{⋆★⋆} BG Adams, John

John Adams

:CSA1stNat:
Adams.jpg


Born: July 1, 1825

Birth Place: Nashville, Tennessee

Father: Thomas Patton Adams 1796 – 1841

Mother: Anne Tennant 1799 – 1857

Wife: Georgiana McDougall 1835 – 1905
(Buried: Cavalry Cemetery & Mausoleum, St. Louis, Missouri)​
Married: May 4, 1854 at Fort Snelling, Minnesota

Children:

Thomas Patton Adams 1856 – 1920​
(Buried: Cavalry Cemetery & Mausoleum, St. Louis, Missouri)​
John Adams Jr. 1858 – 1905​
(Buried: Cavalry Cemetery & Mausoleum, St. Louis, Missouri)​
Francis Joseph Adams 1859 – 1920​
(Buried: Highland Cemetery, Great Falls, Montana)​
Georgiana Adams Pallen 1861 – 1936​
(Buried: Cavalry Cemetery & Mausoleum, St. Louis, Missouri)​
Emma Portis Adams Dickson 1863 – 1946​
(Buried: Cavalry Cemetery & Mausoleum, St. Louis, Missouri)​

Education:

1846: Graduated from West Point Military Academy (25th in class)​
George Pickett’s roommate at West Point​

Occupation before War:

1846: Brevet 2nd Lt. United States Army, 1st Dragoons​
1846 – 1851: 2nd Lt. United States Army, 1st Dragoons​
Served in the Assault at Santa Cruz de Rosales​
1848: Brevetted 1st Lt. for Gallantry at Santa Cruz de Rosales​
1848: Frontier Duty in Santa Fe, New Mexico Territory​
1848 – 1849: Frontier Duty at Taos, New Mexico Territory​
1849 – 1850: Served in the Expedition against Utah Indians​
1851 – 1856: 1st Lt. United States Army, 1st Dragoons​
1853: Aide with the rank of Lt. Colonel for Governor of Minnesota​
1856 – 1861: Captain United States Army 1st​ Dragoons​
1856 – 1858: Recruiter for United States Army​
1859 – 1861: Frontier Duty at Fort Crook, California​
1861: Resigned from United States Army on May 31st

Civil War Career:

1861 – 1862: Captain in Confederate Cavalry​
1862: Colonel of Confederate Cavalry​
1862 – 1864: Brigadier General of Confederate Infantry​
1863: Served in the Vicksburg, Mississippi Campaign​
1864: Served in the Battle of Resaca, Georgia​
1864: Served with Gallantry during Battle of Atlanta
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1864: Killed during the Second Battle of Franklin, Tennessee​

Died: November 30, 1864

Place of Death: Franklin, Tennessee

Age at time of Death: 39 years old

Cause of Death: Mortally wounded and died from nine bullet wounds

Last Words: “It is the fate of a soldier to die for his country.”

Burial Place: Maplewood Cemetery, Pulaski, Tennessee

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If I am not mistaken, at the battle of Franklin he was shot dead after jumping his horse over a trench into the Union lines. He must have had some interesting West Point stories to tell being the roommate of George E. Pickett.
Yeah it's my understanding that's how he died to. With a roommate like Pickett I am sure there had to be some interesting stuff.
 
John Adams was in command of the 4th Military District, Department of Mississippi & East Louisiana, which the 1st Choctaw Battalion was a part of. I have a primary source, a copy from the National Archives, document that states: "In view of all the facts, I felt constrained to say that, in my opinion, this battalion is worthless, and is a useless expense to the government. The number is less than half the minimum number required for one company, and there is very little prospect of an increase. I would respectfully recommend that it be disbanded." This Gen. Adams wrote (to Maj. Robert W. Memminger) criticizing the battalion's short-lived performance.

General J.C. Pemberton concurred, "I am of the same opinion as that of Gen. Adams. So far, this battalion has been of no use, and there is no apparent chance of improvement. I recommend that those, who because remained with the command, have been regularly mustered and since presented inspection be paid. The remainder not being paid, and … the battalion be disbanded, being a useless expense to the government."

It appears most of the American Indian battalion members deserted on the assertion of not getting paid. However, some Indian soldiers returned to duty and were eventually captured. They were sent to New Orleans and were interrogated. Not long after they were sent north via steamship where they were incarcerated near New York City. Although I haven't found any solid evidence (such as newspaper articles), the Indian prisoners were said to have been paraded around New York City. There are newspapers articles about them arriving in New York and the role that they played during the War. I'm still hoping to discover photographic images of Indian prisoners.🤞
 
According to a witness (an unidentified Indiana Colonel) he was shot 9 times at Franklin. And according to that same witness he uttered these words before dying. "It is the fate of a soldier to die for his country."
 
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