Browse all content in the Civil War Western Theater Region.
Joseph Hooker
November 13, 1814–October 31, 1879 Joseph Hooker was a prominent Union officer who commanded the Army of the Potomac from January 26, 1863, to June 28, 1863, during the American Civil War. Joseph Hooker was born in Hadley, Massachusetts on November 13, 1814. His parents were Joseph Hooker, a local storekeeper, and Mary Seymour. Hooker…
Joseph Wheeler
September 10, 1836 – January 25, 1906 A prominent Confederate cavalry commander during the American Civil War, General Joseph Wheeler also represented Alabama in the U.S. House of Representatives for nine terms, and led U.S. forces during the Spanish-American War and the Philippine-American Insurrection. Joseph Wheeler, Jr., was born on September 10, 1836, near Augusta,…
Kanawha Valley Campaign
September 6–16, 1862 In September 1862, Major General William Wing Loring led a successful campaign that briefly reestablished Confederate control of the Kanawha Valley and western Virginia after occupying Charleston, Virginia (now West Virginia). During the summer of 1861, Union and Confederate forces struggled for control of western Virginia. The area was of considerable importance…
Knoxville Campaign
November 4–December 14, 1863 Also known as Longstreet's Knoxville Campaign, the Knoxville Campaign was a Confederate attempt in November and December 1863 to prevent Union forces commanded by Major General Ambrose Burnside from relieving other Federal troops who were also under siege at Chattanooga. On June 8, 1861, Tennessee became the last Southern state to…
Latimer A. McCook
April 26, 1820 – August 23, 1869 A member of the famed "Fighting McCooks," Major Latimer A. McCook served as a surgeon with the Army of the Tennessee during the Civil War. Latimer A. McCook was born at Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, on April 26, 1820. He was the eldest son of Daniel McCook and Martha Latimer…
Leonidas Polk
April 10, 1806 – June 14, 1864 An ordained Episcopal bishop, Confederate Lieutenant General Leonidas Polk was killed by a Union artillery shell at Pine Mountain, near Marietta, Georgia, on June 14, 1864. Leonidas Polk was born in Raleigh, North Carolina on April 10, 1806. He was the second son and third of eleven children…
Letter from Major General U.S. Grant to Brigadier General Lorenzo Thomas
July 18, 1863 On July 18, 1863, Ulysses S. Grant acknowledged the receipt of his appointment as major general in the United States Army. Head Quarters, Dept. of the Ten. Vicksburg Miss. July 18th 1863 Brig. Gen. L. Thomas, Adj. Gen. of the Army, Washington, D. C. Gen. I have the honor to acknowledge the…
Lew Wallace
April 10, 1827 – February 15, 1905 Lew Wallace served as a general officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War, and he was the author of the highly-acclaimed novel, <i>Ben Hur, A Tale of the Christ</i>. Lewis Wallace was born in Brookville, Indiana on April 10, 1827. He was the second of…
Magoffin’s Response to Lincoln’s Call for Militia
April 15, 1861 On April 15, 1861, Governor Beriah Magoffin informed Secretary of War Simon Cameron that Kentucky would furnish no troops in response to President call for militia. ; Executive Office, Frankfort, April 15, 1861. To Hon. Simon Cameron, Secretary of War, Washington City: Your dispatch is received. In answer, I say emphatically, that…
Manning Marius Kimmel
October 25, 1832 – February 27, 1916 Manning M. Kimmel was one of four West Point graduates to fight initially for the Union during the American Civil War before switching sides. Manning Marius Kimmel (also known as Marius Manning Kimmel) was born in Perry County, Missouri, on October 25, 1832. He was the second of…