Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 07.djvu/222

 Mcpherson

Mcpherson

engineer corps, Aug. 6, 1861. He waa appointed lieutenant-colonel of staff and additional aide-de- camp to General Halleck, Nov. 12, 1861, and served as assistant engineer of the department of the Missouri, November, 1861, to February, 1862. He was chief engineer on the staff of General Grant during the Tennessee campaign of 1862, being engaged in the operations against Fort Henry, Feb. 2-Q, 1862 ; the battle and capture of Fort Donelson, Feb. 14-16, 1862 ; the battle of Shiloh, April 6-7, 1862, and as assistant engineer in the siege of Corinth, April 15 to May 29, 1862. He was promoted colonel of staff and additional aide-de-camp. May 1, 1862, and brigadier-general of volunteers, May 15, 1862, and was military superintendent of the railroads in the district of West Tennessee, June to October, 1862. He was on the staff of General Grant during the battle of luka. Miss., Sept. 19, 1862. He commanded a brigade in October, 1862, and moved from Jackson, Tenn., to CJorinth, where he joined General Rosecrans on Oct. 4, 1862. just at the close of the battle. He joined in the pursuit of the enemy, leading the advance to Ripley, Miss. He was promoted major-general of the U.S. volunteers, Oct. 8,

1862, and was in command of the second division, department of the Tennessee, at Bolivar, Tenn., Oct. 16-24, 1862, and of the 2d division, 13th army corps, Oct. 24-Nov. 2, 1862. He commanded the right wing of Grant's array in the Vicksburg campaign until Jan. 18, 1863, when the army was reorganized and' he was given command of the 17th army corps. He participated in the march to and the occupation of Lagrange, Miss., Nov. 4, 1862 ; was in command during the action at Lamar, Miss., Nov. 12, 1862, and led the advance to and the retreat from Oxford, Miss., Novem- ber-December. 1862. He was engaged in organiz- ing and massing his corps at Memphis, Tenn., January-February, 1863, and at Lake Provi- dence, February and April, 1863. He endeavored to open a passage to the Mississippi river, via Lake Providence, in order to get in the rear of Vicksburg by the Yazoo pass, in April,

1863, but was unsuccessful. He participated in the battle of Port Gibson, April 30-May 1, 1863 ; was in command at the action of Raymond, Miss., May 12, 186:3 ; attacked Johnston's army at Jackson and captured the fortifications on May 14, 1863. He commanded his corps at the battle of Champion Hills, May 16, 1863, where it bore the brunt of the fighting. General Pem- berton's army retiring in confusion to Vicksburg. His corps formed the centre of Grant's army dur- ing the assaults on Vicksburg, May 19 and 22, 1863, and attacked the Confederate works at the salient, on the Jackson road, but without suc- cess. McPherson displayed conspicuous gallantry

throughout this campaign ; was one of the com- missioners to fix the terms of capitulation, and General Grant in a letter to the war department recommended him for promotion to the rank of brigadier- general in the regular army, which wasawarded him, Aug. 1, 1863. In October, 1863, a medal of honor was presented to him by the oflfi- cers of his corps for the gallant manner in which he had led them during the campaign and siege of Vicksburg. He was in command of the 17th army corps and district of Vicksburg, 1863-64, and sent out several important expeditions into Mississippi and Louisiana ; was engaged in the surprise of the enemy's camp at Canton, Oct. 15,

1863, and participated in General Shertnan's raid on Meridian in February, 1863, which resulted in great destruction of the enemy's resources. When Sherman succeeded Grant in command of the western armies in March, 1864, McPherson succeeded Sherman as commander of the depart- ment and army of the Tennessee, and served as such, March 26 to July 22, 1864. He reorganized and massed his army at Huntsville, Ala., in April, 1864, and led them in the Georgia cam- paign, May 4 to July 22, 1864. He commanded the Army of the Tennessee in the movement by Snake Creek Gap, with orders to turn the enemy's left and to destroy the railroad, while a dem- onstration was being made by the armies of Thomas and Schofield in Johnston's front. When McPherson approached Resaca he found it too strongly fortified to warrant an attack, so he retired to Snake Creek Gap and threatened the railroad. He was criticised for this act by Gen- eral Sherman who said that although he acted strictly within his instructions, yet by not attack- ing Resaca he lost the opportunity of a lifetime. As a result of his action Sherman marched his entire army to Snake Creek Gap, thus compelling Johnston to abandon his stronghold at Dalton and to retreat to Resaca, where he was attacked by Slierman's entire army and was defeated. May 15, 1864. McPherson was engaged in the occupation of Kingston, May 18, 1864 ; the battle of Dallas, May 28, 1864 ; the battle of Kenesaw Mountain, June 20-July 2, 1864, where he made a gallant assault in connection with Thomas's army, but was driven back ; and in the pursuit of the enemy with severe skirmishing, July 13-17,

1864. On July 17 Johnston was superseded in command of the Confederate army, then at Atlanta, by Gen. John B. Hood, and on July 22, Hood, massing his entire army, made a furious assault on Sherman's left flank, which was com- manded by McPherson. Wliile forming his com- mand into line, McPherson rode into the enemy's line, and upon perceiving his mistake he reined up his horse, and raising his cap with a graceful salutation, turned to the right and dashed into