Dudley McIver DuBose (October 28, 1834 – March 2, 1883) was an American lawyer, Confederate field officer and politician. He rose to the rank of Brigadier General in the Confederate Army 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 ...

. Afterward, he later served one term in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

from

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, 1871-1873.

Early and family life

Dudley McIver DuBose was born on October 28, 1834, near

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 ...

, to Alfred Bishop Cassells DuBose (born 1804) (also known as A.B.C. DuBose) and his second wife, the former Camilla Dunn, daughter of a local doctor. They had married the previous November at the Methodist Church. Their additional children included sons Alfred Jr. (born 1838), Julius (born 1840) and Swepson (born 1858); and daughters Elizabeth (born 1835), Catherine (born 1841), Harriet (born 1843), and Mytis DuBose (born 1850). The family's DuBose ancestors were Protestant

Huguenots The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss politica ...

from France who had immigrated to South Carolina, settling in the midlands, where A.B.C. DuBose was born. There they developed and operated plantations, dependent on the labor of enslaved African Americans. By 1800 the DuBose planters cultivated mostly cotton as a commodity crop. In 1850, A.B.C. DuBose was living in Shelby County, Tennessee, where he owned a plantation and 84 slaves. Dudley DuBose attended the

University of Mississippi The University of Mississippi (byname Ole Miss) is a public research university that is located adjacent to Oxford, Mississippi, and has a medical center in Jackson. It is Mississippi's oldest public university and its largest by enrollment. ...

at Oxford in the 1850s. He returned to Tennessee, where he studied law and graduated from

Cumberland University Cumberland University is a private university in Lebanon, Tennessee. It was founded in 1842. The campus's current historic buildings were constructed between 1892 and 1896. History 1842-1861 The university was founded by the Cumberland ...

in 1856. He began to practice law in Memphis. On April 15, 1858, in Washington, D.C., DuBose married Sallie Toombs (1835-1866), a distant cousin. She was the last surviving child of United States Senator

Robert Toombs Robert Augustus Toombs (July 2, 1810 – December 15, 1885) was an American politician from Georgia, who was an important figure in the formation of the Confederacy. From a privileged background as a wealthy planter and slaveholder, Toomb ...

, a lawyer, planter, and slaveholder from

Wilkes County, Georgia Wilkes County is a county located in the east central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 10,593. The county seat is the city of Washington. Referred to as "Washington-Wilkes", the county seat and co ...

. Initially a Unionist, Toombs became an ardent secessionist. By 1860, after Dudley DuBose was established on his own, he moved with his family to

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 Osage ...

for a time. There he had a plantation and supervised the work through an overseer and slave labor. DuBose and his wife had sons Robert Toombs DuBose (1859-1929), who became a minister; Dudley DuBose, who became an attorney and judge in Montana; and daughters Camilla and Julie. During the war, DuBose commanded a regiment from Tennessee. A South Carolina cousin,

William Porcher DuBose William Porcher DuBose (April 11, 1836 – August 18, 1918) was an American priest, author, and theologian in the Episcopal Church in the United States. After service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, in which he becam ...

, became chaplain of his Tennessee regiment in 1863.

Early career

Admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1857, Dudley DuBose began his private legal practice in

. He soon expanded it to

. Before the

, as discussed below, he and his wife moved to

Augusta, Georgia Augusta ( ), officially Augusta–Richmond County, is a consolidated city-county on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The city lies across the Savannah River from South Carolina at the head of its navig ...

. DuBose had a law practice in the former state capitol on the Savannah River near the South Carolina border.

Civil War

DuBose volunteered to fight 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

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, rising as an officer after being commissioned as a lieutenant in the 15th Georgia Infantry Regiment. His regiment was initially assigned to a brigade led by his father-in-law, Brigadier General Robert A. Toombs. The regiment fought in the

Seven Days Battles The Seven Days Battles were a series of seven battles over seven days from June 25 to July 1, 1862, near Richmond, Virginia, during the American Civil War. Confederate General Robert E. Lee drove the invading Union Army of the Potomac, command ...

, the

Second Battle of Bull Run The Second Battle of Bull Run or Battle of Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, in Prince William County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of the Northern Virginia Campaign waged by Confederate ...

, and the

Battle of Antietam The Battle of Antietam (), or Battle of Sharpsburg particularly in the Southern United States, was a battle of the American Civil War fought on September 17, 1862, between Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and Union G ...

. In January 1863 DuBose was promoted to the rank of colonel, and commanded the regiment. DuBose and his Georgians served under Brigadier General

Henry L. Benning Henry Lewis Benning (April 2, 1814 – July 10, 1875) was a general in the Confederate States Army. He also was a lawyer, legislator, and judge on the Georgia Supreme Court. He commanded "Benning's Brigade" during the American Civil War. Fol ...

in Major General

John B. Hood John Bell Hood (June 1 or June 29, 1831 – August 30, 1879) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Although brave, Hood's impetuosity led to high losses among his troops as he moved up in rank. Bruce Catton wrote that "the dec ...

's division of

James Longstreet James Longstreet (January 8, 1821January 2, 1904) was one of the foremost Confederate generals of the American Civil War and the principal subordinate to General Robert E. Lee, who called him his "Old War Horse". He served under Lee as a corps ...

's corps, including in the

Siege of Suffolk The siege of Suffolk, also known as the Battle of Suffolk, took place from April 11 to May 4, 1863, near Suffolk, Virginia during the American Civil War. Background In 1863 Lt. Gen. James Longstreet was placed in command of the Confederate D ...

. At the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of the Po ...

on July 2, 1863, his regiment participated in Hood's attack on the Union

III Corps 3rd Corps, Third Corps, III Corps, or 3rd Army Corps may refer to: France * 3rd Army Corps (France) * III Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * III Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of th ...

, fighting at

Devil's Den Devil's Den is a boulder-strewn hill on the south end of Houck's Ridge at Gettysburg Battlefield, used by artillery and sharpshooters on the second day of the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. A tourist attraction since ...

. In September 1863 DuBose returned with his troops to Tennessee. He led his regiment at the

Battle of Chickamauga The Battle of Chickamauga, fought on September 19–20, 1863, between United States, U.S. and Confederate States of America, Confederate forces in the American Civil War, marked the end of a Union Army, Union offensive, the Chickamauga Campaign ...

, where he was wounded, and later fought in the Knoxville Campaign. Longstreet's corps returned to Virginia in 1864. DuBose saw combat at the

Battle of the Wilderness The Battle of the Wilderness was fought on May 5–7, 1864, during the American Civil War. It was the first battle of Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against General Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Arm ...

, in May 1864, and temporarily led Benning's brigade in the

Battle of Spotsylvania Court House The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes more simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania (or the 19th-century spelling Spottsylvania), was the second major battle in Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's 1864 ...

and the

Battle of Cold Harbor The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought during the American Civil War near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S ...

. On November 16, DuBose was promoted to brigadier general and command of a brigade in Major General

Joseph B. Kershaw Joseph Brevard Kershaw (January 5, 1822 – April 13, 1894) was a prominent South Carolina planter and slaveholder. He was also a lawyer, judge, and a Confederate general in the American Civil War. Early life Kershaw was born on January 5, 1822 ...

's division, taking the place of Brigadier General

William T. Wofford William Tatum Wofford (June 28, 1824 – May 22, 1884) was an officer during the Mexican–American War and a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Early life and career Wofford was born near Toccoa in Habersham C ...

. Gen. DuBose led his brigade in the later stages of the

Siege of Petersburg The Richmond–Petersburg campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War. Although it is more popularly known as the Siege of Petersburg, it was not a cla ...

and the Appomattox Campaign. On April 6, 1865, as the war was nearly ended and while still serving in Kershaw's division, DuBose was among many Confederates captured during the

Battle of Sailor's Creek The Battle of Sailor's Creek was fought on April 6, 1865, near Farmville, Virginia, as part of the Appomattox Campaign, near the end of the American Civil War. It was the last major engagement between the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, c ...

, days before Major General Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Court House. His father-in-law Robert Toombs left Washington, D.C., to return to Georgia. He was appointed as 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 ...

Secretary of State, and became a strong critic of Confederate President

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 ...

. After the Confederate surrender, Toombs fled the United States with his wife to avoid arrest and trial.

Postbellum career

Following the war, the DuBose family moved to his wife's hometown,

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

. He became deeply involved in Democratic Party politics, and was a statewide leader after the Reconstruction era, aided by his powerful father-in-law, Robert Toombs. Sallie Toombs DuBose died in 1866, at age 30. Her mother returned to Georgia to help the widowed DuBose run his household and care for her young grandchildren. Months later her husband Toombs also returned to the US."Julia DuBose Toombs"
Civil War Women Blog Robert A. Toombs avoided being arrested and tried for his role as a Confederate leader during the war. After his return in 1867, he resumed his legal practice and began to regain political power, although he never applied for a presidential pardon (as did other former Confederate statesmen). Former Confederate leaders were temporarily prohibited from voting or holding office, but Toombs ultimately led the state's Democrats, with the aid of longtime friend Alexander H. Stevens, who became governor of Georgia, and his son-in-law DuBose."Robert Toombs (1810-1885)"
/ref> Following controversy concerning Confederate veteran

Stephen A. Corker Stephen Alfestus Corker (May 7, 1830 – October 18, 1879) was an American, lawyer, and American Civil War , Civil War veteran on the Confederate side who served briefly as a United States House of Representatives, U.S. Representative from Georg ...

of Burke County, mostly white Georgians elected DuBose in 1870 as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

to the Forty-second Congress. There was increasing unrest and violence around elections as Democrats sought to suppress the black Republican vote. DuBose served one term, from March 4, 1871 – March 3, 1873. He lost in 1872 to Republican

James C. Freeman James Crawford Freeman (April 1, 1820 – September 3, 1885) was a Georgia planter and slaveowner who after serving in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War received a pardon and became a banker, jeweler and politician who ...

Spalding County, Georgia Spalding County is a county located in the west central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 67,306. The county seat is Griffin. The county was created December 20, 1851 and named for former United St ...

. Freeman served only one term. After his Congressional term ended, DuBose resumed his legal practice for a decade, mostly with his father-in-law. Toombs took pride in being an "unreconstructed" Confederate, and had regained considerable political power in Georgia by 1872.

Death

Dudley DuBose suffered a stroke in 1883 while traveling. He was returned to his home in

Washington, Georgia Washington is the county seat of Wilkes County, Georgia, United States. Under its original name Heard's Fort, it was briefly designated as the state capital during the American Revolutionary War. It is noted as the place where the Confederacy ...

, where he died on March 2, 1883.Obituary
University of South Georgia

References

* 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. . * 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.'' Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1959. . Retrieved on 2008-02-13 {{DEFAULTSORT:DuBose, Dudley Maciver 1834 births 1883 deaths Confederate States Army brigadier generals People of Georgia (U.S. state) in the American Civil War Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Georgia (U.S. state) 19th-century American legislators Members of the United States House of Representatives who owned slaves