2nd Alabama Cavalry
Sergeant
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2019
In the 1 Feb 1914 issue of: "The Times Dispatch," which was published at Richmond, VA. there was an interesting article regarding the last ten Confederate Generals, then to still be living. I have rearranged the names in order of appearance according to the dates of death, to indicate the last living "fully confirmed" Confederate General to die. The list is comprised wholly of Brigadier-Generals, because by 1 Feb 1914, when the list was compiled, there were no surviving Generals, Lieutenant-Generals or Major-Generals of the Confederate army still living. Below is the list:
1)- Brig. General John McCausland (1836-1927), then living at Point Pleasant, West Virginia.
2)- Brig. General Marcus J. Wright (1831-1922), then living at Washington, D.C.
3)- Brig. General Evander McIver Law (1836-1920), then living at Bartow, Florida.
4)- Brig. General Roger Atkinson Pryor (1828-1919), then living at Manhattan, New York.
5)- Brig. General William Ruffin Cox (1832-1919), then living at Richmond, Virginia.
6)- Brig. General William McComb (1828-1918), then living at Louisa County, Virginia.
7)- Brig. General Samuel Wragg Ferguson (1834-1917), then living at Biloxi, Mississippi.
8)- Brig. General Basil Wilson Duke (1838-1916), then living at Bowling Green, Kentucky.
9)- Brig. General Francis Marion Cockrell (1834-1915), then living at Warrensburg, Missouri.
10)- Brig. General Thomas Muldrup Logan (1840-1914) then living at New York City, New York.
In the article, The Times Dispatch stated that there were two other Confederate officers still living, who were known to be "Brigadier-Generals," however those were "temporary appointments," who were never "officially confirmed or commissioned" to that position. Those being:
1)- Colonel Thomas Taylor Munford (1831-1918), his promotion to Brig. General went through on 9 Nov 1864, but his rank was never officially confirmed and he was never commissioned to the rank of Brig. General.
2)- Lieutenant-Colonel Felix Huston Robertson (1839-1928), from Texas, was officially listed as Brig. General (temporary), on 26 Jul 1864. However, his nomination was rejected on 22 Feb 1865, and therefore he was never "officially confirmed or commissioned" to the rank of Brig. General. Although many, including some SCV sources list him as the last Confederate General to live and die. He would be the last surviving general officer of the Confederacy if his "appointment" counted despite Senate rejection.
Brig. General John McCausland (1836-1927), died at his farm near Point Pleasant, West Virginia, on 22 Jan 1927, making him the last "fully confirmed" Confederate General to live and die.
Regarding the ten surviving Confederate Generals from the list above, only one of the ten, Brig. General Samuel Wragg Ferguson, was a West Point graduate. As a matter of fact, in February 1914, Ferguson was the only one still living of the 255 West Point graduates who left the U.S. Army and joined the Confederate Army, the other 254 had already passed away by then. Making Ferguson the only of the Confederate Generals, or any officer who graduated West Point and joined the Confederate Army, still living to receive Longevity pay, from the U.S. Government. Felix Huston Robertson, attended West Point, entering the academy in 1857, the same year that Ferguson graduated and had already entered the U.S. Army. However, in 1861, Robertson left West Point before graduating to enter the Confederate Army. So he would be the only other from the list above to have at least attended West Point, even though he did not graduate.
1)- Brig. General John McCausland (1836-1927), then living at Point Pleasant, West Virginia.
2)- Brig. General Marcus J. Wright (1831-1922), then living at Washington, D.C.
3)- Brig. General Evander McIver Law (1836-1920), then living at Bartow, Florida.
4)- Brig. General Roger Atkinson Pryor (1828-1919), then living at Manhattan, New York.
5)- Brig. General William Ruffin Cox (1832-1919), then living at Richmond, Virginia.
6)- Brig. General William McComb (1828-1918), then living at Louisa County, Virginia.
7)- Brig. General Samuel Wragg Ferguson (1834-1917), then living at Biloxi, Mississippi.
8)- Brig. General Basil Wilson Duke (1838-1916), then living at Bowling Green, Kentucky.
9)- Brig. General Francis Marion Cockrell (1834-1915), then living at Warrensburg, Missouri.
10)- Brig. General Thomas Muldrup Logan (1840-1914) then living at New York City, New York.
In the article, The Times Dispatch stated that there were two other Confederate officers still living, who were known to be "Brigadier-Generals," however those were "temporary appointments," who were never "officially confirmed or commissioned" to that position. Those being:
1)- Colonel Thomas Taylor Munford (1831-1918), his promotion to Brig. General went through on 9 Nov 1864, but his rank was never officially confirmed and he was never commissioned to the rank of Brig. General.
2)- Lieutenant-Colonel Felix Huston Robertson (1839-1928), from Texas, was officially listed as Brig. General (temporary), on 26 Jul 1864. However, his nomination was rejected on 22 Feb 1865, and therefore he was never "officially confirmed or commissioned" to the rank of Brig. General. Although many, including some SCV sources list him as the last Confederate General to live and die. He would be the last surviving general officer of the Confederacy if his "appointment" counted despite Senate rejection.
Brig. General John McCausland (1836-1927), died at his farm near Point Pleasant, West Virginia, on 22 Jan 1927, making him the last "fully confirmed" Confederate General to live and die.
Regarding the ten surviving Confederate Generals from the list above, only one of the ten, Brig. General Samuel Wragg Ferguson, was a West Point graduate. As a matter of fact, in February 1914, Ferguson was the only one still living of the 255 West Point graduates who left the U.S. Army and joined the Confederate Army, the other 254 had already passed away by then. Making Ferguson the only of the Confederate Generals, or any officer who graduated West Point and joined the Confederate Army, still living to receive Longevity pay, from the U.S. Government. Felix Huston Robertson, attended West Point, entering the academy in 1857, the same year that Ferguson graduated and had already entered the U.S. Army. However, in 1861, Robertson left West Point before graduating to enter the Confederate Army. So he would be the only other from the list above to have at least attended West Point, even though he did not graduate.