States Rights Gist
Encyclopedia
States Rights Gist was a lawyer, a militia
general in South Carolina, and a Confederate Army
brigadier general who served during the American Civil War
. A relative of several prominent South Carolinians, Gist rose to fame during the war but was killed before its end at the Battle of Franklin (1864) on November 30, 1864. His name was based on the nullification
politics of his father, Nathaniel Gist. Nathaniel Gist was a disciple of John C. Calhoun
and chose his son's name to reflect his own political sentiments.
, South Carolina
, to Nathaniel Gist and Elizabeth Lewis McDaniel and was distantly related to Mordecai Gist
, a general in the Continental Army
during the American Revolution
. He graduated from South Carolina College, now the University of South Carolina
. Gist attended Harvard Law School
for a year without graduating and then moved home to Union to practice law. In 1863, Gist married Jane Margaret Adams, whose father was James Hopkins Adams
, governor of South Carolina from 1854 until 1856. In 1858, Gist's cousin William Henry Gist
became governor. Both were active in the secession movement.
as captain of a volunteer company. He became aide-de-camp to the governor in 1854. By April 1856 he was a brigadier general
in the South Carolina Militia. One of his many roles was to train fellow militia members for war. His older cousin, William Henry Gist
, who was governor between 1858 and 1860, appointed States Rights Gist as "especial" aide-de-camp. General Gist then came to Columbia
to become part of the governor's household. In April 1860, General Gist resigned from the militia and became a full–time advisor to the governor. In October 1860, the governor sent his cousin to six other governors of Southern states to seek support for secession due to the likely election of Abraham Lincoln
as the next President of the United States
.
on December 20, 1860, the new governor of South Carolina, Francis Pickens, appointed Gist as state adjutant and inspector general. While in this role Gist acquired weapons and mobilized military manpower throughout the state. Also in this capacity, he briefly oversaw operations in preparation for the occupation of the Charleston, South Carolina
harbor and the reduction of Fort Sumter
. The Confederate government took over this operation in February 1861 and appointed General P. G. T. Beauregard
to command it. Gist accompanied Pickens and Beauregard for the raising of the state and Confederate flags over Fort Sumter after its surrender on April 14, 1861.
to the Confederate Army of the Potomac as a volunteer aide-de-camp to another South Carolina general, Brig. Gen. Barnard Bee
, and accompanied Bee on July 20, 1861 to the First Battle of Manassas. Bee was killed during the battle soon after giving Stonewall Jackson
his famous nickname. General Beauregard assigned Gist to lead the 4th Alabama Regiment after Bee and the regiment's Colonel Jones were killed in the battle. Gist himself was slightly wounded.
in the fall of 1861 and for entry into the Confederate Army
in winter 1862. On March 20, 1862, through the influence of Confederate Senator James Chesnut of South Carolina, Gist was appointed a brigadier general in the Confederate Army and commanded the James Island military district and a brigade in coastal defenses between May 1862 and May 1863.
Gist was third in command of Confederate forces at the Battle of Secessionville in June 1862, commanded troops sent to oppose a landing by Union forces at Pocotaligo, South Carolina in October 1862, led a small division of reinforcements in North Carolina between December 1862 and January 1863 and was present at the Union naval attack on Charleston on April 7, 1863. He was not personally involved in combat operations at any of these battles or events.
in Mississippi that were trying to relieve Confederate forces under attack at Vicksburg by the Union Army
under the command of then Major General Ulysses S. Grant
. After arriving in Mississippi, Walker was promoted to major general and Gist's brigade was placed in Walker's division. They participated in the Vicksburg Campaign
and the Battle of Jackson, Mississippi. Johnston's efforts in the Vicksburg Campaign
were unsuccessful and the fortress city fell to the Union Army
under General Grant
on July 4, 1863.
to join General Braxton Bragg's
Army of Tennessee
. Gist's brigade was first stationed at Rome, Georgia
, but on September 17, 1863, Gist was ordered to return with his brigade to Walker's division. Gist and his men arrived at the Battle of Chickamauga
on the morning of September 20, 1863 to find that Gist had to take command of the division because Walker was in temporary command of a corps. Gist's brigade lost 170 men in 45 minutes when they had to plug a hole in the line of Maj. Gen. John C. Breckenridge.
Gist again commanded Walker's division during the Third Battle of Chattanooga in November 1863. The division served as the rear guard for the retreat of Breckenridge's corps from Missionary Ridge
. While many of Bragg's principal subordinates opposed him during the turmoil in the Army of Tennessee in the fall of 1863, Walker and Gist remained loyal to Bragg.
. During the Battle of Atlanta
Walker was killed and Gist was wounded in a hand on July 22, 1864. On July 24, 1864, Walker's division was broken up and Gist's brigade was assigned to the division of Maj. Gen. Benjamin F. Cheatham
. Gist returned to duty a month later after recuperating from his wound.
during Lt. Gen. John Bell Hood
's Franklin-Nashville Campaign
.
in Franklin, Tennessee
but two others state that he was killed instantly on the battlefield. He was one of twelve Confederate generals who were casualties that day, six of them killed in action. In addition, Brig. Gen. George W. Gordon was wounded and taken prisoner.
Gist had proven to be a brave and competent soldier who trained his men well and could be trusted with commands higher than his nominal grade.
Brig. Gen. States Rights Gist is buried in the Trinity Episcopal churchyard in downtown Columbia, South Carolina
.
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
general in South Carolina, and a Confederate 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...
brigadier general who served 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...
. A relative of several prominent South Carolinians, Gist rose to fame during the war but was killed before its end at the Battle of Franklin (1864) on November 30, 1864. His name was based on the nullification
Nullification
Nullification may refer to:* Nullification , a legal theory that a U.S. State has the right to nullify, or invalidate, any federal law that a state has deemed unconstitutional....
politics of his father, Nathaniel Gist. Nathaniel Gist was a disciple 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 chose his son's name to reflect his own political sentiments.
Personal life
Known to his family as "States", Gist was born in UnionUnion, South Carolina
Union is the county seat of Union County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 8,393 at the 2010 census.It is the principal city of the Union Micropolitan Statistical Area , an which includes all of Union County and which is further included in the greater...
, 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...
, to Nathaniel Gist and Elizabeth Lewis McDaniel and was distantly related to Mordecai Gist
Mordecai Gist
Mordecai Gist was a member of a prominent Maryland family who became a general in command of the Maryland Line in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War....
, a general in the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
during the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. He graduated from South Carolina College, now the University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
. Gist attended Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
for a year without graduating and then moved home to Union to practice law. In 1863, Gist married Jane Margaret Adams, whose father was James Hopkins Adams
James Hopkins Adams
James Hopkins Adams was an American politician from South Carolina. He served in the South Carolina Legislature and was the 66th governor of the state.-Biography:...
, governor of South Carolina from 1854 until 1856. In 1858, Gist's cousin William Henry Gist
William Henry Gist
William Henry Gist was the 68th Governor of South Carolina from 1858 to 1860 and a leader of the secession movement in South Carolina.-Early life and career:...
became governor. Both were active in the secession movement.
Pre-Civil War state militia and governor's office service
Soon after his return to South Carolina in 1853, Gist served in the state militiaMilitia (United States)
The role of militia, also known as military service and duty, in the United States is complex and has transformed over time.Spitzer, Robert J.: The Politics of Gun Control, Page 36. Chatham House Publishers, Inc., 1995. " The term militia can be used to describe any number of groups within the...
as captain of a volunteer company. He became aide-de-camp to the governor in 1854. By April 1856 he was a brigadier general
Brigadier general (United States)
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...
in the South Carolina Militia. One of his many roles was to train fellow militia members for war. His older cousin, William Henry Gist
William Henry Gist
William Henry Gist was the 68th Governor of South Carolina from 1858 to 1860 and a leader of the secession movement in South Carolina.-Early life and career:...
, who was governor between 1858 and 1860, appointed States Rights Gist as "especial" aide-de-camp. General Gist then came to Columbia
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...
to become part of the governor's household. In April 1860, General Gist resigned from the militia and became a full–time advisor to the governor. In October 1860, the governor sent his cousin to six other governors of Southern states to seek support for secession due to the likely election of Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
as the next President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
.
Fort Sumter
In January, 1861, after South Carolina had seceded from the UnionUnion (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
on December 20, 1860, the new governor of South Carolina, Francis Pickens, appointed Gist as state adjutant and inspector general. While in this role Gist acquired weapons and mobilized military manpower throughout the state. Also in this capacity, he briefly oversaw operations in preparation for the occupation of the Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
harbor and the reduction of Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter is a Third System masonry coastal fortification located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. The fort is best known as the site upon which the shots initiating the American Civil War were fired, at the Battle of Fort Sumter.- Construction :...
. The Confederate government took over this operation in February 1861 and appointed General P. G. T. Beauregard
P. G. T. Beauregard
Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard was a Louisiana-born American military officer, politician, inventor, writer, civil servant, and the first prominent general of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Today he is commonly referred to as P. G. T. Beauregard, but he rarely used...
to command it. Gist accompanied Pickens and Beauregard for the raising of the state and Confederate flags over Fort Sumter after its surrender on April 14, 1861.
First Manassas
In July 1861, Gist was assigned by General Joseph E. JohnstonJoseph E. Johnston
Joseph 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...
to the Confederate Army of the Potomac as a volunteer aide-de-camp to another South Carolina general, Brig. Gen. Barnard Bee
Barnard Elliott Bee, Jr.
Barnard Elliott Bee Jr. was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. He was mortally wounded at the First Battle of Bull Run, one of the first general officers to be killed in the war. During that battle, he was responsible for the...
, and accompanied Bee on July 20, 1861 to the First Battle of Manassas. Bee was killed during the battle soon after giving Stonewall Jackson
Stonewall Jackson
ຄຽשת״ׇׂׂׂׂ֣|birth_place= Clarksburg, Virginia |death_place=Guinea Station, Virginia|placeofburial=Stonewall Jackson Memorial CemeteryLexington, Virginia|placeofburial_label= Place of burial|image=...
his famous nickname. General Beauregard assigned Gist to lead the 4th Alabama Regiment after Bee and the regiment's Colonel Jones were killed in the battle. Gist himself was slightly wounded.
Coastal Defenses
After the Battle of First Manassas, Gist returned to Columbia to prepare state forces to defend Port RoyalPort Royal, South Carolina
Port Royal is a town in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. Largely because of annexation of surrounding areas , the population of Port Royal rose from 3,950 in 2000 to 10,678 in 2010, a 170% increase. As defined by the U.S...
in the fall of 1861 and for entry into the Confederate 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...
in winter 1862. On March 20, 1862, through the influence of Confederate Senator James Chesnut of South Carolina, Gist was appointed a brigadier general in the Confederate Army and commanded the James Island military district and a brigade in coastal defenses between May 1862 and May 1863.
Gist was third in command of Confederate forces at the Battle of Secessionville in June 1862, commanded troops sent to oppose a landing by Union forces at Pocotaligo, South Carolina in October 1862, led a small division of reinforcements in North Carolina between December 1862 and January 1863 and was present at the Union naval attack on Charleston on April 7, 1863. He was not personally involved in combat operations at any of these battles or events.
Vicksburg
In May 1863, Gist and Brig. Gen. W.H.T. Walker led two brigades of South Carolina troops to reinforce Confederate forces under Gen. Joseph E. JohnstonJoseph E. Johnston
Joseph 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...
in Mississippi that were trying to relieve Confederate forces under attack at Vicksburg by the Union Army
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...
under the command of then Major General Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
. After arriving in Mississippi, Walker was promoted to major general and Gist's brigade was placed in Walker's division. They participated in the Vicksburg Campaign
Vicksburg Campaign
The Vicksburg Campaign was a series of maneuvers and battles in the Western Theater of the American Civil War directed against Vicksburg, Mississippi, a fortress city that dominated the last Confederate-controlled section of the Mississippi River. The Union Army of the Tennessee under Maj. Gen....
and the Battle of Jackson, Mississippi. Johnston's efforts in the Vicksburg Campaign
Vicksburg Campaign
The Vicksburg Campaign was a series of maneuvers and battles in the Western Theater of the American Civil War directed against Vicksburg, Mississippi, a fortress city that dominated the last Confederate-controlled section of the Mississippi River. The Union Army of the Tennessee under Maj. Gen....
were unsuccessful and the fortress city fell to the Union Army
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...
under General Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
on July 4, 1863.
Chickamauga, Chattanooga
After the Vicksburg Campaign, in August 1863, Walker's division was sent to Chattanooga, TennesseeChattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
to join General Braxton Bragg's
Braxton Bragg
Braxton Bragg was a career United States Army officer, and then a general in the Confederate States Army—a principal commander in the Western Theater of the American Civil War and later the military adviser to Confederate President Jefferson Davis.Bragg, a native of North Carolina, was...
Army of Tennessee
Army of Tennessee
The Army of Tennessee was the principal Confederate army operating between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River during the American Civil War. It was formed in late 1862 and fought until the end of the war in 1865, participating in most of the significant battles in the Western Theater...
. Gist's brigade was first stationed at Rome, Georgia
Rome, Georgia
Located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Rome is the largest city and the county seat of Floyd County, Georgia, United States. It is the principal city of the Rome, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Floyd County...
, but on September 17, 1863, Gist was ordered to return with his brigade to Walker's division. Gist and his men arrived at the Battle of Chickamauga
Battle of Chickamauga
The Battle of Chickamauga, fought September 19–20, 1863, marked the end of a Union offensive in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia called the Chickamauga Campaign...
on the morning of September 20, 1863 to find that Gist had to take command of the division because Walker was in temporary command of a corps. Gist's brigade lost 170 men in 45 minutes when they had to plug a hole in the line of Maj. Gen. John C. Breckenridge.
Gist again commanded Walker's division during the Third Battle of Chattanooga in November 1863. The division served as the rear guard for the retreat of Breckenridge's corps from Missionary Ridge
Battle of Missionary Ridge
The Battle of Missionary Ridge was fought November 25, 1863, as part of the Chattanooga Campaign of the American Civil War. Following the Union victory in the Battle of Lookout Mountain on November 24, Union forces under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant assaulted Missionary Ridge and defeated the...
. While many of Bragg's principal subordinates opposed him during the turmoil in the Army of Tennessee in the fall of 1863, Walker and Gist remained loyal to Bragg.
Atlanta
Gist's brigade remained with Walker's division during the Atlanta CampaignAtlanta Campaign
The Atlanta Campaign was a series of battles fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta during the summer of 1864. Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman invaded Georgia from the vicinity of Chattanooga, Tennessee, beginning in May...
. During the Battle of Atlanta
Battle of Atlanta
The 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 commanded by William T. Sherman overwhelmed...
Walker was killed and Gist was wounded in a hand on July 22, 1864. On July 24, 1864, Walker's division was broken up and Gist's brigade was assigned to the division of Maj. Gen. Benjamin F. Cheatham
Benjamin F. Cheatham
Benjamin Franklin Cheatham , known also as Frank, was a Tennessee aristocrat, California gold miner, and a General in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, serving in many battles of the Western Theater.-Early years:Cheatham was born in Nashville, Tennessee on a plantation...
. Gist returned to duty a month later after recuperating from his wound.
Franklin-Nashville Campaign
After the Battle of Atlanta, Gist commanded a brigade under Maj. Gen. John C. BrownJohn C. Brown
John Calvin Brown was a Confederate general during the American Civil War and the Governor of Tennessee from 1871 to 1875, the first Democrat to be elected to that position following the war.-Early life:...
during Lt. Gen. John Bell Hood
John Bell Hood
John Bell Hood was a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Hood had a reputation for bravery and aggressiveness that sometimes bordered on recklessness...
's Franklin-Nashville Campaign
Franklin-Nashville Campaign
The Franklin-Nashville Campaign, also known as Hood's Tennessee Campaign, was a series of battles in the Western Theater, conducted from September 18 to December 27, 1864, in Alabama, Tennessee, and northwestern Georgia during the American Civil War. The Confederate Army of Tennessee under Lt....
.
Death at Franklin
Gist was shot in the chest while leading his brigade in a charge against Federal fortifications at the Battle of Franklin on November 30, 1864. He was leading the brigade on foot after his horse had been shot. Two sources state that he died of his wounds soon after at a field hospitalField hospital
A field hospital is a large mobile medical unit that temporarily takes care of casualties on-site before they can be safely transported to more permanent hospital facilities...
in Franklin, Tennessee
Franklin, Tennessee
Franklin is a city within and the county seat of Williamson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 62,487 as of the 2010 census Franklin is located approximately south of downtown Nashville.-History:...
but two others state that he was killed instantly on the battlefield. He was one of twelve Confederate generals who were casualties that day, six of them killed in action. In addition, Brig. Gen. George W. Gordon was wounded and taken prisoner.
Gist had proven to be a brave and competent soldier who trained his men well and could be trusted with commands higher than his nominal grade.
Brig. Gen. States Rights Gist is buried in the Trinity Episcopal churchyard in downtown Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...
.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals