John Selden Roane: A Governor With No Military Talent

John Selden Roane

       John Selden Roane was born in 1817 in Lebanon, Tennessee. He was the nephew of Archibald Roane a governor of Tennessee. Roane attended college at Cumberland College in Kentucky and at age twenty moved to Arkansas where his brother lived. He was elected to the Arkansas state legislature. When the Mexican War began, he raised a company and became its captain. Although he had no military experience, he was soon promoted to lieutenant colonel of an Arkansas regiment. Roane was a likable and intelligent man, but was called too lazy to ever succeed in military service. The regiment performed so poorly at the Battle of Buena Vista that the regiment wasn't used in combat again. 

       Roane made an enemy during his time in the regiment. Albert Pike commanded a company in the regiment at the time and he resented the fact that Roane had been promoted to lieutenant colonel. He felt like he was more qualified for the position. After the war, back in Arkansas, Pike began to spread stories about Roane's handling of the regiment during the battle. This eventually resulted in a duel between the two men. Both men fired twice, missing each time and then agreed to stop the duel. In 1849, Roane was elected as Arkansas's fourth governor. Evidently the stories of his performance in the Mexican War didn't affect how the voters felt about him. 

       When the Civil War began, Roane was against secession, but sided with his adopted state and received a promotion to brigadier general during the spring of 1862. He took command of a brigade in Van Dorn's army and was ordered to Corinth, Mississippi, but was soon sent back to Arkansas to defend the state from Samuel Curtis's invading force. He managed to harass Curtis enough to save the state. Thomas C. Hindman soon replaced Roane and took his troops. This turned Roane against Hindman. Soon the entire department was in an uproar as Roane was frustrated at Hindman, Hindman was quarreling with Pike, and Roane arrested Pike for Hindman. All that was accomplished was severe fighting among the commanders of the department. 

       Roane led a brigade at the Battle of Prairie Grove and Hindman praised his performance there. Yet, Hindman was forced to break up Roane's brigade because of desertions in his Texas regiments. Roane was the number three ranking general in the department and many feared that if something happened to Holmes and Price, Roane would command all the forces. Although he'd done a fairly good job in his Civil War actions, everyone feared for him to command the forces in Arkansas. He was given an infantry brigade in late 1864, but saw little action for the remainder of the war. 

       John S. Roane died at the age of 50 in Pine Bluff, Arkansas in 1867 and rests today in Oakland Cemetery, Little Rock, Arkansas. There were many generals in the war that were far worse than General Roane, but today most historians claim that Roane was disliked by his troops and his superiors. They call him a politician with no military talent. His record, though limited, shows him to have been fairly successful in all of his endeavors. 

Grave of Governor/Brigadier General John S. Roane

Aggressive and Daring: James McQueen McIntosh

James McQueen McIntosh

       James McQueen McIntosh was born in what latter became Tampa, Florida sometime in 1828. He was born of a military family. His great uncle was Lachlan McIntosh, a Revolutionary War general. His father was James S. McIntosh, a U.S. Army colonel who was killed at the Battle of Molina del Rey during the Mexican War. James would graduate from West Point in 1849, ranked last in his class. Graduating so low, meant he was destined for the infantry, but in 1855, he managed to transfer to the cavalry. 

       He resigned from the U.S. Army in 1861, although his younger brother remained in the Union Army. James was ordered to report to Ben McCulloch in Little Rock, Arkansas. He also served on Arkansas Governor Rector's staff. At the Battle of Wilson's Creek, McIntosh commanded the 2nd Arkansas Mounted Infantry. He led a charge that drove the enemy back and was praised by future Confederate Brigadier General Louis Hebert. Others praised his actions at Wilson's Creek in their reports. 

John Baillie McIntosh (James's younger brother)

       All the praise that James received at Wilson's Creek resulted in his promotion to colonel. He led his command in what became known as the Battle of Chustenahlah against Indians who were hostile to the Confederacy. He soon was promoted to brigadier general to rank from December 13, 1861 and took command of a cavalry brigade. 

       

Ben McCulloch

       Advancing against the Federals in northwest Arkansas with Van Dorn's army, McIntosh had developed great admiration of Ben McCulloch, his former commander. At the Battle of Elkhorn Tavern or Pea Ridge, McCulloch had ridden ahead of his men to find the position of the enemy. The 36th Illinois saw him approaching through a tree line and opened fire. A bullet struck McCulloch in the chest. He was killed instantly. When McIntosh learned of this, he decided to lead a charge to recover McCulloch's body. As the line was preparing to move forward, McIntosh received a shot in the chest from a Federal sharpshooter and was also killed instantly. 

Both General's McCulloch and McIntosh were killed in the tree line across this field

       Both bodies were taken by wagon back to Fort Smith, Arkansas where they were buried in the National Cemetery. McCulloch would later be removed to the Texas State Cemetery in Austin, Texas. James McIntosh rests today in the Fort Smith National Cemetery in Fort Smith, Arkansas. He was either 33 or 34 years old. 

The Grave of James McIntosh

       Major General Earl Van Dorn said of McIntosh, "He was alert, daring, and devoted to his duty. His kindness of disposition, with his reckless bravery, had attached the troops strongly to him." 

The Duel: John Marmaduke and Lucius Walker

Me being shot in a duel a year ago at LaGrange

       If you've read my blog on antebellum dueling written in 2013, your familiar with the photograph above. I had a great time that Saturday getting shot and killed twice in one day. Back during the 1800's, dueling was anything but great fun. Most of the time, one of the men was not walking away. A duel could be issued for any perceived slight. I learned that newspaper editors dueled more than any other person because of something he'd printed that offended someone. Many duels were fought over women. Another thing that would cause a duel would have been to call a man a coward. That was a big "no-no" during that time period. 

Major General John S. Marmaduke

       I remember the first time I mentioned Confederate Major General John Marmaduke to my wife. She burst into laughter and asked, "You mean there was a general named Marmaduke?" I believe she was thinking of the big dog that used to appear in the cartoon section of the newspaper to be the reason she was so amused. Marmaduke was a Trans-Mississippi commander, meaning that he served throughout the war west of the Mississippi River. He was born in Missouri in 1833. He graduated from West Point in 1857, ranked 30th out of 37 cadets. He would become a lieutenant in the U.S. Army serving in the cavalry under Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston. He participated in the Morman expedition before the Civil War began. Although his father wanted him to remain on the side of the Union, Marmaduke resigned his commission to fight for the South. He began the war as a lieutenant, but soon worked his way up to brigadier general. 

Brigadier General Lucius Marshall Walker

       Major General Lucius Marshall Walker (called Marsh by his friends) was born in Tennessee in 1829. He also graduated from West Point in the year 1850 ranked 15th in a class of 44 cadets. He served on the frontier as a lieutenant until the year 1852 when he resigned and returned to Tennessee to go into business. When the Civil War began, he was living in Arkansas. 

       He commanded the Confederate forces in a small affair called the Battle of Reed's Bridge or Bayou Meto. The Confederates were forced to retire from their entrenchments, yet halted the Federal advance. After nightfall, the Union forces retreated. General Marmaduke commanded a brigade there under General Walker. He became so incensed at the result of the battle that he asked to be relieved from command under General Walker. He thought Walker had endangered his brigade by retreating after darkness. Walker judged that Marmaduke was calling him a coward and immediately wrote him a letter asking if this were true. 

       Marmaduke replied to Walker that he had not called him a coward, but that his conduct on the field caused him to no longer want to serve under his command. Major General Sterling Price (their field commander) issued orders for both men to remain with their separate commands. Unfortunately, the order was never delivered to Marsh Walker. General Marmaduke ignored the order. 

     The letters were exchanged by both officer's seconds, Captain John C. Moore (Marmaduke's friend and second) and Colonel Robert H. Crockett (Walker's friend, second, and also the grandson of Davy Crockett). Both seconds ended up issuing the challenge to the duel without allowing the senior officers to come to their own conclusions. The two general officers met on a Sunday morning, September 6th, on a plantation near Little Rock, Arkansas. Both were armed with Colt Navy Revolvers. 

         Both men opened fire from fifteen paces and both missed. On the second shot, Walker was hit and collapsed to the ground. Marmaduke immediately rushed to his side and asked how badly he was wounded. Marmaduke then had Walker placed in his own ambulance and rushed to Little Rock to be cared for. Walker died the next day, his bravery now without question. Marmaduke was arrested by General Price, but soon released. Marmaduke would continue the war and become a major general before it ended. In 1884, he would be elected governor of Missouri. He too passed from this earth in 1887. For the rest of his life, he regretted having killed General Marsh Walker. 

Me and my buddy James Howard at the grave of Marsh Walker in Memphis, Tennessee

Thomas Pleasant Dockery: The Volunteer

Thomas Pleasant Dockery

       Few people realize that one of the finest brigade commanders in the Confederate Army was Thomas Pleasant Dockery. One reason for this lack of recognition is because he served most of the war in the Trans-Mississippi Department. The man was said to have received his energy from his father Colonel Thomas Dockery who'd served in the U.S. Army during the removal of the Indians. 

       The younger Dockery was born in 1833 in North Carolina, but his family moved to Tennessee and then on to Arkansas while he was young. It was there that his father would establish a large plantation and bring the first railroad to the state. 

       When the Civil War began, Dockery organized the 5th Arkansas State Troops and was commissioned colonel. He was soon made colonel in the Confederate Army and assigned to the 19th Arkansas Infantry. The young officer would see his first action at the Battle of Wilson's Creek. He would then see action at Elkhorn Tavern and move across the Mississippi River with Earl Van Dorn. There he would lead his men in the Battle of Corinth and command a brigade during the Vicksburg Campaign. At Vicksburg his brigade was placed in a very exposed position to enemy gunboat fire, but bravely held their ground. He was surrendered there with the rest of Pemberton's army on July 4, 1863.

       After being exchanged, Dockery's men moved across the Mississippi River where they would stay for the remainder of the war. There he was commissioned a brigadier general and ordered to reorganize his command and collect troops to bring his brigade back up to strength. For some reason Kirby Smith didn't think the man was capable of handling this assignment. He would eventually bring the brigade up to just over 900 men. He saw action again during the Camden Campaign in early 1864. He was assigned command of Arkansas's Reserve Corps for the last six months of the war. 

       Many men wrote about the brave and gallant leader. One called him a "broad-gauged man." He had the reputation of being an extremely aggressive commander. One of Dockery's Infantryman said, "It was one of Colonel Dockery's hobbies to volunteer to take some battery or storm some difficult stronghold."

The Brave Brigadier

       The war cost him everything he owned. Following the war he became a civil engineer and moved to Houston, Texas. He seems to have been visiting New York City in 1898 at the age of 64 when he died. His body was sent to Natchez, Mississippi where his two daughters lived. He rests there in the city cemetery. A simple Confederate marker serves as his tombstone and that's probably the way General Dockery would have wanted it.

"Reserve Corps of Arkansas" a position he held briefly

       Had he served in Lee's Army, Thomas Dockery may have received the recognition that he deserves. It is also highly probable that such an aggressive commander would have never survived the war. Reading about the man, you are reminded of another aggressive brigadier general named William Barksdale who was shot nine times at Gettysburg.

No Braver Soldier

Brigadier General James Deshler

       James Deshler was born in Tuscumbia, Alabama in 1833. He obtained an appointment to West Point and graduated seventh out of forty-six cadets in the class of 1854. He served in the United States Army until the Civil War began, fighting Sioux Indians and putting down the Mormon uprising in Utah. He received a leave of absence when the war began and never returned. Instead of resigning his commission, the government dropped his name from the rolls. 

       President Davis commissioned Deshler a captain and placed him in command of an artillery battery in western Virginia. He later served as an aide on the staff of Edward Johnson. In an engagement at the Greenbrier River, Deshler was shot through both thighs as he rode along the front lines. He refused to leave the field until the fighting ended. 

       Upon his recovery, he was promoted to colonel and assigned to the staff of Theophilus Holmes in North Carolina. He was chief of artillery under Holmes during the Peninsula Campaign and saw action at Malvern Hill. Holmes labeled Deshler as his best staff officer saying he couldn't afford to lose the man. 

       After the Seven Days Campaign, Holmes was transferred to Arkansas. Deshler would be sent with him, but relieved of duty as a staff officer and assigned a brigade of Texas infantry under General Hindman. His first action as infantry commander was at Arkansas Post, a fort on the Arkansas River. Deshler was spectacular there. He commanded his men to hold their fire until the Federals were within a hundred yards, breaking two enemy charges. Someone raised a white flag in the fort during the fighting, although General Churchill in command of the fort denied he authorized a cease fire. The Federal line in front of Deshler again came forward thinking the fort had surrendered. Deshler shouted that unless they pulled back, he would open fire again because he was without orders to cease firing.

Battle of Arkansas Post

       Sherman and Churchill together rode to Deshler's position. Sherman attempted to dress Deshler down, saying, "What is the meaning of this? You're a regular officer and know better."

       Deshler replied in an angry tone that he didn't have orders to cease fire. Churchill explained to Deshler that he hadn't ordered the surrender, but the fort was overwhelmed because of the display of the white flag from an unknown person. Deshler then ordered his men to stack their arms. 

       Sherman decided that he might disarm Deshler's attitude by a friendly conversation, but he didn't know Deshler very well. Deshler's parents had been born in Pennsylvania, but moved to Alabama before he was born. Sherman asked, "Are you related to the Deshler family in Columbus, Ohio?"

       Deshler, who was still irritated about being captured, replied, "I'm not related to anyone north of the Ohio River anymore."

       Sherman said he believed he gave Deshler a piece of his mind, but couldn't remember for sure. 

       Deshler was held prisoner for five months before being exchanged. He was promoted to brigadier general in July, 1863 and placed in command of Churchill's brigade of Texas troops who had lost faith in him as a commander following the surrender of Arkansas Post. The brigade was then assigned to Cleburne's Division in the Army of Tennessee under General Braxton Bragg. 

       It would be September of 1863 before Deshler would see his first action as a general officer. On September 20, he was waiting to enter the battle when Cleburne approached. Cleburne made mention to the fact that Deshler's men had yet to see action in this battle. Deshler replied, "Well, its not my fault!"

       Cleburne laughed and ordered Deshler forward. Colonel Mills soon sent word that his men were running low on ammunition. He fully expected to see one of the general's staff officer's coming to check the ammo boxes. He looked around and was surprised to see Deshler himself coming in his direction. Before he reached Mills, an artillery shell struck him in the chest without exploding and passed all the way through his body, taking his heart with it. Brigadier General James Deshler was dead before he hit the ground. 

Spot where Deshler fell at Chickamauga

       Mills reported that Deshler was "brave and generous, and kind even to a fault...Refusing to permit a staff officer to endanger his life in going to examine the cartridge boxes to see what amount of ammunition his men had...when he fell as he would wish to fall...surrounded by the bodies of his fallen comrades."

Grave of James Deshler

       James Deshler would be removed to Oakwood Cemetery in Tuscumbia, Alabama. He was loved by the men of his brigade and they would gain fame later as Granbury's Texas brigade. Deshler was 30 years old. The high school in Tuscumbia is named Deshler High School in his honor. The Dixie Station in downtown Tuscumbia sits on the site where his parents lived and he spent his childhood. 

Me standing beside the monument to Deshler beside his grave

       General Robert E. Lee wrote, "There was no braver soldier in the Confederacy than Deshler."