John W. Frazer
Encyclopedia
John Wesley Frazer was an American
soldier, planter, and businessman. He was a career officer in the United States Army
, and then served as a Confederate
general during the American Civil War
.
Frazer's most notable action during the Civil War was when he surrendered the Cumberland Gap
and was captured in the autumn of 1863. He was held as a prisoner of war
until after hostilities ended in the spring of 1865, and then took up work in farming and business.
. He was a brother of Charles W. Frazer, who also would serve as a Confederate general. In 1845 Frazer entered the United States Military Academy
at West Point
, and graduated four years later standing 34th out of 43 cadets. He was appointed a brevet
second lieutenant in the 2nd U.S. Infantry
Regiment
on July 1, 1849. Frazer was promoted to second lieutenant on June 30 the following year, and to first lieutenant in the 9th U.S. Infantry on March 3, 1855. Two years later he was promoted to the rank of captain on May 1.
Frazer had spent his U.S. Army career on "routine garrison duty at various points" across the United States, until resigning his commission, which was accepted on on March 15, 1861.
When the American Civil War began, Frazer chose to follow the Confederate cause
. At the time he was likely living in Mississippi
, the state that had appointed Frazer to West Point and to the Confederate Army in 1861. On March 16 Frazer was commissioned a captain in the Confederacy's regular army
infantry. On April 5 was ordered to Louisiana
to supervise the regular army recruiting for Baton Rouge and for New Orleans, Frazer's headquarters. On May 11 he was ordered to end his recruiting duties and proceed to Baton Rouge and directly command the city's barracks. On June 17 he was appointed to the provisional army in the 8th Alabama Infantry with the rank of lieutenant colonel
. Frazer chose to resign from the Confederate Army in March 1862, but re-entered the service as colonel
and commander of the 28th Alabama Infantry on November 2.
, Frazer again resigned from the Confederate Army in late 1862. His most notable military service occurred after he was appointed a brigadier general on May 19, 1863, and given command of the 5th Brigade
of the Army of Tennessee
that July. His force consisted of about 2,300 men in three regiments and a battery
of artillery
, and was ordered to defend the Cumberland Gap "at all hazards" by area commander Maj. Gen. Simon B. Buckner, who was himself ordered to rejoin the Army of Tennessee just prior to the Battle of Chickamauga
. Frazer began strengthening the fortifications already there to try and block any Federal advance into East Tennessee.
That fall forces under Union
Maj. Gen.
Ambrose Burnside
moved toward the Cumberland Gap. Burnside sent a brigade under Col. John F. DeCourcy to deal with Frazer's men, while the rest of the Union soldiers quickly marched on and captured Knoxville, Tennessee
, on September 2. DeCourcy threatened the Gap from the north, but Frazer did not think this force sufficient to remove him and held his position. On September 7 Burnside sent another brigade led by Brig. Gen. James M. Shackelford
, who approached Frazer's men from the south and demanded surrender of the Confederates, which Frazer again rejected. On September 8 both DeCourcy and Shackelford sent messages requesting Frazer's surrender, and these too were rejected. The next day Burnside himself along with yet another brigade (under Col. Samuel A. Gilbert) closed on Frazer's position. At about 10:00 a.m. Burnside demanded a surrender, saying he now had enough soldiers to assault and take the Confederate garrison. This was finally enough to convince Frazer to give up the Gap, which he did at about 3 p.m. on September 9. No blood was shed in the three-day Battle of the Cumberland Gap
.
Burnside had succeeded in deceiving Frazer, leading him to believe that the opposing Federals were much stronger than they appeared. Frazer thought his Confederates to be surrounded, outnumbered, and lacking enough provisions needed for a prolonged siege, and he unconditionally surrendered
his garrison. The Confederate defeats at Vicksburg and Gettysburg
earlier in July may also have affected Frazer's decision.
As they lined up the Confederates were shocked to see the size of the force to which they had surrendered. Although around 100-300 men did escape through DeCourcy's lines just after the surrender, Frazer, his men and their weapons, and 14 guns were turned over to Burnside. This also gave the Union control of the Cumberland Gap, which it retained until the war's end.
in Boston Harbor
, where he spent the rest of the war. During this time the Confederate Congress
took up Frazer's nomination to brigadier general. Due to public and political criticism of his actions at the Cumberland Gap, Frazer's appointment was promptly rejected on February 16, 1864.
After the conflict ended he was finally released and paroled from Fort Warren on July 24, 1865.
, where he began operating a plantation. Several years later he moved to New York City
, where he engaged successfully in business. Frazer died there from an accident in the spring of 1906, and was buried in Clifton Springs
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soldier, planter, and businessman. He was a career officer in the United States Army
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 then served as a Confederate
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...
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...
.
Frazer's most notable action during the Civil War was when he surrendered the Cumberland Gap
Cumberland Gap
Cumberland Gap is a pass through the Cumberland Mountains region of the Appalachian Mountains, also known as the Cumberland Water Gap, at the juncture of the U.S. states of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia...
and was captured in the autumn of 1863. He was held as a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
until after hostilities ended in the spring of 1865, and then took up work in farming and business.
Early life and career
Frazer (variously written as Fraser or Frazier) was born in 1827 in Hardin County, TennesseeHardin County, Tennessee
Hardin County is a county located in the U.S. State of Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 26,026. The Hardin County seat is Savannah. The county was named posthumously for Col. Joseph Hardin, a Revolutionary War soldier and a legislative representative for the Province of North Carolina and...
. He was a brother of Charles W. Frazer, who also would serve as a Confederate general. In 1845 Frazer entered 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...
at West Point
West Point, New York
West Point is a federal military reservation established by President of the United States Thomas Jefferson in 1802. It is a census-designated place located in Town of Highlands in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 7,138 at the 2000 census...
, and graduated four years later standing 34th out of 43 cadets. He was appointed a brevet
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...
second lieutenant in the 2nd U.S. Infantry
2nd Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 2nd Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment in the United States Army. It has served the United States for more than two hundred years. It is the third oldest regiment in the US Army with a Lineage date of 1808 and a history extending back to 1791...
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...
on July 1, 1849. Frazer was promoted to second lieutenant on June 30 the following year, and to first lieutenant in the 9th U.S. Infantry on March 3, 1855. Two years later he was promoted to the rank of captain on May 1.
Frazer had spent his U.S. Army career on "routine garrison duty at various points" across the United States, until resigning his commission, which was accepted on on March 15, 1861.
Civil War service
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...
. At the time he was likely living in Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, the state that had appointed Frazer to West Point and to the Confederate Army in 1861. On March 16 Frazer was commissioned a captain in the Confederacy's regular army
Regular army
A regular army consists of the permanent force of a country's army that is maintained under arms during peacetime.Countries that use the term include:*Australian Army*British Army*Canadian Forces, specifically "Regular Force"*Egyptian army*Indian Army...
infantry. On April 5 was ordered to Louisiana
Louisiana in the American Civil War
Antebellum Louisiana was a leading slave state, where enslaved Africans and African Americans comprised the majority of the population through the eighteenth century. By 1860 47% of the population was enslaved. The state also had one of the largest free black populations in the United States...
to supervise the regular army recruiting for Baton Rouge and for New Orleans, Frazer's headquarters. On May 11 he was ordered to end his recruiting duties and proceed to Baton Rouge and directly command the city's barracks. On June 17 he was appointed to the provisional army in the 8th Alabama Infantry with the rank of lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
. Frazer chose to resign from the Confederate Army in March 1862, but re-entered the service as colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
and commander of the 28th Alabama Infantry on November 2.
Cumberland Gap
Following the Kentucky CampaignConfederate Heartland Offensive
The Confederate Heartland Offensive or Kentucky Campaign was a series of maneuvers and battles in East Tennessee and Kentucky in 1862 during the American Civil War...
, Frazer again resigned from the Confederate Army in late 1862. His most notable military service occurred after he was appointed a brigadier general on May 19, 1863, and given command of the 5th 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 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...
that July. His force consisted of about 2,300 men in three regiments and a battery
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
of artillery
Field artillery in the American Civil War
Field artillery in the American Civil War refers to the important artillery weapons, equipment, and practices used by the Artillery branch to support the infantry and cavalry forces in the field. It does not include siege artillery, use of artillery in fixed fortifications, or coastal or naval...
, and was ordered to defend the Cumberland Gap "at all hazards" by area commander Maj. Gen. Simon B. Buckner, who was himself ordered to rejoin the Army of Tennessee just prior to the Battle 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...
. Frazer began strengthening the fortifications already there to try and block any Federal advance into East Tennessee.
That fall forces under 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...
Maj. Gen.
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...
Ambrose Burnside
Ambrose Burnside
Ambrose Everett Burnside was an American soldier, railroad executive, inventor, industrialist, and politician from Rhode Island, serving as governor and a U.S. Senator...
moved toward the Cumberland Gap. Burnside sent a brigade under Col. John F. DeCourcy to deal with Frazer's men, while the rest of the Union soldiers quickly marched on and captured Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
, on September 2. DeCourcy threatened the Gap from the north, but Frazer did not think this force sufficient to remove him and held his position. On September 7 Burnside sent another brigade led by Brig. Gen. James M. Shackelford
James M. Shackelford
James Murrell Shackelford was a lawyer, judge, and general in the Union Army during the American Civil War...
, who approached Frazer's men from the south and demanded surrender of the Confederates, which Frazer again rejected. On September 8 both DeCourcy and Shackelford sent messages requesting Frazer's surrender, and these too were rejected. The next day Burnside himself along with yet another brigade (under Col. Samuel A. Gilbert) closed on Frazer's position. At about 10:00 a.m. Burnside demanded a surrender, saying he now had enough soldiers to assault and take the Confederate garrison. This was finally enough to convince Frazer to give up the Gap, which he did at about 3 p.m. on September 9. No blood was shed in the three-day Battle of the Cumberland Gap
Battle of the Cumberland Gap (1863)
The September 7–9, 1863 fall of the Cumberland Gap was a victory for Union forces under the command of Ambrose Burnside during his campaign for Knoxville...
.
Unconditional surrender
Unconditional surrender is a surrender without conditions, in which no guarantees are given to the surrendering party. In modern times unconditional surrenders most often include guarantees provided by international law. Announcing that only unconditional surrender is acceptable puts psychological...
his garrison. The Confederate defeats at Vicksburg and Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
earlier in July may also have affected Frazer's decision.
As they lined up the Confederates were shocked to see the size of the force to which they had surrendered. Although around 100-300 men did escape through DeCourcy's lines just after the surrender, Frazer, his men and their weapons, and 14 guns were turned over to Burnside. This also gave the Union control of the Cumberland Gap, which it retained until the war's end.
Confinement
Frazer was sent to join other captured Confederate officers at Fort WarrenFort Warren (Massachusetts)
Fort Warren is a historic fort on the Georges Island at the entrance to Boston Harbor. The fort is pentagonal, made with stone and granite, and was constructed from 1833–1861, completed shortly after the beginning of the American Civil War...
in Boston Harbor
Boston Harbor
Boston Harbor is a natural harbor and estuary of Massachusetts Bay, and is located adjacent to the city of Boston, Massachusetts. It is home to the Port of Boston, a major shipping facility in the northeast.-History:...
, where he spent the rest of the war. During this time the Confederate Congress
Congress of the Confederate States
The Congress of the Confederate States was the legislative body of the Confederate States of America, existing during the American Civil War between 1861 and 1865...
took up Frazer's nomination to brigadier general. Due to public and political criticism of his actions at the Cumberland Gap, Frazer's appointment was promptly rejected on February 16, 1864.
After the conflict ended he was finally released and paroled from Fort Warren on July 24, 1865.
Postbellum
After the Civil War Frazer relocated to ArkansasArkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, where he began operating a plantation. Several years later he moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where he engaged successfully in business. Frazer died there from an accident in the spring of 1906, and was buried in Clifton Springs
Clifton Springs, New York
Clifton Springs is a village located in Ontario County, New York, United States. The population was 2,223 at the 2000 census. The village takes its name from local mineral springs....
.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals
External links
- dickinson.edu Dickinson College entry for Frazer.
- tngenweb.org Battle of Limestone Station marker description.