The Little Gamecock

Confederate General James Jay Archer died October 24^th 1864 from an illness he developed while a Prisoner of War.

James Jay Archer was born December 19^th 1817 near Havre de Grace, Maryland the son of John and Ann [Stump] Archer.  He attended Princeton University; where he picked up the nickname “Sally” do to his small stature.  Archer graduated in 1835 and attending Bacon College in Georgetown, Kentucky he went on to study law at the University of Maryland.  He had a successful law practice going when the Mexican American War broke out.  Archer volunteered for service and was cited for bravery at Chapultepec, receiving a brevet to Major.  He moved to Texas following the war in 1848 were he was wounded in a duel.  Archer returned to law in Maryland, but decided in 1855 to join the United States Army as a Captain in 9^th US Infantry.  He served mostly in the Pacific Northwest.

When the Civil War started Archer was at Fort Walla Walla in Washington Territory.  He resigned March 14^th 1861, and shortly after was a member of the Confederate Army.  Archer was made a Colonel in the 5^th Texas Infantry, and served with excellence at the Battle of Eltham’s Landing and Seven Pines.  On June 3^rd 1862 he was promoted to Brigadier General and given command of three Tennessee regiments.  They fought as part of Major General A P Hill’s “Light Division” at Cedar Mountain and Second Bull Run, where he had a horse shot from under him.  His men called him “The Little Gamecock”.  Archer was to sick to ride a horse during the Maryland Campaign of September 1862, and led them from an ambulance.  His men contributed to the victories at the Battles of Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville.  By the summer of 1863 Archer’s brigade was part of Major General Henry Heth’s Division, A P Hill’s Corps.

On July 1^st 1863 Archer was taken prisoner at the Battle of Gettysburg.  Union Private Patrick Maloney of the 2^nd Wisconsin captured him, making Archer the first general to be captured in the Confederate army since General Robert E Lee took command.  Archer was sent to Johnson’s Island on Lake Erie where the Ohio winter cause his health to decline.  After a year at the Fort Johnson prisoner of war camp, Archer was sent with 600 other Confederate officers to Charleston Harbor.  He was exchanged late in the summer of 1864.  He rejoined the Confederate army on August 9^th 1864 as part of the Army of Tennessee, but due to his poor health was order to Petersburg, Virginia.  He collapsed following the Battle of Peebles’ Farm.  Archer died October 24^th 1864 in Richmond, Virginia and is buried Hollywood Cemetery.

Killed By Artillery

Union Brigadier General George Dashiell Bayard died December 14th 1862, after being wounded during the Battle of Fredericksburg.

George Dashiell Bayard was born December 18th 1835 in Seneca Falls, New York. His family homesteaded in the Iowa Territory, were he attended a military school taught by a Major Dorn. He received an appointment to West Point, and graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1856. As a Second Lieutenant in the Cavalry he was stationed on the frontier doing garrison duty. He saw action in the Indian Wars of Kansas and Colorado.

With the beginning of the Civil War, Bayard was promoted to Colonel and given command in the 1st Pennsylvania Cavalry. The 1st Pennsylvania was active in the Shenandoah Valley campaigns. On April 28th 1862 he received a commission to Chief of Cavalry of the III Corps and a promotion to Brigadier General. He led men under Major General John C Fremont at the Battle of Port Republic, and a Union advance during the Battle of Cedar Mountain. Bayard was wounded December 13th 1862 by an artillery round during the Battle of Fredericksburg. He died the next day December 14th 1862. Bayard’s body was taken to Princeton, New Jersey for burial in the Princeton Cemetery.

Near The Bottom Of His Class

Union General Benjamin Stone Roberts a lawyer and civil engineer was born November 18th 1810.


Benjamin Stone Roberts was born in Manchester, Bennington, Vermont November 18th 1810. He graduated in 1835 from the United States Military Academy at West Point, near the bottom of his class, 53rd out of 56. After four years in the military, Roberts resigned and took up a career as a civil engineer for the railroads. He even traveled to Russia with this work, helping build a railroad from St Petersburg to Moscow. Returning to the United States Roberts settled in Iowa where be became a lawyer. When the Mexican - American War started Robert rejoined the military with a rank of First Lieutenant. He saw action at most of the major battles and was a brevet Lieutenant Colonel by the end of hostilities.

At the beginning of the Civil War Roberts was serving with the 3rd United States Cavalry as a Major in Arizona and New Mexico. He served under General Edward Canby at the Battle of Valverde. In June 1862 Roberts was promoted to Brigadier General and assigned as Inspector General and Chief of the Cavalry on General John Pope’s staff. He precipitated in the Battles of Cedar Mountain, Rappahannock Station and Second Bull Run. He was sent shortly after to Minnesota to deal with Indian issue before being recalled to Washington DC in February 1863.

After the Civil War ended Robert stayed in the United States Army with the 3rd Cavalry as a Lieutenant Colonel. Beginning in 1868 he taught military science at Yale University. He died in Washington DC January 29th 1875. His remains were first placed in Oak Hill Cemetery in Washington, but latter moved to Dellwood Cemetery in Manchester Vermont.

He Gave An Arm To The Cause

Confederate Brigadier General Robert Doak Lilley died November 12th 1886.


Robert Doak Lilley was born January 28th 1836 near Greenville Virginia, the son of James M Lilley. He came from a long standing military family. Lilley received an education at Washington College, and then began selling surveying equipment invented by his father.

When the Civil War started in 1861 Lilley became a Captain in the 25th Virginia Infantry, known as “Lee’s Rifles”. Lilley received commendations for his actions during the Battles of Cedar Mountain and Second Battle of Manassas. In January 1863 he was promoted to Major, and following the Battle of Gettysburg where he was again cited to Lieutenant Colonel. Lilley was wounded three times and lost an arm. He was seriously wounded and captured during the Battle of Stephenson’s Depot July 20th 1864. Four days latter he was rescued at Winchester. Lilley surrendered with the rest of the Confederate Army and was paroled May 23rd 1865 at Staunton Virginia.

Following the war Lilley returned to Washington College [renamed Washington and Lee College] as their financial officer. He died November 12th 1886 in Richmond Virginia of paralysis. He is buried in the Thornrose Cemetery in Staunton Virginia.

Stonewall And Lee Called For Him

Confederate General Ambrose Powell Hill, most commonly called AP Hill was born November 9th 1825.

Ambrose Powell “A. P.” Hill was born November 9th 1825 in Culpeper, Virginia. He graduated 15th out of 38 from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1847. He was appointed Second Lieutenant in the 1st US Artillery, and served in the Mexican American War. Hill married Kitty Morgan McClung a young widow in 1859, making him the brother-in-law of cavalry Confederate General John Hunt Morgan.

With the coming of the Civil War, Hill resigned his United States Army commission. He accepted an appointment of Colonel in the 13th Virginia Infantry. He showed talent on the field at the Battle of First Manassas. Hill was promoted to Major General following the Battle of Williamsburg. As a division commander in General Robert E Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia, Hill’s men distinguished themselves at the Battles of Seven Days, Cedar Mountain, Second Bull Run, Antietam and Fredericksburg. After the Battle of Chancellorsville, Hill took over command of Thomas J Stonewall Jackson’s corps in May 1863 following Jackson’s wounding. After Jackson’s death Hill received a promotion and command of the Third Corp, which he led for the first time at Gettysburg, although he was sick at the time with some unidentified illness.

Seven days before Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House, on April 2nd 1865, Hill was shot and killed as he road the Petersburg line possibly by Union Corporal John W Mauck of the 138th Pennsylvania. He is buried in Richmond Virginia.

The Boy Major

“The Boy Major” Joseph White Latimer was born August 27th 1843 in Oak Ridge, Prince William, Virginia. He attended the Virginia Military Institute and studied artillery under Thomas J “Stonewall" Jackson. The Civil War broke out while Latimer was in his second year at VMI, and he left the school to serve with the Confederacy. His first service was with the Richmond Hampden Artillery. In the fall of 1861 he was commissioned as a First Lieutenant.


Latimer saw his first action during the Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1862. He distinguished himself in the Battles of First Winchester and Cedar Mountain. He was placed in command of the battalion of AR Courtney, and was promoted to Major in March 1863, serving in Major Richard Snowden Andrew’s Battalion a part of Major General Edward “Allegheny” Johnson’s Division. Andrews was wounded at the Battle of Stephenson’s Depot and Latimer took over command of the Battalion for the Gettysburg Campaign.

On July 2nd 1863 during the Battle of Gettysburg, Latimer was commanding the artillery on Benner’s Hill. The Confederate guns were supporting an attack on Culp’s Hill and Cemetery Hill. His position was exposed to Union guns and the unit found themselves under heavy fire. Latimer began to have the guns removed from the hill and while directing fire from the remaining four guns, a shell exploded killing his horse and wounding his right arm. He was taken to the Daniel Lady Farm where his arm was amputated. He was moved from there to Winchester, and then to the home of ETH Warren in Harrisonburg, Virginia, as the Confederates retreated from Gettysburg. Latimer developed gangrene and died August 1st 1863. He is buried in the Woodbine Cemetery in Harrisonburg.

Stonewall Trys to Draw his Sword

On August 9 1862 Gen Thomas J “Stonewall” Jackson and Maj Gen Nathaniel Bank meet in Culpeper County Virginia, and began the battle of Cedar Mountain [aka Slaughter’s Mountain, and Cedar Run]

During the first part of August, Pope marched south with the objective of capturing the railroad junction at Gordonsville,VA. The Federals gained an early advantage. The 22,000 Confederates engaged came dangerously close to defeat at the hands of the smaller, but aggressive force of about 12,000 Federals. With the Confederate line in danger of collapsing, Gen. Jackson rallied the troops. He attempted to brandish his sword; however, he tryed to draw it, he found it rusted in its scabbard. A Confederate counterattack led by A.P. Hill repulsed the Federals and won the day. After the battle Gen Jackson withdrew to meet Robert E. Lee, and begin the campaign leading to the battle of Second Manassas, Stonewall Jackson never again held the field as an independent commander. This was also where Clara Barton, the founder of the American Red Cross, saw her first field duty.

For more information look at the following web sites
http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/abpp/battles/va022.htm
http://www.nps.gov/frsp/cedar.htm
http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Barracks/3627/cedar.html
http://www.civilwar.org/travelandevents/t_vs_cedarmountain.htm
http://www.hallowedground.org/component/option,com_jthg/theme,region/task,view/county,Culpeper/Itemid,1/id,113/