Charles William Adams (August 16, 1817 – September 9, 1878) was a

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

during 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 ...

(Civil War). In 1864, he was commander of the

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

Northern Sub-District of

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...

, within the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

lines. He had the title, although not the formal rank, of "acting brigadier general." He was not officially appointed by

Confederate President The president of the Confederate States was the head of state and head of government of the Confederate States. The president was the chief executive of the federal government and was the commander-in-chief of the Confederate Army and the Confe ...

Jefferson Davis and confirmed by the

Confederate States Senate The Confederate States Congress was both the provisional and permanent legislative assembly of the Confederate States of America that existed from 1861 to 1865. Its actions were for the most part concerned with measures to establish a new nat ...

to brigadier general grade, even though some sources identify him as a

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 ...

. Adams was a planter, lawyer and judge before the war and a lawyer after the war. As a delegate to the Arkansas secession convention, he was an ardent secessionist. He was a law partner of

United States Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

William K. Sebastian before the war and of Confederate brigadier general and Sovereign Grand Commander of the

Scottish Rite The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry (the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction in the United States often omits the ''and'', while the English Constitution in the United Kingdom omits the ''Scottish''), commonly known as simply the S ...

of Freemasons Southern Jurisdiction,

Albert Pike Albert Pike (December 29, 1809April 2, 1891) was an American author, poet, orator, editor, lawyer, jurist and Confederate general who served as an associate justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court in exile from 1864 to 1865. He had previously se ...

, after the war. He was the maternal grandfather of Helen Keller.Eicher, John H., and

David J. Eicher David John Eicher (born August 7, 1961) is an American editor, writer, and popularizer of astronomy and space. He has been editor-in-chief of ''Astronomy'' magazine since 2002. He is author, coauthor, or editor of 23 books on science and American ...

''Civil War High Commands''
Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001. . p. 587. Retrieved December 22, 2012.

Early life

Charles W. Adams was born in Boston, Massachusetts on August 16, 1817.Allardice, Bruce S.'' More Generals in Gray.'' Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1995. (pbk.). p. 15.Allardice, Bruce S. ''Confederate Colonels: A Biographical Register.'' Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 2008. . p. 38. His parents were Benjamin and Susannah (Goodhue) Adams. Benjamin was related to

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

John Adams John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, and Founding Father who served as the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Before his presidency, he was a leader of t ...

.Hallum, John
''Biographical and pictorial history of Arkansas, Volume 1''
Albany, NY: Weed, Parsons, 1887. . Retrieved December 22, 2012. In 1819, the Adams family moved to New Albany, Indiana, where Charles was a clerk in a mercantile house between 1830 and 1835. Adams moved to

Helena, Arkansas Helena is the eastern portion of Helena–West Helena, Arkansas, a city in Phillips County, Arkansas. It was founded in 1833 by Nicholas Rightor and is named after the daughter of Sylvanus Phillips, an early settler of Phillips County and the n ...

in 1835 and became a cashier in a mercantile house. In 1837, he became cashier of the

Real Estate Bank of Arkansas The Real Estate Bank of Arkansas was a bank in Arkansas during the 1830s through 1850s. Formed in 1836, the bank had a troubled history with accusations of waste and favoritism, as well as violations of the bank's legal charter. The bank suspe ...

. After studying law at night, he became a lawyer in 1839.Hallum, 1887, p. 308 In the early 1840s, Adams entered into a law partnership with William K. Sebastian, who became a

United States senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

in 1848. Adams was a judge from 1852 to 1854. He also became a large cotton planter and slaveholder. Adams married Lucy Helen Everett. Their daughter Catherine Everett Keller was the mother of Helen Keller.Lash, Joseph P
''Helen and Teacher: The Story of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan Macy''
. New York: Delacorte Press, 1980. . Retrieved December 22, 2012. p. 45. Adams was a presidential elector for John Bell in 1860.Hallum, 1887, p. 309 He was elected to the Arkansas secession convention in 1861 and vigorously advocated for secession of that state from the union.Hallum, 1887, p. 310.

American Civil War service

In 1861, Charles W. Adams first served the Confederacy as a major and

quartermaster Quartermaster is a military term, the meaning of which depends on the country and service. In land armies, a quartermaster is generally a relatively senior soldier who supervises stores or barracks and distributes supplies and provisions. In ...

of Arkansas state troops under Brigadier General Thomas Bradley, soon succeeded by

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

James Yell.Hallum, 1887, p. 312. The Provisional Army of Arkansas was dissolved and incorporated into the Confederate States Army later in 1861. Adams then raised an infantry regiment, the

23rd Arkansas Infantry Regiment The 23rd Arkansas Infantry (1862–1865) was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War. In the summer of 1864, the unit was reorganized as a mounted infantry regiment in preparation for Price's Missouri Expedition and off ...

from the

area. Adams was elected colonel on April 25, 1862. The regiment joined the

Army of Tennessee The Army of Tennessee was the principal Confederate army operating between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River during the American Civil War. It was formed in late 1862 and fought until the end of the war in 1865, participating in ...

after the Battle of Shiloh. After a few months, Adams returned to Arkansas to take charge of a new regiment. Except for two companies of veterans, they were mainly unwilling conscripts. The men were mustered into service on September 12, 1862. The regiment became known as Adams' Arkansas Infantry Regiment. At the

Battle of Prairie Grove The Battle of Prairie Grove was a battle of the American Civil War fought on December 7, 1862. While tactically indecisive, the battle secured the Union control of northwestern Arkansas. A division of Union troops in the Army of the Front ...

, Arkansas on December 7, 1862, Adams's regiment was ordered forward after the battle had started, to fill a gap in the Confederate line.Shea, William L. ''Fields of Blood: The Prairie Grove Campaign''. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2009. . p. 188. They headed directly for the sound of the firing, lost their way and ended up in a deep ravine from which they had to be extracted to take their place in the line. Adams kept his men in place for a short time in order to steady them. Soon, they unleashed a volley on the flank of an advancing Union regiment, the 26th Regiment Indiana Infantry, sending that regiment into retreat. As the Confederates advanced in close ranks, the

37th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 37th Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, nicknamed the "Fremont Rifles" and "Illinois Greyhounds", was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Organization The 37th Illinois Infantry was organized ...

made a stand in an orchard, from which they brought Adams's regiment under heavy fire.Shea, 2009, p. 191. Most of the men, except for some veterans of the

Battle of Wilson's Creek The Battle of Wilson's Creek, also known as the Battle of Oak Hills, was the first major battle of the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War. It was fought on August 10, 1861, near Springfield, Missouri, Springfield, Missou ...

in the two veteran companies, then fled the field. Adams was nonetheless praised for his own leadership and performance. Adams and his remaining men fell in with Colonel

Emmett MacDonald Emmett may refer to: Places ;In the United States * Emmett, Idaho * Emmett, Kansas * Emmett, Michigan, a village in St. Clair County * Emmett Charter Township, Michigan in Calhoun County * Emmett Township, St. Clair County, Michigan * Emmett, Misso ...

's Brigade of Brigadier General John S. Marmaduke's Division. The flight of most of the men of Adams's regiment had little effect on the outcome of the battle. Adams's regiment was disbanded on December 16, 1862. Adams then served on the staff of fellow Arkansas citizen

Thomas C. Hindman Thomas Carmichael Hindman Jr. (January 28, 1828 – September 28, 1868) was an American lawyer, politician, and a senior officer of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, he later moved to Miss ...

, who commanded a division in the

.Hallum, 1887, p. 312. Adams served as acting assistant inspector general and chief of staff of the division. In his 1887 history of Arkansas, John Hallum says that Adams won a brigadier general commission for his gallantry on the field at the Battle of Missionary Ridge, November 25, 1863. Historian Bruce S. Allardice wrote in 1995 that "no record of Adams' promotion exists."Allardice, 1995, p. 16. Adams returned to Arkansas in December 1863. In 1864, Adams served as commander of the Northern Sub-District of Arkansas, which was behind Union lines. Some sources show his rank as "acting brigadier general." Confederate cavalry Brigadier General

Joseph O. Shelby Joseph Orville "J.O." Shelby (December 12, 1830 – February 13, 1897) was a senior officer of the Confederate States Army who commanded cavalry in the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War. Early life and education Joseph Orvil ...

and his adjutant, Major

John Newman Edwards Major John Newman Edwards (January 4, 1839 – May 4, 1889) was famed General Joseph O. Shelby's adjutant during the American Civil War, an author, a pro- Confederate journalist and the founder of the Kansas City Times. He is perhaps best ...

each held a low opinion of Adams. Edwards accused Adams of being more interested in cotton trading than in fighting. When Shelby operated in this area of Arkansas, he relegated Adams to handling only civil matters. Adams remained in command until at least December 27, 1864. He likely formally remained on duty until the end of the war.

Later life

Adams briefly returned to Helena, Arkansas after the war. He attempted to practice law but the local federal military authorities would not permit him to do so because he refused to take the Ironclad oath. Later in 1865, Adams moved to

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...

. There he opened a law practice with former Confederate brigadier general and prominent Freemason, Albert Pike.Eicher, 2001, p. 429. Charles William Adams died on September 9, 1878, of

yellow fever Yellow fever is a viral disease of typically short duration. In most cases, symptoms include fever, chills, loss of appetite, nausea, muscle pains – particularly in the back – and headaches. Symptoms typically improve within five days. ...

.Eicher, 2001, p. 587 gives his date of death as September 10, 1878. He is buried in Elmwood Cemetery, in Memphis. Charles W. Adams was the maternal grandfather of the author, political activist, disability advocate and lecturer Helen Adams Keller, who overcame

deafblindness Deafblindness is the condition of little or no useful hearing and little or no useful sight. Different degrees of vision loss and auditory loss occur within each individual. Because of this inherent diversity, each deafblind individual's needs r ...

to achieve her many accomplishments.

Notes

References

* Allardice, Bruce S. ''Confederate Colonels: A Biographical Register.'' Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 2008. . * Allardice, Bruce S. ''More Generals in Gray''. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1995. . * Eicher, John H., and

''Civil War High Commands''
Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001. . p. 587. Retrieved December 22, 2012. * Hallum, John
''Biographical and pictorial history of Arkansas, Volume 1''
Albany, NY: Weed, Parsons, 1887. . Retrieved December 22, 2012. * Hubbell, Jay B
''The South in American Literature 1607-1900''
. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1954. * Lash, Joseph P
''Helen and Teacher: The Story of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan Macy''
. New York: Delacorte Press, 1980. . Retrieved December 22, 2012. * Shea, William L. ''Fields of Blood: The Prairie Grove Campaign''. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2009. . {{DEFAULTSORT:Adams, Charles W. 1817 births 1878 deaths Northern-born Confederates Adams political family Confederate States Army officers People of Arkansas in the American Civil War Helen Keller Arkansas Constitutional Unionists 1860 United States presidential electors Deaf lawyers American lawyers with disabilities