Joseph B. Plummer
Encyclopedia
Joseph Bennett Plummer was a career soldier in the United States Army
, serving as a general during the American Civil War
.
, and educated in the common schools. He taught school for several years. In 1841, he received an appointment to the United States Military Academy
. He received a brevet rank
of second lieutenant in the 1st U.S. Infantry and served on garrison duty. He missed the first year of the Mexican-American War due to sickness. Plummer did quartermaster
duty on the Texas
frontier
from 1848 until 1861. In 1852, he was promoted to a captaincy in the 1st U.S. Infantry. He married Frances Hagner; they had a son, Satterlee Clark Plummer, who later also became an officer in the U.S. Army after graduating from West Point in 1865.
Plummer was commissioned as the colonel
of the llth Missouri Volunteers in September 1861 and assigned command of the post at Cape Girardeau, Missouri
, a position he filled until March 1862. Then, he was appointed as a brigadier general, U.S. Volunteers. In April 1862, Plummer was promoted to major
of the 8th U.S. Infantry in the Regular Army. He was wounded at the Battle of Wilson's Creek
while commanding a battalion
of Regulars.
Later, he commanded the 5th Division of Pope
's army at New Madrid and the Island Number Ten campaign
. He subsequently commanded a brigade
of Stanley's division at Corinth
and died in camp at Corinth on August 9, 1862 (exactly one year after Wilson's Creek) from lingering effects of his wounds and prolonged exposure in the field.
He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery
.
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...
, serving as a 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...
.
Biography
Plummer was born in Barre, MassachusettsBarre, Massachusetts
Barre is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,398 at the 2010 census.-History:Originally called the Northwest District of Rutland, it was first settled in 1720. The town was incorporated on June 17, 1774, as Hutchinson after Thomas Hutchinson, colonial...
, and educated in the common schools. He taught school for several years. In 1841, he received an appointment to 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...
. He received a brevet rank
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...
of second lieutenant in the 1st U.S. Infantry and served on garrison duty. He missed the first year of the Mexican-American War due to sickness. Plummer did quartermaster
Quartermaster
Quartermaster refers to two different military occupations depending on if the assigned unit is land based or naval.In land armies, especially US units, it is a term referring to either an individual soldier or a unit who specializes in distributing supplies and provisions to troops. The senior...
duty on the Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
frontier
Frontier
A frontier is a political and geographical term referring to areas near or beyond a boundary. 'Frontier' was absorbed into English from French in the 15th century, with the meaning "borderland"--the region of a country that fronts on another country .The use of "frontier" to mean "a region at the...
from 1848 until 1861. In 1852, he was promoted to a captaincy in the 1st U.S. Infantry. He married Frances Hagner; they had a son, Satterlee Clark Plummer, who later also became an officer in the U.S. Army after graduating from West Point in 1865.
Plummer was commissioned as the 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 llth Missouri Volunteers in September 1861 and assigned command of the post at Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Cape Girardeau is a city located in Cape Girardeau and Scott counties in Southeast Missouri in the United States. It is located approximately southeast of St. Louis and north of Memphis. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 37,941. A college town, it is the home of Southeast Missouri...
, a position he filled until March 1862. Then, he was appointed as a brigadier general, U.S. Volunteers. In April 1862, Plummer was promoted to major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
of the 8th U.S. Infantry in the Regular Army. He was wounded at the Battle of Wilson's Creek
Battle of Wilson's Creek
The Battle of Wilson's Creek, also known as the Battle of Oak Hills, was fought on August 10, 1861, near Springfield, Missouri, between Union forces and the Missouri State Guard, early in the American Civil War. It was the first major battle of the war west of the Mississippi River and is sometimes...
while commanding a battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
of Regulars.
Later, he commanded the 5th Division of Pope
John Pope (military officer)
John Pope was a career United States Army officer and Union general in the American Civil War. He had a brief but successful career in the Western Theater, but he is best known for his defeat at the Second Battle of Bull Run in the East.Pope was a graduate of the United States Military Academy in...
's army at New Madrid and the Island Number Ten campaign
Battle of Island Number Ten
The Battle of Island Number Ten was an engagement at the New Madrid or Kentucky Bend on the Mississippi River during the American Civil War, lasting from February 28 to April 8, 1862. The position, an island at the base of a tight double turn in the course of the river, was held by the Confederates...
. He subsequently commanded 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...
of Stanley's division at Corinth
Corinth, Mississippi
Corinth is a city in Alcorn County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 14,054 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Alcorn County. Its ZIP codes are 38834 and 38835.- History :...
and died in camp at Corinth on August 9, 1862 (exactly one year after Wilson's Creek) from lingering effects of his wounds and prolonged exposure in the field.
He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
.
See also
- List of Massachusetts generals in the American Civil War
- Massachusetts in the American Civil War