James J. Archer
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (December 2018) |
James Jay Archer | |
---|---|
Brigadier General (CSA) | |
Unit | Regiment of Voltigeurs 9th U.S. Infantry |
Commands held | 5th Texas Infantry Regiment Archer's Bde, Heth's Div, Hill's Corps |
Battles/wars |
|
Relations | Henry W. Archer (brother) James J. Archer (nephew) |
James Jay Archer (December 19, 1817 – October 26, 1864) was a lawyer and an officer in the United States Army during the Mexican–American War. He later served as a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army (CSA) during the American Civil War.
Taken as a
.Early life and career
Archer was born at Stafford, near Havre de Grace, Maryland, to John and Ann Stump Archer, a wealthy military family. He graduated from Princeton University in 1835 before attending Bacone College in Georgetown, Kentucky.[1] Nicknamed "Sally" at Princeton for his frail and slight physique, he studied law at the University of Maryland and passed the bar exam. He subsequently established a successful law practice. In 1847, during the Mexican–American War, he was commissioned as a captain and served with the Regiment of Voltigeurs in numerous battles, being cited for bravery at Chapultepec and brevetted to the rank of major.[1]
After Mexico, Archer moved to
Civil War service
When the
He was promoted to brigadier general on June 3, 1862, and initially given command of three regiments from
During the
During the 1863
Archer, along with many other officers captured at Gettysburg, was eventually sent to the
After a stay of nearly a year, he was sent, along with 600 officers from various prisons, to Fort Delaware, in accordance with a scheme to reship them to Morris Island in South Carolina, a place under constant fire from Confederate cannon. Archer and the others would be hostages to prevent further shelling. Ultimately, Archer was not one of the Immortal Six Hundred who were the subjects of this event.
Archer was finally exchanged late in the summer of 1864, and rejoined the army. On August 9, he was ordered to report to the Army of Tennessee under Hood in Atlanta, but this order was revoked ten days later, possibly due to his bad health.[5] Instead, he resumed command of his old brigade, and briefly served in the Siege of Petersburg, until his health finally collapsed after the Battle of Peebles' Farm.[6]
Personal and family life
Archer's brother was Henry W. Archer.[7] Archer's nephew was James J. Archer, a Maryland state senator.[8]
Archer died in Richmond, Virginia, on October 24, 1864, and was buried in Hollywood Cemetery.
See also
Notes
- ^ OCLC 657162692
- ^ Eicher, p. 107; Tagg, p. 349.
- ^ "The Battle of Gettysburg - Wednesday, July 1, 1863 CSA General James Archer & The Iron Brigade". Archived from the original on 2 March 2014. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
- ISBN 978-0-307-59408-2.
- ^ Heidler, p. 73.
- ^ Sommers, p. 451.
References
- "Brigadier General James T. Archer." Confederate Veteran. Vol. 8, No. 2, 1900.
- Eicher, John H., and ISBN 0-8047-3641-3.
- Heidler, David S., and Jeanne T. Heidler. "James Jay Archer." In Encyclopedia of the American Civil War: A Political, Social, and Military History, edited by David S. Heidler and Jeanne T. Heidler. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2000. ISBN 0-393-04758-X.
- Silkenat, David. Raising the White Flag: How Surrender Defined the American Civil War. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2019. ISBN 978-1-4696-4972-6.
- Sifakis, Stewart. Who Was Who in the Civil War. New York: Facts On File, 1988. ISBN 978-0-8160-1055-4.
- Sommers, Richard J. Richmond Redeemed: The Siege at Petersburg. California: Savas Beatie, 2014. ISBN 978-1-61121-210-5.
- Tagg, Larry. The Generals of Gettysburg. Campbell, CA: Savas Publishing, 1998. ISBN 1-882810-30-9.
- Warner, Ezra J. Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1959. ISBN 0-8071-0823-5.
External links
- Photo gallery of Archer at the Wayback Machine (archived February 8, 2008)
- James J. Archer at Find a Grave