Henry King Burgwyn, Jr. (October 3, 1841 – July 1, 1863) 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 ...

colonel in the American Civil War killed at the Battle of Gettysburg.

Early life

Burgwyn was born in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, to Henry King Burgwyn, Sr. and Ann Greenough Burgwyn while his parents were vacationing there. He was the second cousin of Brig. Gen

George B. Anderson George Burgwyn Anderson (April 12, 1831 – October 17, 1862) was a career military officer, serving first in the antebellum U.S. Army and then dying from wounds inflicted during the American Civil War while a general officer in the Confede ...

. Burgwyn grew up in Northampton County, North Carolina, at Thornberry, the family plantation. He attended Burlington College in North Carolina. Hoping for, but never receiving, an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, Burgwyn instead graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1857. He then graduated from the Virginia Military Institute as a member of the class of 1861. Burgwyn spent a few tours as a recruiting officer in North Carolina and then as commandant of Camp Crabtree in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he drilled and attempted to instill discipline in the recruits.

Civil War

In August 1861, after a personal recommendation from VMI professor

Thomas Jonathan Jackson Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, considered one of the best-known Confederate commanders, after Robert E. Lee. He played a prominent role in nearl ...

for an appointment as a Confederate officer, Burgwyn became the

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 26th North Carolina Regiment at just 19 years of age. He took part in the 26th North Carolina's fight against

Ambrose E. Burnside Ambrose Everett Burnside (May 23, 1824 – September 13, 1881) was an American army officer and politician who became a senior Union general in the Civil War and three times Governor of Rhode Island, as well as being a successful inventor ...

at the Battle of New Bern and narrowly escaped capture. The regiment next took part in the failed attack on the Union position at

Malvern Hill Malvern Hill stands on the north bank of the James River in Henrico County, Virginia, USA, about eighteen miles southeast of Richmond. On 1 July 1862, it was the scene of the Battle of Malvern Hill, one of the Seven Days Battles of the American ...

. Burgwyn was promoted to colonel in August 1862 and took command of the regiment when its commander,

Zebulon B. Vance Zebulon Baird Vance (May 13, 1830 – April 14, 1894) was the 37th and 43rd governor of North Carolina, a U.S. Senator from North Carolina, and a Confederate officer during the American Civil War. A prolific writer and noted public speake ...

(who Burgwyn felt was unfit for command) was elected governor of North Carolina, despite the fact that the 26th North Carolina's brigade commander,

Brig. Gen. 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 to ...

Robert Ransom was against the promotion. Ransom and Burgwyn disliked each other and the 26th was transferred from Ransom's command to the brigade of Brig. Gen.

J. Johnston Pettigrew James Johnston Pettigrew (July 4, 1828 – July 17, 1863) was an American author, lawyer, and soldier. He served in the army of the Confederate States of America, fighting in the 1862 Peninsula Campaign and played a prominent role in ...

. Burgwyn spent much of the fall and winter of 1862 in eastern North Carolina with minor engagements against Union forces. During this period he was also instrumental in recruitment and

conscription Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...

activity and drilling these new soldiers. Burgwyn next led the 26th at the Battle of Goldsboro Bridge. The regiment was heavily involved in

Daniel Harvey Hill Lieutenant-General Daniel Harvey Hill (July 12, 1821 – September 24, 1889), commonly known as D. H. Hill, was a senior officer of the Confederate States Army who commanded infantry in the eastern and western theaters of the American Civil Wa ...

's New Bern and Washington Campaigns. The 26th was then sent north to join the Army of Northern Virginia, arriving shortly after the Battle of Chancellorsville. When his regiment joined Lee's Army, Burgwyn was thought to be the youngest colonel to have served to that point with the Army, and the 26th was the largest regiment in the Army.

Gettysburg and death

Burgwyn and the 26th North Carolina moved north toward Pennsylvania as part of the Gettysburg Campaign. The 26th engaged in brutal fighting against

Solomon Meredith Solomon Meredith (May 29, 1810 – October 2, 1875) was a prominent Indiana farmer, politician, and lawman who became a controversial Union Army general in the American Civil War. One of the commanders of the Iron Brigade of the Army of the ...

's vaunted Iron Brigade in Herbst's Woods on the afternoon of July 1, 1863, at Gettysburg. As the regiment was exiting Herbst's Woods and reaching the crest of McPherson's Ridge, Burgwyn was shot through both lungs and mortally wounded carrying the colors of the 26th (Historian Earl J. Hess wrote that Burgwyn had just passed the colors to a private then the colors fell again and Burgwyn turned to see what had happened and was then shot). According to William M. Cheek, an eyewitness at the time: In all, 13 color bearers for the 26th North Carolina were either killed or wounded. Burgwyn died about two hours after he was wounded and was buried on the field north of the Chambersburg Pike in an empty gun case. Another eye witness and a member of Burgwyn's command, Fred A. Olds, wrote in a letter that he was with the Colonel when he died: For his gallantry and heroism, Colonel Burgwyn was listed on the Confederate Honor Roll. His family had his body exhumed in 1867 and he was laid to rest in Raleigh's Historic Oakwood Cemetery.Hess, p. 308.

References

Notes Bibliography * Hess, Earl J. ''Lee's Tar Heels: The Pettigrew-Kirkland-MacRae Brigade,'' The University of North Carolina Press, 2002, .

External links

1906 article about Burgwyn's death.
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Burgwyn, Henry K. People of North Carolina in the American Civil War Confederate States of America military personnel killed in the American Civil War Virginia Military Institute alumni University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni Confederate States Army officers 1841 births 1863 deaths Burials at Historic Oakwood Cemetery Northern-born Confederates People from Jamaica Plain Military personnel from Massachusetts

Early life

Civil War

Gettysburg and death

References

Further reading

External links