Cullen A. Battle

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Cullen Andrews Battle
Brigadier General
UnitArmy of Northern Virginia
Commands heldBattle's Brigade
Battles/warsAmerican Civil War
Other workLawyer, newspaper editor, politician

Cullen Andrews Battle (June 1, 1829 – April 8, 1905) was an American attorney, farmer, and politician. He was a

Congressional Reconstruction after the war in Alabama then North Carolina[citation needed
].

Early and family life

Cullen Battle was born to Dr Cullen Battle and his wife, the former Jane Andrews Lamon, in

Creek Indians from the area, his parents moved to Irwinton, Alabama (a now-vanished town along the Chattahoochee River near modern Eufaula) in Barbour County, Alabama.[1] Battle received a private education appropriate for his class, then studied at the University of Alabama, and after graduation he read law with his brother-in-law John Gill Shorter
, who would become Governor of Alabama.

In 1851 Cullen Battle married Georgia Florida Williams of LaGrange, Georgia.[2][3] They had several children, including Rev. Henry Wilson Battle (b. 1855), a Baptist minister who moved back to North Carolina and later Petersburg, Virginia, and daughters Jenny (b. 1863) and Florence (b. 1867).

Early career

Admitted to the Alabama bar in 1852, Battle opened his private legal practice in Tuskegee, Alabama. In 1850, his father owned 243 enslaved people in Barbour County.[4] In 1860, he or his father would own 66 slaves in Macon County,[5] and another 111 slaves in Russell County, Alabama (adjacent to Barbour County and named after an Indian fighter).[6] The younger Battle also became active in local politics. He became a presidential elector and also was lieutenant colonel of the local militia. When John Brown raided Harpers Ferry, Virginia, Battle raised a militia company and offered to assist the Virginia soldiers, but Virginia's Governor Wise declined his offer.[7]

American Civil War

When the Civil War began, Battle received a commission as

Maryland Campaign, in September 1862, fighting at the battles of South Mountain and Antietam. He was injured after falling from his horse just before the Chancellorsville Campaign
and was forced to relinquish command. Although he re-assumed command just a day later, his injuries were aggravated when his horse jumped a ditch, forcing him to turn over command again.

Battle returned to the regiment for the

Bristoe Campaign
in the autumn and early winter.

In 1864, Battle led his men in the battles of

District of Columbia. Back in the Shenandoah Valley, Battle fought at the Third Battle of Winchester, the Battle of Fisher's Hill, and was wounded at the Battle of Cedar Creek
. His wound did not permit him to return to duty before the close of hostilities.

Postbellum career

After the war, Battle returned to his legal practice in Tuskegee, Alabama. He received a pardon from President

Congressional Reconstruction on the former Confederate areas until they adopted state Constitutions. In the 1870 census, Battle listed his occupation as "farmer"[8] and in the 1880 federal census, he listed his occupation as "editor."[9] Battle also became active in Confederate veterans' organizations.[10]

In 1888, his son Rev. John W. Battle became pastor of a Baptist church in New Bern, Craven County, North Carolina. In 1890, Battle moved to Craven County, and began editing the New Bern Journal. He was soon elected to the New Bern council, then its mayor.[11] Meanwhile, Battle delivered speeches describing his experiences as a Confederate officer in many places and continued working on an autobiographical manuscript.[12]

Death and legacy

Battle died in

Massive Resistance. During World War II an army camp at Glenburnie Park, two miles up the Neuse River from New Bern, was named "Camp Battle" to honor the Confederate officer by Lieutenant Colonel Wilson H. Stephenson.[15]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ "The Town of Irwinton Marker - Historic Markers Across Alabama". Archived from the original on 2019-02-03. Retrieved 2019-02-02.
  2. ^ "Battle, Cullen Andrews | NCpedia".
  3. ^ In the 1840 U.S. Federal Census, "Andrews Battle" owed 13 slaves in Troup County, Georgia, but this man indexed as "Callin" Battle had no dependents nor slaves and his father "Cullen Battle" with a household of 7 free white people owned 219 slaves in Barbour County, Georgia.
  4. ^ 1850 U.S. Federal Census slave schedules for Division 23, Barbour County, Alabama pp. 59-61 of 131
  5. ^ 1860 U.S. Federal Census slave schedules for Southern division, Macon County, Alabama p. 2 of 82
  6. ^ 1860 U.S. Federal Census slave schedules for Southern division, Russell County, Alabama p. 47-48 of 117
  7. ^ "Battle, Cullen Andrews | NCpedia".
  8. ^ 1870 U.S. Federal Census for Tuskegee, Macon County, Alabama Family No. 620
  9. ^ 1880 U.S. Federal Census for Tuskegee, Macon County, Alabama Family No. 58.
  10. ^ "Battle, Cullen Andrews | NCpedia".
  11. ^ Sifakis, Who Was Who in the Confederacy; no page cite given
  12. ^ "Battle, Cullen Andrews | NCpedia".
  13. ^ "Random Thoughts on History: Gen. Cullen Battle's Grave". 18 August 2015.
  14. ^ Website of the Alabama Department of Archives and History Archived 2008-11-20 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ^ "Battle, Cullen Andrews | NCpedia".

Further reading

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