Hard drinking Confederate generals.

[major bill]

Although Lee and Stonewall Jackson were teetotalers some Confederate Generals were known to be hard drinkers. The problem of hard drinking officers predated the Civil War and more than a couple of Union generals were known to over indulge. But let me start with Confederate generals. There is a possibility that Longstreet under influence during Picket's Charge and was observed as being "somewhat confused in mind" when he was rallying the survivors of Picket's Charge. Major General Earl Van Dorn and General George Crittenden both have been accused of drinking to excess. General Benjamin Cheatham was another Confederate general whose career was affected by drinking.

The Union had its fair share of hard drinking generals, but I will leave it to others to add Union generals who suffered from the same problem. My point here is to ask if this effected the Confederacy's military effectiveness. As the war went on the Confederacy was losing good generals at a pace where they needed all the hard fighting generals they could find. In the later part of the war the Union could afford to dismiss a hard fighting general that over indulged, I am not sure the Confederacy had this luxury.

 

[Rusk County Avengers]

I don't know if drinkers in the Confederate Army caused any real problems that could be blamed for disasters, as for Longstreet, I wouldn't know if he was drunk at Gettysburg, and I kind of doubt it. Lee wouldn't have had any use for him if he was in the habit of drinking on duty, especially at that time, though Longstreet is known for wild parties among his officers and invited guests.

The Confederacy to its credit doesn't seem to have had the occasional problems with drunken Generals like the Union Army did. Perhaps having teetotalers in the hierarchy, as well as hard drinking being rarer in the South at that time in history was a factor in this, (though you wouldn't know it now). Then again cultural reasons and the "Lost Cause" may have led to reports of heavy drinking among Confederate Generals to be shushed up and left out of the history books if it did happen more than "once in a blue moon".

After all excessive drinking in the South among people in general doesn't seem to have become common until the CW started because so many young men didn't have their mothers, wives, and preachers looking over their shoulders (the South was the "Bible Belt" after all). At least that's my theory going by all the memoirs and diaries I've read.

 

[Stone in the wall]

Nathan (Shank) Evans, is said to have had an aid follow him every where he went with a small barrel of whiskey on his back at 1st Manassas, and he was all over the battlefield. His fast thinking and hard fighting resulted in delaying the the Union troops until help arrived.

 

[East Tennessee Roots]

Although Lee and Stonewall Jackson were teetotalers some Confederate Generals were known to be hard drinkers. The problem of hard drinking officers predated the Civil War and more than a couple of Union generals were known to over indulge. But let me start with Confederate generals. There is a possibility that Longstreet under influence during Picket's Charge and was observed as being "somewhat confused in mind" when he was rallying the survivors of Picket's Charge. Major General Earl Van Dorn and General George Crittenden both have been accused of drinking to excess. General Benjamin Cheatham was another Confederate general whose career was affected by drinking.

The Union had its fair share of hard drinking generals, but I will leave it to others to add Union generals who suffered from the same problem. My point here is to ask if this effected the Confederacy's military effectiveness. As the war went on the Confederacy was losing good generals at a pace where they needed all the hard fighting generals they could find. In the later part of the war the Union could afford to dismiss a hard fighting general that over indulged, I am not sure the Confederacy had this luxury.

General Benjamin Franklin Cheatham

Major general, Provisional Army of Tennessee, May 9, 1861. Brigadier general, P. A. C. S., July 9, 1861. Major general, P. A. C. S., March 10, 1862. Died at Nashville, Tenn., September 4, 1886. Commands. Brigade composed of 154th Tennessee Senior Regiment and the Sixth and Ninth Tennessee Regiments Infantry, and Blythe's Mississippi Battalion Infantry. Commanding Second Division of the Western Department at Columbus, Ky., consisting of the brigades of Colonels Preston Smith and William H. Stevens. Division composed of the brigades of Brigadier Generals George Maney, Preston Smith, Marcus J. Wright and 0. F. Strahl --, 1862-3. In May 1, 1864, in command of Hardee's Corps, consisting of the divisions of Cheatham, Cleburne and Bates. Division at one time composed of the brigades of Brigadier Generals George Maney, Marcus J. Wright, O. F. Strahl and A. J. Vaughan (to which subsequently Jno. K. Jackson's Brigade was added), Army of Tennessee. Source: General Officers of the Confederate States of America *********************************************************************** General Benjamin Franklin Cheatham. -- There was no name in the army of Tennessee more familiar to the soldiers than that of Cheatham, and no officer of the Confederate army possessed to a higher degree than he the affectionate regard of his men. He was born in the city of Nashville, October 20, 1820. He was captain of volunteers in the Mexican war, and was distinguished in its severest battles. On the outbreak of the war between the States he espoused heartily the cause of the South and was appointed major-general in the provisional army of Tennessee, May 9, 1861. On July 9th of the same year he was made a brigadier-general in the provisional army of the Confederate States. From the very first, General Cheatham gained the reputation of being a brilliant fighter. He understood well the art of managing men. He was careful in looking after their comfort, and when it was proper to do so, carefully guarded their safety. But when duty required it, he was ready to face any peril and set before his soldiers an example of valor which they followed with alacrity and zeal. It is praise enough for his command to say that it was the equal of that led by the renowned Pat Cleburne. He was in many fierce battles and always bore a conspicuous part. In the battle of Belmont he led three regiments of Pillow's force, and it was his movement to the enemy's rear that won the day. He was commissioned major-general March 10, 1862, and we find him on the field of Shiloh commanding the second division of the first corps under Leonidas Polk. At Perryville, Ky., it was Cheatham's division that opened the fight, and throughout that hotly-contested battle pressed steadily forward. Again at Murfreesboro Cheatham's was one of the four divisions which drove the Federals back a distance of between three and four miles, doubling them back upon their center until their line was at right angles to its original position. At Chickamauga we find Cheatham's division attached to the right wing under Leonidas Polk, sustaining the reputation gained on so many former occasions. At the battle of Missionary Ridge, when the Confederate left center had been broken, Hardee threw a part of Cheatham's division directly across the path of the advancing Federals and held the ground until darkness closed the fight. In all the movements of the army of Tennessee in 1864, Cheatham and his men had their full share of peril and of honor. At the battle of Kenesaw Mountain (June 27th), Cheatham's and Cleburne's divisions probably inflicted upon the Federals a heavier loss than they suffered on any other part of the field. In the battles around Atlanta, Cheatham had command of a corps, and in the battle of July 22d, his men captured five cannon and five stand of colors. In Hood's final campaign he led his corps into the thickest of every fight. At the close of the war, Cheatham returned to the pursuits of peace, blessed with the society of his neighbors, whose esteem and friendship he always enjoyed, surrounded by a lovely family and cheered by his noble wife. General Cheatham's personal appearance was thus described a few years after the war by the historian, E. A. Pollard: "General Cheatham is squarely and firmly built, and is noted for his extraordinary physical strength. He is slightly round shouldered, and his weight is about two hundred pounds. His height is about five feet eight inches; his eyes are light blue, clear and expressive; his hair, light brown; his complexion, fair; and his moustache -- he wears no other beard -- very heavy. His forehead is broad and his face expressive of that imperturbable good humor which characterizes him not more in social life than on the battlefield. " General Grant, who was a personal friend of his, offered him an appointment in the civil service, but he declined. He served four years as superintendent of the State prison. In 1885 he became postmaster at Nashville, a position he retained until his death, September 4, 1886. The love and esteem in which he was held were evidenced by the vast attendance upon his funeral, which was declared at the time to be the most imposing ever held in Nashville. Source: Confederate Military History, vol. X, p. 302 ​

 

[major bill]

General Henry Sibley was said to drink a bit. The rumors of him possibly drinking too much may have hurt his career. I am not sure he was punished for his drinking.

 

[diane]

Patrick Cleburne scared himself sober. He was generally a mellow fellow but ceased to be so when drunk. After almost killing his best friend in a booze rage, he swore off it and never so much as sniffed a cork for the rest of his life. He made sure Mr Hyde would never escape again!

N B Forrest had one wild and woolly night chugging a jug of corn squeezin's on a faraway hill so he could just bust up bush if it made him mean...fortunately he couldn't remember what it did! But he sure remembered the morning after, being at Death's door and trying to talk the Reaper into dragging him inside - and never drank again except if a doctor ordered it.

Robert E Lee made a happy drunk! He'd been a social drinker when young, just got flushed and laughed - good time Charlie type - then gradually tapered off it as his religious beliefs firmed up. Maybe he could have used a few belts at Gettysburg but we'll never know!

Thomas J Jackson, according to Cadmus Wilcox, was also a happy drunk. Wilcox claimed to have seen Stonewall with a bottle of whiskey in one hand doing a great buck n wing barefoot! Unconfirmed by anybody else, however, but Jackson's doctor did order him to take a shot of brandy during a cold spell in the war. Jackson filled his tin cup and knocked it back like water. Doc didn't say how big of a shot, after all! Once one of his officers offered him a drink of some exceptionally fine whiskey they'd captured and he declined. "Don't you like whiskey, General?" asked the officer. "I like whiskey," replied Jackson. "I have always liked whiskey. That is why I don't drink it!"

I do think the funniest one was Breckinridge, Johnston and Sherman at Bentonville. While they were working out the terms of surrender, Sherman had somebody go get a bottle of bourbon out of his saddlebags. When Breckinridge saw it come in he spit out the chaw of tobacco he'd just bit off and got his mouth set for some imbibing. The Confederates got one drink and Sherman got two or three, then had the bottle put away! After the meeting, Breckinridge suddenly burst out, "General Sherman is a pig!" "What?" said Johnston. "A Southern gentleman would NEVER have put that bottle away!"

 

[Stone in the wall]

Patrick Cleburne scared himself sober. He was generally a mellow fellow but ceased to be so when drunk. After almost killing his best friend in a booze rage, he swore off it and never so much as sniffed a cork for the rest of his life. He made sure Mr Hyde would never escape again!

N B Forrest had one wild and woolly night chugging a jug of corn squeezin's on a faraway hill so he could just bust up bush if it made him mean...fortunately he couldn't remember what it did! But he sure remembered the morning after, being at Death's door and trying to talk the Reaper into dragging him inside - and never drank again except if a doctor ordered it.

Robert E Lee made a happy drunk! He'd been a social drinker when young, just got flushed and laughed - good time Charlie type - then gradually tapered off it as his religious beliefs firmed up. Maybe he could have used a few belts at Gettysburg but we'll never know!

Thomas J Jackson, according to Cadmus Wilcox, was also a happy drunk. Wilcox claimed to have seen Stonewall with a bottle of whiskey in one hand doing a great buck n wing barefoot! Unconfirmed by anybody else, however, but Jackson's doctor did order him to take a shot of brandy during a cold spell in the war. Jackson filled his tin cup and knocked it back like water. Doc didn't say how big of a shot, after all! Once one of his officers offered him a drink of some exceptionally fine whiskey they'd captured and he declined. "Don't you like whiskey, General?" asked the officer. "I like whiskey," replied Jackson. "I have always liked whiskey. That is why I don't drink it!"

I do think the funniest one was Breckinridge, Johnston and Sherman at Bentonville. While they were working out the terms of surrender, Sherman had somebody go get a bottle of bourbon out of his saddlebags. When Breckinridge saw it come in he spit out the chaw of tobacco he'd just bit off and got his mouth set for some imbibing. The Confederates got one drink and Sherman got two or three, then had the bottle put away! After the meeting, Breckinridge suddenly burst out, "General Sherman is a pig!" "What?" said Johnston. "A Southern gentleman would NEVER have put that bottle away!"

That's funny about Jackson, I've never heard that one before. Breckinridge was right a southern gentleman would have thrown away the cork when he pulled it off.

 

[Pollaco]

Even though He was eventually cleared John B.Magruder was charged with drunkennss and cowardice during the Penisula Campaign. And He had been rumored to "hit the bottle" after He went to Texas.

 

[Pollaco]

Robert Toombs wasnt a general out leading the troops for just too long but He was a known drinker.

 

[James N.]

Robert Toombs wasnt a general out leading the troops for just too long but He was a known drinker.

According to something I read long ago, that error may have cost Toombs the Presidency when he was observed to be tipsy with tobacco juice oozing from the corners of his mouth and dribbling onto his white shirt front at the convention to nominate a Confederate President. Before that, he was considered to be a prime candidate for the job, and it should be remembered that Davis wasn't even present but nominated in absentia.

 

[Rusk County Avengers]

General Henry Sibley was said to drink a bit. The rumors of him possibly drinking too much may have hurt his career. I am not sure he was punished for his drinking.

I forgot all about Henry Hopkins Sibley. Now he was a hard drinker, and during the New Mexico Campaign he spent most of his time in an ambulance because of him always being "sick" as his excuse was, but it didn't fool any of his troops.

One could say the commanding General being a drunkard and was always drunk when he was needed most was a hinderance, and hear accounts from the CS "Army of New Mexico" Sibley always drunk and out of it but it was a Godsend to them because men like Colonel Tom Green, and Lt. Colonel William Scurry would take over and were better commanders, at least in the eyes of the men. I've also seen references by the enlisted men of a Major Shropshire being a highly respected commander.

 

[th'anchoriticsybarite]

Although Lee and Stonewall Jackson were teetotalers some Confederate Generals were known to be hard drinkers. The problem of hard drinking officers predated the Civil War and more than a couple of Union generals were known to over indulge. But let me start with Confederate generals. There is a possibility that Longstreet under influence during Picket's Charge and was observed as being "somewhat confused in mind" when he was rallying the survivors of Picket's Charge. Major General Earl Van Dorn and General George Crittenden both have been accused of drinking to excess. General Benjamin Cheatham was another Confederate general whose career was affected by drinking.

The Union had its fair share of hard drinking generals, but I will leave it to others to add Union generals who suffered from the same problem. My point here is to ask if this effected the Confederacy's military effectiveness. As the war went on the Confederacy was losing good generals at a pace where they needed all the hard fighting generals they could find. In the later part of the war the Union could afford to dismiss a hard fighting general that over indulged, I am not sure the Confederacy had this luxury.

Do you think that the corona virus is a pandemic. It was miracle of uniqueness in comparison to drinking in the 19th century. To even pose the question is to allow 20th/21st century mores to infect examining the 19th Century. Think about it why do we abhor drinking so much today. Drunk driving. How much damage can you do to yourself much less others in a horse and buggy era. (I was shocked to find out that Queen Victoria over her long lifetime was in at least a dozen driving (carriage) accidents, at least 3 of which were serious enough to cause injury to a passenger or one of the horses.)

You could probably fill at least a couple of encyclopedia volumns with examples of not just enlisted men and non coms but officers of all descriptions including general officers. Drinking and being drunk were probably closer to being the norm than the contrary.

Let me add one note. Regarding Grant's "drunken" tendencies. I have recently read that his drunkeness was not so much a factor of how much he imbibed but to his personal physiology which was unable to process efficiently. In other words you or I drink a pint of hard liquor and we get snockered; Grant only had to drink 2 or 3 glasses to get the same buzz.

There were

 

[RoadDog]

I have heard that Confederate General W.H.C. Whiting was known to imbibe on occasion.

--RoadDrunk

 

[Belfoured]

I forgot all about Henry Hopkins Sibley. Now he was a hard drinker, and during the New Mexico Campaign he spent most of his time in an ambulance because of him always being "sick" as his excuse was, but it didn't fool any of his troops.

One could say the commanding General being a drunkard and was always drunk when he was needed most was a hinderance, and hear accounts from the CS "Army of New Mexico" Sibley always drunk and out of it but it was a Godsend to them because men like Colonel Tom Green, and Lt. Colonel William Scurry would take over and were better commanders, at least in the eyes of the men. I've also seen references by the enlisted men of a Major Shropshire being a highly respected commander.

A/K/A the "Walking Whiskey Keg". I don't think that Sibley did much to conceal his fondness for a swig or 10.

 

[Bruce Vail]

Stories of excessive drinking follwed Confederate Gen. Roswell Ripley. He spent the first year of the war in Charleston SC and then did a six-month stint in the Army of Northern Virgnia in 1862. He retuned to Charleston in early 1863 and spent the rest of the war there.

 

[matthew mckeon]

Lee actually was quite knowledgeable about wine, and discussed different vintages with Colonel Fremantle during a dinner. Jubal Early, in an unpublished journal entry, wrote that Lee was "somewhat tedious" on the subject. Braxton Bragg brewed beer at home, and served bottles of his product at a staff meeting at one time. Leonidas Polk remarked that the homebrew was "nearly as noxious as the general himself" marking a further deterioration in command relations in that Army. In 1864, Wade Hampton was injured when he tried to make his horse drink a gin and tonic.

Yes, I did make all these up.