Lucius B. Northrop
Encyclopedia
Lucius Bellinger Northrop (September 8, 1811 – February 9, 1894), was the Commissary-General of the armed forces of the Confederate States of America
. Appointed by Confederate president
Jefferson Davis
, a personal friend, Northrop was responsible for the logistics
and supply chain
that transported food, clothing, and forage to the Southern armies of the American Civil War
, particularly the Army of Northern Virginia
. Northrop was also responsible for supplying the prison camps that housed Federal prisoners-of-war, such as Andersonville.
. He won appointment to the United States Military Academy
in West Point
, Class of 1831. His time there overlapped with a fellow Southerner, Jefferson Davis (Class of 1828). After graduating, Northrop was commissioned as a brevet
second lieutenant and assigned to a series of posts, including duty in Florida Territory
during the Second Seminole War
. While on duty in Florida in 1839, Northrop suffered a severe wound to his knee as the result of the discharge of his own weapon.
The connection between Northrop and Davis was significant for Northrop's career. Significantly disabled, Northrop could no longer perform field duties for the United States Army. In 1848, he was discharged from the service, retiring to civilian life in Charleston and Anne Arundel County, Maryland
. However, when Davis was appointed Secretary of War
in 1853, the new Cabinet secretary took steps to recall his friend to the Army. The limping Northrop was promoted to the rank of captain.
ist colors. After Davis's election as Confederate president, the new commander-in-chief promoted Northrop to the rank of colonel
; in March 1861, the Confederate War Department appointed him to the post of Commissary-General. In this office, Northrop was responsible for logistical services, including the transport of military necessities to the Confederate armies, the movement of Confederate units from point to point along the battle front, and the supply of necessities to members of the Union Army
confined to Southern prisoner-of-war camps. Northrop served in this role from March 1861 until February 1865, when he was removed from office.
As the Confederate Commissary-General, Northrop faced almost insurmountable logistical problems. The Southern economy was not organized for total war
and did not possess the infrastructure
required to generate large quantities of food, shoes, and clothing, nor to transport them for long distances. The Confederacy lacked machinery to maintain its existing railroad network, or to build new locomotive
s and railroad car
s to replace the equipment that was wearing out. In addition, severe inflation
wracked the value of the Confederate currency
that Northrop's men were authorized to offer to farms, shops, and small factories for goods desperately needed by the armies.
Even when allowance is granted for factors beyond Colonel Northrop's control, however, his performance in supplying food, shoes, clothing, and other necessities to the armies of the Confederacy was judged inexcusably inadequate by historians such as Bell I. Wiley
. On numerous occasions, Confederate soldiers were forced to make do with scanty or inadequate rations, or to forage amongst their own countrymen for the necessities of life.
As the war continued, Confederate soldiers began, in letters home and to their congressmen, to express concerns about the performance of the office of the Commissary-General. Loyal to his friend, and aware of the overall logistical dilemmas facing the Confederacy, President Davis refrained from making Northrop into a scapegoat
. However, logistical problems worsened and reached a crescendo in the supply situation facing the Army of Northern Virginia during the Siege of Petersburg
in the winter of 1864-1865. Although Robert E. Lee's army had by this time become absolutely vital to the continued existence of the Confederacy, only two railroad lines (the Richmond & Danville
and the Southside Railroad) linked the hungry soldiers with the fertile fields of Southside Virginia, and Northrop's commissary corps was pathetically unable to feed Lee's army.
Davis appointed Northrop a brigadier general on November 26, 1864, but he did not risk sending the appointment to the Confederate Senate, where it would surely have been rejected.
Opponents of Northrop, including members of the Confederate House and Senate who believed that the Northrop supply situation had become a deadly threat to the prospect for eventual Confederate victory, eventually introduced and adopted extraordinary legislative measures to impeach
the Commissary-General or remove him from office. When Davis sought to appoint Maj. Gen. John C. Breckinridge
as the Confederate Secretary of War, Breckinridge demanded as a condition of his acceptance that Northrop be removed. General Robert E. Lee did not directly demand Northrop's resignation, but made it clear to Davis that he expected change when he was appointed general in chief. He wrote to the Secretary of War, "If some changes not made and the commissary department reorganized, I apprehend dire results. The physical strength of the men, if their courage survives, must fail under this treatment. Davis finally gave in and accepted Colonel Northrop's resignation. However, it was too late. Less than two months later, the well-supplied federal troops of the Army of the Potomac
decisively defeated Lee's ill-fed army in the Battle of Five Forks
, leading within days to the surrender at Appomattox
.
Southern historian Bell I. Wiley, who specialized in examination of and research into the day-to-day experience of the combat troops of the American Civil War, grew to despise the tie between Davis and Northrop:
, on June 30, 1865, by the victorious Federals and confined for four months as an officer who had given aid and comfort to the Confederacy, and for the privations suffered by federal prisoners-of-war during Northrop's service as Commissary-General. After his release in November 1865, he lived in obscurity on a farm near Charlottesville, Virginia
.
Beset by his continued knee problems and by the challenges of age-related disability, in 1890 he retired to the Maryland Line Confederate Soldiers' Home in Pikesville, Maryland
, where he died. He is buried in New Cathedral Catholic Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland.
and Alexandria, Virginia
.
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...
. Appointed by Confederate 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...
, a personal friend, Northrop was responsible for the logistics
Logistics
Logistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
and supply chain
Supply chain
A supply chain is a system of organizations, people, technology, activities, information and resources involved in moving a product or service from supplier to customer. Supply chain activities transform natural resources, raw materials and components into a finished product that is delivered to...
that transported food, clothing, and forage to the Southern armies of 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...
, particularly the Army of Northern Virginia
Army of Northern Virginia
The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War, as well as the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most often arrayed against the Union Army of the Potomac...
. Northrop was also responsible for supplying the prison camps that housed Federal prisoners-of-war, such as Andersonville.
Early life and career
Northrop was born in Charleston, South CarolinaCharleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
. He won 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...
in 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...
, Class of 1831. His time there overlapped with a fellow Southerner, Jefferson Davis (Class of 1828). After graduating, Northrop was commissioned as 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 and assigned to a series of posts, including duty in Florida Territory
Florida Territory
The Territory of Florida was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 30, 1822, until March 3, 1845, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Florida...
during 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...
. While on duty in Florida in 1839, Northrop suffered a severe wound to his knee as the result of the discharge of his own weapon.
The connection between Northrop and Davis was significant for Northrop's career. Significantly disabled, Northrop could no longer perform field duties for the United States Army. In 1848, he was discharged from the service, retiring to civilian life in Charleston and 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...
. However, when Davis was appointed Secretary of War
United States Secretary of War
The Secretary of War was a member of the United States President's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War," was appointed to serve the Congress of the Confederation under the Articles of Confederation...
in 1853, the new Cabinet secretary took steps to recall his friend to the Army. The limping Northrop was promoted to the rank of captain.
Civil War service
As a Southerner and friend of Davis, Northrop resigned his United States commission in January 1861 to join 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:...
ist colors. After Davis's election as Confederate president, the new commander-in-chief promoted Northrop to the rank of 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...
; in March 1861, the Confederate War Department appointed him to the post of Commissary-General. In this office, Northrop was responsible for logistical services, including the transport of military necessities to the Confederate armies, the movement of Confederate units from point to point along the battle front, and the supply of necessities to members of the Union Army
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...
confined to Southern prisoner-of-war camps. Northrop served in this role from March 1861 until February 1865, when he was removed from office.
As the Confederate Commissary-General, Northrop faced almost insurmountable logistical problems. The Southern economy was not organized for 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...
and did not possess the infrastructure
Infrastructure
Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...
required to generate large quantities of food, shoes, and clothing, nor to transport them for long distances. The Confederacy lacked machinery to maintain its existing railroad network, or to build new locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
s and railroad car
Railroad car
A railroad car or railway vehicle , also known as a bogie in Indian English, is a vehicle on a rail transport system that is used for the carrying of cargo or passengers. Cars can be coupled together into a train and hauled by one or more locomotives...
s to replace the equipment that was wearing out. In addition, severe inflation
Hyperinflation
In economics, hyperinflation is inflation that is very high or out of control. While the real values of the specific economic items generally stay the same in terms of relatively stable foreign currencies, in hyperinflationary conditions the general price level within a specific economy increases...
wracked the value of the Confederate currency
Confederate States of America dollar
The Confederate States of America dollar was first issued into circulation in April 1861, when the Confederacy was only two months old, and on the eve of the outbreak of the Civil War....
that Northrop's men were authorized to offer to farms, shops, and small factories for goods desperately needed by the armies.
Even when allowance is granted for factors beyond Colonel Northrop's control, however, his performance in supplying food, shoes, clothing, and other necessities to the armies of the Confederacy was judged inexcusably inadequate by historians such as Bell I. Wiley
Bell I. Wiley
Bell Irvin Wiley was an American historian who specialized on the American Civil War, and was an authority on military history and the social history of common people....
. On numerous occasions, Confederate soldiers were forced to make do with scanty or inadequate rations, or to forage amongst their own countrymen for the necessities of life.
As the war continued, Confederate soldiers began, in letters home and to their congressmen, to express concerns about the performance of the office of the Commissary-General. Loyal to his friend, and aware of the overall logistical dilemmas facing the Confederacy, President Davis refrained from making Northrop into a scapegoat
Scapegoat
Scapegoating is the practice of singling out any party for unmerited negative treatment or blame. Scapegoating may be conducted by individuals against individuals , individuals against groups , groups against individuals , and groups against groups Scapegoating is the practice of singling out any...
. However, logistical problems worsened and reached a crescendo in the supply situation facing the Army of Northern Virginia during the Siege of Petersburg
Siege of Petersburg
The Richmond–Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War...
in the winter of 1864-1865. Although Robert E. Lee's army had by this time become absolutely vital to the continued existence of the Confederacy, only two railroad lines (the Richmond & Danville
Richmond and Danville Railroad
The Richmond and Danville Railroad was chartered in Virginia in the United States in 1847. The portion between Richmond and Danville, Virginia was completed in 1856...
and the Southside Railroad) linked the hungry soldiers with the fertile fields of Southside Virginia, and Northrop's commissary corps was pathetically unable to feed Lee's army.
Davis appointed Northrop a brigadier general on November 26, 1864, but he did not risk sending the appointment to the Confederate Senate, where it would surely have been rejected.
Opponents of Northrop, including members of the Confederate House and Senate who believed that the Northrop supply situation had become a deadly threat to the prospect for eventual Confederate victory, eventually introduced and adopted extraordinary legislative measures to impeach
Impeachment
Impeachment is a formal process in which an official is accused of unlawful activity, the outcome of which, depending on the country, may include the removal of that official from office as well as other punishment....
the Commissary-General or remove him from office. When Davis sought to appoint Maj. Gen. John C. Breckinridge
John C. Breckinridge
John Cabell Breckinridge was an American lawyer and politician. He served as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Kentucky and was the 14th Vice President of the United States , to date the youngest vice president in U.S...
as the Confederate Secretary of War, Breckinridge demanded as a condition of his acceptance that Northrop be removed. General Robert E. Lee did not directly demand Northrop's resignation, but made it clear to Davis that he expected change when he was appointed general in chief. He wrote to the Secretary of War, "If some changes not made and the commissary department reorganized, I apprehend dire results. The physical strength of the men, if their courage survives, must fail under this treatment. Davis finally gave in and accepted Colonel Northrop's resignation. However, it was too late. Less than two months later, the well-supplied federal troops of the Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
decisively defeated Lee's ill-fed army in the Battle of Five Forks
Battle of Five Forks
The Battle of Five Forks was fought on April 1, 1865, southwest of Petersburg, Virginia, in Dinwiddie County, during the Appomattox Campaign of the American Civil War. The battle, sometimes referred to as the "Waterloo of the Confederacy," pitted Union Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan against...
, leading within days to the surrender at Appomattox
Appomattox Campaign
The Appomattox Campaign was a series of battles fought March 29 – April 9, 1865, in Virginia that culminated in the surrender of Confederate General Robert E...
.
Southern historian Bell I. Wiley, who specialized in examination of and research into the day-to-day experience of the combat troops of the American Civil War, grew to despise the tie between Davis and Northrop:
Post-war service
After the war, Col. Northrop was arrested in Raleigh, North CarolinaRaleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
, on June 30, 1865, by the victorious Federals and confined for four months as an officer who had given aid and comfort to the Confederacy, and for the privations suffered by federal prisoners-of-war during Northrop's service as Commissary-General. After his release in November 1865, he lived in obscurity on a farm near Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for...
.
Beset by his continued knee problems and by the challenges of age-related disability, in 1890 he retired to the Maryland Line Confederate Soldiers' Home in Pikesville, Maryland
Pikesville, Maryland
Pikesville is a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. Pikesville is just northwest of the Baltimore city limits. It is the northwestern suburb closest to Baltimore.The population was 29,123 at the 2000 census...
, where he died. He is buried in New Cathedral Catholic Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland.
Northrop's papers
Collections of Northrop papers are maintained in the city libraries of New York CityNew 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...
and Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
.