The February 6 Triumvirate

In lieu of the usual monument post today (most of which are related to the Army of the Potomac), I decided to take a brief break and turn my attention to the Army of Northern Virginia.

History is full of odd and interesting coincidences. One of the more interesting that you may not be aware of is that three stellar, young Army of Northern Virginia generals were born in successive years on this date in history (February 6th).

Interestingly, this illustrious trio represented four Confederate states (Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, and Virginia). There was one civilian soldier and two professionals (both graduates of the West Point class of 1854). Two were killed in the Civil War; one rose to become a prominent post-war politician.

They are in order of birth:

General John B. Gordon was born on February 6, 1832 in Upson County, Georgia. He was a lawyer and engaged in mining operations prior to the War. Gordon rose from the colonelcy of an Alabama regiment to eventually command of the illustrious Second Corps. He survived a terrible series of wounds at Sharpsburg and commanded the last attack by the Army of Northern Virginia at Fort Stedman. Ramrod straight and imposing on the field of strife, one of Gordon’s admiring men would exclaim that to see Gordon on the battlefield would put fight into a whipped chicken. Of the illustrious triumvirate, Gordon was the only one to survive the War. He served his state for years as a senator and as a governor. Gordon died in January 1904.

“He was,” Union General John Sedgwick said, “the greatest cavalryman foaled in America.” James Ewell Brown Stuart — “Jeb” — was born on February 6, 1833. He was the quintessential cavalier of the War. A professional soldier, he would rise to command of the Army of Northern Virginia’s cavalry and arguably become the best cavalryman of the Civil War. Even if you don’t think Stuart worthy of that lofty title, it is indisputable that he was one of the most flashy and iconic of all the generals of not only the Confederacy, but of the entire Civil War. Stuart — the eyes and ears of Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia — was mortally wounded at the battle of Yellow Tavern in May 1864 and died the following day. Among his last words on the battlefield were the entreaty to his men: “I’d rather die than be whipped.” ¹

When Robert E. Lee ticked off the loss of his “best men” in a letter in the fall of 1863, the name William Dorsey Pender was prominent. Pender was born on February 6, 1834, making him the youngest of the three Army of Northern Virginia generals who celebrated their birthday on February 6th. Pender was a professional soldier (West Point class of 1854 ² — same class as Stuart) with a knack for getting wounded. Rising up through the ranks of A.P. Hill’s storied Light Division, Pender was Hill’s choice to take over that command. Hill even went so far as to make certain Pender received command of the Light Division over Henry Heth, who was technically the senior and one of Hill’s dearest friends. Pious, brave to the point of flaw, and an excellent soldier marked for potential higher command, Pender was mortally wounded in command of the Light Division at Gettysburg. One of his officers summed him up thusly: “He was one of the coolest, most self-possessed and one of the most absolutely fearless men under fire I ever knew.”

(Other famous people born on February 6 include the greatest baseball player of all time, Babe Ruth. I give the Babe the title of the greatest because not only could he hit, he could also pitch. There is no one quite like him in the game.)

There you have it — three stellar young generals of the Army of Northern Virginia, all born in three consecutive years on February 6th.

1. Ironically, Stuart and Sedgwick, the beloved commander of the Union VI Corps, died within days of each other. [↩]
2. The class of 1854 produced 11 generals; of these 11, 6 were killed in battle, including five for the Confederacy. [↩]