Robert E. Rodes
Robert Emmet Rodes | |
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| Born | March 29, 1829 Lynchburg, Virginia |
| Died | September 19, 1864 (aged 35) Winchester, Virginia |
| Buried | Presbyterian Cemetery, Lynchburg, Virginia |
| Allegiance |  Confederate States of America |
| Service/ |  Confederate States Army |
| Years of service | 1861–1864 |
| Rank |  Major General (CSA) |
| Campaigns | American Civil War |
| Relations |
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Robert Emmett (or Emmet) Rodes
Education, antebellum career
Rodes was born in Lynchburg, Virginia, and graduated from Virginia Military Institute in 1848.[2] He taught at VMI as an assistant professor until 1851; he left when a promotion he wanted to full professor was given instead to Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, who was years later to become one of his commanders during the Civil War.
Rodes used his
Civil War
Rodes started his Confederate service as a
Rodes's first combat experience happened at the
In the
When Lee reorganized the Army of Northern Virginia to compensate for the loss of Jackson, Rodes joined the Second Corps under Richard Ewell. In the Battle of Gettysburg, on July 1, 1863, Rodes led the assault from Oak Hill against the right flank of the Union I Corps. Although his initial attacks were poorly coordinated and casualties high, he eventually routed the division of Maj. Gen. John C. Robinson and drove it back through the town. His division sat idle for the remaining two days of the battle.
Rodes continued to fight with Ewell's corps through the 1864
On September 19, 1864, Sheridan attacked the Confederates at the
Rodes was mourned by the Confederacy as a promising, brave, and aggressive officer killed before he could achieve greatness. Robert E. Lee and other high-ranking officers wrote sympathetic statements. Rodes is buried beside his brother, Virginius Hudson Rodes, who had been his adjutant throughout the War, in Presbyterian Cemetery, Lynchburg, Virginia.[5][6] He and his wife, Virginia Hortense Woodruff (1833–1907), had two children, Robert Emmet Rodes, Jr. (1863–1925) and Bell Yancey Rodes (1865–1931).
See also
Notes
- ^ Rodes's tombstone spells his middle name as "Emmet", as does the VMI website. The other references to this article spell it "Emmett". Collins, his most recent biographer, p. 5, refers to discrepancies on the tombstone, which was erected years after his death. The name of the general's grandson, Lt. Col. Robert Emmet Rodes, indicates that the family supports that spelling of the name. A similar dispute relates to his date of birth, with the tombstone and VMI reporting March 30, the other references March 29, 1828.
- ^ "Robert E. Rodes, Class of 1848". Virginia Military Institute. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
- ^ "Soldier Details". National Park Service. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
- ^ Joseph B. Kershaw, another non-West Point graduate in Lee's army to achieve division command, did not do so until September 1863; John B. Gordon was promoted in May 1864.
- ^ Shenandoah at War
- ^ Bloody Autumn
References
- Collins, Darrell. Major General Robert E. Rodes of the Army of Northern Virginia. New York: Savas Beatie, 2008. ISBN 978-1-932714-09-8.
- Eicher, John H., and ISBN 978-0-8047-3641-1.
- Krick, Robert K. "Robert Emmett Rodes." In The Confederate General, vol. 5, edited by ISBN 0-918678-67-6.
- Sifakis, Stewart. Who Was Who in the Civil War. New York: Facts On File, 1988. ISBN 978-0-8160-1055-4.
- Tagg, Larry. The Generals of Gettysburg. Campbell, CA: Savas Publishing, 1998. ISBN 1-882810-30-9.
- Virginia Military Institute Archives page for Robert E. Rodes, Class of 1848.
- ISBN 978-0-8071-0823-9.
Further reading
- Smith, Derek. The Gallant Dead: Union & Confederate Generals Killed in the Civil War. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2005. ISBN 0-8117-0132-8.
External links
- Robert E. Rodes at Find a Grave Retrieved on June 9, 2008
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