James E. Slaughter
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

James Edwin Slaughter (June 1827 – January 1, 1901) was an American soldier who fought in the
Mexican American War Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...
, and later resigned in order to fight in the
Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...
, where he rose to the rank of Brigadier General.


Early and family life

Born in 1827 on what was sometimes called
Slaughter Mountain Slaughter Mountain, with an elevation of , is List of mountains in Georgia (U.S. state), the ninth-highest peak in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is located in Union County, Georgia and is the second-highest mountain in Unio ...
,
Culpeper County, Virginia Culpeper County is a county located along the borderlands of the northern and central region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 52,552. Its county seat and only incorporated community is ...
, the eldest son of Daniel French Slaughter and his first wife, the former Letitia Madison. Slaughter's paternal grandfathers and great-grandfathers had helped settle Culpeper County and both sides of his family descended from the
First Families of Virginia The First Families of Virginia, or FFV, are a group of early settler families who became a socially and politically dominant group in the British Colony of Virginia and later the Commonwealth of Virginia. They descend from European colonists who ...
. Col. Robert Slaughter and Lt. William Slaughter fought in the
French and Indian War The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...
; his namesake Col. James Slaughter supported the patriots in the American Revolutionary War as had another great-grandfather, French Strother (James Slaughter serving on the local Committee of Safety and fighting at the
Battle of Great Bridge The Battle of Great Bridge was fought December 9, 1775, in the area of Great Bridge, Virginia, early in the American Revolutionary War. The refusal by colonial Virginia militia forces led to the departure of Royal Governor Lord Dunmore and any ...
and wintering with neighbor
John Marshall John Marshall (September 24, 1755July 6, 1835) was an American statesman, jurist, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the fourth chief justice of the United States from 1801 until his death in 1835. He remai ...
at
Valley Forge, Pennsylvania The village of Valley Forge is an unincorporated settlement. It is located on the west side of Valley Forge National Historical Park at the confluence of Valley Creek and the Schuylkill River in Pennsylvania. The remaining village is in Schu ...
). Through his mother, J.E. Strother was the great-nephew of President
James Madison James Madison (June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison was popularly acclaimed as the ...
. Generations of his family had farmed in Virginia using enslaved labor. James Slaughter entered the
Virginia Military Institute The Virginia Military Institute (VMI) is a public senior military college in Lexington, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1839 as America's first state military college and is the oldest public senior military college in the U.S. In k ...
in
Lexington, Virginia Lexington is an Independent city (United States)#Virginia, independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 7,320. It is the county seat of Rockbridge County, Virg ...
on August 6, 1845, but attended for only one year.


Early U.S. Army career

Slaughter resigned from the school on July 6, 1846, because he accepted a commission in the
U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...
, becoming a 2nd Lieutenant in the newly formed regiment of Voltigeurs and Foot Riflemen, recruited to fight in the
Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...
. He accompanied General
Winfield Scott Winfield Scott (June 13, 1786May 29, 1866) was an American military commander and political candidate. He served as Commanding General of the United States Army from 1841 to 1861, and was a veteran of the War of 1812, American Indian Wars, Mexica ...
and his army to Mexico City as a 2nd Lieutenant during the war. He was the first to inform the Mexican government of the deceptiveness of the Well and Labra claims. After the war's end, Slaughter transferred to the U.S. 1st Artillery Regiment in June 1848 and would serve with this regiment until the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861. He was promoted to 1st Lieutenant in 1852. He resigned from the army in May 1861 shortly after Virginia voters approved the Ordinance of Secession recommended by the
Virginia Secession Convention The Virginia Secession Convention of 1861 was called in the state capital of Richmond to determine whether Virginia would secede from the United States, govern the state during a state of emergency, and write a new Constitution for Virginia, whi ...
, and promptly joined the Confederate Army.


Confederate officer

Slaughter accepted a commission as first lieutenant, Corps of Artillery in the
Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...
but soon became Inspector-General on the staff of General
P.G.T. Beauregard Pierre Gustave Toutant-Beauregard (May 28, 1818 – February 20, 1893) was an American military officer known as being the Confederate general who started the American Civil War at the battle of Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861. Today, he is comm ...
after the transfer of the latter to the Department of Alabama and West Florida. After the bombardment of Pensacola, in which Lieutenant Slaughter rendered valuable service under fire, General Beauregard reported that probably more than anyone else in his command, he was indebted for the patient labor and unceasing vigil given to the organization and instruction of the troops. In November 1861 he was promoted to Major. Beauregard earnestly recommended Slaughter's promotion to brigadier-general, which was granted on March 8, 1862. Slaughter became General
Albert Sidney Johnston General officer, General Albert Sidney Johnston (February 2, 1803 – April 6, 1862) was an American military officer who served as a general officer in three different armies: the Texian Army, the United States Army, and the Confederate States ...
's assistant inspector general at the
Battle of Shiloh The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the American Civil War fought on April 6–7, 1862. The fighting took place in southwestern Tennessee, which was part of the war's Western Theater of the ...
the following month. In May 1862, he was appointed chief of the inspector-general's Department of the Army of the Mississippi, under General
Braxton Bragg Braxton Bragg (March 22, 1817 – September 27, 1876) was an American army Officer (armed forces), officer during the Second Seminole War and Mexican–American War and Confederate General officers in the Confederate States Army, general in th ...
. Gen. Slaughter continued in that position through the Kentucky Campaign, and was then assigned to the charge of the troops of
Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. After a successful vote to annex areas west of the city limits in July 2023, Mobil ...
, that port being threatened by Federal invasion. Meanwhile, the
Battle of Cedar Mountain The Battle of Cedar Mountain, also known as Slaughter's Mountain or Cedar Run, took place on August 9, 1862, in Culpeper County, Virginia, Culpeper County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. Union Army, Union forces under Major gener ...
was fought on his family's Virginia lands in August 1862, as would later be part of the
Battle of Brandy Station The Battle of Brandy Station, also called the Battle of Fleetwood Hill, was the largest predominantly cavalry engagement of the American Civil War, as well as the largest ever to take place on American soil. It was fought on June 9, 1863, around ...
in June 1863, leading to considerable destruction of which family members later complained. In April 1863, Brigadier General Slaughter was transferred to
Galveston, Texas Galveston ( ) is a Gulf Coast of the United States, coastal resort town, resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island (Texas), Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a pop ...
as Chief of Artillery for General John Bankhead Magruder. Later in the year, he received command of all the troops of the Second Division, and instructed to defend the eastern sub-district of Texas. During the remainder of the war he played an important part in Confederate affairs in Texas, for some time performing the duties of chief of staff. Slaughter participated in the last significant land battle of the American Civil War at Palmito Ranch in Texas on May 13, 1865. He arrived on the battlefield after the defeated Union forces had already commenced their retreat. It was reported that Slaughter "rode up to the edge of the tidal slough, drew his revolver and blazed away at the distant Yankees." Upon Lee's Surrender at Appomattox Court House, Brigadier General Slaughter fled to Mexico, where he stayed for several years and worked as a Civil Engineer. He returned to work in Mobile, Alabama and then eventually made his home in New Orleans.


Death and legacy

While visiting Mexico City, James Slaughter became ill and ultimately died of pneumonia on January 1, 1901. He never married. He is buried in the Mexico City National Cemetery.''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', "Ex-Confederate Leader Dies in Mexico," January 4, 1901, Page 1.


See also

*
List of American Civil War generals (Confederate) Confederate generals __NOTOC__ * Assigned to duty by E. Kirby Smith * Incomplete appointments * State militia generals The Confederate and United States processes for appointment, nomination and confirmation of general officers were essential ...


Notes


References

* 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. . * Evans, Clement A., ed
''Confederate Military History: A Library of Confederate States History''
12 vols. Atlanta: Confederate Publishing Company, 1899. . Volume 6. Derry, J. T.; Georgia. Retrieved January 20, 2011. * 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:Slaughter, James Edwin 1827 births 1900 deaths American military personnel of the Mexican–American War Confederate States Army generals People of Texas in the American Civil War People from Culpeper County, Virginia Madison family Deaths from pneumonia in Mexico Strother family