CSA General Carter Stephenson

[ramkuma]

Does anyone have any information on this general, Carter Stevenson? Shown here in early 1850s dag. There does not appear to be any books on him and very little on the web. Thank you.

 

[Nathan Stuart]

That looks like a pre-Civil War photograph of Confederate Major-General Carter Littlepage Stevenson (born in Fredericksburg, VA, 1817). The photo was probably taken around the early 1850s when he was a Captain in the U.S. Army.

You can obtain some further information about him on the internet by merely googling his name. Am not aware of any stand-alone biographies written on him.

 

[Union_Buff]

I did some digging and then found out quite a bit about Major General Carter Littlepage Stevenson, C.S.A. for you @ramkuma

Wikpedia:

Carter L. Stevenson - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Find A Grave:

Carter Littlepage Stevenson Jr. (1817-1888) - Find...

Civil War Confederate Major General. Born at Fredericksburg, Virginia, he graduated 42nd of 45 in the United States Military Academy class of 1838. He saw action during the Mexican War and later fought Indians on the frontier and Mormons in Utah. He was commissioned Colonel of the 53rd Virginia...

www.findagrave.com

Emerging Civil War:

“Littlepage’s Big Contributions to the Confederacy” - Emerging Civil War

This is another installment of “Tales From the Tombstone.” Littlepage was the middle name of Carter L. Stevenson, a Confederate major general that saw extensive service in the west during the American Civil War. Born in Fredericksburg, Virginia to a wealthy and prominent family, Stevenson...

emergingcivilwar.com

 

[Nathan Stuart]

Thought Stevenson was a capable Confederate Division commander in the western theater. Am a little surprised that could not find a published work dedicated to him.

 

[danny]

Thought Stevenson was a capable Confederate Division commander in the western theater. Am a little surprised that could not find a published work dedicated to him.

Capable seems to have been questionable

 

[Sheltowee]

Have an ancestor who served in his division as a member of the 26th Tennessee.

In absence of a definitive biography, perhaps some regimental histories might offer up more on Stevenson?

His division heavily engaged at Kolb's Farm. So a good book on this battle, or Atlanta campaign, may have some details on the man.

 

[RobertP]

MG Stevenson was in command at Vicksburg from Dec. 1, 1862 - May 1, 1863, when LG Pemberton assumed command of the city's defense.

 

[Nathan Stuart]

Capable seems to have been questionable

'Questionable' is a fair comment. At first glance, Stevenson's wartime performances might look like a mixed bag.

Stevenson was a professional military officer who, in my view, was capable enough (as a Division commander) for the role. After the war began, his leadership ability was recognized through rapid promotion, culminating in his rise to the rank of Major-General commanding an infantry Division in East Tennessee in Oct. '62. (At various times, he also undertook the responsibilities of temporary Corps command too).

In Oct. '62, Stevenson's Division was deployed to Kentucky , then in Dec. '62 it was diverted to Mississippi to reinforce Pemberton. Throughout the Vicksburg campaign, thought that Stevenson generally performed satisfactorily under Pemberton and showed his reliability and effectiveness as a Division commander in the defensive works around Vicksburg. At Champions Hill, Stevenson's Division bore the brunt of the Union assault. His line initially held unaided against the Union attack, until it was overwhelmed by Grant's greater force and broke. Stevenson personally oversaw the rearguard action the next day, following the Confederate defeat and retreat from the Big Black River Bridge.

Following Pemberton's surrender at Vicksburg, Stevenson returned (after being paroled and exchanged) to Division command for the remainder of the war. At Lookout Mountain, Bragg gave Stevenson an impossible long line to defend with insufficient men (he was reduced to three brigades) in difficult geographic conditions. Think Stevenson also suffered here from Bragg's lack of leadership with communications delays. However, when Stevenson was extricated to Bragg's right flag at Chattanooga, Cleburne and Stevenson repeatedly repelled Federal charges at the railroad cut around Tunnel Hill, before the fall of Missionary Ridge.

During the Atlanta campaign, thought Stevenson's Division performed reasonably in both offensive and defensive actions. Initial attacks launched were successful at Resaca and Kolbs Farm until these were repulsed by superior enemy firepower. The Division (or parts thereof) dug in and fought defensively at Rocky Face Ridge, New Hope Church and Kennesaw Mountain. This Division was also involved in a mass Confederate assault east of Atlanta that was repulsed. When Hood took over command of the Army, Stevenson was placed in temporary command of his Corps, until Cheatham replaced him.

Although Stevenson's Division did not participate in the main assault at Franklin, it was engaged at Nashville. After the debacle at Nashville, Stevenson again took over temporary command of the wounded S. D. Lee's Corps and organized and led its retreat from Nashville.

During the Atlanta and Tennessee Campaigns, Stevenson's Division suffered heavy casualties and its size was severely diminished by the start of 1865. His depleted Division subsequently took part in the Carolinas Campaign and was part of the Confederate force defeated at Bentonville in Mar. '65.

Think if one delves deeper into Stevenson's command performances, one might find his actions preponder more on the positive than the negative side. Think he was also sometimes hampered and/or mishandled by the poor management of overall commanders like Bragg and Hood. Suspect Stevenson's forte might have been in organization, managing withdrawals and conducting defensive operations. I would rate his overall performance as mediocre/average to slightly above mediocre/average as a Division commander, with nothing spectacular or outstanding observed about his battlefield performances though. In my reckoning, that's capable or good enough, especially at a time when there was a dearth of experienced senior officers in this Army.

 

[Luke Freet]

Does anyone have any information on this general, Carter Stevenson? Shown here in early 1850s dag. There does not appear to be any books on him and very little on the web. Thank you. View attachment 446305

Old thread, I know, but felt like adding here:
Stevenson was an old army officer, graduating West Point in 1838; served in the Seminole Wars & the Mexican War. Resigned his commision, he raised and led the 54th Virginia before becoming a division commander in Eastern Tennessee. He'd take part in operations around Cumberland Gap and the Kentucky Campaign of 1862, after which, his division was transferred to Vicksburg.
Besides some activity around Cumberland Gap, Stevenson's first real fight would be Champion Hill, where his division did rather poorly, getting overwhelmed and routed by McPherson's Corps. He'd play a peripheral role in the Siege of Vicksburg before he surrendered with the garrison.
His division was exchanged and reorganized by September 1862 and was sent to reinforce the Army of Tennessee around Chattanooga. He was initially serving on the army's eastern flank, threatening to march on Knoxville. However, after a reshuffling and bad blood between Bragg & Longstreet, Stevenson's men were transferred to the western flank. He played a role in the Battle of Lookout Mountain, though a peripheral one at that, before his men were moved once more to the right flank along Missionary Ridge. There, his men successfully supported Cleburne's Division in the defense of Tunnel Hill.
Stevenson would continue to lead a division through the Atlanta Campaign. He notably played major roles at the Battle of Resaca (where his command took part in a botched attack on May 14th and lost 4 cannons on the 15th) and Kolb's Farm (where the division lost 800 casualties in a poorly concieved assault ordered by his corps commander, John Bell Hood).

When his corps commander, Hood, was promoted to command the Army of Tennessee on July 17th 1864, Stevenson breifly led the corps due to seniority, only for Hood to immediately transfer General Benjamin Cheatham to take command. Eventually, one of Stevenson's former brigade commanders, S. D. Lee, would take command of the corps near the end of the month. Stevenson was passed over for higher command, likely due to his poor reputation from the Vicksburg Campaign, and probably some scapegoating on Hood's part; it's hard to tell, given the lack of notes on him from most historians.

After this snubbing, his division underperformed at the Battle of Atlanta (one historian suggests he never even seriously attempted to attack as ordered). He'd take part in the fighting around Utoy Creek and Jonesborough. He'd play a prominent role in the Battle of Nashville and subsequent retreat; he managed to keep at least half his division in fighting order when the line collapsed, and supported Clayton's Division in the rearguard actions the next day. When S. D. Lee was wounded near the end of the 17th, Stevenson once more took temporary command of the corps.

Stevenson would lead Hood's/Lee's Corps out of Tennessee, and then move it from Tupelo Mississippi to Augusta Georgia. There, General D. H. Hill was assigned to command the corps, Stevenson reverting back to division command. At the Army of Tennessee's final battle at Bentonville, Stevenson's Division numbered some 2800 men, the largest in that decimated army on the field. His troops would breifly encirle a Union division before being driven back with heavy losses. He would surrender with much of the remnants of the former Vicksburg survivors at the end of April 1865. Stevenson lived quietly until his death.