Ellison Capers (October 14, 1837 – April 22, 1908) was a
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 ...
general in 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 ...
, theologian, college professor and administrator from
South Carolina
)''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
.
Early life
Capers was the son of a
Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...
bishop. He was born in
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 educated in local schools. He graduated from the
South Carolina Military Academy The South Carolina Military Academy was a predecessor, two-campus institution to The Citadel. It was established in 1842 by the South Carolina Legislature.
South Carolina had constructed a series of arsenals around the state after the Denmark Vesey ...
(now
The Citadel
The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, commonly known simply as The Citadel, is a Public college, public United States senior military college, senior military college in Charleston, South Carolina. Established in 1842, it is one ...
) in 1857; he studied law for a time and then was appointed as a Professor of Mathematics and Rhetoric at SCMA. He spent a year teaching mathematics at Mt. Zion College in
Winnsboro, South Carolina
Winnsboro is a town in Fairfield County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 3,550 at the 2010 census. The population was 3,215 at the 2020 census. A population decrease of approximately 9.5% for the same 10 year period. It is the c ...
, then returned to his position at SCMA in 1860.
Civil War
At the outbreak of the Civil War, Capers joined the Confederate Army with the rank of
major
Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
. He was present at the bombardment of
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter is a sea fort built on an artificial island protecting Charleston, South Carolina from naval invasion. Its origin dates to the War of 1812 when the British invaded Washington by sea. It was still incomplete in 1861 when the Battl ...
then saw action at
James Island and 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 ...
; he next served on coastal defense duties until 1863, having been promoted to
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
24th South Carolina. In May 1863 the
regiment
A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation.
In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...
joined the army of General
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 ...
for the
Vicksburg Campaign
The Vicksburg campaign was a series of maneuvers and battles in the Western Theater of the American Civil War directed against Vicksburg, Mississippi, a fortress city that dominated the last Confederate-controlled section of the Mississippi Riv ...
. Capers was wounded in the leg at
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, ...
, but promoted to
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 ...
.
Capers returned to field service in time for the
Chickamauga Campaign with 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 i ...
. He fought in the disastrous
Battle of Franklin where he was severely wounded. After the campaign he commanded a
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 ...
, replacing
States Rights Gist, who had been killed in action. Capers was promoted 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 ...
on March 1, 1865, shortly before the end of hostilities. He was captured at
Bentonville, North Carolina, but there is no record of parole.
Postbellum career
Capers returned home after the Civil War. In December 1865, he was elected
Secretary of State for South Carolina. Ordained as an Episcopal Priest in 1868 he was rector of
Christ Church (Episcopal) in Greenville while also teaching at Greenville Military Academy, Greenville Female Academy and
Furman University
Furman University is a private liberal arts university in Greenville, South Carolina. Founded in 1826 and named for the clergyman Richard Furman, Furman University is the oldest private institution of higher learning in South Carolina. It became ...
. In 1875 he became minister of St Johns Church in
Selma, Alabama
Selma is a city in and the county seat of Dallas County, in the Black Belt region of south central Alabama and extending to the west. Located on the banks of the Alabama River, the city has a population of 17,971 as of the 2020 census. About ...
, and after a year returned to Christ Church in Greenville; in 1887 he was called to Trinity Church in
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 census, it is the second-largest city in South Carolina. The city serves as the county seat of Richland County, and a portion of the city ...
.
He was elected Coadjutor Bishop of South Carolina and was consecrated on July 20, 1893. He became the diocesan bishop, the third bishop of South Carolina, in 1894.
He served as the Episcopal Bishop of South Carolina from 1894 to his death, he also served as chancellor of
Sewanee: The University of the South from 1904 to 1908. He served on the board of the
John F. Slater Fund for the Education of Freedmen.
In 1859 he married Charlotte Rebecca Palmer, the great-granddaughter of
Francis Marion
Brigadier-General Francis Marion ( 1732 – February 27, 1795), also known as the Swamp Fox, was an American military officer, planter and politician who served during the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War. During the Ameri ...
; they had 5 children. His sister Mary was the first wife of Major Peter F. Stevens, a fellow SCMA Professor who was Superintendent 1859–61 and also later an Episcopal Bishop.
Bishop Capers died in
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 census, it is the second-largest city in South Carolina. The city serves as the county seat of Richland County, and a portion of the city ...
, in 1908 and is buried there at
Trinity Episcopal Churchyard.
Honors
He was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Divinity by the
University of South Carolina in 1889.
The General Ellison Capers Camp #1212 of the
Sons of Confederate Veterans
The Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) is an American neo-Confederate nonprofit organization of male descendants of Confederate soldiers
The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the militar ...
was named in his honor.
Capers Hall, the main academic building at
The Citadel
The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, commonly known simply as The Citadel, is a Public college, public United States senior military college, senior military college in Charleston, South Carolina. Established in 1842, it is one ...
is named for him and his brother Major Francis W. Capers, who served as Superintendent from 1852 to 1859. Ellison delivered the commencement address at The Citadel in 1886.
See also
*
List of American Civil War generals (Confederate)
Confederate generals
__NOTOC__
* Assigned to duty by E. Kirby Smith
* Incomplete appointments
* State militia generals
The Confederate and United States processes for appointment, nomination and confirmation of general officers were essential ...
*
List of American Civil War generals (Union)
Union generals
__NOTOC__
The following lists show the names, substantive ranks, and brevet ranks (if applicable) of all general officers who served in the United States Army during the Civil War, in addition to a small selection of lower-ranke ...
*
Bibliography of the American Civil War
The American Civil War bibliography comprises books that deal in large part with the American Civil War. There are over 60,000 books on the war, with more appearing each month. Authors James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier stated in 2012, ...
Notes
References
*
Evans, Clement A.''Confederate Military History'', Volume IIIAtlanta, Georgia: Confederate Publishing Company, 1899.
* Eicher, John H., and
Eicher, David J., ''Civil War High Commands'', 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. .
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Capers, Ellison
1837 births
1908 deaths
Confederate States Army generals
Military personnel from Charleston, South Carolina
Episcopal bishops of South Carolina
People of South Carolina in the American Civil War
The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina alumni
The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina faculty
Sewanee: The University of the South administrators
Converts to Anglicanism from Methodism
19th-century American Episcopalians