Richard Heron Anderson (October 7, 1821 – June 26, 1879) was a career

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

officer, fighting with distinction in the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

. He also served as a Confederate

general A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...

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 ...

, fighting in the Eastern Theater of the conflict and most notably during the 1864

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 ...

. Anderson was also noted for his humility.

Early life and career

Anderson was born in the

High Hills of Santee The High Hills of Santee, sometimes known as the High Hills of the Santee, is a long, narrow hilly region in the western part of Sumter County, South Carolina. It has been called "one of the state's most famous areas".Borough House Plantation (Hill Crest), near the town of Stateburg located in Sumter County, South Carolina. He was the son of Dr.

William Wallace Anderson William Wallace Anderson was a medical doctor who graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1846 with a Bachelor of Arts and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 1849. He was also involved in architecture of rammed earth con ...

and his wife, Mary Jane Mackensie,UDC website
/ref> and the grandson of

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

hero and namesake Richard Anderson. Anderson graduated 40th out of 56 cadets from the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

in July 1842. He was

brevetted In many of the world's military establishments, a brevet ( or ) was a warrant giving a commissioned officer a higher rank title as a reward for gallantry or meritorious conduct but may not confer the authority, precedence, or pay of real rank. ...

a second lieutenant in the 1st U.S. Dragoons.Eicher, p. 105. He served the cavalry school for practice at the U.S. Army Barracks in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in 1842. Anderson spent 1843 on frontier duty in the American West, serving first at

Little Rock, Arkansas ( The "Little Rock") , government_type = Council-manager , leader_title = Mayor , leader_name = Frank Scott Jr. , leader_party = D , leader_title2 = Council , leader_name2 ...

, and then on garrison duty at Forts Gibson and Washita, both located in the

Indian Territory The Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the United States Government for the relocation of Native Americans who held aboriginal title to their land as a sovereign ...

. His regiment escorted the U.S. Indian Agent to Red River in 1843 and then returned to Fort Washita, remaining there until 1844. Anderson was promoted to second lieutenant on July 16, 1844, and served at Fort Jesup, Louisiana, from 1844 to 1845. His regiment joined the expedition for the military occupation of

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

in 1845, and Anderson was on recruiting duty in 1846. In the Mexican–American War, Anderson took part in the

Siege of Veracruz The Battle of Veracruz was a 20-day siege of the key Mexican beachhead seaport of Veracruz during the Mexican–American War. Lasting from March 9–29, 1847, it began with the first large-scale amphibious assault conducted by United States ...

in March 1847 and then skirmished near La Hoya on June 9. He fought in the

Battle of Contreras The Battle of Contreras, also known as the Battle of Padierna, took place on 19–20 August 1847, in one of the final encounters of the Mexican–American War, as invading U.S. forces under Winfield Scott approached the Mexican capital. Americ ...

on August 19, the skirmish near San Agustin Altapulco the following day, and the

Battle of Molino del Rey The Battle of Molino del Rey (8 September 1847) was one of the bloodiest engagements of the Mexican–American War as part of the Battle for Mexico City. It was fought in September 1847 between Mexican forces under General Antonio León against ...

on September 8. He was brevetted to first lieutenant for gallantry during the fighting near San Agustin as of August 17.Dupuy, p. 40. Anderson also participated in the fight for and capture of Mexico City from September 12–14. After Mexico, Anderson was promoted to

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a ...

in the

2nd U.S. Dragoons The 2nd Cavalry Regiment, also known as the 2nd Dragoons, is an active Stryker infantry and cavalry regiment of the United States Army. The Second Cavalry Regiment is a unit of the United States Army Europe and Africa, with its garrison at th ...

on July 13, 1848, and was again on recruiting duty in 1849. He returned to the Carlisle Barracks from 1849 to 1850 to recruit until 1852. Next came frontier duty in several Texas installations, including at Fort Graham from 1852 to 1853, Fort McKavett from 1853 to 1854, San Antonio in 1854, and Fort McKavett in 1855. He was promoted to captain on March 3, 1855, and was stationed at Fort Riley,

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...

, from 1855 to 1856. Anderson was still serving in Kansas during the border troubles of 1856 and 1857, then was recruiting as well as his last stint at the Carlisle Barracks in 1858. He participated in the

Utah War The Utah War (1857–1858), also known as the Utah Expedition, Utah Campaign, Buchanan's Blunder, the Mormon War, or the Mormon Rebellion was an armed confrontation between Mormon settlers in the Utah Territory and the armed forces of the US go ...

of 1858 and 1859 and was on duty at

Fort Kearny Fort Kearny was a historic outpost of the United States Army founded in 1848 in the western U.S. during the middle and late 19th century. The fort was named after Col. and later General Stephen Watts Kearny. The outpost was located along the Or ...

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...

, from 1859 to 1861.

American Civil War

Anderson resigned from the U.S. Army (accepted on March 3, 1861) to enter service with 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 ...

. Anderson accepted a commission as colonel of the 1st South Carolina Regulars on January 28.Eicher, p. 105. He was given command of the Charleston, South Carolina harbor area after the capture 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 Battle ...

that April.Dupuy, p. 40. He 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 July 19 and transferred to Pensacola, Florida, where he was wounded in the left elbow during the

Battle of Santa Rosa Island The Battle of Santa Rosa Island (October 9, 1861) was an unsuccessful Confederate attempt to take Union-held Fort Pickens on Santa Rosa Island, Florida. Background Santa Rosa Island is a 40-mile barrier island in the U.S. state of Florida, t ...

on October 9. After recovering, Anderson joined the

Confederate Army of the Potomac The Confederate Army of the Potomac, whose name was short-lived, was under the command of Brig. Gen. P. G. T. Beauregard in the early days of the American Civil War. Its only major combat action was the First Battle of Bull Run. Afterwards, the ...

in February 1862 (which was absorbed into the

Army of Northern Virginia The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was also the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most oft ...

later in the spring) as 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. B ...

commander. Anderson distinguished himself during the Peninsula Campaign, temporarily assuming division command at Seven Pines when General James Longstreet was serving as a wing commander. At Seven Pines, he gained the sobriquet "Fighting Dick", and was promoted to

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 ...

on July 14 and received command of General Benjamin Huger's former division. As part of Longstreet's corps, Anderson fought at

Second Bull Run The Second Battle of Bull Run or Battle of Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, in Prince William County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of the Northern Virginia Campaign waged by Confederat ...

. His division engaged the final U.S. defensive line around Henry House Hill, but the sun started going down, and he did not press the attack. During the Maryland Campaign, General

Cadmus Wilcox Cadmus Marcellus Wilcox (May 20, 1824 – December 2, 1890) was a career United States Army officer who served in the Mexican–American War and also was a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Early life and career Wilcox was ...

's brigade was added to Anderson's command. At the Battle of Antietam in September 1862, he was in overall command at the sunken road, or "Bloody Lane", in the center of the Confederate defense. He was wounded in the thigh and left the battle. His senior brigadier

Roger A. Pryor Roger Atkinson Pryor (July 19, 1828 – March 14, 1919) was a Virginian newspaper editor and politician who became known for his fiery oratory in favor of secession; he was elected both to national and Confederate office, and served as a gen ...

took over command. After Anderson's departure, his division faltered and eventually succumbed to U.S. flank attacks that routed them from their position. His division was not heavily engaged at the Battle of Fredericksburg that December. During the

Battle of Chancellorsville The Battle of Chancellorsville, April 30 – May 6, 1863, was a major battle of the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville campaign. Chancellorsville is known as Lee's "perfect battle" because h ...

in May 1863, while operating away from Longstreet's command (because Longstreet was on detached duty near Suffolk, Virginia, at the time), Anderson pressed the U.S. left while Lt. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson attacked the right. Anderson and Maj. Gen. Lafayette McLaws left the main battle line on May 3 and struck east to check the advance of U.S. Maj. Gen.

John Sedgwick John Sedgwick (September 13, 1813 – May 9, 1864) was a military officer and Union Army general during the American Civil War. He was wounded three times at the Battle of Antietam while leading his division in an unsuccessful assault against Co ...

VI Corps 6 Corps, 6th Corps, Sixth Corps, or VI Corps may refer to: France * VI Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry formation of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars * VI Corps (Grande Armée), a formation of the Imperial French army du ...

that would have led into Gen. Robert E. Lee's rear. Following the death of Stonewall Jackson on May 10, Lee reorganized his army from two into three

corps Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was first named as such in 1805. The size of a corps varies great ...

. Anderson was admired enough by Lee to be considered for corps command, but instead, his division was assigned to the new Third Corps, commanded by now Lt. Gen

A.P. Hill Ambrose Powell Hill Jr. (November 9, 1825April 2, 1865) was a Confederate general who was killed in the American Civil War. He is usually referred to as A. P. Hill to differentiate him from another, unrelated Confederate general, Daniel Harvey H ...

, who outranked Anderson and was one of the senior-most generals in the army. After reorganizing, Anderson retained most of his existing command except for Brig. Gen

Lewis Armistead Lewis Addison Armistead (February 18, 1817 – July 5, 1863) was a career United States Army officer who became a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. On July 3, 1863, as part of Pickett's Charge during ...

's brigade, which was reassigned to

George Pickett George Edward Pickett (January 16,Military records cited by Eicher, p. 428, and Warner, p. 239, list January 28. The memorial that marks his gravesite in Hollywood Cemetery lists his birthday as January 25. Thclaims to have accessed the baptism ...

's division.

Gettysburg

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 ...

in July 1863, Anderson's division was third in the line of march approaching the town from the west on July 1, so they arrived late and had little involvement in the start of the battle. On July 2, the second day of battle, Anderson's division attacked near the U.S. center, following on from attacks by Longstreet (the divisions of Maj. Gens. John B. Hood and McLaws) to his right. Anderson's right was successful in attacking U.S. Brig. Gen. Andrew A. Humphreys's III Corps division along the Emmitsburg Road. His center, under Ambrose R. Wright, penetrated the lightly defended

Cemetery Ridge Cemetery Ridge is a geographic feature in Gettysburg National Military Park, south of the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, that figured prominently in the Battle of Gettysburg, July 1 to July 3, 1863. It formed a primary defensive position for th ...

Carnot Posey Carnot Posey (August 5, 1818 – November 13, 1863) was a Mississippi planter and lawyer, and a Confederate general in the American Civil War. He was mortally wounded at the Battle of Bristoe Station. He was transported for care to the Univers ...

moved haltingly and

William Mahone William Mahone (December 1, 1826October 8, 1895) was an American civil engineer, railroad executive, Confederate States Army general, and Virginia politician. As a young man, Mahone was prominent in the building of Virginia's roads and railroa ...

did not move from

Seminary Ridge Seminary Ridge is a dendritic ridge which was an area of Battle of Gettysburg engagements in July 1863 during the American Civil War (1861–1865), and of military installations during World War II (1941–1945). Geography Seminary Ridge ...

at all. U.S. reinforcements rushed to counter Wright, and he was repulsed. Anderson was criticized for his command during this day of battle. He had little effective control of his brigades. On July 3, Anderson's brigades participated in the waning minutes of Pickett's Charge, but both were driven back.

Wilderness and Spotsylvania

During the spring of 1864, at the Battle of the Wilderness, Longstreet was severely wounded, and Anderson took command of the First Corps, leading it throughout the

Overland Campaign The Overland Campaign, also known as Grant's Overland Campaign and the Wilderness Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June 1864, in the American Civil War. Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, general-in-chief of all Union ...

. After the Wilderness, he fought well at the

. Anderson and his corps executed an all-night forced march on May 7 that secured that important position (reinforcing the Confederate cavalry earlier sent there) and arrived just before U.S. soldiers did. Reaching and defending this spot denied the U.S. soldiers a way around Lee's army towards Richmond, and Anderson held it during heavy fighting from May 8–12. Anderson then fought at the

Battle of Cold Harbor The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought during the American Civil War near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses ...

in early June and participated in the rest of the Army of Northern Virginia's operations to the south of

Petersburg, Virginia Petersburg is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 33,458. The Bureau of Econ ...

, from mid-June until October. Anderson was promoted to temporary

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

on May 31. When Longstreet returned from his convalescence on October 19, 1864, Lee created the new Fourth Corps, which Anderson led through the

Siege of Petersburg The Richmond–Petersburg campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War. Although it is more popularly known as the Siege of Petersburg, it was not a cla ...

and the retreat towards Appomattox Court House in 1865. Because of several attacks by U.S. cavalry nipping at his corps, Anderson was forced to slow, occasionally stop, and beat off the attacks. This caused the Confederates to become isolated from the rest of Lee's army, moving west, and they were now the army's

rear guard A rearguard is a part of a military force that protects it from attack from the rear, either during an advance or withdrawal. The term can also be used to describe forces protecting lines, such as communication lines, behind an army. Even more ...

. The corps finally halted and fought at Sayler's Creek on April 6, which ended in a rout, and as Lee witnessed it, he exclaimed, "Has the army been dissolved?"Foote, pp. 915-17. As the corps' survivors reformed and rejoined the army, what was left of the Fourth Corps was merged with the Second Corps on April 8. This left Anderson without a command, and he proceeded home to South Carolina. Anderson assumed command of M. H. Hannon's Cavalry Brigade after Hannon was wounded at Monroe's Crossroads. Anderson was pardoned on September 27, 1865, although there is no record of his parole.

Postbellum career and death

After the war, Anderson was a planter in

Stateburg, South Carolina Stateburg is a census-designated place (CDP) in the High Hills of Santee in Sumter County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 1,380 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Sumter, South Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area. St ...

from 1866 to 1868, attempting to grow cotton. Having no agricultural background, this effort ended in bankruptcy. He then became a worker and later an agent of the South Carolina Railroad, working out of

Camden, South Carolina Camden is the largest city and county seat of Kershaw County, South Carolina. The population was 7,764 in the 2020 census. It is part of the Columbia, South Carolina, Metropolitan Statistical Area. Camden is the oldest inland city in South C ...

from 1868 to 1878. However, Anderson was fired from this position and served as a state

phosphate In chemistry, a phosphate is an anion, salt, functional group or ester derived from a phosphoric acid. It most commonly means orthophosphate, a derivative of orthophosphoric acid . The phosphate or orthophosphate ion is derived from phosph ...

inspector/agent of South Carolina in 1879. Anderson was married twice. In 1850 he wed Sarah Gibson, and the couple had two children together, a son and a daughter; after her death, he married Martha Mellette on December 24, 1874.Wakelyn, p. 75. Five years later, Anderson died at the age of 57 in

Beaufort, South Carolina Beaufort ( , a different pronunciation from that used by the city with the same name in North Carolina) is a city in and the county seat of Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1711, it is the second-oldest city in South ...

, and was buried there in the churchyard cemetery of

Parish Church of St. Helena The Parish Church of St. Helena is a historic Anglican church in Beaufort, South Carolina. Founded in 1712, it is among the oldest churches in the United States. Its building—erected in 1724 but expanded and substantially modified in the 19th ...

Notes

Footnotes

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, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001. . * Dupuy, Trevor N., Curt Johnson, and David L. Bongard. ''The Harper Encyclopedia of Military Biography''. New York: HarperCollins, 1992. . * Shelby Foote, Foote, Shelby. ''The Civil War: A Narrative''. Vol. 3, ''Red River to Appomattox''. New York: Random House, 1974. . * Tagg, Larry
''The Generals of Gettysburg''
Campbell, CA: Savas Publishing, 1998. . * Wakelyn, Jon L. ''Biographical Dictionary of the Confederacy''. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1977. . * Walker, Cornelius Irvine
''The Life of Lieutenant General Richard Heron Anderson''
Charleston, SC: Art Publishing Co., 1917. .
Dick Anderson Chapter #75, United Daughters of the Confederacy

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Richard H. 1821 births 1879 deaths People from Stateburg, South Carolina Confederate States Army lieutenant generals United States Army officers United States Military Academy alumni People of South Carolina in the American Civil War High Hills of Santee Recipients of American presidential pardons American military personnel of the Mexican–American War