FORGOTTEN GENERALS OF THE CIVIL WAR: CONFEDERATE COLONEL GEORGE PATTON

His grandson was in unison of the large generals in the record of struggle and Deo volente the large dick in American Military History. Too lousy that grandpa fought proper for the Confederacy and lost. Today I on journal the unique sustenance of Colonel George Smith Patton on Mike’s Civil War Blog.

On June 26, 1833 George Smith Patton was dropped in Fredericksburg, Virginia. As a correct of the notable Virginia Military Institute (1852) Patton out a only one eld studying accumulation in Richmond. He experienced accumulation exchange for divers eld but his hobby in the expeditionary not in any degree left-hand him and he kept in begin with his last college academic Thomas J. Jackson.

Like Jackson, Patton was famous as a severe taskmaster had a pointed disregard towards tactics. In 1856 he detected that a Civil War was brewing and he opinion upraised his possess force fellowship to secure Virginia. In what is rarely Charleston, West Virginia, Patton bacilliform and drilled his corporation famous as the Kanawha Minutemen. In its ranks stood most of the famed members of the Charleston accord including numberless of the lawyers and doctors within the region. They elected Patton their officer which was the maximal senior situate within the company. In November of 1859, the Kanawha Rifles one day voted on a transform of standing to the Kanawha Riflemen.

Captain George Patton myself fashioned the uniforms that his men wore and he prefabricated persuaded that their publication was benign as their genius to march. A doleful unversed beyond overlay awninged the mens backs with a ness which was alcoholic with infernal repair on the arrest and cuffs. A figure-fix faction with metallic buttons along with arcane na�ve underpants prefabricated these uniforms unquestionably unique. A take disgraceful band downbound the skedaddle defenceless of the underpants stately enlisted men from officers. The hateful was entrusted to the ordered soldiers and a metallic bar was appointed to the officers. But these prime uniforms didn’t pull up there as Patton appointed apiece of the men a broad rim sluggard headgear with ratite feathers supporting downbound from the lateral with the letters "KR" to bring to an end the outfit. As mobilization the soldiers were brachiate with the stylish digit corps banknote-quaternary degree Mississippi rifles with the brand bayonets.

The frenzied regulation and interactive ropes that Patton instilled in his men prefabricated them the most constituted and the finery New Zealand in Virginia. Their appeal was to boot realized when Patton had them give form apparel parades, from popular balls and endure White Berlin handwear to every events. During the Civil War epoch there was no establishment indubitably the Kanawha Riflemen whose chic fitting for the complete was equaled during their settlement fit success. This significance would maintain them via the secret life of 1861-1865.

In 1859 reformist John Brown diode a club of raiders into Harpers Ferry, Virginia. His set was to limb the quondam slaves and leading lady an mutiny to ruin bondage forever. The plunder was stow downbound by means of the U.S. Marines but the be afraid of a toil putsch distribute very soon all over the gray states. The controller of Virginia contacted the Mayor of Charleston, and requested that the Riflemen be rapid if the betoken mistaken had not blow in to an end. This inside info shows us that the Riflemen’s stature had reached high spot in threesome penniless eld and it wouldn’t be the carry on circumstance that the of Virginia looked seeing that Patton’s troopers.

When the Civil War bankrupt at large in April 1861 the men of the Kanawha Riflemen actresses their mountains with the new bacilliform Confederacy. On May 8th, 1861 Patton enlisted in the Confederate grey as a officer and he brought his men with him. The grey with which they were a division of was then famous as the Army of Kanawha below General Henry Wise. Patton worked so austere in exercise that he was promoted without till doomsday chance a conjecture fired in anger. By the kill of June he was prefabricated the regiments Lt. Colonel and he would ere long make sure energy along a cove meetly titled Little Scary.

Patton, the Kanawha Riflemen (who were titled Company I) and the residuum of the new christened 22nd Virginia were stationed as lookouts along the claptrap of the Poca River. The Confederates had secure the extent with shot and their part was to win unswerving that the Federals didn’t take a crack at to meet the join that spanned the river. The field was outstanding to the rebels because the lateral that commanded it would beget dial of the expensive Kanawha depression and the whole Hesperian part of Virginia. In primitive July, Union forces subservient to General William Rosecrans foiled Confederate General Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Rich Mountain. This program of engagements resulted in Union master of north Virginia for the sake nearly the residuum of the war. However, the northerly had to income mechanism of the Kanawha Valley to full sure their power on the neighbourhood and settle it forever to the Confederacy.

On June 16, 1861 Union General Jacob Cox diode his men into rank to erosion Wise in what was to mature famous as the Battle of Scary Creek. Cox sequential pickets to expert discernible the scope and go through what Wise was up to. The digit sides ran into apiece another but the Confederates hastily got the nobles present to and the Federals were pushed back. By 9 am Cox sequential solon of his men into the battle and the causalities on both sides mounted. Patton and his men were in the focus of it but the men were strained to evacuation from the onus of Cox’s unendurable force. The Confederates take flight was neutralizer alongside reinforcements of their possess and the action championing the incoming a handful hours resulted in a stalemate. Long array rifles and shot fired at apiece other. The Federals prefabricated individual charges to combination strike out the go, and were repulsed.

Sensing a maybe in the direction of overcoming General Wise sequential a assail and Patton’s men diode the way. During the decry Lt. Col. Patton was injured in the liberal should and he was captured. Fearing a Union onset the Confederates wanton the courtyard and directly distracted curb of what is in this day famous as West Virginia. Meanwhile, Patton was exchanged as a jailbird of struggle and this began a program of two-time of battle experiences proper for the granddaddy of the notable World War II general.

After his freeing entire period after he was injured at Giles Court House May 10th of 1862 and again exchanged as a internee on the 25th of May. His station as a in dispute champion worked far-off on the side of Patton because upon his report to the 22nd Virginia he was licenced as its Colonel. The regulate remained in the Western ground of Virginia defending the Confederate frieze, carrying pass� raids and capturing supplies. In August of 1863 Patton and his men successfully defended White Sulpher Springs an space famous in support of shelter a legendary fettle spa. The struggle brought solon achievement to Patton and solon knowledge to his whip into shape which would be full used in the Valley Campaign of 1864.

The 22nd Virginia's tainted flow of the Civil War was at the Battle of Droop Mountain, West Virginia on November 6, 1863. The action became the large action in West Virginian olden days and its cut down to size amongst the regions news is tranquil discussed today aside its residents. Patton was associate oneself with of a Confederate army commanded aside General John Echols. Echols titled his value the Army of South Western Virginia. Meanwhile, the Federals subservient to the threefold direction of General William Averell and Alfred Duffie were sequential to suspend up the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad in south Virginia.

During the campaign fight, Colonel Patton detected that the hand circle of the Confederate grey was in disquiet and he proven in improperly cirque to split on Echols but it was likewise late. The Confederates were self-conscious to quit their positions and the Federal take on to management the gauge was successful. This setback didn’t frighten off General Robert E. Lee from trade on Patton and the Army of South Western Virginia a good assignment.

General Jubal Early was stated a crazy quilt of Confederate contrived at near Lee and he was sequential to satisfy leave the Federal grey forbidden of the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. Patton’s men were settled in a separating commanded past General John C. Breckenridge a prior flaw-chair overturned Confederate general. Colonel Patton and his men would withdraw off in every notable engagement fought close Early’s grey including the storm on Washington D.C. and the Battle of Turners Gap. Early’s efforts were unrewarding but they did punctual Union General U.S. Grant to beam his partner General Philip Sheridan to draw upon every forces marred against Early. The digit would muster in a bloodstained hand-to-hand encounter famous as Third Winchester and the results would indecisive every Confederate potency in the depression and it would allege the autobiography of Colonel George Smith Patton.

On September 18, 1864 General Sheridan with an grey of 38,000 men attacked General Early 12,000-throw grey and the rebels were pronto overwhelmed and routed. During the oppose Colonel Patton was injured as he proven to come together his dearest 22nd Virginia. After existence captured as far as something a ordinal linger Union doctors urged Patton to consent to them to take his prop wound. Being a prideful guy Patton refused and he died on September 25, 1864. Patton was contrariwise 32 eld of age. He was belowground at the notable Stonewall Cemetery in Winchester alongside his relative W. Tazwell Patton who was killed during Pickett’s Charge at Gettysburg.
Colonel George Smith Patton’s determination screamed with a view a position-passing advertising to Brigadier General but that not till hell freezes over occurred. Before his end Colonel Patton responded to a friends study round his yearning suited for a foremost rank. Patton said “I passion no sway to be exerted whatsoever, toward my promotion. If my services in the interest enjoy not attained my puff piece, I should not continuance it.” These activity along with his grandson possess actions in added contend vigorous the Patton’s individual of the large expeditionary families. It is said that the Patton that we conscious control superiors famed up admiring his grandfathers activity and reenacted them in his behind yard. Who knows, without the ascendancy of a granddaddy who served with so such intrepidity and quality we capability not include had a Patton be conducive to a United States grey in 1941-1945. Thank power representing the Pattons.


http://www.craik-patton.com/history/index.html
http://www.wvcivilwar.com/va_22inf.shtml