David Bullock Harris (September 28, 1814 – October 10, 1864) was a

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 ...

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). Harris served as an

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...

, mostly under the command of General

Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard Pierre Gustave Toutant-Beauregard (May 28, 1818 - February 20, 1893) was a Confederate general officer of Louisiana Creole descent who started the American Civil War by leading the attack on Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861. Today, he is commonly ...

. Harris planned and constructed the defenses of

Centreville, Virginia Centreville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States and a suburb of Washington, D.C. The population was 73,518 as of the 2020 census. Centreville is approximately west of Washington, D.C. History Colonia ...

, Fort Pillow, Island Number Ten,

Vicksburg, Mississippi Vicksburg is a historic city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the county seat, and the population at the 2010 census was 23,856. Located on a high bluff on the east bank of the Mississippi River across from Louisiana, Vic ...

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...

, and Petersburg, Virginia, in the siege of that city's opening phase. He died 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. In ...

Summerville, South Carolina Summerville is a town in the U.S. state of South Carolina situated mostly in Dorchester County, with small portions in Berkeley and Charleston counties. It is part of the Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville Metropolitan Statistical Area. Su ...

, on October 10, 1864.

Early life

David Bullock Harris was born at Frederick's Hall (now spelled Fredericks Hall) in

Louisa County, Virginia Louisa County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 37,596. The county seat is Louisa. History Prior to colonial settlement, the area comprising Louisa County was occupied by severa ...

, on September 28, 1814, and grew up at Gardner's Crossroads (Gardners Crossroads) in Louisa County.Allardice, Bruce S
''More Generals in Gray.''
Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1995. (pbk.). Retrieved September 16, 2012. p. 118.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. 600. His parents were Frederick and Catherine Snelson (Smith) Harris. Frederick Harris was a U.S. Army

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

and later was president of the Louisa Railroad, which became the Virginia Central Railroad. David B. Harris graduated from the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

in 1833. He served for two years in the

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

branch of the U.S. Army and as an engineering instructor at the U.S. Military Academy. He resigned from the U.S. Army as 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 1835. For two years, he worked as an engineer for the James River and Kanawha Canal Company. Thereafter, he did railroad survey work. By 1845, he had acquired "Woodville", a

Goochland County Goochland County is a county located in the Piedmont of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its southern border is formed by the James River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 24,727. Its county seat is Goochland. Goochland County is includ ...

plantation, where he was a

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

farmer and where he resided at the outbreak of the Civil War. Harris's wife was the former Louisa Knight.Allardice, Bruce S. ''Confederate Colonels: A Biographical Register''. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 2008. . p. 183.

American Civil War

David Bullock Harris was appointed a

of engineers in the Virginia militia on May 2, 1861. By July, he was serving on the staff of Confederate Army

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 ...

Philip St. George Cocke Philip St. George Cocke (April 17, 1809 – December 26, 1861) was a Brigadier General (CSA), brigadier general in the Confederate States Army during the first year of the American Civil War. He is best known for organizing the defense of Vir ...

. He was engaged at the First Battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861. Thereafter, Harris was assigned to the staff of General P. G. T. Beauregard.Allardice, 1995, p. 119 says Harris was associated with Beauregard for the remainder of the war (until his death) but Noe, Kenneth W, ''Perryville: This Grand Havoc of Battle'', Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2001, , p. 67 identifies Bullock as 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 ...

's chief engineer during his

Kentucky Campaign The Confederate Heartland Offensive (August 14 – October 10, 1862), also known as the Kentucky Campaign, was an American Civil War campaign conducted by the Confederate States Army in Tennessee and Kentucky where Generals Braxton Bragg and ...

leading to the Battle of Perryville on October 8, 1862. This is not necessarily inconsistent since Beauregard took an extended sick leave after the Siege of Corinth, Mississippi, ended on May 30, 1862. Harris planned Confederate defenses of Centreville, Virginia; Fort Pillow; Island Number Ten; Vicksburg, Mississippi; and Charleston, South Carolina.Allardice, 1995, p. 119. He was promoted to captain of Confederate engineers on February 15, 1862, to major on October 3, 1862, to lieutenant colonel on May 5, 1863, and to colonel on October 8, 1863. After Beauregard took command at Charleston for the second time, Harris worked constantly to improve the fortifications, often visiting troops in exposed and dangerous positions to design improvements. These defenses proved too formidable for besieging

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 ...

forces to overcome. After traveling with Beauregard to Virginia, where he planned defenses at Petersburg in the summer of 1864, Harris returned to Charleston and the post of chief engineer of the Department of South Carolina. He soon died of yellow fever though at Summerville, South Carolina, on October 10, 1864, having just turned 50.

Aftermath

Harris had been recommended for promotion to

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 ...

, and

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 Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives as a ...

verbally promised the promotion to him shortly before Harris died. The promotion had not gone through before Harris died, though some early lists of Confederate generals showed Harris as a brigadier. David Bullock Harris is buried in Hollywood Cemetery (Richmond, Virginia).

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. (pbk.). Retrieved September 16, 2012. * Eicher, John H., and

. ''Civil War High Commands''. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001. . {{DEFAULTSORT:Harris, David Bullock 1814 births 1864 deaths Burials at Hollywood Cemetery (Richmond, Virginia) Confederate States Army officers People of Virginia in the American Civil War United States Army officers United States Military Academy alumni Deaths from yellow fever

Early life

American Civil War

Aftermath

See also

Notes

References