Ivan Turchaninov
Encyclopedia
Ivan Vasilyevich Turchaninov (December 24, 1821 – June 18, 1901; ), better known by his Anglicised name of John Basil Turchin, was a Union army
brigadier general
in the American Civil War
. He led two critical charges that saved the day at Chickamauga and was among the first to lead soldiers up Missionary Ridge.
and attended the Imperial Military School
in St. Petersburg
in 1851. He later served as a Colonel of Staff in the Russian Guards
and fought in Hungary
and in the Crimean War
.
In May 1856, he married Nadezhda Lovov
, the daughter of his commanding officer. Later that year, he and his wife immigrated to the United States
, where he eventually settled in Chicago and worked for the Illinois Central Railroad
.
of the 19th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment
. Having led his regiment
in Missouri
and Kentucky
, he soon found his unit under command of the newly organized Army of the Ohio
under major general
Don Carlos Buell
. General Buell was impressed by Turchin and promoted him to command a brigade
in the Army of the Ohio's Third Division, commanded by Brigadier General Ormsby M. Mitchel
. Buell advanced southward into Kentucky and Tennessee in early 1862.
When Buell headed west to support Grant
at Shiloh
, he left Mitchel to hold Nashville. Turchin convinced Mitchel to move southward. Mitchel did so, and his bold advance led to the taking of Huntsville, Alabama
, and cutting the strategic railroad line that connected the Confederacy from east to west.
The occupation of northern Alabama by this overextended arm of the Union Army led to attack by combined partisan
and Confederate cavalry
units. One such attack overran one of Turchin's regiments at Athens, Alabama. Frustration had been building among these Union soldiers for weeks over repeated attacks and Buell's clearly stated conciliatory policy of protecting the rights and property of Southerners. The involvement of local citizens in the rout at Athens and the humiliation suffered by the Union soldiers led to the sacking of the town when Turchin brought up reinforcements.
After occupying the town on May 2, 1862 Turchin assembled his men and told them: "I shut my eyes for two hours. I see nothing." The incident remains controversial to this day. Lost Cause supporters vilify Turchin.
When word reached General Buell, a man much detested by the soldiers, he insisted on court-martialing Turchin. Turchin's court proceedings received national attention and became a focal point for the debate on the conduct of the war, related to the conciliatory policy as Union casualties in the war mounted. However, President
Abraham Lincoln
promoted Turchin to brigadier general
before the court-martial was finished.
Turchin received a hero's welcome upon his return to Chicago. Prominent figures called for the removal of Buell and a more aggressive conduct of the war such that it be brought to a swift end. Turchin was given command of a new brigade. He distinguished himself during the battles of Chickamauga
and Chattanooga, and in the Atlanta Campaign
.
Turchin's wife, known in the army as Madame Turchin
, always stood by him and followed her husband on the field during his campaigns, witnessing the battles (as at Chickamauga
and at the battle of Missionary Ridge
), and writing the only woman's war diary of the A.C.W.
The song Turchin's got your mule (stemming from Here's your mule
) was popular during the war, and its chorus is said to have been used by disheartened troopers as a derisive answer to General Braxton Bragg
's endearments at Missionary Ridge.
Turchin resigned from service in October 1864 after suffering heatstroke on the campaign.
. He later was involved in real estate and the settlement of immigrants in southern Illinois. He suffered dementia, attributed to his heatstroke, and died penniless in an institution in Anna, Illinois
, at the age of 79.
Turchin has been portrayed by many in the South as a villainous figure for the so called "Rape of Athens," however his actions presaged those that other Union commanders, in particular William Tecumseh Sherman
, would adopt in prosecuting total war
against the Confederacy
.
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...
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...
in 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 led two critical charges that saved the day at Chickamauga and was among the first to lead soldiers up Missionary Ridge.
Early life and career
Ivan Turchaninov was born into a Don Cossack family in RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and attended the Imperial Military School
General Staff Academy (Imperial Russia)
The General Staff Academy was a Russian military academy, established in 1832 in St.Petersburg. It was first known as the Imperial Military Academy , then in 1855 it was renamed Nicholas General Staff Academy and in 1909 - Imperial Nicholas Military Academy The General Staff Academy was a...
in St. Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
in 1851. He later served as a Colonel of Staff in the Russian Guards
Russian Guards
Guards or Guards units were and are elite military units in Imperial Russia, Soviet Union and the Russian Federation. The tradition goes back to the retinue of a knyaz of medieval Kievan Rus' and the streltsy, the Muscovite harquebusiers formed by Ivan the Terrible by 1550...
and fought in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
and in the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
.
In May 1856, he married Nadezhda Lovov
Madame Turchin
Nadine Lvova Turchin was the wife of Union Brig. Gen. John Basil Turchin. During the American Civil War, she traveled with her husband on his military campaigns and at times acted as his surrogate in command of his troops. She kept a detailed diary that remains a leading eyewitness account of her...
, the daughter of his commanding officer. Later that year, he and his wife immigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where he eventually settled in Chicago and worked for the Illinois Central Railroad
Illinois Central Railroad
The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, is a railroad in the central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois with New Orleans, Louisiana and Birmingham, Alabama. A line also connected Chicago with Sioux City, Iowa...
.
Civil War
Turchin joined the Union army at the outbreak of the war in 1861 and became the colonelColonel (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 19th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment
19th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment
The 19th Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 19th Illinois Infantry was organized at Chicago, Illinois and mustered into Federal service on June 17, 1861 for a three year enlistment.The regiment was...
. Having led his regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
in Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
and Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, he soon found his unit under command of the newly organized Army of the Ohio
Army of the Ohio
The Army of the Ohio was the name of two Union armies in the American Civil War. The first army became the Army of the Cumberland and the second army was created in 1863.-History:...
under 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...
Don Carlos Buell
Don Carlos Buell
Don Carlos Buell was a career United States Army officer who fought in the Seminole War, the Mexican-American War, and the American Civil War. Buell led Union armies in two great Civil War battles—Shiloh and Perryville. The nation was angry at his failure to defeat the outnumbered...
. General Buell was impressed by Turchin and promoted him to command a 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...
in the Army of the Ohio's Third Division, commanded by Brigadier General Ormsby M. Mitchel
Ormsby M. Mitchel
Ormsby MacKnight Mitchel was an American astronomer and major general in the American Civil War....
. Buell advanced southward into Kentucky and Tennessee in early 1862.
When Buell headed west to support Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
at 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...
, he left Mitchel to hold Nashville. Turchin convinced Mitchel to move southward. Mitchel did so, and his bold advance led to the taking of Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
, and cutting the strategic railroad line that connected the Confederacy from east to west.
The occupation of northern Alabama by this overextended arm of the Union Army led to attack by combined partisan
Partisan (military)
A partisan is a member of an irregular military force formed to oppose control of an area by a foreign power or by an army of occupation by some kind of insurgent activity...
and Confederate 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...
units. One such attack overran one of Turchin's regiments at Athens, Alabama. Frustration had been building among these Union soldiers for weeks over repeated attacks and Buell's clearly stated conciliatory policy of protecting the rights and property of Southerners. The involvement of local citizens in the rout at Athens and the humiliation suffered by the Union soldiers led to the sacking of the town when Turchin brought up reinforcements.
After occupying the town on May 2, 1862 Turchin assembled his men and told them: "I shut my eyes for two hours. I see nothing." The incident remains controversial to this day. Lost Cause supporters vilify Turchin.
When word reached General Buell, a man much detested by the soldiers, he insisted on court-martialing Turchin. Turchin's court proceedings received national attention and became a focal point for the debate on the conduct of the war, related to the conciliatory policy as Union casualties in the war mounted. However, President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
promoted Turchin to 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...
before the court-martial was finished.
Turchin received a hero's welcome upon his return to Chicago. Prominent figures called for the removal of Buell and a more aggressive conduct of the war such that it be brought to a swift end. Turchin was given command of a new brigade. He distinguished himself during the battles of Chickamauga
Battle of Chickamauga
The Battle of Chickamauga, fought September 19–20, 1863, marked the end of a Union offensive in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia called the Chickamauga Campaign...
and Chattanooga, and in the Atlanta Campaign
Atlanta Campaign
The Atlanta Campaign was a series of battles fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta during the summer of 1864. Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman invaded Georgia from the vicinity of Chattanooga, Tennessee, beginning in May...
.
Turchin's wife, known in the army as Madame Turchin
Madame Turchin
Nadine Lvova Turchin was the wife of Union Brig. Gen. John Basil Turchin. During the American Civil War, she traveled with her husband on his military campaigns and at times acted as his surrogate in command of his troops. She kept a detailed diary that remains a leading eyewitness account of her...
, always stood by him and followed her husband on the field during his campaigns, witnessing the battles (as at Chickamauga
Chickamauga
Chickamauga may refer to:* Chickamauga Indian* Chickamauga Wars , battles between Cherokee and Anglo-American pioneer settlers; also related to the American Revolutionary War* Chickamauga, Georgia...
and at the battle of Missionary Ridge
Battle of Missionary Ridge
The Battle of Missionary Ridge was fought November 25, 1863, as part of the Chattanooga Campaign of the American Civil War. Following the Union victory in the Battle of Lookout Mountain on November 24, Union forces under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant assaulted Missionary Ridge and defeated the...
), and writing the only woman's war diary of the A.C.W.
The song Turchin's got your mule (stemming from Here's your mule
Here's Your Mule
Here's your mule or Where's my mule? was a Confederate catch phrase during the Civil War, often noted in Civil War histories. It resulted in several Civil War songs, including "Here's Your Mule", "How Are You? John Morgan", and "Turchin's Got Your Mule"...
) was popular during the war, and its chorus is said to have been used by disheartened troopers as a derisive answer to General Braxton Bragg
Braxton Bragg
Braxton Bragg was a career United States Army officer, and then a general in the Confederate States Army—a principal commander in the Western Theater of the American Civil War and later the military adviser to Confederate President Jefferson Davis.Bragg, a native of North Carolina, was...
's endearments at Missionary Ridge.
Turchin resigned from service in October 1864 after suffering heatstroke on the campaign.
Postbellum career and legacy
Turchin returned to Chicago and worked for a time as a patent solicitor and civil engineerCivil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
. He later was involved in real estate and the settlement of immigrants in southern Illinois. He suffered dementia, attributed to his heatstroke, and died penniless in an institution in Anna, Illinois
Anna, Illinois
Anna is a city in Union County, Illinois, United States. Located in Southern Illinois, the population was 5,136 at the 2000 census. The city is known for being tied to its close neighbor Jonesboro, together known as Anna-Jonesboro. Anna is well renowned for the Anna State Mental Hospital or the...
, at the age of 79.
Turchin has been portrayed by many in the South as a villainous figure for the so called "Rape of Athens," however his actions presaged those that other Union commanders, in particular William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman was an American soldier, businessman, educator and author. He served as a General in the Union Army during the American Civil War , for which he received recognition for his outstanding command of military strategy as well as criticism for the harshness of the "scorched...
, would adopt in prosecuting total war
Total war
Total war is a war in which a belligerent engages in the complete mobilization of fully available resources and population.In the mid-19th century, "total war" was identified by scholars as a separate class of warfare...
against the Confederacy
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...
.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals