Thomas Taylor Munford (March 29, 1831 – February 27, 1918) was an American farmer, iron, steel and mining company executive and
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 1 ...
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 ...
and acting
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 ...
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 ...
.
Biography
![Thomas T](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Thomas_T._Munford.jpg)
Munford was born in
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 ...
, to Colonel George Wythe Munford and Lucy Singleton Taylor. He was descended from
Lewis Dyve
Sir Lewis Dyve (1599–1669) was an English Member of Parliament and a Royalist adherent during the English Civil War. His surname is sometimes also spelt Dive or Dives.
Life
Dyve was born on 3 November 1599.[English Civil War
The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...]
.
[ Hotchkiss, Jed. ''Virginia.'' Volume 3 in Evans, Clement A., ed]
''Confederate Military History: A Library of Confederate States History''
12 vols. Atlanta: Confederate Publishing Company, 1899. . p. 640. Retrieved January 20, 2011. On July 30, 1849, Munford enrolled at
Virginia Military Institute
la, Consilio et Animis (on seal)
, mottoeng = "In peace a glorious asset, In war a tower of strength""By courage and wisdom" (on seal)
, established =
, type = Public senior military college
, accreditation = SACS
, endowment = $696.8 mill ...
and was graduated in July 1852,
[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. . p. 606. standing 14th in a class of 24. He married Elizabeth Henrietta Tayloe, daughter of Mary Langhorne and
George Plater Tayloe
George Plater Tayloe ( October 15, 1804 – Apr 18, 1897) was a Virginia businessman, soldier and legislator who also served as one of the original trustees of Hollins University.
Early life
George Tayloe was born October 15, 1804, at Mount Airy ...
, in 1853. Prior to the Civil War, Munford was a
cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus ''Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor perce ...
planter in
Mississippi
Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...
and farmer in
Bedford County, Virginia
Bedford County is a United States county located in the Piedmont region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its county seat is the town of Bedford, which was an independent city from 1968 until rejoining the county in 2013.
Bedford County was c ...
.
With the outbreak of the Civil War, Munford was mustered into 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 ...
on May 8, 1861 by Colonel
Jubal A. Early and served as a
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 ...
with the 30th Virginia Volunteer Regiment,
[ a mounted infantry regiment, which fought at the ]First Battle of Manassas
The First Battle of Bull Run (the name used by Union forces), also known as the Battle of First Manassas .[Allardice, Bruce S.'' More Generals in Gray.'' Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1995. . p. 171.] When the cavalry was reorganized under 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 ...
, he was promoted to colonel of the 2nd Virginia Cavalry
The 2nd Virginia Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry regiment raised in Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought mostly with the Army of Northern Virginia.
The unit was organized by Colonel Jubal E ...
as the 30th Virginia Volunteer Regiment had been redesignated.[ In the 1862 Shenandoah Valley Campaign, Munford served under Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson as commander of a cavalry brigade of two regiments,][ succeeded Colonel and acting Brigadier General ]Turner Ashby
Turner Ashby Jr. (October 23, 1828 – June 6, 1862) was an American officer. He was a Confederate cavalry commander in the American Civil War.
In his youth, he organized an informal cavalry company known as the Mountain Rangers, which becam ...
as commander of all of Jackson's cavalry, upon that officer's death, and fought well at the Battle of Cross Keys
The Battle of Cross Keys was fought on June 8, 1862, in Rockingham County, Virginia, as part of Confederate Army Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's campaign through the Shenandoah Valley during the American Civil War. Together, the batt ...
and captured many prisoners at Harrisonburg, Virginia.[ Hotchkiss, Jed. ''Virginia.'' Volume 3 in Evans, Clement A., ed]
''Confederate Military History: A Library of Confederate States History''
12 vols. Atlanta: Confederate Publishing Company, 1899. . p. 640. Retrieved January 20, 2011. During the Peninsula Campaign, he led his men at the Battle of White Oak Swamp
The Battle of White Oak Swamp took place on June 30, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, as part of the Seven Days Battles ( Peninsula Campaign) of the American Civil War. As the Union Army of the Potomac retreated southeast toward the James River ...
.[ He served with efficiency in the Second Manassas Campaign in which he was slightly wounded at Turkey Run Bridge and the ]Second Battle of 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 Confederate ...
.[ Munford was temporarily given an independent command of Robertson's brigade in the Maryland Campaign.][ During that campaign he successfully cleared ]Leesburg, Virginia
Leesburg is a town in the state of Virginia, and the county seat of Loudoun County. Settlement in the area began around 1740, which is named for the Lee family, early leaders of the town and ancestors of Robert E. Lee. Located in the far northea ...
of Union forces at the Battle of Mile Hill so that the army could cross the Potomac River
The Potomac River () drains the Mid-Atlantic United States, flowing from the Potomac Highlands into Chesapeake Bay. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map. Retrieved Augus ...
from there. He led his troops in a key defensive position protecting Crampton's Gap at the Battle of South Mountain
The Battle of South Mountain—known in several early Southern accounts as the Battle of Boonsboro Gap—was fought on September 14, 1862, as part of the Maryland campaign of the American Civil War. Three pitched battles were fought for posses ...
.[ His men saw limited action at the ]Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam (), or Battle of Sharpsburg particularly in the Southern United States, was a battle of the American Civil War fought on September 17, 1862, between Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and Union G ...
.[ They participated in several of Stuart's cavalry battles during the 1863 Gettysburg Campaign and the Bristoe Campaign,][ as well as in cavalry actions in 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 ...
in Spring 1864 under 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 ...
Fitzhugh Lee
Fitzhugh Lee (November 19, 1835 – April 28, 1905) was a Confederate cavalry general in the American Civil War, the 40th Governor of Virginia, diplomat, and United States Army general in the Spanish–American War. He was the son of Sydney S ...
.[
Munford was appointed to duty as a brigadier commander by Fitzhugh Lee on November 9, 1864, but, despite being described as a general in several sources, he was never officially commissioned and confirmed as a brigadier general.][ He took command of Fitzhugh Lee's cavalry division late in the war with that general's promotion to cavalry corps commander.][For the Record see official listing as Brig Gen of Fitzhugh Lee's Division of Fitzhugh Lee's Cavalry Corps ppomattox Campaign(Battles and Leaders of the Civil War Vol IV .p.753)]
and fought at Five Forks, High Bridge, and Sailor's Creek.[ He led men away from 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 ...
prior to General
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House and escaped with a goal of reaching North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
to link up with the army of General Joseph E. Johnston
Joseph Eggleston Johnston (February 3, 1807 – March 21, 1891) was an American career army officer, serving with distinction in the United States Army during the Mexican–American War (1846–1848) and the Seminole Wars. After Virginia secede ...
during the Carolinas Campaign
The campaign of the Carolinas (January 1 – April 26, 1865), also known as the Carolinas campaign, was the final campaign conducted by the United States Army (Union Army) against the Confederate States Army in the Western Theater. On January 1 ...
.[Hotchkiss, 1899, p. 641.] However, hearing that Johnston had since surrendered, Munford dispersed his force after reaching Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. First settled in 1757 by ferry owner John Lynch (1740–1820), John Lynch, the city's populati ...
.[
His first wife died in 1863, and Munford was remarried to her cousin, Emma Tayloe, daughter of Henrietta Ogle and ]William Henry Tayloe
William Henry Tayloe (January 29, 1799 – January 7, 1871) was an American plantation owner, Horse breeding, horse breeder, businessman and Speculator, land speculator during the first half of the 19th century. He inherited a vast estate from ...
, in 1866. After the war, Munford inherited his father-in-law's plantation, Oakland, in Perry County, Alabama
Perry County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,511. Its county seat is Marion. The county was established in 1819 and is named in honor of Commodore Oliver Haz ...
and worked as a cotton planter in Alabama.[ He returned to Virginia and worked as a cotton planter and as an ]iron
Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in f ...
manufacturer and writer.[ He was Vice President of Lynchburg Iron, Steel & Mining Company.][ He served as President of the Virginia Military Institute Board of Visitors from 1884 to 1888.][
On February 27, 1918 at the age of 86, Munford died at the home of his son in ]Uniontown, Alabama
Uniontown is a city in Perry County, Alabama, in west-central Alabama. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city is 2,107, up 18.7% over 2010. Of the 573 cities in Alabama, Uniontown is the 207th most populous.
Uniontown has four sites l ...
.[ He was buried at Spring Hill Cemetery in ]Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. First settled in 1757 by ferry owner John Lynch (1740–1820), John Lynch, the city's populati ...
.[
]
See also
* List of American Civil War generals (Acting Confederate)
Details concerning Confederate officers who were appointed to duty as generals late in the war by General E. Kirby Smith in the Confederate Trans-Mississippi Department, who have been thought of generals and exercised command as generals but who ...
Notes
References
* Allardice, Bruce S. ''Confederate Colonels: A Biographical Register.'' Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 2008. .
* Allardice, Bruce S.'' More Generals in Gray.'' Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1995. .
* 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. .
* Hotchkiss, Jed. ''Virginia.'' Volume 3 in Evans, Clement A., ed
''Confederate Military History: A Library of Confederate States History''
12 vols. Atlanta: Confederate Publishing Company, 1899. . pp. 639–641. Retrieved January 20, 2011.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Munford, Thomas T.
1831 births
1918 deaths
Confederate States Army generals
Military personnel from Richmond, Virginia
People of Virginia in the American Civil War
Virginia Military Institute alumni
Tayloe family of Virginia
Southern Historical Society