Albert Sidney Johnston was an American soldier. He was born in 1803 at Kentucky and died in 1862. A distinguished Confederate general, he graduated at West Point in 1826. He served in the Black Hawk War, and soon after entered the army of Texas, and became Secretary of War for that republic. He passed through the Mexican War, was for a short time a planter, and again in the US army rose to be paymaster and colonel. He commanded skilfully the expedition to Utah, and was in charge of the Department of the Pacific when the American Civil War broke out. Having espoused the Confederate cause he was appointed a general and entrusted with command in the West. He fortified the strategic point of Bowling Green, but his forces were driven back, and he was compelled to concentrate at Corinth. From this point he planned a surprise on Grant's army lying at Pittsburg Landing. The attack was executed in one of the fiercest battles of the war, but General Johnston was killed in the afternoon of the first day while leading a charge. Research Albert Sidney Johnston
Ambrose Everett Burnside was an American soldier, gunsmith and politician. He was born in 1824 and died in 1881. A graduate of West Point in 1847 he was commander of the Army of the Potomac, before inventing a breech-loading rifle and retiring from the army to engage in business before becoming a Republican governor of Rhode Island from 1866 until 1868 and a US Senator for Rhode Island from 1875 until 1881. During the American Civil War he led a brigade at the first battle of Bull Run and in 1862 was placed in command of an expedition to North Carolina. Research Ambrose E. Burnside
Benedict Arnold was an American soldier. He was born in 1741 at Norwich, Connecticut and died in 1801. A druggist, he joined the Colonial army and was appointed a colonel by the Massachusetts Congress when the American War Of Independence broke out. Benedict Arnold served as a volunteer in capture of Ticonderoga, and became famous for his masterly conduct of the right flank in the attack on Canada in 1775, being wounded at the assault on Quebec. Promoted to brigadier-general he was defeated by the British flotilla at Valcour Island in LakeChamplain in October 1776 but managed a skilful retreat. Further promoted to major-general he took part in the Burgoyne Campaign.
He commanded in Philadelphia but was court-martialled on trivial charges and reprimanded by George Washington. Obtaining the charge of West Point he intrigued with Henry Clinton for the betrayal of West Point to the British, but the capture of the negotiator frustrated the scheme and Benedict Arnold escaped to the British who rewarded him with a position of brigadier-general, a sum of money and the chance to make attacks upon Virginia and New London. After the war he went to England and lived out the remainder of his life there. Benedict Arnold is perhaps the most notorious traitor in American history.
Benedict Arnold was an American politician. He was born in 1615 at Rhode Island and died in 1678. He was elected President of Rhode Island in 1657 and under the royal charter of 1663 was its first Governor. Research Benedict Arnold
Braxton Bragg was an American Confederate general. He was born in 1817 at Warren County, North Carolina and died in 1876. He graduated at West Point in 1837, was engaged in the Seminole War of 1837 to 1839 and served with distinction at Buena Vista during the Mexican War of 1846 to 1848 under General Taylor, after which he retired from the army in 1856 and became a planter in Louisiana. When the Civil War broke out, Braxton Bragg was made in 1861 commander-in-chief of all the state troops in Louisiana. In February 1862 he became a major-general, with his headquarters at Mobile, in command of the second division of the Confederate army, the centre of which he commanded at the Battle of Shiloh. In the summer of 1862 he invaded Kentucky, and was defeated in the West. He was defeated again at Murfreesboro', but in 1863 won the Battle of Chickamauga. Grant defeated his army at the battles around Chattanooga, and General Bragg was removed from his command. Research Braxton Bragg
Daniel H Hill was an American soldier. He was born in 1821 at South Carolina and died in 1889. He graduated from West Point in 1842. He was brevetted major for gallant service at Chapultepec during the Mexican War. He enlisted in the Confederate service in 1861, gained a victory at Big Bethel, and was promoted major-general in 1862. He gained distinction,in the Seven Days battles about Richmond and at Boonesboro and Fredericksburg. He commanded in North Carolina and at Richmond and Petersburg. He was engaged at Chickamauga, and surrendered in 1865. Research Daniel Hill
Dwight David Eisenhower was an American president and military leader. He was born in 1890 at Texas and died in 1969. He graduated from West Point Military Academy in 1915 and in 1935 served in the Philippines at Manila under MacArthur and from 1940 held high staff appointments at Washington. In June 1942 he was sent to England as US Commander in the European theatre and in November 1942 became Commander in Chief of the American and British forces on the occasion of the invasion of North Africa. Research Dwight Eisenhower
George Brinton McClellan was an American soldier, writer and politician. He was born in 1826 at Philadelphia and died in 1885. Educated at the University of Pennsylvania and at West Point, after graduating from West Point in 1846 he took a commission in the Engineers and served as a lieutenant under Scott in the Mexican War, and was promoted to captain for his services. After the war he worked as an instructor at West Point, leaving in 1855 and went to Europe to study military affairs, and to follow the course of the Crimean War, and he published as a result, The Armies of Europe.
For a few years he was engineer for the Illinois Central Railroad, and a railroad president. At the outbreak of the American Civil War he was appoinred major-general and entrusted with command in West Virginia and he broke up Garnett's army, and was summoned to Washington after the Bull Run catastrophe. In August, 1861, he became commander of the Army of the Potomac, and in November he succeeded General Scott as commander-in-chief. McClellan's services in organizing the army were invaluable. Excess of caution and friction between the Washington authorities and himself led to disappointments in his achievements against the enemy. He commanded through the Peninsulacampaign, executing his famous 'change of base', was relieved of the command, reappointed on September the 7th, 1862, after Pope's disasters, and commanded in the Antietamcampaign. On November the 7th he was removed and placed on waiting orders. He resigned from the army in 1864, and was the same year the Democratic candidate for President, receiving twenty-one electoral votes. He was Governor of New Jersey from 1878 to 1881. 'Little Mac' was phenomenally popular with the soldiers of the Army of the Potomac in spite of outside criticism. Research George B. McClellan
George Washington Goethals was an American army engineer. He was born in 1858 and died in 1928. He gained world-wide distinction as constructor of the Panama Canal. He entered the engineering branch of the US army in 1880, subsequently becoming an instructor in civil and military engineering at West Point.
He commanded engineers in a volunteer force during the Spanish American War, and afterwards served as a member of Board of Fortifications, and was promoted lieutenant-colonel in 1907. He was appointed by President Taft chief engineer of the Panama Canal in 1907, which he carried to successful completion in April 1914, and subsequently from 1914 to 1917 was first civil governor of the Canalzone, being promoted major-general in 1915.
In 1917 he was recalled to take charge of a programme of marine construction, designed to supply quickly several thousand small wooden vessels, as a means of coping with the submarine menace, and his efficient mobilization of the nation's ship building resources helped greatly in countering the German U-Boatcampaign during the Great War. Research George Goethals
George R T Hewes was an American patriot. He was born in 1751 and died in 1840. He was one of the foremost among the patriots that took part in the 'Boston Tea Party' protest in 1773. He afterward joined the army and was stationed at West Point. Research George Hewes
George Henry Thomas was an American soldier. He was born in 1816 at Virginia and died in 1870. Educated at West Point, he fought against the Seminoles and served in the Mexican War being distinguished at Monterey and Buena Vista, and on the outbreak of the American Civil War, though a Southerner by birth, adhered to the Union, and was given command of a brigade. In the summer of 1861 he had charge of a brigade in Virginia, and later in the year was promoted to the command of a division in the Western army. His first success was the victory of Mill Springs in 1862. In 1865 he commanded a corps in the campaign of Middle Tennessee, and by his stand at Chickamauga neutralised the Confederate success. He succeeded Rosecrans in command of the army of the Cumberland. In 1864 he defeated Hood at Nashville. Research George H Thomas
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Albert Sidney Johnston
