Richard C. Gatlin
Encyclopedia
Richard Caswell Gatlin was a Confederate
general during the American Civil War
.
, Lenoir County, North Carolina
, the son of John Slade Gatlin and Susannah Caswell Gatlin. His mother was the daughter of Richard Caswell
, first governor
of North Carolina. Gatlin was educated at the United States Military Academy
, where he graduated 35th in his class in 1832, along with Philip St. George Cooke
, Erasmus D. Keyes
, George B. Crittenden
, Randolph B. Marcy
, and Humphrey Marshall
.
from 1839–42, and was then stationed in Louisiana
until 1845, when he served in Texas
, and was promoted to captain. He served in the Mexican War
, serving in the defense of Fort Brown in May 1846. Gatlin was wounded during an assault at the Battle of Monterey
, and received the Brevet
of major
. In 1847 he was tendered the commission of colonel
, First North Carolina volunteers, but declined it. He then served in Missouri
and Louisiana, took part in the Seminole Wars of 1849-50, and served on frontier duty in Kansas
, Native American Territory, Arkansas
and Dakota until he marched with Albert Sidney Johnston
to Utah
to take part in the Utah War
. In 1860 he marched to New Mexico
and was stationed at Fort Craig
, and was promoted major
of Fifth infantry in February, 1861. While on a visit to Fort Smith, Arkansas
, on April 23, 1861, he was captured by the Arkansas militia, and released on parole, after which he resigned his commission and offered his services to North Carolina.
of North Carolina, with the rank of major general of militia, and received the commission of colonel of infantry in the regular army of the Confederate States of America
. He was then given command of the Southern department, coastal defense, with headquarters at Wilmington, North Carolina
. He was promoted to brigadier general in August 1861 and was assigned to command the department of North Carolina and the coastal defenses of the State.
Soon after Gatlin was promoted to command, Fort Hatteras was captured by the Union. Gatlin then made preparations for the defense of New Bern
. He made his headquarters at Goldsboro
in September and there organized troops and prepared for the defense of the area. Upon his suggestion an additional coastal district was formed and General Daniel H. Hill was made commander of the new district. Gatlin repeatedly requested reinforcements, but none were available and in March 1862, New Bern fell.
Gatlin was suffering from a severe illness and on March 19, 1862, he was relieved from duty. In his final report he stated that "we failed to make timely efforts to maintain the ascendency on Pamlico sound, and thus admitted Burnside's fleet without a contest; we failed to put a proper force on Roanoke island, and thus lost the key to our interior coast, and we failed to furnish General Branch
with a reasonable force, and thus lost the important town of New Bern. What I claim is that these failures do not by right rest with me."
Gatlin resigned in September, 1862 but subsequently served as adjutant and inspector general
of North Carolina.
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...
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...
.
Early life
Gatlin was born in KinstonKinston, North Carolina
Kinston is a city in Lenoir County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 23,688 at the 2000 census. The population was estimated at 22,360 in 2008. It has been the county seat of Lenoir County since its formation in 1791 . Kinston is located in North Carolina's Inner Banks...
, Lenoir County, North Carolina
Lenoir County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of 2005, there were 57,961 people, 23,862 households, and 16,178 families residing in the county. The population density was 149.2 people per square mile . There were 27,940 housing units at an average density of 68 per square mile...
, the son of John Slade Gatlin and Susannah Caswell Gatlin. His mother was the daughter of Richard Caswell
Richard Caswell
Richard Caswell was the first and fifth governor of the U.S. State of North Carolina, serving from 1776 to 1780 and from 1784 to 1787....
, first governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of North Carolina. Gatlin was educated at 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...
, where he graduated 35th in his class in 1832, along with Philip St. George Cooke
Philip St. George Cooke
Philip St. George Cooke was a career United States Army cavalry officer who served as a Union General in the American Civil War. He is noted for his authorship of an Army cavalry manual, and is sometimes called the "Father of the U.S...
, Erasmus D. Keyes
Erasmus D. Keyes
Erasmus Darwin Keyes was a businessman, banker, and military general, noted for leading the IV Corps of the Union Army of the Potomac during the first half of the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...
, George B. Crittenden
George B. Crittenden
George Bibb Crittenden was a career United States Army officer who served in the Black Hawk War, the Army of the Republic of Texas, the Mexican-American War, and was a general in the Confederate States Army in the American Civil War.-Early life:Crittenden was born in Russellville, Kentucky, his...
, Randolph B. Marcy
Randolph B. Marcy
Randolph Barnes Marcy was a career officer in the United States Army, achieving the rank of Brigadier General before retiring in 1881. Although beginning in 1861 his responsibilities were those of a brigadier general, the U.S...
, and Humphrey Marshall
Humphrey Marshall (general)
Humphrey Marshall was a four-term antebellum United States Congressman and a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army and a Confederate Congressman during the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...
.
Personal life
Gatlin married Scioto Sandford. Scioto died after complications from childbirth in January 1852. Gatlin married Mary Ann Gibson of Arkansas on January 20, 1857.Military service
He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the 7th infantry, and served on frontier duty in Native American Territory, in the Seminole WarsSeminole Wars
The Seminole Wars, also known as the Florida Wars, were three conflicts in Florida between the Seminole — the collective name given to the amalgamation of various groups of native Americans and Black people who settled in Florida in the early 18th century — and the United States Army...
from 1839–42, and was then stationed in Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
until 1845, when he served in 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...
, and was promoted to captain. He served in the Mexican War
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known as the First American Intervention, the Mexican War, or the U.S.–Mexican War, was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 in the wake of the 1845 U.S...
, serving in the defense of Fort Brown in May 1846. Gatlin was wounded during an assault at the Battle of Monterey
Battle of Monterey
-Preliminaries:Prior to the Mexican-American War the Californio forces had already driven the Mexican appointed Governor Manuel Micheltorena and most of his soldiers from Alta California...
, and received the 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...
of 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...
. In 1847 he was tendered the commission of 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...
, First North Carolina volunteers, but declined it. He then served 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 Louisiana, took part in the Seminole Wars of 1849-50, and served on frontier duty in Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, Native American Territory, Arkansas
Arkansas
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...
and Dakota until he marched with Albert Sidney Johnston
Albert Sidney Johnston
Albert Sidney Johnston served as a general in three different armies: the Texas Army, the United States Army, and the Confederate States Army...
to Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
to take part in the Utah War
Utah War
The Utah War, also known as the Utah Expedition, Buchanan's Blunder, the Mormon War, or the Mormon Rebellion was an armed confrontation between LDS settlers in the Utah Territory and the armed forces of the United States government. The confrontation lasted from May 1857 until July 1858...
. In 1860 he marched to New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
and was stationed at Fort Craig
Fort Craig
Fort Craig was a U.S. Army fort located along El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, near Elephant Butte Lake State Park and the Rio Grande in Socorro County, New Mexico....
, and was promoted 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 Fifth infantry in February, 1861. While on a visit to Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 86,209 in 2010, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 298,592 residents which encompasses the Arkansas...
, on April 23, 1861, he was captured by the Arkansas militia, and released on parole, after which he resigned his commission and offered his services to North Carolina.
Civil War
Gatlin was appointed adjutant generalAdjutant general
An Adjutant General is a military chief administrative officer.-Imperial Russia:In Imperial Russia, the General-Adjutant was a Court officer, who was usually an army general. He served as a personal aide to the Tsar and hence was a member of the H. I. M. Retinue...
of North Carolina, with the rank of major general of militia, and received the commission of colonel of infantry in the regular army of the Confederate States of America
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...
. He was then given command of the Southern department, coastal defense, with headquarters at Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...
. He was promoted to brigadier general in August 1861 and was assigned to command the department of North Carolina and the coastal defenses of the State.
Soon after Gatlin was promoted to command, Fort Hatteras was captured by the Union. Gatlin then made preparations for the defense of New Bern
New Bern, North Carolina
New Bern is a city in Craven County, North Carolina with a population of 29,524 as of the 2010 census.. It is located at the confluence of the Trent and the Neuse rivers...
. He made his headquarters at Goldsboro
Goldsboro, North Carolina
Goldsboro is a city in Wayne County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 37,597 at the 2008 census estimate. It is the principal city of and is included in the Goldsboro, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area. The nearby town of Waynesboro was founded in 1787 and Goldsboro was...
in September and there organized troops and prepared for the defense of the area. Upon his suggestion an additional coastal district was formed and General Daniel H. Hill was made commander of the new district. Gatlin repeatedly requested reinforcements, but none were available and in March 1862, New Bern fell.
Gatlin was suffering from a severe illness and on March 19, 1862, he was relieved from duty. In his final report he stated that "we failed to make timely efforts to maintain the ascendency on Pamlico sound, and thus admitted Burnside's fleet without a contest; we failed to put a proper force on Roanoke island, and thus lost the key to our interior coast, and we failed to furnish General Branch
Lawrence O'Bryan Branch
Lawrence O'Bryan Branch was a North Carolina representative in the U.S. Congress and a Confederate brigadier general in the American Civil War, killed at the Battle of Antietam.-Early life and career:...
with a reasonable force, and thus lost the important town of New Bern. What I claim is that these failures do not by right rest with me."
Gatlin resigned in September, 1862 but subsequently served as adjutant and inspector general
Inspector General
An Inspector General is an investigative official in a civil or military organization. The plural of the term is Inspectors General.-Bangladesh:...
of North Carolina.
Post-War
After the end of the War, Gatlin moved to Sebastian County, Arkansas and farmed there until 1881. He then moved to Fort Smith. He died at Mount Nebo on September 8, 1896. He and his wife Mary Ann Gibson Gatlin are buried at Fort Smith National Cemetery.See also
- List of American Civil War generals