Clement Hoffman Stevens (August 14, 1821 – July 25, 1864) was a

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 ...

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 t ...

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 state ...

. He designed and constructed the iron-clad battery on

Morris Island Morris Island is an 840-acre (3.4 km²) uninhabited island in Charleston Harbor in South Carolina, accessible only by boat. The island lies in the outer reaches of the harbor and was thus a strategic location in the American Civil War. The ...

at the mouth of

Charleston Harbor The Charleston Harbor is an inlet (8 sq mi/20.7 km²) of the Atlantic Ocean at Charleston, South Carolina. The inlet is formed by the junction of Ashley and Cooper rivers at . Morris and Sullivan's Islands shelter the entrance. Charleston ...

which was used in the bombardment of

Fort Sumter Fort Sumter is a sea fort built on an artificial island protecting Charleston, South Carolina from naval invasion. Its origin dates to the War of 1812 when the British invaded Washington by sea. It was still incomplete in 1861 when the Battl ...

at the outbreak of the Civil War. He was killed in action at the

Battle of Peachtree Creek The Battle of Peachtree Creek was fought in Georgia on July 20, 1864, as part of the Atlanta Campaign in the American Civil War. It was the first major attack by Lt. Gen. John Bell Hood since taking command of the Confederate Army of Tennesse ...

during the Atlanta Campaign.

Early life

Clement H. Stevens was born August 14, 1821, at

Norwich, Connecticut Norwich ( ) (also called "The Rose of New England") is a city in New London County, Connecticut New London County is in the southeastern corner of Connecticut and comprises the Norwich-New London, Connecticut Metropolitan Statistical Area, ...

.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. . p. 509. He was the son of a Southern naval officer and his wife who was from South Carolina.Longacre, Edward G. "Stevens, Clement Hoffman" in ''Historical Times Illustrated History of the Civil War'', edited by Patricia L. Faust. New York: Harper & Row, 1986. . p. 717Warner, Ezra J. ''Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders.'' Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1959. . pp. 291–292 They moved the family to Florida when Clement was young and then moved to

Pendleton, South Carolina Pendleton is a town in Anderson County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 3,489 at the 2020 census. It is a sister city of Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The Pendleton Historic District, consisting of the town and ...

in 1836. Stevens served several years at sea as secretary to two relatives who were United States Navy officers, Commodore (later

Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star " admiral" rank. It is often rega ...

)

William Shubrick William Branford Shubrick (October 31, 1790 – May 27, 1874) was an officer in the United States Navy. His active-duty career extended from 1806 to 1861, including service in the War of 1812 and the Mexican–American War; he was placed on the ret ...

and Commodore William Bee. Stevens married a sister of future Confederate Brigadier Generals Barnard Bee and

Hamilton Bee Hamilton Prioleau Bee (July 22, 1822 – October 3, 1897) was an American politician in early Texas; he was secretary of the Texas Senate in 1846. He served nearly 10 years as representative to the state house beginning in 1849, and for one term a ...

, his cousins.Boatner, Mark Mayo, III. ''The Civil War Dictionary''. New York: McKay, 1988. . First published New York, McKay, 1959. p. 796 By 1842, he had become a bank cashier at Charleston, South Carolina. He also became an ordnance expert. In December 1860, when South Carolina seceded from the Union, Stevens also was a member of a railroad construction company.

American Civil War service

Clement H. Stevens became a colonel in the South Carolina Militia before the start of the Civil War. In April 1861, he became a Confederate States Army colonel and aide-de-camp as the state troops came under the command of the Confederate government. He designed and had constructed an iron-plated battery faced with railroad iron on Morris Island for the attack on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor.Sifakis, Stewart. ''Who Was Who in the Civil War.'' New York: Facts on File, 1988. . p. 622 Stevens became aide-de-camp for his brother-in-law, Brigadier General Barnard Bee, between April 1861 and July 21, 1861 when Bee was killed in action at the

Battle of First Bull Run The First Battle of Bull Run (the name used by Union forces), also known as the Battle of First Manassas

soon after bestowing the nickname "Stonewall" on then Brigadier General

Thomas J. Jackson Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, considered one of the best-known Confederate commanders, after Robert E. Lee. He played a prominent role in nearl ...

. Stevens also was wounded in the battle. After he recovered, Stevens took command of a South Carolina

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 ...

regiment. On April 1, 1862, Stevens was appointed

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 ...

of the

24th South Carolina Infantry Regiment The 24th South Carolina Infantry Regiment was a Confederate infantry regiment in the American Civil War. History Formation The 24th South Carolina Infantry was formed in the Winter of 1861-1862. The first 6 companies, A-F, were commissioned by t ...

. Stevens fought at and his regiment helped repulse a

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 ...

attack at the

Battle of Secessionville The Battle of Secessionville (or the First Battle of James Island) was fought on June 16, 1862, during the American Civil War. Confederate forces defeated the Union's only attempt to capture Charleston, South Carolina, by land. It's noted fo ...

on June 16, 1862. He was sent with his regiment to

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Mis ...

and participated in the

Vicksburg Campaign The Vicksburg campaign was a series of maneuvers and battles in the Western Theater of the American Civil War directed against Vicksburg, Mississippi, a fortress city that dominated the last Confederate-controlled section of the Mississippi R ...

in Brigadier General States Rights Gist's brigade during General Joseph E. Johnston's unsuccessful efforts to relieve the besieged city. Gist praised Stevens as "iron-nerved." Later with 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 ...

, Stevens was wounded at the

Battle of Chickamauga The Battle of Chickamauga, fought on September 19–20, 1863, between U.S. and Confederate forces in the American Civil War, marked the end of a Union offensive, the Chickamauga Campaign, in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia. ...

on September 20, 1863. His performance elicited praise in after action reports. Clement Hoffman Stevens was promoted to brigadier general, C.S.A., on January 20, 1864. Although not fully recovered from his wounds from Chickamauga, he commanded a brigade in Major General W.H.T. Walker's division of I Corps of the

from February 1864 to July 20, 1864. At the Battle of Peachtree Creek during the Atlanta Campaign, on July 20, 1864, Stevens was shot in the head and mortally wounded while leading a frontal assault late in the evening. Walker also was killed in action in the fighting at Atlanta two days later, on July 22, 1864.Sifakis, 1988, p. 687

Aftermath

Clement H. Stevens died at

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...

, July 25, 1864, five days after he was mortally wounded in battle. By the time of his death, Stevens had the nickname of "Rock." Clement Hoffman Stevens is buried at St. Paul's Episcopal Church Cemetery, Pendleton, South Carolina.

Notes

References

* Boatner, Mark Mayo, III. ''The Civil War Dictionary.'' New York: McKay, 1988. . First published 1959 by McKay. * Eicher, John H., and

, ''Civil War High Commands.'' Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. . * Longacre, Edward G. "Stevens, Clement Hoffman" in ''Historical Times Illustrated History of the Civil War'', edited by Patricia L. Faust. New York: Harper & Row, 1986. . * 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. . {{DEFAULTSORT:Stevens, Clement H. 1821 births 1864 deaths Confederate States Army brigadier generals People of South Carolina in the American Civil War Confederate States of America military personnel killed in the American Civil War Northern-born Confederates

Early life

American Civil War service

Aftermath

See also

Notes

References