Everett Peabody
Encyclopedia
Everett Peabody was a Harvard graduate and civil engineer working for various railroads in Massachusetts and Missouri. He is best remembered for his service as a colonel in the Union army during the Civil War
, in particular his role in the battle of Shiloh
.
in 1830. He first attended Burlington College before transferring to and graduating from Harvard University in 1849. He started working in the railroad industry in Massachusetts before taking a position with the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad. This new job brought him to reside in St. Joseph, Missouri.
where he was hit by a spent bullet in the chest. Painful, but not serious, Peabody was being carried off the field on a stretcher when he was hit a second time in the foot. The combination of the two wounds would incapacitate him for several weeks. Peabody and the rest of the garrison were taken prisoner after the Union surrender on September 20, 1861. He was officially exchanged in December 1861. Due to his regiment's capture it was removed from the official roster of Missouri regiments and another "13th Missouri" had meanwhile been created in its place. Peabody went about rebuilding his regiment which was now designated the 25th Missouri.
at Pittsburg Landing as part of the Sixth Division under Brig. Gen. Benjamin Prentiss
. Being the ranking officer Peabody assumed command of the 1st Brigade of almost entirely green recruits (Peabody being an exception as a combat veteran at Lexington).
The camps of Prentiss' and William T. Sherman's divisions were placed in the most forward positions of the Army of the Tennessee. During the night of April 5, Union picketts claimed to have seen Confederate activity in the nearby woods. Both Sherman and Prentiss dismissed these reports, Sherman even claiming there were no Confederates nearer than Corinth. Peabody, however, was convinced there was in fact Confederate activity nearby. In the early morning hours of April 6, on his own authority, he sent out a patrol under Major James Edwin Powell
. He ordered Powell that if he encountered the enemy to “drive in the guard and open up on the reserve, develop the force, hold the ground as long as possible, then fall back.” Peabody hoped that this would temporarily interrupt the Confederates plans and, more importantly, provide a warning to Union units in time to prepare for the coming onslaught. Powell's reconnaissance engaged the Confederates and discovered their ranks already in battle formation. Fighting erupted and Peabody sent reinforcements into the fight. An angry General Prentiss soon rode up and said he would hold Peabody "personally responsible for bringing on this engagement". Peabody replied that he took responsibility for all his actions. By bringing on the engagement early, Peabody had disrupted the Confederate's agenda and gave, albeit short, warning to the rest of Sherman's and Prentiss' camps.
Prior to the engagement, Peabody had written to his parents stating "if I go under, it shal' be in a manner that the old family shall feel proud of". With the battle now fully developing, Peabody led the rest of his brigade against the rebel brigade of General S.A.M. Wood. Despite their poor preparations Prentiss and Sherman made up for it once the fighting started and reinforced Peabody's regiments, many of which had already broken and fled to the rear. Peabody had already sustained 3 wounds when the fourth hit him square in the face, killing him instantly.
On April 9, Peabody was buried near the location of his headquarters. The Peabody Monument at Shiloh National Military Park
marks this spot. After the first burial, his body was exhumed and reinterred in Massachusetts.
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...
, in particular his role in the battle of Shiloh
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. A Union army under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had moved via the Tennessee River deep into Tennessee and...
.
Biography
Peabody was born in Springfield, MassachusettsSpringfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
in 1830. He first attended Burlington College before transferring to and graduating from Harvard University in 1849. He started working in the railroad industry in Massachusetts before taking a position with the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad. This new job brought him to reside in St. Joseph, Missouri.
Civil War
When the Civil War began Peabody, living in the highly divided state of Missouri, made his devotion to the Union known. He was first appointed major in the 13th Missouri Volunteer Regiment and then on September 1, 1861 he was appointed colonel of the regiment. The regiment was posted to garrison duty at Lexington, Missouri. There Colonel Peabody took an active part in the siege of LexingtonBattle of Lexington I
The First Battle of Lexington also known as the Battle of the Hemp Bales, was an engagement of the American Civil War, occurring from September 13 to September 20, 1861, between the Union Army and the pro-Confederate Missouri State Guard, in Lexington, the county seat of Lafayette County, Missouri...
where he was hit by a spent bullet in the chest. Painful, but not serious, Peabody was being carried off the field on a stretcher when he was hit a second time in the foot. The combination of the two wounds would incapacitate him for several weeks. Peabody and the rest of the garrison were taken prisoner after the Union surrender on September 20, 1861. He was officially exchanged in December 1861. Due to his regiment's capture it was removed from the official roster of Missouri regiments and another "13th Missouri" had meanwhile been created in its place. Peabody went about rebuilding his regiment which was now designated the 25th Missouri.
Shiloh
In March, 1862, Peabody and the 25th Missouri were ordered to join the Army of the TennesseeArmy of the Tennessee
The Army of the Tennessee was a Union army in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, named for the Tennessee River. It should not be confused with the similarly named Army of Tennessee, a Confederate army named after the State of Tennessee....
at Pittsburg Landing as part of the Sixth Division under Brig. Gen. Benjamin Prentiss
Benjamin Prentiss
Benjamin Mayberry Prentiss was an American soldier and politician. He fought in the Mexican-American War and on the Union side of the American Civil War, rising to the rank of major general....
. Being the ranking officer Peabody assumed command of the 1st Brigade of almost entirely green recruits (Peabody being an exception as a combat veteran at Lexington).
The camps of Prentiss' and William T. Sherman's divisions were placed in the most forward positions of the Army of the Tennessee. During the night of April 5, Union picketts claimed to have seen Confederate activity in the nearby woods. Both Sherman and Prentiss dismissed these reports, Sherman even claiming there were no Confederates nearer than Corinth. Peabody, however, was convinced there was in fact Confederate activity nearby. In the early morning hours of April 6, on his own authority, he sent out a patrol under Major James Edwin Powell
James Edwin Powell
Major James Edwin Powell was an American army officer during the 19th century. He served as an officer in the 1st Infantry, Regular Army of the United States, detached to the 25th Missouri on March 24, 1862, and is depicted on a marker at stop #8 along the Shiloh Battlefield tour route as head of...
. He ordered Powell that if he encountered the enemy to “drive in the guard and open up on the reserve, develop the force, hold the ground as long as possible, then fall back.” Peabody hoped that this would temporarily interrupt the Confederates plans and, more importantly, provide a warning to Union units in time to prepare for the coming onslaught. Powell's reconnaissance engaged the Confederates and discovered their ranks already in battle formation. Fighting erupted and Peabody sent reinforcements into the fight. An angry General Prentiss soon rode up and said he would hold Peabody "personally responsible for bringing on this engagement". Peabody replied that he took responsibility for all his actions. By bringing on the engagement early, Peabody had disrupted the Confederate's agenda and gave, albeit short, warning to the rest of Sherman's and Prentiss' camps.
Prior to the engagement, Peabody had written to his parents stating "if I go under, it shal' be in a manner that the old family shall feel proud of". With the battle now fully developing, Peabody led the rest of his brigade against the rebel brigade of General S.A.M. Wood. Despite their poor preparations Prentiss and Sherman made up for it once the fighting started and reinforced Peabody's regiments, many of which had already broken and fled to the rear. Peabody had already sustained 3 wounds when the fourth hit him square in the face, killing him instantly.
On April 9, Peabody was buried near the location of his headquarters. The Peabody Monument at Shiloh National Military Park
Shiloh National Military Park
Shiloh National Military Park preserves the American Civil War Shiloh and Corinth battlefields. The main section of the park is in the unincorporated town of Shiloh, about nine miles south of Savannah, Tennessee, with an additional area located in the city of Corinth, Mississippi, 23 miles ...
marks this spot. After the first burial, his body was exhumed and reinterred in Massachusetts.