James Clay Rice (December 27, 1828 – May 10, 1864) was a lawyer from Massachusetts, who became a brigadier general of volunteers in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

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 ...

Early life

Rice was born in

Worthington, Massachusetts Worthington is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,193 at the 2020 census, up from 1,156 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. Worthington is dis ...

on December 27, 1828 to William Rice and Welthea (Cottrell) Rice. He was self-educated for most of his early life and eventually graduated from

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

. He became a teacher in Natchez, Mississippi, and worked for a newspaper. During this time he began studying law and was admitted to the bar in New York City where he began his practice.

Civil War

When the Civil War began Rice enlisted on 28 May 1861 in the 39th New York Infantry Regiment quickly becoming a captain of Company B and engaging at the

First Battle of Bull Run The First Battle of Bull Run (the name used by Union forces), also known as the Battle of First Manassas

. Rice was mustered out of the

39th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 39th New York Infantry Regiment, known as the "Garibaldi Guard" after the Italian revolutionary, Giuseppe Garibaldi, was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service This regiment was muster ...

on 12 Sep 1861. The next day Rice became lieutenant colonel of the newly formed

44th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 44th New York Infantry Regiment was a regiment of the Union Army during the American Civil War which was formed up in mid-1861, and mustered in on August 30, 1861. The regiment wore an americanized zouave uniform which consisted of a dar ...

(also known as People's Ellsworth Regiment). He fought in the Peninsula Campaign and on July 4, 1862, became the colonel of the regiment. At the Second Battle of Bull Run, Colonel Rice took command of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, V Corps when its commander,

Daniel Butterfield Daniel Adams Butterfield (October 31, 1831 – July 17, 1901) was a New York businessman, a Union general in the American Civil War, and Assistant Treasurer of the United States. After working for American Express, co-founded by his father, ...

took command of the consolidated 1st and 2nd Brigades and other ranking officers were wounded on the second day of battle. Rice returned to command of the 44th New York and led it at the battles of Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. 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 ...

Rice and his regiment were sent to the defense of

Little Round Top Little Round Top is the smaller of two rocky hills south of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania—the companion to the adjacent, taller hill named Big Round Top. It was the site of an unsuccessful assault by Confederate troops against the Union left f ...

. During the fighting, brigade commander Colonel

Strong Vincent Strong Vincent (June 17, 1837 – July 7, 1863) was a lawyer who became famous as a U.S. Army officer during the American Civil War. He was mortally wounded while leading his brigade during the fighting at Little Round Top on the second day of ...

was mortally wounded and Rice once again assumed command of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, V Corps and led it for the remainder of the battle. For his service at Gettysburg, Rice was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers on August 17, 1863. In March, 1864 General Rice was in command of the 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, V Corps which he led into action at the Battle of the Wilderness. Rice was mortally wounded at 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 186 ...

. As he lay dying he muttered the words "turn me over that I may die with my face to the enemy." He died on the Spotsylvania battlefield on May 10, 1864. He was buried at Albany Rural Cemetery,

Menands, New York Menands is a village in Albany County, New York, United States. The population was 3,990 at the 2010 census. The village is named after Louis Menand. The village lies inside the town of Colonie and borders the northern city line of Albany. H ...

, in section 42, plot 11.

Genealogy

James Clay Rice was a direct descendant of Edmund Rice, an English immigrant to Massachusetts Bay Colony, as follows: * James Clay Rice, son of :* William Rice (1778 – ?), son of :* Joseph Rice (1745–1826), son of :* Ebenezer Rice (1709–1793), son of ::* Ebenezer Rice (1671–1724), son of ::* Benjamin Rice (1640–1713), son of :::* Edmund Rice (1594–1663)

Legacy

An impressiv
monument
to the 12th New York and Rice's own 44th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment was constructed on the Gettysburg battlefield. In the 1993 film '' Gettysburg'', Colonel Rice was portrayed by

Joshua D. Maurer Joshua D. Maurer (born February 26, 1964) is an American film producer, writer and actor who is best known for ''Georgia O'Keeffe,'' ''The Hoax,'' ''The Last Tycoon,'' '' Rosemary's Baby,'' '' Jodi Arias: Dirty Little Secret,'' ''Introducing Dor ...

and is briefly seen congratulating Col. Joshua L. Chamberlain following the fighting on Little Round Top, informing him of the name of that place.

References

* Eicher, John H., and Eicher, David J., ''Civil War High Commands'', Stanford University Press, 2001, .

Notes

External links

*
''Yale Obituary Record''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rice, James Clay 1829 births 1864 deaths People from Worthington, Massachusetts Union Army generals People of Massachusetts in the American Civil War Yale University alumni Union military personnel killed in the American Civil War Burials at Albany Rural Cemetery