Three Confederate Generals Who Later Became Generals in the U.S. Army
The American Civil War was a tumultuous period that gave rise to some of the most illustrious military leaders in history. After the conflict, many Confederate generals went on to serve as officers in the U.S. Army, often during significant foreign wars. This article will explore the journeys of three such generals: John B. Gordon, Joseph E. Johnston, and Simon Bolivar Buckner.
John B. Gordon
John B. Gordon was a prominent Confederate general who served as a major general in the Confederate Army. Following the Civil War, he took on a different role in American politics, becoming a U.S. Senator from Georgia. One of the most notable appointments Gordon received was the position of major general in the U.S. Army during the Spanish-American War.
Joseph E. Johnston
Joseph E. Johnston was also a Confederate general, but his post-war service was more subdued compared to his active role during the Civil War. He joined the U.S. Army as a major general during the Spanish-American War, reflecting the complex relationships and transitions that occurred in the military and political landscape of the United States in the aftermath of the Civil War.
Simon Bolivar Buckner
Simon Bolivar Buckner was a Confederate general who went on to serve in the U.S. Army as a major general. After the war, he also held the position of governor of Kentucky, showcasing the diverse careers these generals had.
These individuals exemplify the complex relationships and transitions that occurred in the military and political landscape of the United States following the Civil War. Their lives spanned significant events and changes in American history, and their stories offer valuable insights into the era.
Further Discoveries: Four Former Confederate Cavalry Generals
In addition to the three generals mentioned above, four former Confederate cavalry generals also received important commands during the Spanish-American War. Let us take a closer look at those key figures.
Joseph “Fighting Joe” Wheeler
Joseph "Fighting Joe" Wheeler served as a cavalry general for the Confederate States Army, mainly as the senior cavalry general in the Army of Tennessee. He is renowned for his participation in most of the Western Theater battles. By 1898, Wheeler, who was 61 years old, volunteered for the Spanish-American War and was commissioned as a major general of volunteers from President William McKinley.
Wheeler commanded the cavalry division that included the Rough Riders, and was nominally second-in-command of the Fifth Army Corps. Following the Cuban fighting, he led the First Brigade of Arthur MacArthur’s Second Division during the Philippine-American War until January 1900. During this time, Wheeler was mustered out of the volunteer service and was commissioned a brigadier general in the regular army.
Fitzhugh Lee
Fitzhugh Lee was a Confederate cavalry commander and the nephew of Robert E. Lee. He was promoted to major general C.S.A. in August 1863 following the Battle of Gettysburg. When war broke out between Spain and the United States, he re-entered the army, commissioned as a major general of U.S. volunteers.
Lee commanded the 7th Army Corps but did not participate in the actual operations in Cuba. In 1899, he was the military governor of Havana and Pinar del Rio. By 1901, he had retired as a brigadier general U.S. Army.
Matthew Calbraith Butler
Matthew Calbraith Butler was also a brigadier general C.S.A., achieving the rank in February 1864 at the Battle of Brandy Station where he lost his right foot to rifle fire. In 1898, President McKinley appointed Butler major general of volunteers in the Spanish-American War. Butler served as a member of the Cuban Peace Commission and oversaw the evacuation of Spanish troops from the island, being honorably discharged on April 15, 1899.
Thomas Lafayette Rosser
Thomas Lafayette was a major general in the C.S.A. and rose to the rank of brigadier general following the Gettysburg Campaign and major general in late 1864. He was a classmate and friend of the Union Army’s “boy-general” George Armstrong Custer. They fought each other in the Shenandoah Valley Campaign at Trevilian Station and Battle of Toms Brook. On June 10, 1898, President McKinley appointed Rosser a brigadier general of U.S. volunteers.
Rosser's first task was training young cavalry recruits at a camp near the old Civil War battlefield of Chickamauga in northern Georgia. He was honorably discharged on October 31, 1898, highlighting the diverse careers these generals pursued after their military service in the Confederate States of America.