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Ranald S. Mackenzie

 

 
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Ranald S. Mackenzie
 
 
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Ranald Slidell Mackenzie (July 27, 1840 – January 19, 1889) was a career United States Army
United States Army

The United States Army is the branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for Army operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S....
 officer and general in the Union Army
Union Army

The Union Army was the army that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S....
 during the American Civil War
American Civil War

The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several Naming the American Civil War, was a civil war in the United States....
, described by General Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant, born Hiram Ulysses Grant , was an United States general and the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States ....
 as its most promising young officer. He also served with great distinction in the following Indian Wars
Indian Wars

Indian Wars is the name generally used in the United States to describe a series of conflicts between the colonial or federal government and the indigenous peoples of North America....
.

enzie was born in Westchester County, New York
Westchester County, New York

Westchester County is a primarily suburban Political subdivisions of New York State#County located in the U.S. state of New York with about 950,000 residents....
, the nephew of Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America

The Confederate States of America formed as the government set up from 1861 to 1865 by eleven Southern United States U.S. state of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S....
 diplomat John Slidell
John Slidell

John Slidell was an United States politician, lawyer and businessman. Originally a native of New York, Slidell moved to Louisiana as a young man and became a staunch defender of southern rights as a United States House of Representatives and United States Senate....
 and the brother of Lt. Commander Alexander Slidell MacKenzie
Alexander Slidell Mackenzie

Alexander Slidell Mackenzie was a United States Navy officer who served during the first half of the 19th century. He was the brother of U.S. Senator John Slidell, who was involved in the American Civil War's "Trent Affair."...
, United States Navy
United States Navy

The United States Navy is the navy of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy currently has approximately 331,682 personnel on active duty as of 31 December 2008 and 124,000 in the United States Navy Reserve....
. He graduated from the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy

The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational United States Service academies located at West Point, New York, New York....
 at the head of his class in 1862 and immediately joined the Union
Union Army

The Union Army was the army that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S....
 forces already fighting in the Civil War.

issioned a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant

Second Lieutenant is the lowest Officer military rank in many armed forces.In British English the rank is pronounced second /l?f't?n?nt/ , while in American English it is pronounced second /lu't?n?nt/ ....
 in the Corps of Engineers, Mackenzie served in the battles of Second Bull Run, Antietam
Battle of Antietam

The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern United States soil....
, Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg

The Battle of Gettysburg , fought in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign, was the battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War and is frequently cited as the war's Turning point of the American Civil War....
, and through the Overland Campaign
Overland Campaign

The Overland Campaign, also known as Grant's Overland Campaign and the Wilderness Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June 1864, in the American Civil War....
 in 1864.






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Ranald Slidell Mackenzie (July 27, 1840 – January 19, 1889) was a career United States Army
United States Army

The United States Army is the branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for Army operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S....
 officer and general in the Union Army
Union Army

The Union Army was the army that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S....
 during the American Civil War
American Civil War

The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several Naming the American Civil War, was a civil war in the United States....
, described by General Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant, born Hiram Ulysses Grant , was an United States general and the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States ....
 as its most promising young officer. He also served with great distinction in the following Indian Wars
Indian Wars

Indian Wars is the name generally used in the United States to describe a series of conflicts between the colonial or federal government and the indigenous peoples of North America....
.

Early life and education

Mackenzie was born in Westchester County, New York
Westchester County, New York

Westchester County is a primarily suburban Political subdivisions of New York State#County located in the U.S. state of New York with about 950,000 residents....
, the nephew of Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America

The Confederate States of America formed as the government set up from 1861 to 1865 by eleven Southern United States U.S. state of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S....
 diplomat John Slidell
John Slidell

John Slidell was an United States politician, lawyer and businessman. Originally a native of New York, Slidell moved to Louisiana as a young man and became a staunch defender of southern rights as a United States House of Representatives and United States Senate....
 and the brother of Lt. Commander Alexander Slidell MacKenzie
Alexander Slidell Mackenzie

Alexander Slidell Mackenzie was a United States Navy officer who served during the first half of the 19th century. He was the brother of U.S. Senator John Slidell, who was involved in the American Civil War's "Trent Affair."...
, United States Navy
United States Navy

The United States Navy is the navy of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy currently has approximately 331,682 personnel on active duty as of 31 December 2008 and 124,000 in the United States Navy Reserve....
. He graduated from the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy

The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational United States Service academies located at West Point, New York, New York....
 at the head of his class in 1862 and immediately joined the Union
Union Army

The Union Army was the army that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S....
 forces already fighting in the Civil War.

Military career

Commissioned a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant

Second Lieutenant is the lowest Officer military rank in many armed forces.In British English the rank is pronounced second /l?f't?n?nt/ , while in American English it is pronounced second /lu't?n?nt/ ....
 in the Corps of Engineers, Mackenzie served in the battles of Second Bull Run, Antietam
Battle of Antietam

The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern United States soil....
, Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg

The Battle of Gettysburg , fought in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign, was the battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War and is frequently cited as the war's Turning point of the American Civil War....
, and through the Overland Campaign
Overland Campaign

The Overland Campaign, also known as Grant's Overland Campaign and the Wilderness Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June 1864, in the American Civil War....
 in 1864. By June, 1864 he had been brevetted to Lieutenant Colonel in the Regulars due to bravery, and had already served in regimental command at the Wilderness
Battle of the Wilderness

The Battle of the Wilderness, fought May 5–7, 1864, was the first battle of Lieutenant general Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against General Robert E....
 and Spotsylvania
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House

The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania, was the second major battle in Lieutenant general Ulysses S....
.

In July 1864, he was appointed colonel
Colonel (United States)

In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, Colonel is a senior field officer United States Military Officer military rank just above the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and just below the rank of Brigadier General ....
 of the 2nd Connecticut Heavy Artillery
2nd Connecticut Heavy Artillery

The 2nd Connecticut Heavy Artillery was a volunteer infantry regiment which served in the Union Army during the American Civil War....
, which served as infantry during the assaults on Petersburg
Battle of Petersburg II

The Second Battle of Petersburg, also known as the Assault on Petersburg, was the major attempt by the Union Army to take Petersburg, Virginia, before the main Confederate Army could reinforce the city....
, where he was wounded. This incident, in which he lost two fingers, was the probable cause for his nickname, "Bad Hand". He moved with the VI Corps
VI Corps (ACW)

The VI Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War....
 when it opposed Early's Washington Raid
Valley Campaigns of 1864

The Valley Campaigns of 1864 were American Civil War operations and battles that took place in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia from May to October 1864....
. He was given command of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, VI Corps and was again wounded at the Battle of Cedar Creek
Battle of Cedar Creek

The Battle of Cedar Creek, or The Battle of Belle Grove, October 19, 1864, was one of the final, and most decisive, battles in the Valley Campaigns of 1864 during the American Civil War....
. Upon his recovery, he was appointed brigadier general
Brigadier general (United States)

A brigadier general in the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, is a 1 star rank general officer, with the U.S....
 of volunteers and assumed command of the Cavalry
Cavalry

The Cavalry is the second oldest of the Combat Arms, and as soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback in combat, it represents the mobility and offensive power of the armed forces....
 Division in the Army of the James
Army of the James

The Army of the James was a Union army Army that was composed of units from the Department of Virginia and North Carolina and served along the James River during the final operations of the American Civil War in Virginia....
, which he led at the battles of Five Forks
Battle of Five Forks

The Battle of Five Forks was fought on April 1, 1865, southwest of Petersburg, Virginia, in Dinwiddie County, during the Appomattox Campaign of the American Civil War....
 and Appomattox Courthouse
Battle of Appomattox Courthouse

The Battle of Appomattox Courthouse was the final engagement of Confederate States Army General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia before it surrender to the Union Army under Lieutenant General Ulysses S....
. He was appointed brevet
Brevet (military)

In the U.K. and U.S. military, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher Military rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank....
 major general
Major general (United States)

In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a 2 star rank general officer rank, with the U.S....
 of volunteers in 1865 for services in the Shenandoah Valley Campaign
Valley Campaigns of 1864

The Valley Campaigns of 1864 were American Civil War operations and battles that took place in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia from May to October 1864....
. Mackenzie was known for his harsh discipline and was not well liked by troops serving under him, who called him the "Perpetual Punisher". However, he was respected by his peers and superiors for his skill and abilities, prompting General Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant, born Hiram Ulysses Grant , was an United States general and the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States ....
 to refer to him as the "most promising young officer" in the entire Union army. He had been wounded six times and seven Brevets.

Service in the Indian Wars

After the Civil War, Mackenzie stayed in the regular army and reverted to his permanent rank of captain in the Army Corps of Engineers. He then served in the West during the Indian Wars
Indian Wars

Indian Wars is the name generally used in the United States to describe a series of conflicts between the colonial or federal government and the indigenous peoples of North America....
 and was appointed colonel in the regular army in 1867 in the 41st U.S. Infantry (later 24th U.S. Infantry, one of the Buffalo Soldier
Buffalo Soldier

Buffalo Soldiers is a nickname originally applied to the members of the 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army by the Native Americans in the United States tribes they Indian Wars....
 regiments) and fought against the Apache
Apache

Apache is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans in the United States. These indigenous peoples of North America speak a Southern Athabaskan languages language, and are related linguistically to the languages of Athabaskan speakers of Alaska and western Canada....
 Indians in the Southwest. On February 25, 1871, he took command of the 4th U.S. Cavalry
U.S. 4th Cavalry Regiment

The 4th Cavalry Regiment is a United States Army cavalry regiment, whose lineage is traced back to the mid-19th century. It was one of the most effective units of the Army against Indians on the Texas frontier....
 at Fort Richardson
Fort Richardson, Texas

Fort Richardson was an United States Army installation located one mile south of Jacksboro, Texas. Named in honor of Union General Israel B. Richardson, who died in the Battle of Antietam during the American Civil War, it was active from 1867 to 1878....
 in Jacksboro, Texas
Jacksboro, Texas

Jacksboro is a city in Jack County, Texas, Texas, United States. The population was 4,533 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Jack County, Texas....
. He led the regiment at the Battle of the North Fork
Battle of the North Fork of the Red River

The Battle of North Fork or the Battle of the North Fork of the Red River occurred on September 28, 1872, near McClellan Creek in Gray County, Texas, United States....
 in the Llano Estacado
Llano Estacado

Llano Estacado is a region in the southwestern United States that encompasses parts of eastern New Mexico and northwestern Texas, including the South Plains and parts of the Texas Panhandle....
 of West Texas
West Texas

West Texas is a region in Texas that has more in common geographically with the Southwestern United States than it does with the rest of the state....
, where he perfected a strategy for that unique terrain for defeating Indians who resisted the government policy of moving them to reservations. In late 1871 he was wounded a seventh time by an arrow in the leg.

Mackenzie fought in the Red River War
Red River War

The Red River War was a military campaign launched by the U.S. Army in 1874 to remove the Comanche, Kiowa, Southern Cheyenne, and Arapaho Indian tribes from the Southern Plains and enforce their relocation to reservations in Indian Territory....
, routing a combined Indian force at the Battle of Palo Duro Canyon
Battle of Palo Duro Canyon

The Battle of Palo Duro Canyon was a significant U.S. victory that brought about the end of the Red River War....
 far to the north from his headquarters at Fort Concho
Fort Concho

Fort Concho is a National Historic Landmark owned and operated since 1935 by the city of San Angelo, Texas, the seat of Tom Green County, Texas in West Texas....
 in San Angelo, Texas
San Angelo, Texas

San Angelo is a city in and the county seat of Tom Green County, Texas, Texas, United States, in West-Central Texas. As of the United States Census, 2000, the city had a total population of 88,439....
. In 1876, he defeated the Cheyenne
Cheyenne

Cheyenne are a native Americans in the United States nation of the Great Plains. The Cheyenne Nation is composed of two united Indian tribe, the S?'taa'e and the Ts?-ts?h?st?hese , which translates to "those like us"....
 in the Dull Knife Fight
Dull Knife Fight

The Dull Knife Fight was a Great Plains battle in the Wyoming Territory between the United States Army and the Northern Cheyenne as part of the Great Sioux War of 1876-77....
, which helped bring about the end of the Black Hills War
Black Hills War

The Black Hills War was a series of conflicts between the Lakota people , their allies, and the United States from 1876 until 1877....
. This led to his appointment as commander of the District of New Mexico in 1881. In 1882, he was appointed brigadier general and assigned to the Department of Texas (October 30, 1883). He bought a Texas Ranch and was engaged to be married; however he began to demonstrate odd behavior which was attributed to a fall from a wagon at Fort Sill
Fort Sill

Fort Sill is a United States Army post near Lawton, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, about 85 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.Today, Fort Sill remains the only active Army installation of all the forts on the South Plains built during the Indian Wars....
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma

Oklahoma is a U.S. state and a sovereignty located in the South Central United States and Southern United States of the United States of America ....
, in which he injured his head. Showing signs of mental instability, he was retired from the Army on March 24, 1884 for "General paresis of the insane
General paresis of the insane

General paresis, also known as general paralysis of the insane or paralytic dementia, is a now-rare neuropsychiatry disorder affecting the brain and central nervous system, caused by syphilis infection....
".

Mackenzie died at his sister's home in New Brighton, Staten Island, New York, and is buried in West Point National Cemetery. The New York Times which had once followed and reported on his career so closely over the years, printed but a short notice of his death. However, the Army and Navy Journal carried a lengthy article on his career and personal life, beginning the article with "The sorrow with which the Army will learn of the death of the once brilliant Ranald Slidell MacKenzie derives an additional pang from the recollection of the cloud which overshadowed his later years and consigned him to a living death."

The 1958-1959 syndicated
Television syndication

In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows to multiple individual stations, without going through a broadcast network....
 television series, Mackenzie's Raiders
Mackenzie's Raiders

Mackenzie's Raiders is a Western television series starring Richard Carlson that aired in television syndication from 1958 until 1959.Carlson played Colonel Ranald Mackenzie, commander of the 4th Cavalry Regiment at Fort Clark, Texas near Brackettville, Texas, Texas, during thee 1870s....
, starring Richard Carlson in the title role, is loosely based on Mackenzie's time in Texas.

See also



External links