The Bull Was Killed

Union General William “Bull” Nelson was killed September 29^th 1862.

William “Bull” Nelson was born September 27^th 1824.  He attended school at Maysville Academy, and then at age 13 he went to Norwich University in Vermont.  At 15 Nelson received, with the help of Congressman Garrett Davis a midshipman position on the USS Delaware.  After five years sailing in the South Pacific he became part of the first class at the United States Naval School at Annapolis.  Nelson graduated in 1846 and reported for duty on the USS Raritan.

When the Civil War started Nelson was detached from the Navy and sent to recruit troops in the East Tennessee area.  He was placed with his troops in Camp Dick Robinson and made Brigadier General of United States volunteers September 16^th 1861.  Nelson organized a brigade at Camp Kenton and marched them to Olympian Springs, Bath, Kentucky.  In late October 1861 his men routed Confederates at West Liberty, and on November 8^th 1861 Confederate Captain Andrew Jackson May fought a delaying action against Nelson on Ivy Mountain.  At the end of the month Nelson was place under Union General Don Carlos Buell as part of the Army of the Ohio.  His men arrived at Shiloh Church on April 5^th 1862 and saw heavy fighting.  Nelson got into an argument after entering Corinth on May 30^th 1862 with Union General John Pope over who should get credit for occupying the town.

On September 18^th 1862 Nelson assigned Union Brigadier General Jefferson C Davis to command the Home Guard.  Davis felt that this assignment was an insult and on September 29^th 1862 he publicly demanded an apology from Nelson in the lobby to the Galt House.  Nelson refused to apologize and this publicly shamed Davis.  Davis obtained a pistol and shot Nelson in the heart.  Although Davis was prosecuted the case was dropped from the court docket in 1864 and Davis was never convicted.  Nelson was buried in Cave Hill Cemetery.  His body was latter moved to a family plot March 8^th 1872 in the Maysville Cemetery.

The Chief Engineer Of The Confederacy

Chief Engineer of the Confederate Army, Jeremy Francis Gilmer died December 1st 1883.


Jeremy Francis Gilmer was born February 23rd 1818 in Guilford County, North Carolina. He graduated fourth in his class at West Point in 1839, and entered the army corps of engineers as a second Lieutenant. Gilmer started as an assistant professor of engineering at West Point, before being assigned to Fort Schuyler in New York City. During the Mexican - American War he was the Chief Engineer of the United States Army of the West, located in the New Mexico Territory, he also surveyed battlefields near Mexico City. Through 1861 Gilmer was in San Francisco California working on harbor improvements, and fortifications.

Gilmer resigned his commission when the Civil War started, and joined the Confederate army. He was appointed as a Major in engineers. He was quickly promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and worked on the staff of General Albert Sidney Johnston. He was wounded at the Battle of Shiloh, and after recovering was promoted in August 1862 to Brigadier General and stationed in Richmond Virginia. In 1863 Gilmer was appointed to the Chief of Engineer Bureau for the Confederacy, overseeing the building and maintance of defenses in Charleston South Carolina. It came along with the promotion to Major General. Gilmer saw that Atlanta was weak and a likely target for the Union, he developed a plan of forts and earthworks that ringed the city. He returned to Richmond Virginia in 1864 and spent the rest of the war there.

When war was over Gilmer was the director of the Georgia Central Railroad, and until his death was the president of the Savannah Gas Company in Savannah Georgia. He died in Savannah December 1st 1883, and is buried the Laurel Grove Cemetery.

Another web site worth a look - Gilmer Civil War Maps

The Butcher Of Kentucky

Stephen Gano Burbridge, also known as the Butcher of Kentucky was born August 19th 1831 in Scott County Kentucky. He started college at Georgetown College and finished at the Kentucky Military Institute. He became a lawyer after graduating.


When the Civil War started Burbridge raised a Union Regiment, and was made a Colonel of the 26th Kentucky Infantry. He raised to the rank of Brigadier General on June 9th 1862, and saw action at Shiloh, Vicksburg and was successful against John Hunt Morgan during the Battle of Cynthiana. Burbridge took over the problem in June 1864 of Kentucky’s growing Confederate guerrillas from General Jeremiah T Boyle. On July 16th 1864 Burbridge issued his Order Number 59, "Whenever an unarmed Union citizen is murdered, four guerrillas will be selected from the prison and publicly shot to death at the most convenient place near the scene of the outrages." In October 1864 he led African American Union troops at the Battle of Saltville, the wounded were left behind and killed by Confederate soldiers. After trying to take control of the military from Kentucky Governor Thomas E Bramlette in February 1865, he was dismissed and resigned from the army.

Burbridge found himself and his family shut out socially after the war, and they moved to Brooklyn New York. He died there December 2nd 1894. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Bragg

In Warren County, NC Braxton Bragg was born on March 22nd 1817.

He graduated from West Point in 1837, the fifth in his class. He saw service with the US military in War with Mexico, and the Seminole war. In 1861 he was put in charge of the Army of Louisiana and was made Brigadier General in the Confederate Army in March of that year. He fought in many battles including Shiloh, and Chickamauga. Confederate President Jefferson Davis assigned him to duty in Richmond, VA in February 1864. In November of that year he was placed in command of the Department South Carolina, holding his army that winter at Wilmington, NC. He was in command of troop during the final battle with General William Tecumseh Sherman. After Robert E Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Bragg accompanied Jefferson Davis on his attempted escape.

After the war he was Chief Engineer for the state of Alabama. He died in Galveston, TX September 27th 1876 where he was working as an inspector for a railroad. US Army Fort Bragg in North Carolinian was named in his honor.

Some other information
Braxton Bragg and Confederate Defeat

Thunderbolt of the Confederacy

General John Hunt Morgan was killed on the 4th of September 1864 while trying to escape Union troops.

Morgan was born Jun 1, 1825 in Huntsville,AL to Calvin Morgan, the oldest in a family of 10. In 1831 the family moved to Lexington,KY.  John began his military career in 1846 when he enlisted in the Army as a cavalry private during the Mexican-American War.

At the beginning of the Civil War he raised the 2nd KY Cavalry Regiment, and was made their Colonel. Morgan and his men were at the Battle of Shiloh. He was promoted to Brigadier General on Dec 11, 1862 following his great sweep through Kentucky, where he captured 1200 Federal soldiers.

Morgan led his troops in an effort to distract Union forces on what is known as “The Great Raid of 1863” or the “Calico Raid” through southern Indiana and Ohio, farther north than any other Rebel force would advance during the war. It came to an end for him when about 700 of his men were captured trying to cross the Ohio River on the 19th of July. He lasted a bit longer before having to give up near Salineville,Ohio on the 26th, but the Federals didn’t keep the intrepid John Morgan long. In Nov he and six of his officers dug their way out of their cells, and than ascended a wall using bed sheets.

He was killed during a Union raid on Greeneville,TN, shot in the back by an ex-Confederate soldier. Many believed he was murdered so that he wouldn’t escape from Union prison a second time, but it seems more likely that he was shot simply because he refused to halt.