"Brother against brother" is a slogan used in histories of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, describing the predicament faced in families (primarily, but not exclusively, residents of border states) in which their loyalties and military service were divided between the

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

and the Confederacy. There are a number of stories of brothers fighting in the same battles on opposite sides, or even of brothers killing brothers over the issues.

Examples

* December 26, 1861, Confederate Lt. Col.

Nathan Bedford Forrest Nathan Bedford Forrest (July 13, 1821October 29, 1877) was a prominent Confederate Army general during the American Civil War and the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan from 1867 to 1869. Before the war, Forrest amassed substantial wealt ...

was ordered to probe the strength of Union troops in and around Camp Calhoun, Kentucky. Two Confederate forward scouts, Adam R. Johnson and Robert M. Martin, each had brothers stationed at the camp. * On May 23, 1862, at the

Battle of Front Royal The Battle of Front Royal, also known as Guard Hill or Cedarville, was fought on May 23, 1862, during the American Civil War, as part of Jackson's Valley campaign. Confederate forces commanded by Major General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson we ...

, Capt. William Goldsborough of the Confederate 1st Maryland Infantry captured his brother Charles Goldsborough of the Union 1st Maryland Infantry and took him prisoner. The battle is also notable for being the only time in United States military history that two regiments from the same state with the same numerical designation have engaged each other in battle. *The Crittenden brothers were

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

s on opposite sides of the conflict:

George Bibb Crittenden George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presid ...

within the Confederate Army and

Thomas Leonidas Crittenden Thomas Leonidas Crittenden (May 15, 1819 – October 23, 1893) was a lawyer, politician, and Union general during the American Civil War. Early life Crittenden was born in Russellville, Kentucky, the son of U.S. Senator John J. Crittenden, who ...

within the Union Army. In 1861, George was promoted to brigadier general on August 15 and briefly commanded a brigade in the Army of the Potamac before he was assigned the District of East Tennessee in November. Crittenden briefly commanded the 2nd Division of the Army of Central Kentucky, but was relieved of duty and arrested for drunkenness on March 31, 1862. * The Terrill brothers were also

s on opposite sides of the conflict: James Barbour Terrill within the Confederate Army (killed at the

Battle of Totopotomoy Creek The Battle of Totopotomoy Creek , also called the Battle of Bethesda Church, Crumps Creek, Shady Grove Road, and Hanovertown, was a battle fought in Hanover County, Virginia on May 28–30, 1864, as part of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses Grant's O ...

) and William Rufus Terrill within the Union Army (killed at the

Battle of Perryville The Battle of Perryville, also known as the Battle of Chaplin Hills, was fought on October 8, 1862, in the Chaplin Hills west of Perryville, Kentucky, as the culmination of the Confederate Heartland Offensive (Kentucky Campaign) during the A ...

). * On November 7, 1861, at the

Battle of Port Royal The Battle of Port Royal was one of the earliest amphibious operations of the American Civil War, in which a United States Navy fleet and United States Army expeditionary force captured Port Royal Sound, South Carolina, between Savannah, Geor ...

, Union Navy Commander

Percival Drayton Percival Drayton (August 25, 1812 – August 4, 1865) was a career United States Navy officer. He served in the Brazil Squadron, the Mediterranean Squadron and as a staff officer during the Paraguay Expedition. During the American Civil War, he ...

of the USS ''Pocahontas'' battled Confederate forces on shore commanded by his brother General

Thomas F. Drayton Thomas Fenwick Drayton (August 24, 1809 – February 18, 1891) was a planter, politician, railroad president, slave owner and military officer from Charleston, South Carolina. He served in the United States Army and then as a brigadier gene ...

. * As cited in the book, "A Century of Wayne County, Kentucky", brothers Anthony and William McBeath fought on opposite sides of the Civil War, Anthony for the Confederate Army, and William for the Union Army. At the end of the war, both brothers returned home the same evening, William in a "resplendent uniform of a Major in the Federal Army", and several hours later, Anthony in "rags with a 'taterhill' hat." Battle_Of_Secessionville

*On June 16, 1862, Brothers James and Alexander ''Sandy'' Campbell fought each other on opposite sides of the

Battle of Secessionville The Battle of Secessionville (or the First Battle of James Island) was fought on June 16, 1862, during the American Civil War. Confederate forces defeated the Union's only attempt to capture Charleston, South Carolina, by land. It's noted for ...

, which was the first major attempt by federal troops to regain Charleston. James and Alexander Campbell were brothers from a Scottish family that immigrated to the United States in the 1850s. Confederate James Campbell joined a militia company in Charleston known as the 42nd Infantry Regiment, which consolidated with other troops into the Charleston Battalion. In New York, Alexander joined the 79th Highlander regiment. They were within yards of each other, but were unaware of that fact until near the end of the battle. James wrote to Sandy after the battle, "I was astonished to hear from the prisoners that you was colour Bearer of the Regmt that assalted the Battrey icat this point the other day." *In May 1863, brothers John and Henry McLaughlin fought on opposite sides at the

Siege of Vicksburg The siege of Vicksburg (May 18 – July 4, 1863) was the final major military action in the Vicksburg campaign of the American Civil War. In a series of maneuvers, Union Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and his Army of the Tennessee crossed the Missis ...

. Both McLaughlin brothers were born in

Marion County, Indiana Marion County is located in the U.S. state of Indiana. The 2020 United States census, 2020 United States census reported a population of 977,203, making it the largest county in the state and 51st List of the most populous counties in the United ...

. John McLaughlin enlisted with the Union army, achieving the rank of colonel by the end of the war. Henry enlisted in the Confederate Army as a private and was promoted to second lieutenant. In the battle the Siege of Vicksburg, Henry was captured and sent to a Union military prison. *The Terrill Brothers came into conflict at the Confederate victory at Hartsville, TN in 1862. George W. Terrill, Joshua C. Terril, Simeon F. Terrill, and Robert Q. Terrill originated in Boone County, KY. George W. Terrill fought with the 5th KY Cavalry, Company G, along with his brothers Joshua and Simeon. Robert Q. Terrill was a first lieutenant in the Kentucky Volunteer U.S. Infantry, 11th Regiment. At the Confederate victory at Hartsville, TN in 1862, the 5th KY Cavalry took 1,844 Union prisoners and wagons of supplies. One of these prisoners was Robert Terrill. *The historian and genealogical researcher Chad Clifford Davis of Tulsa, Oklahoma uncovered the first known set of brothers to fight against each other in the Battle of Elkhorn Tavern on March 7, 1862. Private John Virgil Barnhart from Company B of the 24th Missouri Infantry Regiment (USA) fought his brother Private Thomas Henderson Barnhart of the

Missouri State Guard The Missouri State Guard (MSG) was a military force established by the Missouri General Assembly on May 11, 1861. While not a formation of the Confederate States Army, the Missouri State Guard fought alongside Confederate troops and, at various ...

3rd Brigade (CSA). Their brother Alfred S. Barnhart also served Confederate Missouri as a Partisan Ranger, and their brothers David and Henry fought as Unionists.

References

External links

* Bruce Catton
Brother Against Brother
''American Heritage'', 1961, Volume 12, Issue 3
Brother Against Brother: The American Civil War (2001 Video)
Historiography of the American Civil War {{AmericanCivilWar-stub

Examples

References

Further reading

External links