★ Turchin, John B.

John Basil Turchin​

Born: January 30, 1822

Birthname: Ivan Vasilyevich Turchaninov

Birthplace: Don Host Oblast, Russian Empire (Ukraine)

Father: Russian Major Claus Dreschen

Mother: Dorthea Dollstedt

Wife: Nadine A. Lvova 1826 – 1904

(Buried: Mound City National Cemetery, Mound City, Illinois)​

Married: May 10, 1856, in Krakow, Poland

Education:

1852: Graduated from Imperial Military Academy​

Occupation before War:

1843 – 1856: Served in the Russian Army rising to Colonel​

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Immigrated to the United States settling in Chicago, Illinois​

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Worked for the Illinois Central Railroad Company​

Civil War Career:

1861 – 1862: Colonel of 19th​ Illinois Volunteers Infantry Regiment​

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Led his regiment in Missouri and Kentucky​

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1862: Served in Kentucky and Tennessee​

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1862: Helped capture Huntsville, Alabama​

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1862: His regiments were Over run at Athens, Alabama​

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1862: Charges of neglect were brought up against him in court martial​

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1862 – 1864: Brigadier General Union Army Volunteers​

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1862: Received a hero's welcome in Chicago, Illinois​

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1863: Distinguished himself at Battle of Chickamuga, Georgia​

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1863: Distinguished himself at Battle of Chattanooga, Tennessee​

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1864: Served in the Atlanta, Georgia Campaign​

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1864: Resigned from the Army after suffering a heatstroke​

Occupation after War:

Patent Solicitor and Civil Engineer in Chicago, Illinois​

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Real Estate Businessman and Settler of Immigrants Southern Illinois​

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1900: Received a pension from congress as a private pension​

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Lived at Southern Illinois Hospital for Insane suffering Dementia​

Died: June 18, 1901

Place of Death: Southern Illinois Hospital for Insane

Cause of Death: Effects of Dementia

Age at time of Death: 79 years old

Burial Place: Mound City National Cemetery, Mound City, Illinois

 

[Luke Freet]

Bump for Chickamauga.
Turchin was conspicuous on both the 19th and 20th, leading countercharges which helped stabilized the union lines.

 

[TnFed]

I believe he was in charge of fortifying the coast of Finland for the Czar, before coming to the States.

 

[Pollaco]

3 companies of his 19th Illinois were formally with Col. Elmer Ellsworth's Zouves and wore the uniform.

 

[Pollaco]

On the sacking and plunder of Athens, Alabama, He supposedly told his men "I shut my eyes for two hours. I see nothing." General Joseph Keifer (judge advocate) said of the matter, "Turchin did not believe that war could be successfully waged by an invading army with it's officers and soldiers acting as missionaries of mercy." He was court-martialed and found guilty but Abraham Lincoln promoted him to brigadier general thus invalidating the court martial. Turchin now outranked 6 of the 7 members of the court. A officer could only be tried by officers of equal or greater rank.

 

[gentlemanrob]

Happy weekend (January 30th) Birthday Brig. General John B. Turchin! remembering General Turchin on his birthday weekend.

 

[Norman Dasinger Jr]

A Horrible man and
I dont normally demean CW soldiers from either side

 

[ErnieMac]

His birth name was Ivan Vasilyevich Turchaninov. His wife, Nadine accompanied Turchin followed Turchin into the field during his campaigns. She was known to the troops as Madam Turchin and left a diary of her observations.

 

[Pollaco]

It was probably his Old World ways that got him in trouble by letting his men run wild in Athens.War never was and is far from civilized. And even less so in Old World countrys.Victorious troops overran and pillaged conquered territorys.

 

[Luke Freet]

Ah, Turchin, one of my favorite of the foreign-born generals.

 

[USS ALASKA]

Birthday boy!

JOHN B. TURCHIN: RUSSIAN VIEWS THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR
A thesis presented to the Faculty of the U. S. Army Command and General Staff College In partial fulflllinent of the requirements for the degree MASTER OF MILITARY ART AND SCIENCE
JOHN A. VAN ALSTYNE, MAJ, USA
BBA, Texas, A&M University, 1966
Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
1976
AD Number: ADA029841
Subject Categories: SOCIOLOGY AND LAW HUMANITIES AND HISTORY MILITARY OPERATIONS, STRATEGY AND TACTICS
Corporate Author: ARMY COMMAND AND GENERAL STAFF COLL FORT LEAVENWORTH KANSAS
Pages: 104 PAGES

Abstract
John Basil Turchin, a colonel in the Russian Army of Czar Nicholas I, immigrated to the United States and served in the Union Army from May 1861 until July 1864. Initially, he was appointed commander of the 19th Illinois Regiment and subsequently given command of the 8th Brigade, Army of the Ohio. Turchin believed the Union should be more vigorous in carrying the war to the Confederacy. His methods in this regard eventually led to controversy with superiors and ultimately to his court-martial. Following his court-martial conviction, he was pardoned by President Lincoln, promoted to brigadier general, and given command of a brigade in the A1my of the Cumberland. Later, Turchin was co-founder of a successful Polish colony at Radom, Illinois. General Turchin was an experienced and successful commander who understood the nature of war and was one of the earliest advocates of the total war concept for which Generals William T. Sherman and Phillip J. Sheridan later became famous.

Limitation Code: APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE
Source Code: 037260

https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=bf93f4010780951dJmltdHM9MTcwMjk0NDAwMCZpZ3VpZD0wMjY1YmRhYS1iNTI3LTY3MTYtMGEwMi1iMjAxYjQzNTY2NzImaW5zaWQ9NTIyMQ&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=3&fclid=0265bdaa-b527-6716-0a02-b201b4356672&psq=Union+Cossack%3a+General+John+B.+Turchin%27s+Career+in+the+American+Civil+War.&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly9jZ3NjLmNvbnRlbnRkbS5vY2xjLm9yZy9kaWdpdGFsL2FwaS9jb2xsZWN0aW9uL3A0MDEzY29sbDIvaWQvMjI0NS9kb3dubG9hZA&ntb=1

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

 

[Pollaco]

"Turchin believed the Union should be more vigorous in carrying the war to the Confederacy".
He got a little to "vigorous" in Athens, Alabama.