★★★ Greene, Colton

Colton Greene​

Born: July 7, 1833

Birthplace: South Carolina

Occupation before War:

Wealthy & Successful Wholesale Merchant in St. Louis, Missouri​

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Attorney in a St. Louis, Missouri Law Firm​

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Head of the Minute Men Movement in St. Louis, Missouri​

Civil War Career:

1861: Drillmaster for Missouri State Guards​

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1861 – 1862: Colonel, Assistant Adjutant, 7th​ Division Missouri Guards​

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1862: Commander of 7th​ Division during the Battle of Pea Ridge​

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1862 – 1865: Colonel of 3rd​ Missouri Cavalry Regiment​

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Acted as Commander of Marmaduke's Brigade Trans Miss. Dept.​

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1864: Court Martialed for disobeying orders but acquitted​

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1865: Recommended for Promotion to Brigadier General​

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1865: Paroled in Houston Texas on June 27, 1865 by Union Army​

Occupation after War:

Life Insurance Agent for Knickerbocker Life Insurance Company​

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Founder of Tennessee States Savings Bank in Memphis, Tennessee​

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Organized support for Memphis's first municipal waterworks​

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Arranged the first Memphis, Tennessee Mardi Gras Festival​

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Helped with the founding of Memphis, Tennessee Public Library​

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1875: First President of the Tennessee Club​

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Died: September 23, 1900

Place of Death: Memphis, Tennessee

Age at time of Death: 64 years old

Burial Place: Elmwood Cemetery, Memphis, Tennessee
(Buried: October 3, 1900)

 

[Pollaco]

Not sure of the details but his court martial had something to do with not turning over his mules to the Confederate Government. Maybe that portrait of him is partially true, that insignia on the collar. He was an acting brigadier but I don't think he ever got the actual commission ftom Richmond.

 

[Bruce Allardice]

I wrote an extensive article on Col. Greene and also wrote about him for my book "More Generals in Gray."
There's also a Phd thesis on him.
I believe that his full name was George Colton Greene.
One of Sherwood Bonner's novels has a character named "Colton Grandeis" that is believed to be based on Greene, since the author was a close friend (romantic friend?) of Greene postwar. In the novel, Grandeis accidently kills a man in SC and in remorse flees the state.
One newspaper article says Greene attended the College of Charleston.

 

[Bruce Allardice]

He was not an attorney. Prewar he was a St. Louis merchant and involved in a St. Louis insurance company.
The portrait is in the Memphis Public Library. Greene's extensive book collection was willed to the library.

 

[Pollaco]

Aide-de-camp to governor Claiborne Fox in early 1861.Also in that year He was appointed as captain in the Missouri State Guard.Captain Greene and Captain Basil Duke were sent to Montgomery to ask for artillery from Jefferson Davis.This artillery was to be used against the Federal arsenal in St. Louis. The two captains did secure some artillery but arrived to late back at St.Louis and the cannons were captured by the Union forces.

 

[Pollaco]

By August of 1861 he was on the staff of Gen. James McBride at the battle of Wilson's Creek.

 

[danny]

...Governor Jackson & the State Gov't were effectually blocked by the inaction of the lower house. But in the Southern element in St. Louis were a number of young men, active & enthusiastic in the cause of the South, who had previously been held in check by their elders, but now determined to act on their own account. Chief among them was Basil W. Duke, a young lawyer from Kentucky & a born soldier, who understood the situation intuitively & chafed at the delay & lack of preparation of the authorities. Besides Duke there were Colton Greene, Overton W. Barrett, James R. Shaler & Rock Champion, all as brave & eager as he was.

 

[gentlemanrob]

Obit added:

 

[danny]

6/3/62 Gen Green, cdr of 3rd​ Bgde urged Gen Price, to grant authority to Col Colton Greene & Lt Col Leonidas C. Campbell, then with the army, to recruit a Regt of partisan rangers in the TM Dept. Price apparently concurred with Green's solicitation, for both Greene & Campbell began raising Cav Co's in southern Mo by late summer, the former with authority from the Sec of War

6/13/62 Hqs Army of the West, Priceville, Kimmel to-Col Colton Greene & Col L C Campbell [3rd Mo Bn DC]-You having rec'd authority from the cdg Gen to raise partisan troops for operation West of the Ms River are authorized to receive QM & Comsy stores from CSA QM's & CS's, accounting for them to the CSA.
Greene & John Burbridge resigned their commissions & returned to Mo. Both stopped at Tupelo & recruited men for the 3rd & 4th Mo Cav in the TM. With Parsons East of the River

9/2/62 Hqs McBride's Bgde Army of the South West near Batesville-- Col Colton Greene to Sec of War-By authority from you, I have raised a Regt of Partisan Rangers [not quite full but which will be in 10 days] which will be turned over to the regular service as infantry for 3 years or the war. I ask you furnish me w/1000 arms & equipment & suits of clothes or uniforms. Lt Col T T Taylor, the bearer hereof is authorized to receive and receipt for them. Col Taylor is familiar with the mode of crossing the Ms River & can safely place the arms on this side.
My men are all Missourians & not one has been armed by the CSA excepting Col [Bowen's] old Regt
Endorsed by McBride

11/4/62 Date of Greene's appointment as Col

11/23/62 Little Rock-Colton Green-submitting muster rolls for the Regt he raised by authority dtd 6/23 appd by the Gen cdg the TM Dept. The command has been on active duty since it first organization into a 4 Co Bn under orders from Gen'ls Holmes & Hindman. Per the request of Gen Holmes, the Regt has been mustered as regular Cav vs P Rgrs. Asks for staff appointments
History of organization:
8/26 Bn of 4 Co's organized
9/26 Bn of 6 Co's organized
11/3 Regt organized