Ellison Capers (October 14, 1837 – April 22, 1908) was a Confederate general 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 state ...

, theologian, college professor and administrator from

South Carolina )'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = "Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = G ...

Early life

Capers was the son of a

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related Christian denomination, denominations of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John W ...

bishop. He was born in Charleston, South Carolina, and educated in local schools. He graduated from the

South Carolina Military Academy The South Carolina Military Academy was a predecessor, two-campus institution to The Citadel. It was established in 1842 by the South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina had constructed a series of arsenals around the state after the Denmark Ve ...

(now

The Citadel The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, commonly known simply as The Citadel, is a public senior military college in Charleston, South Carolina. Established in 1842, it is one of six senior military colleges in the United States. ...

) in 1857; he studied law for a time and then was appointed as a Professor of Mathematics and Rhetoric at SCMA. He spent a year teaching mathematics at Mt. Zion College in

Winnsboro, South Carolina Winnsboro is a town in Fairfield County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 3,550 at the 2010 census. The population was 3,215 at the 2020 census. A population decrease of approximately 9.5% for the same 10 year period. It is the ...

, then returned to his position at SCMA in 1860.

Civil War

At the outbreak of the Civil War, Capers joined the Confederate Army with the rank of major. He was present at 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 ...

then saw action at James Island and 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 ...

; he next served on coastal defense duties until 1863, having been promoted to lieutenant colonel of the 24th South Carolina. In May 1863 the

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

joined the army of General

Joseph E. Johnston Joseph Eggleston Johnston (February 3, 1807 – March 21, 1891) was an American career army officer, serving with distinction in the United States Army during the Mexican–American War (1846–1848) and the Seminole Wars. After Virginia seceded ...

for 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 ...

. Capers was wounded in the leg at

Jackson, Mississippi Jackson, officially the City of Jackson, is the Capital city, capital of and the List of municipalities in Mississippi, most populous city in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The city is also one of two county seats of Hinds County, Mississippi, ...

, but 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 ...

. Capers returned to field service in time for the Chickamauga Campaign 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 ...

. He fought in the disastrous

Battle of Franklin Battle of Franklin may refer to four battles of the American Civil War: * Battle of Franklin (1864), a major battle fought November 30, 1864, at Franklin, Tennessee as part of the Franklin-Nashville Campaign * Battle of Franklin (1863), a minor eng ...

where he was severely wounded. After the campaign he commanded a

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. ...

, replacing

States Rights Gist States Rights Gist (September 3, 1831 – November 30, 1864) was a lawyer, a militia general in South Carolina, and a Confederate Army brigadier general who served during the American Civil War. A relative of several prominent South Carolinian ...

, who had been killed in action. Capers 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 t ...

on March 1, 1865, shortly before the end of hostilities. He was captured at

Bentonville, North Carolina The Battle of Bentonville (March 19–21, 1865) was fought in Johnston County, North Carolina, near the village of Bentonville, as part of the Western Theater of the American Civil War, Western Theater of the American Civil War. It was the la ...

, but there is no record of parole.

Postbellum career

Capers returned home after the Civil War. In December 1865, he was elected Secretary of State for South Carolina. Ordained as an Episcopal Priest in 1868 he was rector of Christ Church (Episcopal) in Greenville while also teaching at Greenville Military Academy, Greenville Female Academy and

Furman University Furman University is a private liberal arts university in Greenville, South Carolina. Founded in 1826 and named for the clergyman Richard Furman, Furman University is the oldest private institution of higher learning in South Carolina. It beca ...

. In 1875 he became minister of St Johns Church in

Selma, Alabama Selma is a city in and the county seat of Dallas County, in the Black Belt region of south central Alabama and extending to the west. Located on the banks of the Alabama River, the city has a population of 17,971 as of the 2020 census. Abou ...

, and after a year returned to Christ Church in Greenville; in 1887 he was called to Trinity Church in

Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 census, it is the second-largest city in South Carolina. The city serves as the county seat of Richland County, and a portion of the ci ...

. He was elected Coadjutor Bishop of South Carolina and was consecrated on July 20, 1893. He became the diocesan bishop, the third bishop of South Carolina, in 1894. He served as the Episcopal Bishop of South Carolina from 1894 to his death, he also served as chancellor of Sewanee: The University of the South from 1904 to 1908. He served on the board of the John F. Slater Fund for the Education of Freedmen. In 1859 he married Charlotte Rebecca Palmer, the great-granddaughter of

Francis Marion Brigadier-General Francis Marion ( 1732 – February 27, 1795), also known as the Swamp Fox, was an American military officer, planter and politician who served during the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War. During the Ameri ...

; they had 5 children. His sister Mary was the first wife of Major Peter F. Stevens, a fellow SCMA Professor who was Superintendent 1859–61 and also later an Episcopal Bishop. Bishop Capers died in

, in 1908 and is buried there at Trinity Episcopal Churchyard.

Honors

He was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Divinity by the University of South Carolina in 1889. The General Ellison Capers Camp #1212 of the

Sons of Confederate Veterans The Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) is an American neo-Confederate nonprofit organization of male descendants of Confederate soldiers that commemorates these ancestors, funds and dedicates monuments to them, and promotes the pseudohistor ...

was named in his honor. Capers Hall, the main academic building at

is named for him and his brother Major Francis W. Capers, who served as Superintendent from 1852 to 1859. Ellison delivered the commencement address at The Citadel in 1886.

Notes

References

* Evans, Clement A.
''Confederate Military History'', Volume III
Atlanta, Georgia: Confederate Publishing Company, 1899. * Eicher, John H., and

Eicher, David J. 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 America ...

, ''Civil War High Commands'', Stanford University Press, 2001, . * 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:Capers, Ellison 1837 births 1908 deaths Confederate States Army generals Military personnel from Charleston, South Carolina Episcopal bishops of South Carolina People of South Carolina in the American Civil War The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina alumni The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina faculty Sewanee: The University of the South administrators Converts to Anglicanism from Methodism 19th-century American Episcopalians