{⋆★⋆} MG McCown, John Porter

John Porter McCown​

Born: August 19, 1815

Birthplace: Sevier County, Tennessee

Father: George Wesley McCown 1790 – 1871

(Buried: Shiloh Memorial Cemetery, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee)​

Mother: Mary Caroline Porter 1795 – 1837

(Buried: Shiloh Memorial Cemetery, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee)​

Education:

1840: Graduated from West Point Military Academy (10th​ in class)​

Occupation before War:

1840 – 1843: 2nd​ Lt. United States Army 4th​ Artillery​

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1840: Served in the removal of the Natives to the West​

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1840 – 1841: Served on the Northern Frontier at Detroit, Michigan​

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1841 – 1842: Served on the Northern Frontier at Buffalo, New York​

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1842: Recruiter for the United States Army, Artillery​

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1842 – 1843: Garrison Duty at Fort Monroe, Virginia​

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1843 – 1845: Garrison Duty at Fort Severn, Maryland​

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1843 – 1851: 1st​ Lt. United States Army, 4th​ Artillery​

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1847: Brevetted Captain for Gallantry, Battle of Cerro Gordo, Mexico​

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1847 – 1848: Recruiter for the United States Army, Artillery​

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1847 – 1848: Quartermaster for U.S. Army 4th​ Artillery​

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1849 – 1850: Frontier Duty at Ringgold Barracks, Texas​

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1851 – 1861: Captain United States Army, 4th​ Artillery​

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1851 – 1852: Garrison Duty at Fort Johnston, North Carolina​

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1852 – 1854: Garrison Duty at Fort Niagara​

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1854 – 1856: Garrison Duty at Fort Ontario, New York​

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1856 – 1857: Served in Florida in the Seminole War​

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1857 – 1858: Frontier Duty at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas​

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1858: Served in the Utah Expedition​

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1858 – 1859: Frontier Duty at Fort Kearny, Nebraska​

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1859 – 1861: Frontier Duty at Fort Randall, Dakota Territory​

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

Civil War Career:

1861: Captain in Confederate Army Artillery​

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1861: Lt. Colonel in Charge of Confederate Infantry Brigade​

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1861: Colonel of Tennessee Artillery​

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1861 – 1862: Brigadier General of Confederate Army Infantry​

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1861: Brigade Commander during Battle of Columbus, Kentucky​

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1861: Brigade Commander during Battle of Belmont, Missouri​

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Defended New Madrid, and Island No. 10 during the Siege​

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1862 – 1865: Major General of Confederate Army Infantry​

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1862: Commander of 2nd​ Division, Army of the West​

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1862: Brigade Commander during Battle of Stones River​

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One of the Petitioners to have General Braxton Bragg dismissed​

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1863: Court martialed by General Braxton Bragg​

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Suspended from combat duty for six months​

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1865: Defended Catawba River in North Carolina​

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1865: Paroled on May 12, 1865 in Salisbury, North Carolina​

Occupation after War:

School Teacher in Knoxville, Tennessee​

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Farmer in Magnolia, Arkansas​

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Farmer in Little Rock, Arkansas​

Died: January 22, 1879

Place of Death: Little Rock, Arkansas

Age at time of Death: 63 years old

Burial Place: Magnolia City Cemetery, Magnolia, Arkansas

 

[Pollaco]

That court martial by Bragg was for disobedience of orders at Murfreesboro. He was found guilty on March 16, 1863. The court martial was probably for his critisim of Bragg. McCown and several other generals had petitioned Davis to relieve Bragg in favor of Johnston. McCown declared the Confeceracy was nothing more than "a damned stinking cotton oligarchy...gotten up for the benefit of Isham G. Harris and Jefferson Davis and their damned corrupt cliques".

 

[Pollaco]

The defense of the Catawba River in North Carolina was near Morgantown. He held off a Union Cavalry division with just 300 men and one artillery piece.

 

[Luke Freet]

Apparently before the war he was very interested in ornithology. There's a species named after him...that a lot of people are calling to be renamed due to the ongoing Confederate controversies.

 

[Kyle Kalasnik]

In my opinion it is ridiculous that some people want to rename a bird because of his service in the Confederate Army.

Respectfully,
Kyle Kalasnik

 

[Luke Freet]

In my opinion it is ridiculous that some people want to rename a bird because of his service in the Confederate Army.

Respectfully,
Kyle Kalasnik

Didn't want to get political, but felt it'd deserved mentioning.
From what I've gathered, the bird was named for him in the 1850's before the war, so it wasn't a case of "Let's name this bird after a glorious confederate general so we can oppress black people", it was "Let's name this bird after the U.S. army officer who discovered this bird and who has done exemplary service in the field of ornithology".

 

[Kyle Kalasnik]

Didn't want to get political, but felt it'd deserved mentioning.
From what I've gathered, the bird was named for him in the 1850's before the war, so it wasn't a case of "Let's name this bird after a glorious confederate general so we can oppress black people", it was "Let's name this bird after the U.S. army officer who discovered this bird and who has done exemplary service in the field of ornithology".

I didn't think that you were getting political. And yes I do believe it was worth mentioning as well.

 

[Luke Freet]

I didn't think that you were getting political.

No, I just felt like I was. Don't do that very often on this forum.

 

[Kyle Kalasnik]

No, I just felt like I was. Don't do that very often on this forum.

Right, and this isn't the correct thread. And it was a very informative post. No harm, no foul.

 

[Pollaco]

What sort of bird is it? I can't seem to locate it.

 

[Luke Freet]

Thick-billed longspur - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

McCown's Longspur, aka, Thick-Billed Longspur

 

[OldReliable1862]

I find McCown to be a somewhat underrated officer, he did very well leading his division at Murfreesboro and defending the Catawba.

 

[Pollaco]

I'd like to hear some more details on that Catawba river defense. It sounds like an interesting event.

 

[gentlemanrob]

Happy Birthday (August 19th) Week to Major General John P. McCown! Salutes remembering General McCown on his birthday week.