Arnold Elzey
Encyclopedia
Arnold Elzey Jr. (December 18, 1816 – February 21, 1871) was a soldier in both the United States Army
and the Confederate Army
, serving as a major general
during the American Civil War
. He was one of the few officers to receive an on-the-field promotion to general by President
Jefferson Davis
.
along the Manokin River in Somerset County, Maryland
. His parents were Colonel
Arnold Elzey Jones and Anne Wilson (Jackson) Jones. He graduated from the United States Military Academy
33rd in the Class of 1837. Soon afterward, he dropped Jones from his name, going for the rest of his life simply as Arnold Elzey. He was assigned to the 2nd U.S. Artillery and sent to Florida
to fight in the Second Seminole War
before being assigned to duty at Detroit, Michigan
, during a series of territorial disputes between the U.S and Canada
. Promoted to first lieutenant in November 1839, he spent the next few years on recruiting duty.
During the Mexican-American War, he was cited for bravery during the battles of Contreras
and Churubusco
. He was granted a brevet promotion
to captain. He also participated in engagements at Fort Brown
, Vera Cruz, Cerro Gordo
, Molino del Rey
, Chapultepec
, and the capture of the City of Mexico
.
Following the war, Elzey was formally promoted to the full rank of captain on February 14, 1849. He served in Florida a second time during the Third Seminole War in 1849-50 and again in 1856. He also commanded Augusta Arsenal
.
of several Southern states and the formation of the Confederate States of America
, Elzey surrendered Augusta Arsenal
to the Confederates in January 1861 and took his men to Washington, D.C.
in early April 1861. He resigned his commission on 25 April 1861, and traveled to Richmond, Virginia
, where he joined the Confederate army with the initial rank of colonel
of the newly formed 1st Maryland Infantry, CSA
. He was assigned to the brigade
of Brigadier General
Edmund Kirby Smith
and fought in the First Battle of Manassas. When Smith was wounded during the afternoon, Elzey, as the senior colonel, assumed command and led a successful charge, for which he received the thanks of commanding general P.G.T. Beauregard. He was promoted on the field to brigadier general by Jefferson Davis.
The following year, Elzey commanded a brigade under Richard S. Ewell
during Stonewall Jackson
's Valley Campaign
. He was wounded in the leg and had his horse shot under him at the Battle of Cross Keys
.
Elzey was shot through the head at the Battle of Gaines Mill, a serious wound that kept him from active field command for the rest of the war. After he had recovered sufficiently to perform administrative and desk duty, he was promoted to major general dating from December 4, 1862. He was assigned command of the Department of Richmond and charged with the defense of the Confederacy's capital city. He dealt with a raid by George Stoneman
's Union
cavalry
during the Chancellorsville Campaign
, as well as Union gunboat
s that summer that threatened Richmond from the James River
. Later relieved of command, he raised the Local Defense Brigade, a militia
group consisting primarily of government clerks. He also helped organize the Virginia state reserves.
Elzey was assigned as the Chief of Artillery for the Army of Tennessee
and traveled to Georgia
to serve under John Bell Hood
. However, he missed Hood's disastrous Franklin-Nashville Campaign
. With Hood's army essentially wrecked, Elzey was relieved of duty on February 17, 1865, and then assumed command of militia at Augusta, Georgia. Following the collapse of the Confederacy, he was paroled in Washington, Georgia
, in May 1865.
in rural Anne Arundel County, Maryland
. He died in Baltimore and was buried there in Green Mount Cemetery.
The Maj. Gen. Arnold Elzey Camp #1940 of the Sons of Confederate Veterans
was named in his honor.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and the Confederate Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
, serving as a major general
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. He was one of the few officers to receive an on-the-field promotion to general by President
President of the Confederate States of America
The President of the Confederate States of America was the Head of State and Head of Government of the Confederate States of America, which was formed from the states which declared their secession from the United States, thus precipitating the American Civil War. The only person to hold the...
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Finis Davis , also known as Jeff Davis, was an American statesman and leader of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, serving as President for its entire history. He was born in Kentucky to Samuel and Jane Davis...
.
Early life and career
Jones was born on the "Elmwood" plantationPlantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
along the Manokin River in Somerset County, Maryland
Somerset County, Maryland
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*53.5% White*42.3% Black*0.3% Native American*0.7% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.7% Two or more races*1.5% Other races*3.3% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
. His parents were Colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
Arnold Elzey Jones and Anne Wilson (Jackson) Jones. He graduated from the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
33rd in the Class of 1837. Soon afterward, he dropped Jones from his name, going for the rest of his life simply as Arnold Elzey. He was assigned to the 2nd U.S. Artillery and sent to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
to fight in the Second Seminole War
Second Seminole War
The Second Seminole War, also known as the Florida War, was a conflict from 1835 to 1842 in Florida between various groups of Native Americans collectively known as Seminoles and the United States, part of a series of conflicts called the Seminole Wars...
before being assigned to duty at Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, during a series of territorial disputes between the U.S and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Promoted to first lieutenant in November 1839, he spent the next few years on recruiting duty.
During the Mexican-American War, he was cited for bravery during the battles of Contreras
Battle of Contreras
The Battle of Contreras, also known as the Battle of Padierna, took place during August 19–20, 1847, in the final encounters of the Mexican-American War. In the Battle of Churubusco, fighting continued the following day.-Background:...
and Churubusco
Battle of Churubusco
The Battle of Churubusco took place on August 20, 1847, in the immediate aftermath of the Battle of Contreras during the Mexican-American War. After defeating the Mexican army at Churubusco, the U.S. Army was only 5 miles away from Mexico City, the capital of the nation...
. He was granted a brevet promotion
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
to captain. He also participated in engagements at Fort Brown
Fort Brown
Fort Brown was a military post of the United States Army in Texas during the later half of 19th century and the early part of the 20th century.-Early years:...
, Vera Cruz, Cerro Gordo
Battle of Cerro Gordo
The Battle of Cerro Gordo, or Battle of Sierra Gordo, in the Mexican-American War saw Winfield Scott's United States troops flank and drive Santa Anna's larger Mexican army from a strong defensive position.-Battle:...
, Molino del Rey
Battle of Molino del Rey
The Battle of Molino del Rey was one of the bloodiest engagements of the Mexican-American War. It was fought in September 1847 between Mexican forces under General Antonio Léon against an American force under General Winfield Scott at a hill called El Molino del Rey near Mexico City.-Background:On...
, Chapultepec
Battle of Chapultepec
The Battle of Chapultepec, in September 1847, was a United States victory over Mexican forces holding Chapultepec Castle west of Mexico City during the Mexican-American War.-Background:On September 13, 1847, in the costly Battle of Molino del Rey, U.S...
, and the capture of the City of Mexico
Battle for Mexico City
The Battle for Mexico City refers to the series of engagements from September 8 to September 15, 1847, in the general vicinity of Mexico City during the Mexican-American War...
.
Following the war, Elzey was formally promoted to the full rank of captain on February 14, 1849. He served in Florida a second time during the Third Seminole War in 1849-50 and again in 1856. He also commanded Augusta Arsenal
Augusta Arsenal
Augusta Arsenal was a 19th century fortification in Augusta, Georgia. It was initially built on the Georgia bank of Savannah River in 1819 but moved for health concerns to Summerville, Georgia in 1828. It remained in operation until 1955, at which point it was converted to house the junior college...
.
Civil War
Following the secessionSecession
Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. Threats of secession also can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.-Secession theory:...
of several Southern states and the formation of the Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
, Elzey surrendered Augusta Arsenal
Augusta Arsenal
Augusta Arsenal was a 19th century fortification in Augusta, Georgia. It was initially built on the Georgia bank of Savannah River in 1819 but moved for health concerns to Summerville, Georgia in 1828. It remained in operation until 1955, at which point it was converted to house the junior college...
to the Confederates in January 1861 and took his men to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in early April 1861. He resigned his commission on 25 April 1861, and traveled to Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, where he joined the Confederate army with the initial rank of colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
of the newly formed 1st Maryland Infantry, CSA
1st Maryland Infantry, CSA
The 1st Maryland Infantry, CSA was a regiment of the Confederate army, formed shortly after the commencement of the American Civil War in April 1861. The unit was made up of volunteers from Maryland who, despite their home state remaining in the Union during the war, chose instead to fight for the...
. He was assigned to the brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
of Brigadier General
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
Edmund Kirby Smith
Edmund Kirby Smith
Edmund Kirby Smith was a career United States Army officer and educator. He served as a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, notable for his command of the Trans-Mississippi Department of the Confederacy after the fall of Vicksburg.After the conflict ended Smith...
and fought in the First Battle of Manassas. When Smith was wounded during the afternoon, Elzey, as the senior colonel, assumed command and led a successful charge, for which he received the thanks of commanding general P.G.T. Beauregard. He was promoted on the field to brigadier general by Jefferson Davis.
The following year, Elzey commanded a brigade under Richard S. Ewell
Richard S. Ewell
Richard Stoddert Ewell was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate general during the American Civil War. He achieved fame as a senior commander under Stonewall Jackson and Robert E...
during Stonewall Jackson
Stonewall Jackson
ຄຽשת״ׇׂׂׂׂ֣|birth_place= Clarksburg, Virginia |death_place=Guinea Station, Virginia|placeofburial=Stonewall Jackson Memorial CemeteryLexington, Virginia|placeofburial_label= Place of burial|image=...
's Valley Campaign
Valley Campaign
Jackson's Valley Campaign was Confederate Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's famous spring 1862 campaign through the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia during the American Civil War...
. He was wounded in the leg and had his horse shot under him at the Battle of Cross Keys
Battle of Cross Keys
The Battle of Cross Keys was fought on June 8, 1862, in Rockingham County, Virginia, as part of Confederate Army Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's campaign through the Shenandoah Valley during the American Civil War...
.
Elzey was shot through the head at the Battle of Gaines Mill, a serious wound that kept him from active field command for the rest of the war. After he had recovered sufficiently to perform administrative and desk duty, he was promoted to major general dating from December 4, 1862. He was assigned command of the Department of Richmond and charged with the defense of the Confederacy's capital city. He dealt with a raid by George Stoneman
George Stoneman
George Stoneman, Jr. was a career United States Army officer, a Union cavalry general in the American Civil War, and the 15th Governor of California between 1883 and 1887.-Early life:...
's Union
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
during the Chancellorsville Campaign
Battle of Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville Campaign. It was fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near the village of Chancellorsville. Two related battles were fought nearby on...
, as well as Union gunboat
Gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...
s that summer that threatened Richmond from the James River
James River (Virginia)
The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is long, extending to if one includes the Jackson River, the longer of its two source tributaries. The James River drains a catchment comprising . The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million...
. Later relieved of command, he raised the Local Defense Brigade, a militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
group consisting primarily of government clerks. He also helped organize the Virginia state reserves.
Elzey was assigned as the Chief of Artillery for the Army of Tennessee
Army of Tennessee
The Army of Tennessee was the principal Confederate army operating between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River during the American Civil War. It was formed in late 1862 and fought until the end of the war in 1865, participating in most of the significant battles in the Western Theater...
and traveled to Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
to serve under John Bell Hood
John Bell Hood
John Bell Hood was a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Hood had a reputation for bravery and aggressiveness that sometimes bordered on recklessness...
. However, he missed Hood's disastrous Franklin-Nashville Campaign
Franklin-Nashville Campaign
The Franklin-Nashville Campaign, also known as Hood's Tennessee Campaign, was a series of battles in the Western Theater, conducted from September 18 to December 27, 1864, in Alabama, Tennessee, and northwestern Georgia during the American Civil War. The Confederate Army of Tennessee under Lt....
. With Hood's army essentially wrecked, Elzey was relieved of duty on February 17, 1865, and then assumed command of militia at Augusta, Georgia. Following the collapse of the Confederacy, he was paroled in Washington, Georgia
Washington, Georgia
Washington is a city in Wilkes County, Georgia, United States. The population was 4,295 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Wilkes County...
, in May 1865.
Postbellum activities
After the war, Elzey returned to his native Maryland and retired with his wife and son to a small farm near Jessup's CutJessup, Maryland
Jessup is an unincorporated town and census-designated place in Howard County, Maryland and Anne Arundel County, Maryland. The population was 7,865 at the 2000 census. The center of population of Maryland is located in Jessup. It was the location of Maryland House of Correction, which was one of...
in rural Anne Arundel County, Maryland
Anne Arundel County, Maryland
Anne Arundel County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is named for Anne Arundell , a member of the ancient family of Arundells in Cornwall, England and the wife of Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore. Its county seat is Annapolis, which is also the capital of the state...
. He died in Baltimore and was buried there in Green Mount Cemetery.
The Maj. Gen. Arnold Elzey Camp #1940 of the Sons of Confederate Veterans
Sons of Confederate Veterans
Sons of Confederate Veterans is an American national heritage organization with members in all fifty states and in almost a dozen countries in Europe, Australia and South America...
was named in his honor.
See also
- Maryland in the American Civil War
- List of American Civil War generals