Daniel Weisiger Adams (May 1, 1821 – June 13, 1872) was a lawyer and 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 ...

in the

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 ...

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 th ...

(Civil War).

Early life and career

Adams was born in

Frankfort, Kentucky Frankfort is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, United States, and the seat of Franklin County. It is a home rule-class city; the population was 28,602 at the 2020 census. Located along the Kentucky River, Frankfort is the prin ...

,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: Stanford University Press, 2001. . p. 99.Faust, Patricia L. ''Adams, Daniel Weisiger''. In ''Historical Times Illustrated History of the Civil War'', edited by Patricia L. Faust. New York: Harper & Row, 1986. ., p.2.Sifakis, Stewart. ''Who Was Who in the Civil War.'' New York: Facts On File, 1988. . p. 2.Warner, Ezra J., ''Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders'', Louisiana State University Press, 1959, . p. 1. to George Adams and Anna Weisiger Adams. His brother,

William Wirt Adams William Wirt Adams (1819–1888) was a banker, planter, state legislator, and a Brigadier General in the Confederate States Army. Early life Adams was born in Frankfort, Kentucky, to Anna Weisiger Adams and Judge George Adams (a personal friend ...

, also was a Confederate Army brigadier general. The family moved to Mississippi in 1825. Adams read law and became a lawyer in Mississippi. Daniel W

He also was a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

in the Mississippi militia and a member of the

Mississippi legislature The Mississippi Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Mississippi. The bicameral Legislature is composed of the lower Mississippi House of Representatives, with 122 members, and the upper Mississippi State Senate, with 52 me ...

, serving in the Mississippi State Senate from 1852 to 1856. Adams killed James Hagan in a duel on June 6, 1843. Hagan, editor of the ''Vicksburg Sentinel'', had criticized Adams' father. Adams moved to

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

in 1852. He became prominent in local political and social circles, and his practice became one of the city's largest.

Civil War

With the

secession Secession is the withdrawal of a group from a larger entity, especially a political entity, but also from any organization, union or military alliance. Some of the most famous and significant secessions have been: the former Soviet republics le ...

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

following the 1860 election of

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

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 Stat ...

, in early 1861

Louisiana Governor The governor of Louisiana (french: Gouverneur de la Louisiane) is the head of state and head of government of the U.S. state of Louisiana. The governor is the head of the executive branch of Louisiana's state government and is charged with enfor ...

Thomas O. Moore appointed Adams a member of the military board created to prepare the state for war. Adams was later appointed a

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

of the 1st Louisiana Regulars, or 1st Louisiana Infantry, in the Confederate Army, and was promoted to the rank of

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 of ...

on October 30, 1861 after the regiment was sent to

Pensacola, Florida Pensacola () is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle, and the county seat and only incorporated city of Escambia County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 54,312. Pensacola is the principal ...

. When his regiment's brigade commander, Brigadier General Adley H. Gladden was killed on the first day of the

Battle of Shiloh The Battle of Shiloh (also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing) was fought on April 6–7, 1862, in the American Civil War. The fighting took place in southwestern Tennessee, which was part of the war's Western Theater. The battlefield i ...

, Adams assumed command of the brigade. Soon thereafter, Adams was wounded in further fighting at the Hornet's Nest. A bullet hit Adams just above his left eye and exited behind the left ear, severing the

optic nerve In neuroanatomy, the optic nerve, also known as the second cranial nerve, cranial nerve II, or simply CN II, is a paired cranial nerve that transmits visual system, visual information from the retina to the brain. In humans, the optic nerve i ...

and leaving him blinded in the left eye.Sifakis, 1988, p. 3. Adams was put in an ambulance wagon, but had become unresponsive, so the driver assumed he was dead and threw him overboard to lighten the load.Welsh, Jack D
''Medical Histories of Confederate Generals''
. Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 1995. . Retrieved June 20, 2015. p. 1. Adams was saved when passing soldiers of the 10th Mississippi Infantry Regiment found him and realized that he was still alive. After a month of recuperating in an army hospital in

Corinth Corinth ( ; el, Κόρινθος, Kórinthos, ) is the successor to an ancient city, and is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it has been part o ...

, he was able to resume his duties. Adams was promoted to

on May 23. 1862. He led his brigade at the battles of Perryville and

Stones River The Stones River (properly spelled Stone's River) is a major stream of the eastern portion of Tennessee's Nashville Basin region. It is named after explorer and longhunter Uriah Stone, who navigated the river in 1767. Geography and hydrography T ...

. He was wounded again, in the left arm, at Stones River on December 31, 1862. Adams returned to duty in early 1863 and led his brigade at the siege of Jackson, Mississippi under

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

Joseph E. Johnston Joseph Eggleston Johnston (February 3, 1807 – March 21, 1891) was an American career army officer, serving with distinction in the United States Army during the Mexican–American War (1846–1848) and the Seminole Wars. After Virginia secede ...

. Under the command of General

Braxton Bragg Braxton Bragg (March 22, 1817 – September 27, 1876) was an American army officer during the Second Seminole War and Mexican–American War and Confederate general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War, serving in the Weste ...

, Adams's brigade fought at the

Chickamauga Chickamauga may refer to: Entertainment * "Chickamauga", an 1889 short story by American author Ambrose Bierce * "Chickamauga", a 1937 short story by Thomas Wolfe * "Chickamauga", a song by Uncle Tupelo from their 1993 album ''Anodyne'' * ''Chic ...

. Adams's brigade broke through the Union lines on the second day of the battle but they were driven back by Union Army reinforcements. Adams was again wounded, in the left arm, and captured. When he recovered sufficiently to return to duty and was exchanged, Adams briefly commanded a

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. Br ...

. He subsequently was made the commander of the District of Central Alabama in 1864, and the commander of the State of Alabama, North of Gulf Department in 1865. Although he sought a promotion to major general, he remained a brigadier general until the end of the war. He took part in the

Battle of Selma The Battle of Selma, Alabama (April 2, 1865), formed part of the Union campaign through Alabama and Georgia, known as Wilson's Raid, in the final full month of the American Civil War. Union Army forces under Major General James H. Wilson, tot ...

in 1865, and the

Battle of Columbus, Georgia The Battle of Columbus, Georgia (April 16, 1865), was the last conflict in the Union campaign through Alabama and Georgia, known as Wilson's Raid, in the final full month of the American Civil War. Maj. Gen. James H. Wilson had been ordered ...

, that same year. Adams surrendered to Union forces in

Meridian, Mississippi Meridian is the List of municipalities in Mississippi, seventh largest city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, with a population of 41,148 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census and an estimated population in 2018 of 36,347. It is the count ...

on May 9 and took the oath of allegiance to the United States.

Postbellum career

After the war ended, Adams spent some time in England, then returned to New Orleans to practice law along with

Harry T. Hays Harry Thompson Hays (April 14, 1820 – August 21, 1876) was an American Army officer serving in the Mexican–American War and a general who served in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. Known as the "Louisiana Tigers," his brigad ...

, a fellow Confederate general. Adams lived for a time in New York City where he was involved in the real estate business before moving back to New Orleans to resume his law practice and engage in state politics. He died in his office of a massive stroke on June 13, 1872. Daniel Weisiger Adams is buried at Greenwood Cemetery in

Jackson, Mississippi Jackson, officially the City of Jackson, is the Capital city, capital of and the List of municipalities in Mississippi, most populous city in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The city is also one of two county seats of Hinds County, Mississippi, ...

next to his brother William Wirt Adams. Daniel Weisiger Adams's gravesite is unmarked but ironically there is a cenotaph tombstone for him in Greenwood's Confederate Section.

Photo

The Photograph of William Wirt Adams in Era Warner's "Generals in Gray" is incorrect-it is that of his brother Daniel Weisiger Adams.For a photograph of both brothers together se
CiviL War talk Forum

Notes

References

* Eicher, John H., and

, ''Civil War High Commands.'' Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. . * Faust, Patricia L. ''Adams, Daniel Weisiger''. In ''Historical Times Illustrated History of the Civil War'', edited by Patricia L. Faust. New York: Harper & Row, 1986. . * Sifakis, Stewart. ''Who Was Who in the Civil War.'' New York: Facts On File, 1988. . * Warner, Ezra J., ''Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders'', Louisiana State University Press, 1959, .

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Adams, Daniel Weisiger 1821 births 1872 deaths People from Frankfort, Kentucky University of Virginia alumni Lawyers from New Orleans People of Louisiana in the American Civil War Confederate States Army brigadier generals American Civil War prisoners of war American duellists Mississippi lawyers Mississippi state senators 19th-century American lawyers