BMG Rice, Elliott Warren

Elliott Warren Rice
A General Who Suffers from Mistaken Identity​

Born: November 16, 1835

Birthplace: Allegheny, Pennsylvania

Father: Allen Briggs Rice 1785 – 1845

Mother: Melinda Chapman 1794 – 1863

Education:

Attended Franklin College in Ohio​

​

1858: Graduated from Albany Law School​

Occupation before War:

1858 – 1861: Attorney in Oskaloosa, Iowa​

Civil War Career:

Wounded Seven times during the Civil War​

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1861: Corporal in 7th​ Iowa Infantry Regiment​

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1861 – 1862: Major of 7th​ Iowa Infantry Regiment

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1861: Wounded in the leg at the Battle of Belmont, Missouri​

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1862: Had to use crutches at Battle of Fort Donelson, Tennessee​

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1862: Served in the Battle of Shiloh, Tennessee​

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1862 – 1864: Colonel of 7th​ Iowa Infantry Regiment​

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1862: Led his men at the Second Battle of Corinth, Mississippi​

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Protected the Memphis and Charleston Railroad​

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1864: Led his men at the Battle of Resaca, Georgia​

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1864: Led his men at the Battle of New Hope Church, Georgia​

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1864: Led his men at the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia

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1864 – 1865: Brigadier General of Union Army Volunteers​

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1864: Division Commander during Siege of Atlanta, Georgia​

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1864 – 1865: Served in the March to the Sea and Carolina's Campaign​

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1865: Mustered out of the Union Army on August 24th​​

Occupation after War:

1866: Brevetted Major General for his service in the War​

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Attorney in Washington D.C. and Sioux City, Iowa​

Died: June 22, 1887

Place of Death: Sioux City, Iowa

Cause of Death: Suffered from Consumption for 2 years

Age at time of Death: 51 years old

Burial Place: Floyd Cemetery Sioux City, Iowa

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Another Case of Mistaken Identity...

The LOC identifies the following photos as Elliott Warren Rice:

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Major General Elliot Warren Rice - http://exhibits.library.northwestern.edu/archives/exhibits/pingree/index.html

Gen. E.W. Rice, U.S.A. - http://www.loc.gov/item/brh2003003763/PP/

This man is identified as Edmund Rice by different sources:

Archived General Edmund Rice Homepage: https://web.archive.org/web/20110711083537/http://www.generaledmundrice.com/Civil3.html

Blog of the Gettysburg NMP: https://npsgnmp.wordpress.com/2013/09/26/the-dilemma-of-medals/

Officers of the Army and Navy (regular) Who Served in the Civil War - L.R. Hamersly & Co.1892, page 340 - https://archive.org/stream/officersofarmyna00powe#page/340/mode/2up/search/medal

Deeds of Valor - vol. 1, Walter Beyer & Oscar Keydel, 1902, page 235 - https://archive.org/stream/deedsofvalorhow01beyerich#page/235/mode/2up

So one might wonder why the following photos are identified at Wikipedia this way, even after a correction was made in 2015....

Edmund Rice (Medal of Honor) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmund_Rice_(Medal_of_Honor)

Elliott Warren Rice - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elliott_Warren_Rice

I believe the Elliot Warren Rice photo above came from the "Generals and Brevets" web site many years ago...

Pictures of Elliott Warren Rice

Honestly, the more I research the last photo, and I can't find it's source, I'm not really sure it's either of these Generals, I don't honestly think it's Elliot Warren Rice or Edmund Rice. I think it's just a mistake.

As an additional proof, I'd also like to mention that no-where on "Generals & Brevets" is there a listing for Edmund Rice, who was an end-of-war Brigadier General, so if there were photos, you'd sort of expect a listing! Here is the last "good" listing saved in the archive:

Union Generals R1

I think the two "Rice" generals got mixed up into the same slot by accident.

A shoutout to this thread for getting my research moving when I noticed something was not right about these photos....

General Rice identification help | Period Photos & Examinations

This man is identified as Elliot W. Rice by Northwestern University and the LOC. Major General Elliot Warren Rice - http://exhibits.library.northwestern.edu/archives/exhibits/pingree/index.html Gen. E.W. Rice, U.S.A. - http://www.loc.gov/item/brh2003003763/PP/ This man is identified as...

civilwartalk.com

citation information The following information is provided for citations.

Article Title: ​	Biographies of the Civil War, Rice, Elliott Warren
Authors: ​	★ @gentlemanrob (Initial Profile Research) ★ Mike Kendra @CivilWarTalk (Layout, Additional Photo Identity Research)
Website Name: ​	CivilWarTalk.com
URL: ​	https://civilwartalk.com/threads/rice-elliott-warren.179396/
Publisher: ​	CivilWarTalk, LLC
Original Published Date: ​	November 11, 2020

 

[Pollaco]

Younger brother of General Samuel A. Rice. Wounded 7 times before becoming a general himself.One of the bullets he took home with him, it was never removed from his body.

 

[Pollaco]

That wound he received at Belmont was while he was briefly in command of the 7th as his colonel and lt. colonel were both incapacitated. He too would fall shortly.

 

[Luke Freet]

Elliott Warren Rice:​

Born: November 16, 1835View attachment 381164
Birthplace: Allegheny Pennsylvania
Father: Allen Briggs Rice 1785 – 1845
Mother: Melinda Chapman 1794 – 1863

Education:
Attended Franklin College in Ohio
1858: Graduated from Albany Law School

Occupation before War:
1858 – 1861: Attorney in Oskaloosa Iowa

Civil War Career:
Wounded Seven times during the Civil War
1861: Corporal in 7th​ Iowa Infantry Regiment
1861 – 1862: Major of 7th​ Iowa Infantry Regiment
1861: Wounded in the leg at the Battle of Belmont Missouri
1862: Had to use crutches at Battle of Fort Donelson Tennessee
1862: Served in the Battle of Shiloh Tennessee
1862 – 1864: Colonel of 7th​ Iowa Infantry Regiment
1862: Led his men at the Second Battle of Corinth Mississippi
Protected the Memphis and Charleston RailroadView attachment 381165
1864: Led his men at the Battle of Resaca Georgia
1864: Led his men at the Battle of New Hope Church Georgia
1864: Led his men at the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain Georgia
1864 – 1865: Brigadier General of Union Army Volunteers
1864: Division Commander during Siege of Atlanta Georgia
1864 – 1865: Served in the March to the Sea and Carolina's Campaign
1865: Mustered out of the Union Army on August 24th​

Occupation after War:
1866: Brevetted Major General for his service in the War
Attorney in Washington D.C. and Sioux City Iowa


Died: June 22, 1887
Place of Death: Sioux City Iowa
Cause of Death: Suffered from Consumption for 2 years
Age at time of Death: 51 years old
Burial Place: Floyd Cemetery Sioux City Iowa

Rice commanded a brigade under Sweeney and Corse in the Atlanta Campaign, and would fight at Allatoona Pass, where several of his units, armed with repeating rifles, played a devastating role in the battle.

 

[CivilWarTalk]

So I'm going to speculate now....

Is this guy...

Actually a Confederate?

Perhaps Rice Alexander Pierce?

From Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_Alexander_Pierce

I've seen a few other photos of Pierce, and I'll say there is a resemblance to the guy in the photo. You never know, a misplaced comma, and now your first name is a last name, and your photo gets sorted to the wrong pile....

 

[CivilWarTalk]

So I'm going to speculate now....

Is this guy...
View attachment 381869

Actually a Confederate?

Perhaps Rice Alexander Pierce?

View attachment 381870
From Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_Alexander_Pierce

I've seen a few other photos of Pierce, and I'll say there is a resemblance to the guy in the photo. You never know, a misplaced comma, and now your first name is a last name, and your photo gets sorted to the wrong pile....

Okay, Ami convinced me that even though they have a similar face, the ears are all different, and I didn't see that at all, so maybe this ID isn't right after all....

 

[gentlemanrob]

Happy Birthday Brig. General Elliott W. Rice! Salutes remembering General Rice on his birthday.