Fairly Unknown Generals You Discovered Recently?

[Stryker65]

This thread is based on a conversation I had with @Polloco in another thread.

Yesterday, I discovered General John B. S. Todd for the first time. He was the Democratic representative for the Dakota Territory, but also served from September 1861 to July 1862, most notably commanding the old Sixth Division of the Army of the Tennessee, formerly Benjamin Prentiss's.

Before him, the last general I discovered was General Davis Tillson, who @Polloco can tell you more about, probably.

Who was the last not-well-known general you discovered?

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

Union Major General John Ellias Wool (1784–1869) who protested that he was still fit for duty when he was forced to retire at age 79 in 1863. I believe he was the oldest general on either side to fight in the war.

John E. Wool - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Manassas 1861]

Brigadier General Gabriel Rains, CSA. Who developed land and naval mines for the CSA

 

[Pollaco]

From A to Z , from Abbot to Zook, there are numerous generals that do not get much mention. There were something like 583 Union generals and 425 Confederate generals.And that's not including the brevet generals. Surely one can't remember them all. They all couldn't be "stars" and quietly worked in the background.

 

[Pollaco]

Most everyone heard of the Union General John Buford. How about his half brother Napoleon Bonaparte Buford or his 320 lb (and Confederate) cousin Abraham Buford?

 

[Sheltowee]

Mark P. Lowrey CSA. Had never heard of him- but Cleburne had very high regard.

 

[JackADriscoll]

Union Major General John Ellias Wool (1784–1869) who protested that he was still fit for duty when he was forced to retire at age 79 in 1863. I believe he was the oldest general on either side to fight in the war.

John E. Wool - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Wow Wool had quite the career and really contributed to the acw. I had never heard of him outside the Mexican war. I guess... I had the wool pulled over my eyes.

 

[Cavalier]

Union General Robert Minty and the exploits of his "Saber Brigade".

John

 

[Stryker65]

Most everyone heard of the Union General John Buford. How about his half brother Napoleon Bonaparte Buford or his 320 lb (and Confederate) cousin Abraham Buford?

N. B. Buford commanded the 27th Illinois and the Flotilla Brigade during the New Madrid campaign. He became a brigadier and commanded some city in Arkansas

Abraham Buford I know solely from his commanding an infantry brigade under Loring, and then a division under Forrest (Bell's and Crossland's brigades, composed of the 7th, 12th, 14th, and 15th Tennessee Cavalries, and the 3rd, 7th, 8th, and 12th Kentucky)

wow I know way too much about units.

 

[Stryker65]

When I was looking into New York units, I found three more generals who commanded special New York brigades: Generals Francis Spinola, Henry Prince, and Gustavus Scroggs. Scroggs later became a USCT colonel -- the only general I know of who was demoted to regimental command.

 

[Sheltowee]

When I was looking into New York units, I found three more generals who commanded special New York brigades: Generals Francis Spinola, Henry Prince, and Gustavus Scroggs. Scroggs later became a USCT colonel -- the only general I know of who was demoted to regimental command.

Generals named "Gustavus" didn't seem to fare too well in the ACW- i.e. Scroggs and Smith.

 

[JoeCollector]

How about Major General William Sooy Smith. I have know of him a long time , but I bet most here never have heard of him. Classic small town boy ( Tarlton, Oh.) makes good story!

 

[Bruce Allardice]

How about Theodore Runyon, a militia general who commanded one of the five divisions of McDowell's army at First Manassas?
His division was mostly NJ militia, and was held in reserve by McDowell. Arguably, the militia regiments were no worse than the raw volunteers.
He never made Union army general.
Seems to me a general commanding one/fifth of the army that was supposed to end the Rebellion, potentially holds a pretty important position.

 

[Stryker65]

Another one I've seen is General Fitz Henry Warren -- bounced around quite a lot!

 

[Pollaco]

Another one I've seen is General Fitz Henry Warren -- bounced around quite a lot!

Looks like he may have spent some time in Louisiana and Texas.He commanded the Department of the Gulf for a while. Ill health caused him to relinquish command. He got breveted to major general on the very day he mustered out.(august 24, 1865).

 

[Chattahooch33]

Generals named "Gustavus" didn't seem to fare too well in the ACW- i.e. Scroggs and Smith.

Just taking after Swedish General and King Gustavus Adolphus from the Thirty Years War

 

[rpkennedy]

When I was looking into New York units, I found three more generals who commanded special New York brigades: Generals Francis Spinola, Henry Prince, and Gustavus Scroggs. Scroggs later became a USCT colonel -- the only general I know of who was demoted to regimental command.

Was Scroggs ever a brigadier general in the volunteers? I know that he was a state militia general but I don't think that he was mustered into Federal service until he was commissioned a colonel in the USCT.

Ryan

 

[ErnieMac]

I first ran across BG Edward E. Potter a couple of years ago. Promoted to BG of Volunteers in late-November 1862, Potter spent most of the War in the coastal Carolinas, pretty much a backwater when it came to fame and fortune. At approximately the same time that Gen. Robert E. Lee was sitting down with LG Ulysses S. Grant for surrender discussions a small Federal division commanded by Potter engaged a small detachment of Confederate militia in battle at a place called Dingle's Mill. Over the next 10 days the Federals engaged militia and Confederate cavalry in two engagements at Boykin's Mill and Dinkin's Mill while otherwise engaged in tearing up railroads and destroying rolling stock. These were the last CW battles in the east.

 

[NFB22]

I recently purchased the book John P. Slough: The Forgotten Civil War General. Although I was familiar with Slough having read about the Battle of Glorieta Pass before, I didn't know much more about him. Although short-lived, being killed at age 38, he had quite the colorful life.

 

[Stryker65]

I recently purchased the book John P. Slough: The Forgotten Civil War General. Although I was familiar with Slough having read about the Battle of Glorieta Pass before, I didn't know much more about him. Although short-lived, being killed at age 38, he had quite the colorful life.

I didn't know he became a brigadier after Glorieta Pass -- he became the military governor of Alexandria, Virginia! Quite the distance from Colorado!