- Joined
- Nov 8, 2018
- Location
- Palm Coast, Florida
I decided, since I share a birthday with this man, I'd make a short bio on him.
John Herbert Kelly, when he was promoted to Brigadier General in November of '63, was at the time the youngest Confederate General at the time of his promotion, at 23 years and 7 months; I haven't done the exact math on this, but I think he may have been younger that Will Paul Robert, the youngest Confederate General, by a few days, or vice versa. Someone will probably clarify this.
He was born in Carrollton, Alabama, on 31st March, 1840. His was orphaned at age 7, and was taken in by his grandmother. When he was around 17, he was appointed to West Point (this he received with the help of his uncle Philemon Herbert, a congressman for California who later joined the Confederacy and died of wounds received at Mansfield). Before his graduation, his home state seceded, and Kelly returned home to join the Confederacy.
He would join the Confederate army as a 2nd Lt. and would be assigned to Fort Morgan until the fall of '61. He would be made General William Hardee's AAG and made Captain, when Hardee was sent Missouri.
In 1862, he would become Major commanding the 9th Arkansas Battalion. He would lead them into the Battle of Shiloh, as part of S.A.M. Wood's polyglot brigade. After the battle, the battalion would be merged with the 8th Arkansas Regiment, and upon the reorganization of the Confederate army under the new Conscription Act, Kelly would become Colonel of the 8th Arkansas.
The 8th Arkansas was part of Hindman's/Liddell's/Govan's famous Arkansan Brigade, first part of Buckner's and later Patrick Cleburne's division. He fought at Perryville, and was wounded at Murfreesboro. Before the Battle of Chickamauga, a provisional brigade was formed of the 5th Kentucky, 58th North Carolina, 63rd Virginia, and 65th Georgia Regiments. Kelly was detached and given command of the brigade. For his bravery at Chickamauga, Liddell, Cleburne, and William Preston (commanding the division Kelly was assigned to) recommended the boy colonel for promotion. This came on 16th November, 1863.
He was assigned to command first a brigade, then a division, of Cavalry under Fighting Joe Wheeler.
Being a former member of Cleburne's division, it was no surprise that his signature is on Cleburne's infamous proposal to arm slaves.
He took part in the Atlanta Campaign, most notably at Pickett's Mill, where his cavalry division assisted his old commander Cleburne's in the latter's tsriumphant defense. He then took part in Wheeler's failed raid on Sherman's supply line. During this, on 2nd September, in a skirmish at Franklin (where in less than 2 months the rest of the Army of Tennessee, including his former commander Patrick Cleburne, will meet their doom), Kelly was shot in the chest by a sharpshooter. He was taken to the Harrison House. He was left behind by Wheeler's Corps, for he was too wounded to move. The federals reoccupied Franklin the next day and captured him. He died the following day, aged only 24.
^This is the only photo of the boy general, as far as I know.
If there is any more literate on this man, or if anyone can quote from the battles and campaigns he partook in any anecdotes on him, please feel free to share.
John Herbert Kelly, when he was promoted to Brigadier General in November of '63, was at the time the youngest Confederate General at the time of his promotion, at 23 years and 7 months; I haven't done the exact math on this, but I think he may have been younger that Will Paul Robert, the youngest Confederate General, by a few days, or vice versa. Someone will probably clarify this.
He was born in Carrollton, Alabama, on 31st March, 1840. His was orphaned at age 7, and was taken in by his grandmother. When he was around 17, he was appointed to West Point (this he received with the help of his uncle Philemon Herbert, a congressman for California who later joined the Confederacy and died of wounds received at Mansfield). Before his graduation, his home state seceded, and Kelly returned home to join the Confederacy.
He would join the Confederate army as a 2nd Lt. and would be assigned to Fort Morgan until the fall of '61. He would be made General William Hardee's AAG and made Captain, when Hardee was sent Missouri.
In 1862, he would become Major commanding the 9th Arkansas Battalion. He would lead them into the Battle of Shiloh, as part of S.A.M. Wood's polyglot brigade. After the battle, the battalion would be merged with the 8th Arkansas Regiment, and upon the reorganization of the Confederate army under the new Conscription Act, Kelly would become Colonel of the 8th Arkansas.
The 8th Arkansas was part of Hindman's/Liddell's/Govan's famous Arkansan Brigade, first part of Buckner's and later Patrick Cleburne's division. He fought at Perryville, and was wounded at Murfreesboro. Before the Battle of Chickamauga, a provisional brigade was formed of the 5th Kentucky, 58th North Carolina, 63rd Virginia, and 65th Georgia Regiments. Kelly was detached and given command of the brigade. For his bravery at Chickamauga, Liddell, Cleburne, and William Preston (commanding the division Kelly was assigned to) recommended the boy colonel for promotion. This came on 16th November, 1863.
He was assigned to command first a brigade, then a division, of Cavalry under Fighting Joe Wheeler.
Being a former member of Cleburne's division, it was no surprise that his signature is on Cleburne's infamous proposal to arm slaves.
He took part in the Atlanta Campaign, most notably at Pickett's Mill, where his cavalry division assisted his old commander Cleburne's in the latter's tsriumphant defense. He then took part in Wheeler's failed raid on Sherman's supply line. During this, on 2nd September, in a skirmish at Franklin (where in less than 2 months the rest of the Army of Tennessee, including his former commander Patrick Cleburne, will meet their doom), Kelly was shot in the chest by a sharpshooter. He was taken to the Harrison House. He was left behind by Wheeler's Corps, for he was too wounded to move. The federals reoccupied Franklin the next day and captured him. He died the following day, aged only 24.
^This is the only photo of the boy general, as far as I know.
If there is any more literate on this man, or if anyone can quote from the battles and campaigns he partook in any anecdotes on him, please feel free to share.