James Byron Gordon (November 2, 1822 – May 18, 1864) was 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 ...
. He was killed in action at the
Battle of Meadow Bridge
The Battle of Meadow Bridge (also known as Meadow Bridges and the Battle of Richmond Heights) was an engagement on May 12, 1864, in Henrico County, Virginia, during Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign of the American Civil War. Followi ...
.
Early life
Gordon was born in
Wilkes County, North Carolina
Wilkes County is a county located in the US state of North Carolina. It is a part of the state's western mountain region. As of the 2020 census the population was 65,969, in 2010 the census listed the population at 69,340. Its county seat is ...
to Nathaniel and Sarah Gwyn Gordon. James B. Gordon was a distant cousin of Confederate General
John Brown Gordon
John Brown Gordon () was an attorney, a slaveholding plantation owner, general in the Confederate States Army, and politician in the postwar years. By the end of the Civil War, he had become "one of Robert E. Lee's most trusted generals."
A ...
. After studying at
Emory and Henry College
Emory & Henry College (E&H or Emory) is a private liberal arts college in Emory, Virginia. The campus comprises of Washington County, which is part of the Appalachian highlands of Southwest Virginia. Founded in 1836, Emory & Henry College is ...
in
Emory, Virginia, he returned to Wilkes County and became a successful mercantile businessman and a prominent member of the community. He served several terms as a Wilkes County commissioner and spent one term in the North Carolina state legislature.
[Warner, p. 110.]
Civil War
With the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, Gordon enlisted as a
lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations.
The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...
in the "Wilkes County Guards". This unit was merged into the
1st North Carolina Infantry Regiment
The 1st North Carolina Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. As part of the Army of Northern Virginia it fought in the Eastern Theater until the surrender at Appomattox.
Histor ...
. Gordon went to the cavalry and was promoted to
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 ...
, and then
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 ...
, of the
1st North Carolina Cavalry Regiment
The 1st North Carolina Cavalry Regiment, initially formed as 9th Regiment, North Carolina State Troops, was a cavalry regiment from North Carolina that served in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Raised in 1861 it served ...
. He served under the command of famed Confederate cavalry general
J.E.B. Stuart
James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart (February 6, 1833May 12, 1864) was a United States Army officer from Virginia who became a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. He was known to his friends as "Jeb,” from the initials of ...
for most of the war. On November 26, 1861, Gordon led the first charge of his regiment and won praise for his bravery from General Stuart. In early 1862, he was 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 ...
, and a year later was made a full
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 ...
of cavalry.
During the
Army of Northern Virginia's retreat after 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 ...
in July 1863, Colonel Gordon defeated
Union forces
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 ...
at
Hagerstown, Maryland
Hagerstown is a city in Washington County, Maryland,
United States and the county seat of Washington County. The population of Hagerstown city proper at the 2020 census was 43,527, and the population of the Hagerstown metropolitan area (exten ...
, thereby helping the Confederates escape into Virginia. In September 1863, he was promoted to brigadier general and assigned command of the North Carolina Cavalry Brigade. He defeated Union troops in a battle near
Culpeper Court House in October 1863, but was seriously wounded shortly afterwards. In May 1864, Gordon joined with other Confederate cavalry units under J.E.B. Stuart to halt the advance of Union
Maj. Gen.
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
Philip Sheridan
General of the Army Philip Henry Sheridan (March 6, 1831 – August 5, 1888) was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to major general and his close as ...
towards
Richmond, Virginia
(Thus do we reach the stars)
, image_map =
, mapsize = 250 px
, map_caption = Location within Virginia
, pushpin_map = Virginia#USA
, pushpin_label = Richmond
, pushpin_m ...
, the Confederate capital.
Death
On May 11 Stuart was killed in the
Battle of Yellow Tavern, and Gordon assumed the role of defending Richmond. On May 12, 1864, Gordon's cavalry held Sheridan's troops at Meadow Bridge, just north of Richmond, long enough for Confederate reinforcements to arrive and save the city. However, Gordon was mortally wounded in this battle and died within a week. He was buried with full military honors in the cemetery of St. Paul's Episcopal church in
Wilkesboro, North Carolina.
[Warner, p. 110-11.]
See also
*
List of American Civil War generals (Confederate)
Notes
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'', Louisiana State University Press, 1959, .
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gordon, James B.
1822 births
1864 deaths
People from Wilkes County, North Carolina
Confederate States Army brigadier generals
People of North Carolina in the American Civil War
Confederate States of America military personnel killed in the American Civil War