John Herbert Kelly (March 31, 1840 – September 4, 1864) was, at the time of his promotion, the youngest

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 ...

.Derek Smith's ''The Gallant Dead: Union and Confederate Generals Killed in the Civil War'' (2005) pg. 274 He became one of the youngest generals to die 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 ...

, at the age of 24. His death occurred during an engagement at Franklin, Tennessee on September 2, 1864 during

Major General 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 ...

Joseph Wheeler's raid into Tennessee in August and early September 1864 in an attempt to destroy the railroad that

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 (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

William Tecumseh Sherman was using to supply his force from

Chattanooga, Tennessee Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, ...

during the Atlanta Campaign.This engagement at Franklin, Tennessee should not be confused with the November 30, 1864 Battle of Franklin (1864), which was part of the

Franklin–Nashville Campaign The Franklin–Nashville campaign, also known as Hood's Tennessee campaign, was a series of battles in the Western Theater, conducted from September 18 to December 27, 1864, in Alabama, Tennessee, and northwestern Georgia during the American Civ ...

Early life and career

John Herbert Kelly was born in 1840 to Isham Kelly and Elizabeth Herbert at their home in Carrollton, Alabama.Willis Brewer's ''Alabama, Her History, Resources, War Record, and Public Men: From 1540 to 1872'' ( 1872) pg. 502 Kelly's father died while in

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

when John was four, and his mother died three years later. His grandmother Harriet Herbert Hawthorne took responsibility of the young orphan. When John was about seventeen he received an appointment to West Point through the help of his uncle, Congressman

Philemon T. Herbert Philemon Thomas Herbert (November 1, 1825 – July 23, 1864) was an American politician best known for killing a waiter who refused to serve him breakfast. He served as the Democratic U.S. Representative from California. He represented the Calif ...

and another relative Congressman William W. Boyce. A few months before his graduation in 1861 his home state of

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

seceded from the

Union 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 ...

. Hearing the news Kelly left West Point and headed to Montgomery. Clement Anselm Evans's ''Confederate Military History: A Library of Confederate States History'' (1899) pg. 421

Civil War service

After arriving in Montgomery Kelly joined the Confederate Army with the rank of

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

.Thomas McAdory Owen, Marie Bankhead Owens' ''History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography'' (1921) pg. 960 He then was assigned to

Fort Morgan Fort Morgan can apply to any one of several places in the United States: *Fort Morgan (Alabama), a fort at the mouth of Mobile Bay *Fort Morgan, Alabama, a nearby community *Fort Morgan (Colorado), a frontier military post located in present-day Fo ...

where he would stay until the fall of 1861. During that time Kelly left Fort Morgan with Brig. Gen.

William J. Hardee William Joseph Hardee (October 12, 1815November 6, 1873) was a career United States Army, U.S. Army and Confederate States Army officer. For the U.S. Army, he served in the Second Seminole War and in the Mexican–American War, where he was capt ...

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

. It was here that he was appointed

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 assistant adjutant general on Hardee's staff. In 1862 Kelly was appointed

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 9th Arkansas Infantry Battalion, which he led into battle at Shiloh. One month later Kelly became

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 the

8th Arkansas Infantry Regiment 8th Arkansas Infantry Regiment (also known as the "Eighth Arkansas") was an infantry formation in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It served throughout the war in the western theater, seeing action in the Kentucky, Tennes ...

. In October of that year he fought at the Battle of Perryville. Later in 1862 he fought at the Battle of Murfreesboro where he was wounded. Kelly commanded a large brigade of men at

Chickamauga Chickamauga may refer to: Entertainment * "Chickamauga", an 1889 short story by American author Ambrose Bierce * "Chickamauga", a 1937 short story by Thomas Wolfe * "Chickamauga", a song by Uncle Tupelo from their 1993 album ''Anodyne (album), Ano ...

consisting of the 5th Kentucky, 58th North Carolina, 63rd Virginia, and the 65th Georgia Infantry Regiments. He lost 300 men at Chickamauga within the one hour. Also during the battle while leading his troops Kelly had a horse shot out from under him. Because of his bravery 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 ...

generals Cleburne,

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, and

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asked for a promotion for Kelly. General Cleburne told Confederate Secretary of War James Seddon of Kelly, "I know no better officer of his grade in the service." On November 16, 1863, John Kelly was promoted to a brigadier general at age 23.Thomas McAdory Owen, Marie Bankhead Owens' ''History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography'' (1921) pg. 326 Kelly's brigade was one of the key factors at the Battle of Pickett's Mill that lead to the Confederate victory.

Capture and death

In August and September 1864 Kelly's Brigade fought at Franklin, Tennessee during Wheeler's raid on Sherman's railroad supply line. While leading a charge at a skirmish near Franklin on September 2, Kelly was shot in the chest by a

sharpshooter. Warner, Ezra J. ''Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders.'' Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1959. . p. 169. Kelly was immediately taken to the Harrison House to be seen by doctors. At the Confederate retreat he was too badly hurt to be moved and was forced to be left and captured by Union forces on September 3. Kelly died the following day in his bed at the Harrison House. John Herbert Kelly was one of the youngest generals to die during the Civil War at age 24.Derek Smith's ''The Gallant Dead: Union and Confederate Generals Killed in the Civil War'' (2005) pg. ''Introduction VII'' He was buried in the gardens of the Harrison House just south of Franklin on the day of his death. Local residents bought him a coffin and the new clothing he was buried in, except for the uniform coat which he was wearing when he died. Later in 1866 his body was moved and reburied in the Magnolia Cemetery of Mobile, Alabama.Jack D. Welsh's ''Medical Histories of Confederate Generals ''(1999) pg. 125 Sons Of Confederate Veterans Camp 1980 Gordo, Alabama Named In His Honor.

Notes

References

* Brewer, Willis. ''Alabama, Her History, Resources, War Record, and Public Men: From 1540 to 1872''. Spartanburg, SC: Reprint Co., 1975. Originally published 1872. * 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. . * Evans, Clement A., ed
''Confederate Military History: A Library of Confederate States History''
12 vols. Atlanta: Confederate Publishing Company, 1899. . Retrieved January 20, 2011. * Owen, Thomas McAdory and Marie Bankhead Owens. ''History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography''. Chicago: S.J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1921. * Smith, Derek. ''The Gallant Dead: Union and Confederate Generals Killed in the Civil War''. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2005. * 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. . * Welsh, Jack D. ''Medical Histories of Confederate Generals''. Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press, 1999.

External links