They killed each other

[frontrank2]

Union Brig. General Theodore Read and Confederate Brig. General James Dearing. Two generals who killed each other during an exchange of pistol shots at High Bridge, Virginia on April 6, 1865.

 

[Fairfield]

Young men, both of them. So sad!

 

[BCS1973]

Young men, both of them. So sad!

...and three days shy of the end...

 

[lupaglupa]

...and three days shy of the end...

Those last deaths always strike me as so sad.

 

[Story]

I had to look this one up.

While retreating with the army from Petersburg early in April 1865, Dearing and his brigade intercepted troops under the command of brevet Brigadier General Theodore Read who planned to destroy key bridges over the Appomattox River. On 6 April the opposing troops met near the High Bridge in Prince Edward County. During the fighting Dearing killed Read but received a bullet through his own lungs. While the Army of Northern Virginia retreated to Appomattox Court House and surrendered, Dearing was transported to a hospital in Lynchburg. There he had a tearful reunion with an old friend and fellow West Point cadet, United States brevet Major General Ranald Slidell Mackenzie, the only other member of their class who had become a general officer during the war. Mackenzie issued Dearing a pardon.

Dictionary of Virginia Biography - James Dearing (25 April 1840-22 April 1865) Biography

www.lva.virginia.gov

 

[7th Texas Mounted Rifles]

I had to look this one up.

While retreating with the army from Petersburg early in April 1865, Dearing and his brigade intercepted troops under the command of brevet Brigadier General Theodore Read who planned to destroy key bridges over the Appomattox River. On 6 April the opposing troops met near the High Bridge in Prince Edward County. During the fighting Dearing killed Read but received a bullet through his own lungs. While the Army of Northern Virginia retreated to Appomattox Court House and surrendered, Dearing was transported to a hospital in Lynchburg. There he had a tearful reunion with an old friend and fellow West Point cadet, United States brevet Major General Ranald Slidell Mackenzie, the only other member of their class who had become a general officer during the war. Mackenzie issued Dearing a pardon.

Dictionary of Virginia Biography - James Dearing (25 April 1840-22 April 1865) Biography

www.lva.virginia.gov

Very cool, I had no idea the two were personally (Dearing and Mackenzie) connected.

I'm a simple man - I see Ranald Mackenzie mentioned and I hit 'like'.

 

[iron bender]

Very cool, I had no idea the two were personally (Dearing and Mackenzie) connected.

I'm a simple man - I see Ranald Mackenzie mentioned and I hit 'like'

He liked chasing Comanche into the llano estacado so they named a prairie dog village in Lubbock after him

 

[7th Texas Mounted Rifles]

He liked chasing Comanche into the llano estacado so they named a prairie dog village in Lubbock after him

Yep, Mackenzie Park.

Hell, I named my daughter after him.

 

[Stryker65]

Wasn't Colonel Francis Washburn killed during the same exchange, as well?

 

[13 IL Cav & 64 GA Inf]

...and three days shy of the end...

Yep. That makes one think hard about the end.

 

[R. Porter]

Yep, Mackenzie Park.

Hell, I named my daughter after him.

You named your daughter Slidell? Oh, how could you?

 

[7th Texas Mounted Rifles]

You named your daughter Slidell? Oh, how could you?

Haha!

Well played, sir!

 

[nc native]

The Battle of High Bridge was probably the last victory achieved by elements of the Army of Northern Virginia. A eight hundred man party was sent by the Union to capture High Bridge and it was killed, wounded or captured almost to a man. A second party was sent to High Bridge and succeeded in putting out the fire that was set and capturing it. This added more marching to General Lee's attempt to escape the Union forces that were closing in and prevented his starving men from enjoying rations that had been gathered for them at nearby Farmville.