Civil War Confederate Brigadier General. The son of a naval officer, he moved with his family to Florida when he was young and then to Pendleton, South Carolina in 1836. He served several years at sea as secretary to two relatives who were US Navy officers, Commodore (later Rear Admiral) William Shubrick and Commodore William Bee. By 1842 he had become a bank cashier at Charleston, South Carolina as well as an ordnance expert. Before the start of the American Civil War, he had become a colonel in the South Carolina Militia, and in April 1861 he became a Confederate States Army colonel and aide-de-camp as the state troops came under the command of the Confederate government. He designed and had constructed an iron-plated battery faced with railroad iron on Morris Island for the attack on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. Between April 1861 and July 21, 1861, he was the aide-de-camp for his brother-in-law, Brigadier General Barnard Bee, who was killed in action at the First Battle of First Bull Run (also known as the Battle of Manassas), soon after bestowing the nickname "Stonewall" on then Brigadier General Thomas J. Jackson. He was wounded in the battle and upon recovery, he became commander of a South Carolina militia regiment. In April 1862 he was appointed colonel of the 24th South Carolina Infantry Regiment and on June 16, 1862, he fought at, and his regiment helped repulse a Union Army attack at the Battle of Secessionville at Charleston, South Carolina. Afterwards, he was sent with his regiment to Mississippi and participated in the Vicksburg Campaign in Brigadier General States Rights Gist's brigade during General Joseph E. Johnston's unsuccessful efforts to relieve the besieged city. Later with the Army of Tennessee, he was wounded at the Battle of Chickamauga in Northwestern Georgia on September 20, 1863, and by this time he had acquired the nickname "Rock." In January 1864 he was promoted to the rank of brigadier general and commanded a brigade in Major General W.H.T. Walker's division of I Corps of the Army of Tennessee. On July 20, 1864, at the Battle of Peachtree Creek in Georgia during the Atlanta Campaign, he was shot in the head and mortally wounded while leading a frontal assault late in the evening. He was then taken to Atlanta, Georgia and died there five days later at the age of 42.
Civil War Confederate Brigadier General. The son of a naval officer, he moved with his family to Florida when he was young and then to Pendleton, South Carolina in 1836. He served several years at sea as secretary to two relatives who were US Navy officers, Commodore (later Rear Admiral) William Shubrick and Commodore William Bee. By 1842 he had become a bank cashier at Charleston, South Carolina as well as an ordnance expert. Before the start of the American Civil War, he had become a colonel in the South Carolina Militia, and in April 1861 he became a Confederate States Army colonel and aide-de-camp as the state troops came under the command of the Confederate government. He designed and had constructed an iron-plated battery faced with railroad iron on Morris Island for the attack on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. Between April 1861 and July 21, 1861, he was the aide-de-camp for his brother-in-law, Brigadier General Barnard Bee, who was killed in action at the First Battle of First Bull Run (also known as the Battle of Manassas), soon after bestowing the nickname "Stonewall" on then Brigadier General Thomas J. Jackson. He was wounded in the battle and upon recovery, he became commander of a South Carolina militia regiment. In April 1862 he was appointed colonel of the 24th South Carolina Infantry Regiment and on June 16, 1862, he fought at, and his regiment helped repulse a Union Army attack at the Battle of Secessionville at Charleston, South Carolina. Afterwards, he was sent with his regiment to Mississippi and participated in the Vicksburg Campaign in Brigadier General States Rights Gist's brigade during General Joseph E. Johnston's unsuccessful efforts to relieve the besieged city. Later with the Army of Tennessee, he was wounded at the Battle of Chickamauga in Northwestern Georgia on September 20, 1863, and by this time he had acquired the nickname "Rock." In January 1864 he was promoted to the rank of brigadier general and commanded a brigade in Major General W.H.T. Walker's division of I Corps of the Army of Tennessee. On July 20, 1864, at the Battle of Peachtree Creek in Georgia during the Atlanta Campaign, he was shot in the head and mortally wounded while leading a frontal assault late in the evening. He was then taken to Atlanta, Georgia and died there five days later at the age of 42.
Bio by: William Bjornstad
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