Robert Houstoun Anderson (October 1, 1835 – February 8, 1888) was a West Point graduate, an

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

officer in the

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 ...

and served as a Brigadier General 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 ...

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 ...

. After the war he served as the Chief of Police for the city of Savannah for 23 years and was twice appointed to serve on the Visitor's Board of 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 ...

West Point, New York West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United States. Located on the Hudson River in New York, West Point was identified by General George Washington as the most important strategic position in America during the Ame ...

. With General Wheeler, General Anderson played an important role in reunification, recommending improvements and changes at West Point like electricity and the telephone in 1887.

Early life

Born in

Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the British colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later t ...

, on October 1, 1835, Anderson was the son of John Wayne Anderson, a local businessman. His siblings include Major George Wayne Anderson, Captain J. W. Anderson II, and Colonel C. W. Anderson. He was educated in the local schools before receiving an appointment to the United States Military Academy. "Bob" Anderson would return to West Point one day to help heal the wounds that the civil war would bring, as a member of the Board of Visitors after the war.

US Army Service

After graduation from West Point in 1857, Anderson was made brevet second lieutenant with the 9th U.S. Infantry Regiment, but was immediately detached to become a cavalry instructor at West Point. Later he was stationed in upstate New York at

Fort Columbus A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

with the 9th Infantry. He later served as an

second lieutenant at

Fort Walla Walla Fort Walla Walla is a United States Army fort located in Walla Walla, Washington. The first Fort Walla Walla was established July 1856, by Lieutenant Colonel Edward Steptoe, 9th Infantry Regiment. A second Fort Walla Walla was occupied Septem ...

in the

Washington Territory The Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington. It was created from the ...

on frontier duty from 1858-1861.Bio of Robert H. Anderson
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Confederate States Army Service

In March 1861, shortly before the official

secession Secession is the withdrawal of a group from a larger entity, especially a political entity, but also from any organization, union or military alliance. Some of the most famous and significant secessions have been: the former Soviet republics le ...

of his home state, Anderson left the US Army and accepted a commission as a lieutenant of artillery in the Confederate Army, formally resigning his U.S. Army commission on May 17, 1861.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. 105. In September 1861 he was promoted to the rank of Major, and was acting adjutant general of the troops on the Georgia coast. Anderson was then appointed assistant

adjutant general An adjutant general is a military chief administrative officer. France In Revolutionary France, the was a senior staff officer, effectively an assistant to a general officer. It was a special position for lieutenant-colonels and colonels in staf ...

Maj. Gen. 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 ...

W. H. T. Walker of the Georgia State

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

located in Pensacola, Florida. When Walker's brigade was transferred to Virginia to join the Army of Northern Virginia in July 1861, Anderson went with him. After Walker resigned, Anderson remained in Confederate service and was promoted to the rank of Major. In April 1862 Major Anderson formed the

1st Georgia Sharpshooter Battalion The 1st Georgia Sharpshooter Battalion was a sharpshooter unit of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It was authorized by an act in April 1862 by the Confederate Congress, and was formed in Savannah, Georgia. The 1st Battal ...

, and quickly built them into an effective and disciplined unit. The battalion was mustered at Camp Anderson, on the banks of the Ogeechee River. In early 1863 he and was placed in command of nearby

Fort McAllister Fort McAllister was a Confederate earthen-work fort used to defend Savannah, Georgia during the American Civil War. It was the southernmost of the forts defending Savannah and was involved in the most battles. It was located on the Ogeechee Rive ...

, located just downriver from Savannah, Georgia to help slow the advancing Union ironclads. Fort McAllister was one of the key forts defending the port of Savannah, and would become the biggest obstacle in

Sherman's March to the Sea Sherman's March to the Sea (also known as the Savannah campaign or simply Sherman's March) was a military campaign of the American Civil War conducted through Georgia from November 15 until December 21, 1864, by William Tecumseh Sherman, maj ...

. Anderson was promoted to

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 ...

and being placed in command of the

5th Georgia Cavalry {{Infobox military unit , unit_name= 5th Georgia Cavalry Regiment , image=Image of 5th Georgia Cavalry.jpg , caption=Flag of the 5th Georgia Cavalry , country={{flag, Confederate States of America , allegiance= {{flagicon image, Flag of the State o ...

. on January 20, 1863. He led Confederate defenses at the

Battle of Fort McAllister (1863) The First Battle of Fort McAllister was a series of naval attacks that took place from January 27 to March 3, 1863, in Bryan County, Georgia, during the American Civil War. The commander of the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron Rear Adm. Sam ...

. General P. G. T. Beauregard in his official report to the war department, commended very highly the conduct of officers and men engaged in the successful defense of

in February 1863. Anderson and the

were transferred to the

Army of Tennessee The Army of Tennessee was the principal Confederate army operating between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River during the American Civil War. It was formed in late 1862 and fought until the end of the war in 1865, participating in ...

under General William W. Allen as part of Kelly's Division, under General

Joseph Wheeler Joseph "Fighting Joe" Wheeler (September 10, 1836 – January 25, 1906) was an American military commander and politician. He was a cavalry general in the Confederate States Army in the 1860s during the American Civil War, and then a general in ...

before the opening of the Atlanta Campaign. Anderson earned a battlefield promotion to brigadier general of Cavalry on July 26, 1864. He was wounded at the

Battle of Brown's Mill The Battle of Brown's Mill was fought July 30, 1864, in Coweta County, Georgia, during the Atlanta Campaign of the American Civil War. Edward M. McCook's Union cavalry, on a daring raid to sever communications and supply lines in south-centra ...

near Newnan, Georgia on July 30, 1864, during the Atlanta Campaign. He rejoined his command at Briar Creek, fighting with Johnston and Hood. After the death of commanding officer Brig. Gen.

John H. Kelly John Herbert Kelly (March 31, 1840 – September 4, 1864) was, at the time of his promotion, the youngest brigadier general in the Confederate States Army.Derek Smith's ''The Gallant Dead: Union and Confederate Generals Killed in the Civil Wa ...

near

Franklin, Tennessee Franklin is a city in and county seat of Williamson County, Tennessee, United States. About south of Nashville, it is one of the principal cities of the Nashville metropolitan area and Middle Tennessee. As of 2020, its population was 83,454 ...

, Anderson assumed temporary command of the

division Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...

later resuming his position as brigade commander. He was wounded again at Fayetteville, North Carolina 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 ...

, on March 11, 1865.Welsh, Jack D
''Medical Histories of Confederate Generals''
. Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 1995. . p. 9. Anderson would later lead his brigade against advancing

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 ...

forces, being wounded for a third time at the Battle of Griswoldville. Then he joined Wheeler's Cavalry Corps in the

before the collapse of the Confederacy in April 1865. He surrendered with Johnston's army at Hillsboro, North Carolina, surrendering to General

William T. Sherman William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...

on April 26, 1865, 17 days after Lee's surrender at Appomattox.

Postbellum career

Robert Houstoun Anderson and Family at Bonaventure Cemetery 8

Following the war, Anderson established and served as the police chief for the city of Savannah from 1865-1888. As Chief of Police for the city of Savannah, he brought order and through his leadership made the force one of the most effective in the nation. After founding the Georgia Sabre Club, Anderson was elected to Captain of the Georgia Hussars from December 4, 1876, to February 1880. General Anderson was appointed by President

Rutherford B. Hayes Rutherford Birchard Hayes (; October 4, 1822 – January 17, 1893) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 19th president of the United States from 1877 to 1881, after serving in the U.S. House of Representatives and as governo ...

to the Board of Visitors, US Military Academy at West Point in 1879. The Board of Visitors is a panel that includes Senators, Congressional Representatives, and presidential appointees who "shall inquire into the morale and discipline, curriculum, instruction, physical equipment, fiscal affairs, academic methods, and other matters relating to the academy that the board decides to consider." As a member of the board, he chaired the committee for academics and discipline, and working alongside General "Fighting Joe" Wheeler helped reunite old friends, and assisted with reconciliation efforts. He was appointed again to the Board by the next president,

Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Cleveland is the only president in American ...

in 1887 when they recommended bringing both the telephone and electricity to West Point. As Police Chief, Anderson employed mostly veterans from both sides of the civil war in his force, putting his words of reconciliation into action.Smith, Derek, ''Civil War Savannah''. Savannah, GA: Frederic C. Beil, . p. 255. Robert Houstoun Anderson died in Savannah, Georgia the age of 52 on February 8, 1888, and was buried at

Bonaventure Cemetery Bonaventure Cemetery is a rural cemetery located on a scenic bluff of the Wilmington River, east of Savannah, Georgia. The cemetery became famous when it was featured in the 1994 novel ''Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil'' by John Berendt, ...

. An estimated seven thousand people attended the unveiling of a copper and granite monument, crowned with a bust of the general at Bonaventure Cemetery in February 1894. His son Robert Houstoun Anderson Jr. also served in the U.S. Army with distinction on the Mexican border, and in China before his death due to disease in the Philippines in 1901.

Gallery

File:RepublicanBlues1860.png, Republican Blues File:BrigGenRAH.jpg, Brig. Gen. Anderson, 1864 File:RAHhussars.jpg, Anderson as commander of the Georgia Hussars as part of the militia, 1880. File:USS Montauk 8harpers1863.jpg, USS Montauk attacks Fort McAllister, Anderson being in command of the later. File:AndersonFamilyGravesite.jpg, The Anderson Family Gravesite on Bonaventure Cemetery, Savannah. File:RHAmonumentBack.jpg, Robert Houstoun Anderson Monument Back at Bonaventure Cemetery, Savannah. File:GenRHAnderson.jpg, Gen. Anderson's monument on Bonaventure Cemetery, Savannah. File:KennesawMountainBattlefieldMonument.jpg, Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield Monument File:Robert Houstoun Anderson and Family at Bonaventure Cemetery 8.jpg, Robert Houstoun Anderson and Family at Bonaventure Cemetery File:KennesawMountainBattlefieldMonument2.jpg, Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield Monument

Notes

References

* Brown, Russell K., ''Our Connection with Savannah - A History of the 1st Battalion Georgia Sharpshooters''. Macon, GA: Mercer University Press, 2004. * Eicher, John H., and

, ''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. Vol. 7 Wheeler, Joseph; ''Alabama''. p. 392 . Retrieved January 20, 2011. * Linedecker, Clifford L., ''Civil War, A-Z: The Complete Handbook of America's Bloodiest Conflict''. New York: Ballantine Books, 2002. * Smith, Derek, ''Civil War Savannah''. Savannah, GA: Frederic C. Beil, * Warner, Ezra J. ''Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders.'' Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1959. .

External links

Bio of Robert H. AndersonUS Military Academy at West Point, Board of Visitors

Board of Visitors Report for 1887Gravesite location Google Maps
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Robert Houstoun 1835 births 1888 deaths Military personnel from Savannah, Georgia United States Army officers Confederate States Army brigadier generals United States Military Academy alumni People of Georgia (U.S. state) in the American Civil War Southern Historical Society