Archibald Campbell Godwin (1831 – September 19, 1864), 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 ...

who was killed at the

Battle of Opequon The Third Battle of Winchester, also known as the Battle of Opequon or Battle of Opequon Creek, was an American Civil War battle fought near Winchester, Virginia, on September 19, 1864. Union Army Major General Philip Sheridan defeated Confederate ...

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 ...

. Due to his death soon after his appointment, the Confederate Senate never confirmed Godwin's promotion to the grade of

Early life

Archibald C. Godwin was born in Nansemond County, Virginia, in 1831, the son of Jonathan Lewis and Julia Campbell Godwin, a daughter of General Archibald Campbell, who was administering U.S. Public Lands of Missouri and the Northwest Territory in 1837. Before his first birthday, he was moved to Portsmouth, Virginia, to live with his grandmother Julia Hatton Godwin. He was raised and educated in Portsmouth. Around the age of nineteen he went to

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

hoping to strike it rich during the California Gold Rush.Tucker, Spencer, James R. Arnold, Roberta Wiener, Paul G. Pierpaoli, and David Coffey
American Civil War: The Definitive Encyclopedia and Document Collection.
Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, 2013.

Life in California

Godwin was able to build wealth on cattle, timber, real estate and mining in Northern California. In 1854, he was residing at Godwin's Place west of the Russian River in the

Sonoma County Sonoma County () is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 488,863. Its county seat and largest city is Santa Rosa. It is to the north of Marin County and the south of Mendocino ...

, present-day Geyserville. He owned 640 acres of nearby land and was engaged in mercantile and livestock business. Since approximately 150 Native Americans lived on the Russian River, the Federal government appointed the 6'6" Godwin as an Indian agent, and Charles F. Winslow after visiting the area wrote that they were "under Mr. Godwin's complete control."Pelanconi, Joe. A Character of the Time: Archibald Campbell Godwin. I
Quicksilver Mining in Sonoma County: Pine Flat Prospect Fever.
Charleston, S.C.: The History Press, 2014, pp. 12-17. There were hot springs on the property which later became known as ''

The Geysers The Geysers is the world's largest geothermal field, containing a complex of 18 geothermal power plants, drawing steam from more than 350 wells, located in the Mayacamas Mountains approximately north of San Francisco, California. Geysers produce ...

'', and Godwin built ''The Geysers Resort Hotel'' to encourage visitors. He discovered that his land possessed rich cinnabar ore deposits and in 1859 filed mining claims, which he had to defend in court as others disputed his right to mine quicksilver. Godwin obtained a legal license after passing exams and successfully represented himself in court in

Santa Rosa Santa Rosa is the Italian, Portuguese and Spanish name for Saint Rose. Santa Rosa may also refer to: Places Argentina *Santa Rosa, Mendoza, a city * Santa Rosa, Tinogasta, Catamarca * Santa Rosa, Valle Viejo, Catamarca * Santa Rosa, La Pampa * S ...

. He became involved in local politics, and was elected a Justice of the Peace in 1855. He served on the board of directors of the Geyser Road committee. There are accounts that in 1860 Godwin lost the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

nomination for governor of California by one vote that are not confirmed by documents. After Virginia seceded from the Union, Godwin placed an advertisement in ''Petaluma Journal'' looking for a renter of his business interests in The Geysers, and turned his other property holdings to friends.

Civil War

Provost's duties

Godwin returned to his native state when the

broke out in 1861. He initially served as a captain and then major in the provost's department and was assistant provost marshal in charge of

Libby Prison Libby Prison was a Confederate prison at Richmond, Virginia, during the American Civil War. In 1862 it was designated to hold officer prisoners from the Union Army. It gained an infamous reputation for the overcrowded and harsh conditions. Priso ...

. Later Jefferson Davis assigned to him the task of running the prison stockade in Salisbury, North Carolina, for anticipated Union prisoners. Godwin, who became the second prison commandant, had acquired a reputation for being quite cruel to

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 ...

captives. There had been some discussion after the war of prosecuting Godwin until it was discovered that he was already dead. Major John Henry Gee, one of nine commandants of Salisbury Prison Camp, was put on trial in 1866 in Raleigh on the charges of cruelty and conspiracy regarding his management of the prison but was acquitted on all charges.

In the front line

Godwin was transferred to the front lines taking the

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 o ...

cy of the 57th

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 ...

Infantry on July 17, 1862. His first action came at the Battle of Fredericksburg on December 13, 1862. He also served as a member of Robert F. Hoke's Brigade during the Fredericksburg phase of the Chancellorsville Campaign. Hoke had been wounded and was replaced by Colonel Isaac E. Avery. Godwin marched under the command of Avery to

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Gettysburg (; non-locally ) is a borough and the county seat of Adams County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The Battle of Gettysburg (1863) and President Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address are named for this town. Gettysburg is home to th ...

, in the summer of 1863 participating in the attack on Cemetery Hill on July 2 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 ...

. With the mortal wounding of Colonel Avery, Godwin temporarily assumed command of the brigade and led it back into Virginia and until November 7, 1863, when he was captured at Rappahannock Bridge. He was exchanged in 1864, and promoted on August 5 to

commanding what had formerly been Hoke's Brigade in Major General

Stephen D. Ramseur Stephen Dodson Ramseur (May 31, 1837 – October 20, 1864) was a Confederate States Army, Confederate General officer, general in the American Civil War, at one point the youngest in the army. He impressed Lee by his actions at Malvern Hill and ...

's division. On the other hand, the Eichers state that Godwin's appointment was not confirmed by the

Confederate Senate The Confederate States Congress was both the provisional and permanent legislative assembly of the Confederate States of America that existed from 1861 to 1865. Its actions were for the most part concerned with measures to establish a new nat ...

and therefore his promotion did not become legally effective.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. . pp. 598-599.

Death

On September 19 he was killed at the

Third Battle of Winchester The Third Battle of Winchester, also known as the Battle of Opequon or Battle of Opequon Creek, was an American Civil War battle fought near Winchester, Virginia, on September 19, 1864. Union Army Major General Philip Sheridan defeated Confederate ...

.Eicher, 2001, p. 599. Godwin is buried at Stonewall Cemetery in

Winchester, Virginia Winchester is the most north western independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the county seat of Frederick County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Winchester wit ...

. There is also a monument for him at Cedar Grove Cemetery in Portsmouth, Virginia.

Notes

References

Salisbury Prison
''The American Civil War'' * tp://ftp.consrv.ca.gov/pub/oil/publications/tr49.pdf A Geysers Album: Five eras of Geothermal History ''California Department of Conservation Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources, Sacramento'', 2010, p. 7.
Gen. Archibald Campbell Godwin
Confederate Veteran, Volume 28, p. 133-135. * Eicher, John H., and

, ''Civil War High Commands.'' Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. . * Pelanconi, Joe. A Character of the Time: Archibald Campbell Godwin. I
Quicksilver Mining in Sonoma County: Pine Flat Prospect Fever.
Charleston, S.C.: The History Press, 2014. * Powell, William S., ed
Godwin, Archibald Campbell.
In Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, 6 volumes, edited by William S. Powell, Volume 2 D-G, Chapel Hill, N.C.: The University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 1979–1996.
Sharing Their Stories (Salisbury Prisoner Of War Camp)
* Sifakis, Stewart. ''Who Was Who in the Civil War.'' New York: Facts On File, 1988. . * Sifakis, Stuart. Who Was Who in the Confederacy. Facts on File, 1989. . * Tucker, Spencer, James R. Arnold, Roberta Wiener, Paul G. Pierpaoli, and David Coffey
American Civil War: The Definitive Encyclopedia and Document Collection.
Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, 2013. * Warner, Ezra J. ''Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders.'' Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1959. .

External links

Godwin, Archibald Campbell
''NCpedia'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Godwin, Archibald C. 1831 births 1864 deaths Confederate States Army generals Confederate States of America military personnel killed in the American Civil War People of Virginia in the American Civil War People of North Carolina in the American Civil War