{⋆★⋆} BG Garnett, Richard Brooke

Richard Brooke "Dick" Garnett​

Born: November 21, 1817

Birthplace: Rose Hill Estate, Essex County, Virginia

Father: William Henry Garnett 1786 – 1866

(Buried: Garnett Family Burial Ground, Loretto, Virginia)​

Mother: Anna Maria Brooke 1787 – 1854

(Buried: Garnett Family Burial Ground, Loretto, Virginia)​

Wife: Molly (Looking Woman) Campbell Hunter 1840 – 1920

(Buried: Red Cloud Cemetery, Pine Ridge, South Dakota)​

Children:

William Garnett 1855 – 1928​

(Buried: Red Cloud Cemetery, Pine Ridge, South Dakota)​

Education:

1841: Graduated from West Point Military Academy (29th​ in class)​

Occupation:

1841 – 1847: 2nd​ Lt. United States Army 6th​ Infantry Regiment​

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1847 – 1855: 1st​ Lt. United States Army 6th​ Infantry Regiment​

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1855 – 1861: Captain United States Army 6th​ Infantry Regiment​

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1861: Resigned from United States Army on May 17th​​

Civil War Career:

1861: Major of Confederate Army Artillery​

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1861: Lt. Colonel of Cobb's Georgia Legion​

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1861 – 1863: Brigadier General of Confederate Army Infantry​

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1862: Participated in the Shenandoah Valley Campaign​

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1862: Court Martialed by General Stonewall Jackson​

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1862 – 1863: Brigade Commander in Pickett's Division 1st​ Army Corps​

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1862: Participated in the Battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia​

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1863: Participated in the Siege of Suffolk, Virginia​

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1863: Pall bearer at Stonewall Jackson's funeral in Lexington Virginia​

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1863: Brigade Commander in Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg​

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1863: Killed during the Battle of Gettysburg, July 3rd​, Pickett's Charge​

Died: July 3, 1863

Place of Death: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Cause of Death: Battle Wounds

Age at time of Death: 45 years old

Burial Place: Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia (possible)

- Please note, no one is 100% sure a picture of General Garnett exists, the pictures included are guesses as to what General Garnett looked like -

 

[Northern Light]

The second picture is his cousin, Gen. Robert Garnett.

 

[gentlemanrob]

The second picture is his cousin, Gen. Robert Garnett.

The pictures of the Garnett's have been speculated for years some say it's his cousin even historians can't 100% agree on what the General looked like. Some say the second picture is of Dick Garnett some say his cousin. Some say one of the other pictures is Franklin Gardiner but no one really knows for sure.

 

[gentlemanrob]

This picture I just posted is another picture of one of the Garnett's Some say Robert some say Richard. I guess we will never know.

 

[Zella]

I believe the first and second pictures are both different cousins of his. I'm not sure on who the third man actually is. Garnett was blond-haired and clean-shaven.

It's strange to me, though, that no pictures of him exist.

 

[gentlemanrob]

I believe the first and second pictures are both different cousins of his. I'm not sure on who the third man actually is. Garnett was blond-haired and clean-shaven.

It's strange to me, though, that no pictures of him exist.

Where do we get facts of his description I would sure love to see them. So much has been lost over the years on him. I wish a Garnett family member would step forward if there's one on the site and tell us more about him. If he was blonde haired like you said then every description including the movie Gettysburg has been wrong and done him wrong.

 

[Pollaco]

After His uncompleted court martial He was called back to duty on September 5, 1862 where He took over command of Picketts old unit in time to also participate in Antietam.

 

[FarawayFriend]

This picture I just posted is another picture of one of the Garnett's Some say Robert some say Richard. I guess we will never know.

View attachment 335290

Whe had an excellent thread about Richard Garnett a while ago, it made 17 pages and the question of the wrong pictures was discussed there also. back then, I had been the one who had posted the wrong picture and stood corrected!

Very worth (re-)reading:

Richard Garnett's Ride to Death. | Gettysburg

Was Jackson justified with Richard Garnett's Court-Martial? When is it acceptable to call retreat? Do all Generals have to have the approval of the commanding General to call retreat? These are questions I have to ask. Richard Garnett was by all accounts a very brave solider. At the battle of...

civilwartalk.com

 

[Zella]

Where do we get facts of his description I would sure love to see them. So much has been lost over the years on him. I wish a Garnett family member would step forward if there's one on the site and tell us more about him. If he was blonde haired like you said then every description including the movie Gettysburg has been wrong and done him wrong.

"Upon his arrival in the Valley, one soldier described Garnett as having been 'said to be a competent officer' who had 'light hair[,] blue eyes & light complexion, & … rather a pleasant face.'"

Richard B. Garnett (1817–1863) - Encyclopedia Virginia

Richard Brooke Garnett was born on November 21, 1817, to a large family in . In 1841, he and his cousin, Robert Selden Garnett, both graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, with Richard finishing twenty-ninth out of fifty-two and Robert twenty-seventh. (Robert Garnett...

www.encyclopediavirginia.org

From a 1908 letter from a relative who knew him:
"R.B. Garnett was a man of just the opposite type, having light hair and blue eyes, and he wore no full beard."

Has General Garnett been Found?

A dramatic death during Pickett’s Charge made his name famous, but no one knew his face—until now, perhaps

www.historynet.com

If I am not mistaken all the Garnetts were fair-haired and complected, with the exception of Robert, whose mother was French. Lots of cousin marriages in the Garnett family--not uncommon really for the time--and I imagine that just further ensured they all had the same coloring!

 

[FarawayFriend]

"Upon his arrival in the Valley, one soldier described Garnett as having been 'said to be a competent officer' who had 'light hair[,] blue eyes & light complexion, & … rather a pleasant face.'"

Richard B. Garnett (1817–1863) - Encyclopedia Virginia

Richard Brooke Garnett was born on November 21, 1817, to a large family in . In 1841, he and his cousin, Robert Selden Garnett, both graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, with Richard finishing twenty-ninth out of fifty-two and Robert twenty-seventh. (Robert Garnett...

www.encyclopediavirginia.org

From a 1908 letter from a relative who knew him:
"R.B. Garnett was a man of just the opposite type, having light hair and blue eyes, and he wore no full beard."

Has General Garnett been Found?

A dramatic death during Pickett’s Charge made his name famous, but no one knew his face—until now, perhaps

www.historynet.com

If I am not mistaken all the Garnetts were fair-haired and complected, with the exception of Robert, whose mother was French. Lots of cousin marriages in the Garnett family--not uncommon really for the time--and I imagine that just further ensured they all had the same coloring!

Due to some incredibly stupid copyright reasons I can read the article, but cannot see the photograph
I would have liked to finally see how Dick Garnett really looked like!!

 

[Zella]

Due to some incredibly stupid copyright reasons I can read the article, but cannot see the photograph
I would have liked to finally see how Dick Garnett really looked like!!

It's not visible for me either.

I think it must have been removed, so I am wondering if in the past 10 years, they determined it wasn't him. LOL

 

[Zella]

Due to some incredibly stupid copyright reasons I can read the article, but cannot see the photograph
I would have liked to finally see how Dick Garnett really looked like!!

Scratch that, Andrea--I can see it in the thumbnail. I think it is another misidentification of one of his cousins. Looks like the same guy whose picture is here. That's Muscoe Russell Hunter Garnett--what a name!

And the third picture is apparently Franklin Gardner, no relation to the Garnetts as far as I know:

Franklin Gardner

In 1843 Franklin Gardner graduated from the United States Military Academy 17th in his class, the same year that future United States General Ulysses S....

www.battlefields.org

So:
Muscoe RH Garnett
Robert S Garnett
Franklin Gardner

 

[Pollaco]

He was commanding the Old Stonewall brigade at Kernstown where He withdrew due to lack of ammunition that raised the ire of Stonewall Jackson. This is what brought about his court-martial.

 

[E_just_E]

Scratch that, Andrea--I can see it in the thumbnail. I think it is another misidentification of one of his cousins. Looks like the same guy whose picture is here. That's Muscoe Russell Hunter Garnett--what a name!

And the third picture is apparently Franklin Gardner, no relation to the Garnetts as far as I know:

Franklin Gardner

In 1843 Franklin Gardner graduated from the United States Military Academy 17th in his class, the same year that future United States General Ulysses S....

www.battlefields.org

So:
Muscoe RH Garnett
Robert S Garnett
Franklin Gardner

That who those 3 men are. There are no surviving pictures of Dick Garnett or his twin brother.

 

[Zella]

That who those 3 men are. There are no surviving pictures of Dick Garnett or his twin brother.

I forgot about the twin! Do you know if they were identical or fraternal?

 

[gentlemanrob]

I am happy to see all of this talk about General Garnett we never see much on the site about him so his birthday is special in that we can discuss him on his special day. I wish I could post them all on their special days.

 

[Zella]

I am happy to see all of this talk about General Garnett we never see much on the site about him so his birthday is special in that we can discuss him on his special day. I wish I could post them all on their special days.

Thank you for posting about him--I'd forgotten today was his birthday until I saw this on the homepage. He's an interesting guy.

 

[Seduzal]

Thanks for sharing this awesome article. Another piece mystery of Civil War history lost or found. I went and did a little research..took and googled images of West Point Class of 1841..found his name Robert B. Garnett Class of 1841. But no images..

 

[gentlemanrob]

Thank you for posting about him--I'd forgotten today was his birthday until I saw this on the homepage. He's an interesting guy.

I got three more with birthday's tomorrow 3 we never hear mention of so you be sure to watch the site. I am going to try to start posting as many as I can on birthdays. Does anyone know if a list of Union General's with bithday's exist? if it does I would sure love to have a copy.

 

[E_just_E]

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Wife: Molly (Looking Woman) Campbell Hunter 1840 – 1920

(Buried: Red Cloud Cemetery, Pine Ridge, South Dakota)​

Children:

William Garnett 1855 – 1928​

(Buried: Red Cloud Cemetery, Pine Ridge, South Dakota)​

That's from find a grave I suspect

Billy Garnett (named after Dick's twin brother) is not buried at the Red Cloud cemetery. He is buried about 50 miles NE from there in a small catholic cemetery off a dirt road north of Kyle, SD called St. Stephen's Church Cemetery, along with many other Garnetts (and Garnettes, and Hunters). This is his grave:

I communicated with the find a grave person, but they have not changed it yet.

I am not sure where his mother, Akitapi Win, is buried. She is not at St. Stephens. I looked at every single grave at Red Cloud cemetery, but she is not there. She lived in the Pine Ridge reservation only a few years and then moved to Scotts Bluff, NE. Likely she is buried there, but the old Scotts Bluff cemetery is not around any more.

1863: Killed during the Battle of Gettysburg, July 3rd​, Pickett's Charge
Died: July 3, 1863
Place of Death: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Cause of Death: Battle Wounds
Age at time of Death: 45 years old
Burial Place: Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia (possible)

Now that's pure speculation that goes beyond early contemporary evidence (here) regarding his fate At best he is MIA after Gettysburg. Not sure where he is buried or when and where even died (yet), but I hope I'll find out one of these days