George Bibb Crittenden (March 20, 1812 – November 27, 1880) was a career

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

officer who served in the

Black Hawk War The Black Hawk War was a conflict between the United States and Native Americans led by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis (Fox), and Kickapoos, known as the " British Band", cros ...

, the Army of the Republic of Texas, and 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 ...

, and later resigned his commission to serve as a

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 ...

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 ...

in 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

George B. Crittenden was born in

Russellville, Kentucky Russellville is a home rule-class city in Logan County, Kentucky, in the United States. It is the seat of its county. The population was 6,960 at the time of the 2010 census. History Local historian Alex C. Finley has claimed the area was fir ...

. His father was U.S. politician

John J. Crittenden John Jordan Crittenden (September 10, 1787 July 26, 1863) was an American statesman and politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. He represented the state in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate and twice served as Unite ...

and his brothers were

Thomas Leonidas Crittenden Thomas Leonidas Crittenden (May 15, 1819 – October 23, 1893) was a lawyer, politician, and Union general during the American Civil War. Early life Crittenden was born in Russellville, Kentucky, the son of U.S. Senator John J. Crittenden, who ...

and Eugene W. Crittenden. His cousin was

Thomas Turpin Crittenden Thomas Turpin Crittenden (October 16, 1825 – September 5, 1905) was a Union general in the American Civil War. Birth and early years Crittenden was born in Huntsville, Alabama, but his family moved to Texas shortly thereafter. He was a nephew ...

who became a general for 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 ...

West Point education and early military experiences

George B. Crittenden graduated 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 1832 and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the 4th U.S. Infantry. He fought in the

of 1832 and resigned his commission the following year. He attended

Transylvania University Transylvania University is a private university in Lexington, Kentucky. It was founded in 1780 and was the first university in Kentucky. It offers 46 major programs, as well as dual-degree engineering programs, and is accredited by the Southern ...

and became a lawyer. He moved to the Republic of Texas in 1842 and joined the Army of the Republic of Texas. During the Mier Expedition of 1843, he was captured by the Mexican army and exchanged. He rejoined the

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 ...

in 1846 and fought with the Regiment of Mounted Rifles in the

. He was given a brevet promotion to major for gallantry at Contreras and Churubusco in 1847 and a permanent promotion to major in the

regular army A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the following: * a standin ...

in 1848. However, on August 19, 1848, he was discharged from the Army, but reinstated in March 1849. He eventually reached the permanent rank of lieutenant colonel in 1856.

American Civil War

Just before the start of the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, Crittenden accepted a commission as

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 ...

, in the

infantry on March 16, 1861, although he would not resign his U.S. Army commission until June 10. 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 August 15, 1861 and served briefly as a brigade commander in the Confederate

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the principal Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the surrender of the Confede ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. He 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 November 9, 1861 and commanded the District of East Tennessee. On January 19, 1862, he and Confederate Brig. Gen.

Felix Zollicoffer Felix Kirk Zollicoffer (May 19, 1812 – January 19, 1862) was an American newspaperman, slave owner, politician, and soldier. A three-term United States Congressman from Tennessee, an officer in the United States Army, and a Confederate brigad ...

were defeated by Union Brigadier General

George H. Thomas George Henry Thomas (July 31, 1816March 28, 1870) was an American general in the Union Army during the American Civil War and one of the principal commanders in the Western Theater. Thomas served in the Mexican–American War and later chose ...

at the

Battle of Mill Springs The Battle of Mill Springs, also known as the Battle of Fishing Creek in Confederate terminology, and the Battle of Logan's Cross Roads in Union terminology, was fought in Wayne and Pulaski counties, near current Nancy, Kentucky, on January ...

,Warner, p. 66. the first important Confederate defeat in the war, breaking the Southern hold on eastern Kentucky. He briefly commanded the 2nd Division of the Army of Central Kentucky in 1862 but was relieved on March 31. He was arrested the next day on charges of drunkenness by the order of Maj. Gen. William J. Hardee and restored on April 18. General

Braxton Bragg Braxton Bragg (March 22, 1817 – September 27, 1876) was an American army officer during the Second Seminole War and Mexican–American War and Confederate general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War, serving in the Western ...

ordered a court of inquiry in July and Crittenden resigned as a general officer, reverting to colonel in October 1862.

Postbellum career

He served as the state librarian of Kentucky from 1867 to 1871. He died in Danville, Kentucky, and is buried in the State Cemetery, Frankfort, Kentucky.

Notes

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. . * Eubank, Damon R. ''In the Shadow of the Patriarch: The John J. Crittenden Family in War and Peace''. Macon, Georgia:

Mercer University Press Mercer University Press, established in 1979, is a university press operated by Mercer University Mercer University is a private research university with its main campus in Macon, Georgia. Founded in 1833 as Mercer Institute and gaining un ...

, 2009, . * 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. .

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Crittenden, George B. 1812 births 1880 deaths People from Russellville, Kentucky Crittenden family Confederate States Army major generals United States Army colonels Army of the Republic of Texas officers American people of the Black Hawk War American military personnel of the Mexican–American War United States Military Academy alumni People of Kentucky in the American Civil War Transylvania University alumni People from Danville, Kentucky Kentucky lawyers Burials at Frankfort Cemetery