simply as Treasuries...
, also called "coin notes", of the series of 1890 and 1891, feature portraits of McPherson on the obverse.
The James B. McPherson Elementary School in the Ravenswood area of Chicago, Illinois, was named for McPherson.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals
Further reading
- Gingrich, Newt
Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is an American politician who served as the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999. In 1995, Time magazine selected him as the Person of the Year for his role in leading the Republican Revolution in the House, ending 40 years of the...
, and Forstchen, William R., Never Call Retreat: Lee and Grant: The Final VictoryNever Call Retreat: Lee and Grant: The Final Victory is the conclusion of an alternate history trilogy by former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Newt Gingrich, William R. Forstchen, and Albert S. Hanser. It was published in 2005 by Thomas Dunne Books. The other two books are...
, Thomas Dunne Books, 2005, ISBN 0-312-34298-5. This alternate historyAlternate history or alternative history is a subgenre of literary fiction, though it often uses the tropes of science fiction and historical fiction that is set in a world in which history has diverged from the actual history of the world. It is sometimes abbreviated AH. Another...
novel includes McPherson as a major character.
External links