Confederate Lieutenant Colonel

TayNinh46 · Jun 24, 2023

I have what I believe is a portrait of a Confederate Lieutenant Colonel (attached). This cabinet card is post Civil War circa 1880's to 1890's. The photo was taken by the Houston, Texas, photographer, C. R. Blackburn (1008 1/2 Prairie Ave, Houston, Texas). No other information is available.

My question is this: Does anyone recognize this Confederate officer? Any help in identifying this officer would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Lee

RedRover · Jun 24, 2023

Fantastic image.

Your portrait is of a Confederate Army general. Look close at his collar insignia. The visible stars are surrounded by a wreath.

You can also see that the buttons on his coat are in pairs (two at top very close together, etc.). This was common on Confedeate general's coats. Compare with Gen. Marchus J. Wright's coat and insignia at the Smithsonian:

Looking over the pantheon of Confederate generals, your photograph is of Major General John Austin Wharton (1828-1865), a cavalry commander in the west. Served at Chickamauga and in the Red River campaign. He was killed in Texas in April, 1865 by a fellow officer.

Here's a flipped/corrected version of your image:

Reconstructed Rebel · Jun 24, 2023

Wikipedia claims he was one of the Confederacy's best tactical cavalry officers and he was killed by a fellow officer when he accused the other officer of being a liar in a dispute over military matters.

John A. Wharton - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

TayNinh46 · Jun 24, 2023

RedRover said:
Fantastic image.

Your portrait is of a Confederate Army general. Look close at his collar insignia. The visible stars are surrounded by a wreath.

View attachment 475824

You can also see that the buttons on his coat are in pairs (two at top very close together, etc.). This was common on Confedeate general's coats. Compare with Gen. Marchus J. Wright's coat and insignia at the Smithsonian:

View attachment 475825

View attachment 475826

Looking over the pantheon of Confederate generals, your photograph is of Major General John Austin Wharton (1828-1865), a cavalry commander in the west. Served at Chickamauga and in the Red River campaign. He was killed in Texas in April, 1865 by a fellow officer.
View attachment 475827

View attachment 475821

Here's a flipped/corrected version of your image:
View attachment 475822

Thank you for the wealth of information you provided and for helping to clear up this mystery for me. I really appreciate it. Lee

Pollaco · Jun 24, 2023

That fellow CS officer was Col. George Wythe Baylor.

TayNinh46 · Jun 24, 2023

Reconstructed Rebel said:
Wikipedia claims he was one of the Confederacy's best tactical cavalry officers and he was killed by a fellow officer when he accused the other officer of being a liar in a dispute over military matters.

John A. Wharton - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Polloco said:
That fellow CS officer was Col. George Wythe Baylor.

Thanks - I'll add that information. Lee

Reconstructed Rebel · Jun 24, 2023

Polloco said:
That fellow CS officer was Col. George Wythe Baylor.

Given that this was April, 1865 and Wharton was said to be an "ardent secessionist," I wonder if the military dispute had anything to do with when, where, and how to surrender following the surrender of Lee?

Pollaco · Jun 24, 2023

That is the button arrangement of a brigadier general isn't it?

RedRover · Jun 25, 2023

Polloco said:
That is the button arrangement of a brigadier general isn't it?

Correct. The Confederate Army uniform regulations of 1861 state, for "brigadier generals"

However, that regarded the Confederate Regular Army, in which there was ONLY the grade of brigadier general (the name changed in May, 1861 to simply "general" as there was only one grade). Consequently, there is no other uniform specified for Confederate generals by national regulations.

Most Confederate Army generals, like Wharton, were generals of the temporary "Provisional Army of the Confederate States" which included brigadier, major, and lieutenant generals. However, by law, the regular army generals (of which there were only five), ranked all the PACS generals. Sometimes historians call the Confederate regular army generals "full generals" etc.

Here's photos of Generals Bragg and Lee, as CSA Regular Army Generals... with their buttons in pairs per regulation.

IN the United States Army, and some States by their militia/State troops regulations, the brigadiers had the buttons in pairs, and grades of general above brigadier wore their buttons in sets of three to distinguish them from brigadiers. Many Confederate PACS generals did the same.

Bruce Allardice · Jun 25, 2023

Reconstructed Rebel said:
Given that this was April, 1865 and Wharton was said to be an "ardent secessionist," I wonder if the military dispute had anything to do with when, where, and how to surrender following the surrender of Lee?

The dispute had nothing to do with the surrender. Baylor resented Wharton for ordering his regiment to be dismounted, and other actions that Baylor thought overbearing. See https://www.historynet.com/in-the-confederacys-last-days-two-texans-face-off-in-futile-feud/

Biscoitos · Jun 25, 2023

Bruce Allardice said:
The dispute had nothing to do with the surrender. Baylor resented Wharton for ordering his regiment to be dismounted, and other actions that Baylor thought overbearing. See https://www.historynet.com/in-the-confederacys-last-days-two-texans-face-off-in-futile-feud/

An ounce of researching the facts is worth a ton of speculation.
Same as it ever was.

Pollaco · Jun 25, 2023

RedRover said:
Correct. The Confederate Army uniform regulations of 1861 state, for "brigadier generals"
View attachment 475861

However, that regarded the Confederate Regular Army, in which there was ONLY the grade of brigadier general (the name changed in May, 1861 to simply "general" as there was only one grade). Consequently, there is no other uniform specified for Confederate generals by national regulations.

Most Confederate Army generals, like Wharton, were generals of the temporary "Provisional Army of the Confederate States" which included brigadier, major, and lieutenant generals. However, by law, the regular army generals (of which there were only five), ranked all the PACS generals. Sometimes historians call the Confederate regular army generals "full generals" etc.

Here's photos of Generals Bragg and Lee, as CSA Regular Army Generals... with their buttons in pairs per regulation.
View attachment 475862 View attachment 475863

IN the United States Army, and some States by their militia/State troops regulations, the brigadiers had the buttons in pairs, and grades of general above brigadier wore their buttons in sets of three to distinguish them from brigadiers. Many Confederate PACS generals did the same.

View attachment 475864 View attachment 475865

I'm getting my regulars and the PAC generals mixed up.Are you sure there were only 5 generals? By my count it's more like 7 (8 if you count Hood)

RedRover · Jun 25, 2023

Polloco said:
I'm getting my regulars and the PAC generals mixed up.Are you sure there were only 5 generals? By my count it's more like 7 (8 if you count Hood)

The Confederate Regular Army, by law, had only five generals' slots. By the late summer of 1861 these were filled by Joseph E. Johnston, Samuel Cooper, Albert Sydney Johnston, Robert E. Lee, and P.G.T. Beauregard.

A.S. Johnston was killed in action at Shiloh in April, 1862, and Braxton Bragg promoted into that slot.

The rest were of the rank of "General" (often called "full general" by historians etc.) in the Provisional Army.

Kirby Smith was also serving under a PACS commission as "general" (superior to PACS lieutenant general) by a February, 1864 law:

General Hood was a PACS lieutenant general, promoted to PACS "general" with temporary rank under a May, 1864 congressional act:

Reconstructed Rebel · Jun 25, 2023

Bruce Allardice said:
The dispute had nothing to do with the surrender. Baylor resented Wharton for ordering his regiment to be dismounted, and other actions that Baylor thought overbearing. See https://www.historynet.com/in-the-confederacys-last-days-two-texans-face-off-in-futile-feud/

Great article- lots of interesting details. Thanks for posting the link. It has some similarities to the murder of Bull Nelson in this quote:

It was important to establish for the record whether Wharton had struck Baylor with his fist or merely slapped him. To most of those present, it didn't matter, claiming that no Southern gentleman would meekly accept being physically assaulted.

Pollaco · Jun 25, 2023

RedRover said:
The Confederate Regular Army, by law, had only five generals' slots. By the late summer of 1861 these were filled by Joseph E. Johnston, Samuel Cooper, Albert Sydney Johnston, Robert E. Lee, and P.G.T. Beauregard.

A.S. Johnston was killed in action at Shiloh in April, 1862, and Braxton Bragg promoted into that slot.

View attachment 475880

The rest were of the rank of "General" (often called "full general" by historians etc.) in the Provisional Army.

Kirby Smith was also serving under a PACS commission as "general" (superior to PACS lieutenant general) by a February, 1864 law:
View attachment 475878

General Hood was a PACS lieutenant general, promoted to PACS "general" with temporary rank under a May, 1864 congressional act:

View attachment 475877
View attachment 475879

I mentioned that I was mixed up.

RedRover · Jun 25, 2023

Polloco said:
I mentioned that I was mixed up.

I think only Jefferson Davis could keep track of who was commissioned by what "law", and in which "Confederate army" (regular, provisional, volunteer, etc.) but all according to his appointments. The collapse of the Confederacy rendered these legal distinctions meaningless.

Northstep · Jun 25, 2023

@RedRover Thank you for taking the time to present all the great information. You made it easy for me to finally understand these ranks in the regular army vs PCSA. I had no idea about the set number defined by law.