William N. Pendleton
Encyclopedia
William Nelson Pendleton (December 26, 1809 – January 15, 1883) was an American
teacher, Episcopal
priest, and soldier. He served as a Confederate
general during the American Civil War
, noted for his position as Gen. Robert E. Lee
's chief of artillery
for most of the conflict. After the war Pendleton returned to the priesthood and became a religious writer.
. He grew up there on the plantation belonging to his parents, Edmund Pendleton and his wife Lucy (Nelson) Pendleton. His primary education came from private tutors and from attending John Nelson's School located in Richmond. Pendleton's family arranged for his older brother (Francis Walker Pendleton) to enter the United States Military Academy
at West Point
, but when Francis expressed little military interest William went in his place. He entered West point in 1826 and graduated four years later, standing 5th out of 42 cadets.
Among Pendleton's classmates at West Point were future Confederate generals Joseph E. Johnston
, Robert E. Lee, and John B. Magruder
(with whom he was roommates) as well as future statesman Jefferson Davis
. He was appointed a brevet
second lieutenant in the United States Army
on July 1, 1830. That same day Pendleton was assigned to the 2nd U.S. Artillery as a full second lieutenant. His regiment was ordered to Fort Moultrie
defending the harbor in Charleston, South Carolina
, but that fall Pendleton fell sick with malaria
and was re-assigned to the arsenal in Augusta, Georgia
to restore his health. On July 15, 1831, he married Anzolette Elizabeth Page, and they would have four children together. His only son, Alexander Swift "Sandie" Pendleton
, would also serve the Confederacy as an aide to Stonewall Jackson
and was killed in action as a colonel during the Third Battle of Winchester
on September 19, 1864. His daughter Susan would marry future Confederate general Edwin G. Lee
on November 16, 1856.
Pendleton returned to West Point in 1831 to teach mathematics, and on October 27, 1832, he was transferred to the 4th U.S. Artillery. He resigned his U.S. Army commission a year later on October 31, 1833, reportedly due to the issue of nullification
in his home state. In 1833 Pendleton joined the faculty at Bristol College
in Bucks County, Pennsylvania
, teaching mathematics. In 1837 he began serving in the same capacity at Newark College in Delaware
. That same year Pendleton was ordained an Episcopal priest in the state of Pennsylvania, and in 1840 he began teaching at the Episcopal Boy's High School in Wilmington, Delaware
. Three years later he relocated to Baltimore, Maryland, and in 1847 he gave up teaching and served as rector of All Saints' Church
. In 1853 Pendleton returned to Virginia
and became rector of Grace Church in Lexington
, and was there when the American Civil War began.
. On March 16 he entered the Regular Confederate Artillery with the rank of captain, and on May 1 he was elected captain in the Virginia Artillery. He commanded a four-gun battery
called the Rockbridge Artillery, naming his guns "Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John
" after the Gospel
writers. On July 2 Pendleton participated in the minor Battle of Falling Waters
, where "he and his battery performed capably." On July 13 Pendleton was promoted to colonel
and began serving as chief of artillery for Brig. Gen. Joseph E. Johnston
's command during the First Battle of Bull Run
on July 21. He was wounded in this fight, injured in an ear and his back.
Beginning in July 1861 Pendleton led the artillery of the Confederate Army of the Potomac, and on March 14, 1862, he continued in this role after the army was renamed the Army of Northern Virginia. On March 26 he was promoted to brigadier general. On July 3 Pendleton was again wounded when a mule from his artillery kicked him in the leg and possibly breaking one of his bones there. His most noted Civil War performance occurred during the 1862 Maryland Campaign
. On the evening September 19 Lee gave Pendleton command of the rearguard
infantry following the Battle of Shepherdstown
, ordering him to hold the Potomac River
crossings until the morning. Despite a commanding position from which to defend the fords, "Pendleton lost track of his forces and lost control of the situation." Awakening Lee after midnight, he frantically reported his position lost and all of his guns captured. This turned out to be a highly exaggerated and hasty account, as he lost only four guns, but he had pulled out the infantry "without sufficient cause." Richmond newspapers viciously reported on this incident for the remainder of the war, and unflattering rumors and jokes were spread by his own soldiers and throughout the army. At least one military court of inquiry was held to investigate Pendleton's actions at Shepherdstown.
Pendleton served with the Army of Northern Virginia for the rest of the conflict, taking part in the 1863 and 1864 major campaigns of the Eastern Theater
. However during the final two years of the war, Pendleton's role was mostly administrative, and his active command was only of the reserve ordnance. Throughout the war, he continues in his religious calling, always preaching to his men. Pendleton surrendered with Lee's army at Appomattox Court House
on April 9, 1865, and was paroled from there and returned home.
ship of Grace Church, which he would hold for the rest of his life. There in Lexington, Virginia, he retained a strong friendship with Matthew Fontaine Maury
, Francis Henney Smith
, and Robert E. Lee
, and played a significant role in persuading his former commander to move to Lexington himself to take up the presidency of the institution that was to become Washington and Lee University
. Lee, in turn, became one of Pendleton's parishioners, and Lee's last public transaction in 1870 was at a Grace Church vestry
meeting in which Lee led a group of church leaders in a mutual pledge to increase Pendleton's salary.(Source: Joseph William Jones' [former C.S.A.] "Personal Reminiscences, Anecdotes, and Letters of Gen. Robert E. Lee.")
Pendleton remained in Lexington until his death in 1883, and is buried in the city's Grace Church Cemetery.
by John Castle
. The scene featured a conversation between Pendleton and Stonewall Jackson
regarding his son, Alexander Swift "Sandie" Pendleton
, who was present. During the scene, Pendleton informed Jackson of the naming the howitzers Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John; to which, Jackson replied "I'm sure your men will spread the gospel wherever they encounter the enemy."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
teacher, Episcopal
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
priest, and soldier. He served as a Confederate
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...
, noted for his position as Gen. Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
's chief of artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
for most of the conflict. After the war Pendleton returned to the priesthood and became a religious writer.
Early life and career
William Nelson Pendleton was born in 1809 in Richmond, VirginiaRichmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. He grew up there on the plantation belonging to his parents, Edmund Pendleton and his wife Lucy (Nelson) Pendleton. His primary education came from private tutors and from attending John Nelson's School located in Richmond. Pendleton's family arranged for his older brother (Francis Walker Pendleton) to enter 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...
, but when Francis expressed little military interest William went in his place. He entered West point in 1826 and graduated four years later, standing 5th out of 42 cadets.
Among Pendleton's classmates at West Point were future Confederate generals Joseph E. Johnston
Joseph E. Johnston
Joseph Eggleston Johnston was a career U.S. Army officer, serving with distinction in the Mexican-American War and Seminole Wars, and was also one of the most senior general officers in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...
, Robert E. Lee, and John B. Magruder
John B. Magruder
John Bankhead Magruder was a career military officer who served in the armies of three nations. He was a U.S. Army officer in the Mexican-American War, a Confederate general during the American Civil War, and a postbellum general in the Imperial Mexican Army...
(with whom he was roommates) as well as future statesman 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...
. 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 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...
on July 1, 1830. That same day Pendleton was assigned to the 2nd U.S. Artillery as a full second lieutenant. His regiment was ordered to Fort Moultrie
Fort Moultrie National Monument
Fort Moultrie is the name of a series of citadels on Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, built to protect the city of Charleston, South Carolina. The first fort, built of palmetto logs, inspired the flag and nickname of South Carolina...
defending the harbor in Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, 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...
, but that fall Pendleton fell sick with malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
and was re-assigned to the arsenal in Augusta, Georgia
Augusta, Georgia
Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...
to restore his health. On July 15, 1831, he married Anzolette Elizabeth Page, and they would have four children together. His only son, Alexander Swift "Sandie" Pendleton
Sandie Pendleton
Alexander Swift "Sandie" Pendleton was an officer on the staff of Confederate Generals Thomas J. Jackson, Richard S. Ewell and Jubal A. Early during the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...
, would also serve the Confederacy as an aide to Stonewall Jackson
Stonewall Jackson
ຄຽשת״ׇׂׂׂׂ֣|birth_place= Clarksburg, Virginia |death_place=Guinea Station, Virginia|placeofburial=Stonewall Jackson Memorial CemeteryLexington, Virginia|placeofburial_label= Place of burial|image=...
and was killed in action as a colonel during the Third Battle of Winchester
Battle of Opequon
The Battle of Opequon, more commonly known as the Third Battle of Winchester, was fought in Winchester, Virginia, on September 19, 1864, during the Valley Campaigns of 1864 in the American Civil War....
on September 19, 1864. His daughter Susan would marry future Confederate general Edwin G. Lee
Edwin Gray Lee
Edwin Gray Lee was an American soldier from Virginia and a Confederate brigadier general during the American Civil War. He was a member of the Lee family and second cousin of Robert E. Lee.-Biography:...
on November 16, 1856.
Pendleton returned to West Point in 1831 to teach mathematics, and on October 27, 1832, he was transferred to the 4th U.S. Artillery. He resigned his U.S. Army commission a year later on October 31, 1833, reportedly due to the issue of nullification
Ordinance of Nullification
The Ordinance of Nullification declared the Tariff of 1828 and 1832 null and void within the state borders of South Carolina. It began the Nullification Crisis...
in his home state. In 1833 Pendleton joined the faculty at Bristol College
Bristol College, Pennsylvania
Bristol College, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, was an Episcopal college founded in 1833 by the Epsicopal Education Society and chartered in 1834. It was based on the "manual labour system", combining education with agricultural work. The founding principal was Revd Chauncey Colton and Caleb Sprague...
in Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- Industry and commerce :The boroughs of Bristol and Morrisville were prominent industrial centers along the Northeast Corridor during World War II. Suburban development accelerated in Lower Bucks in the 1950s with the opening of Levittown, Pennsylvania, the second such "Levittown" designed by...
, teaching mathematics. In 1837 he began serving in the same capacity at Newark College in Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
. That same year Pendleton was ordained an Episcopal priest in the state of Pennsylvania, and in 1840 he began teaching at the Episcopal Boy's High School in Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
. Three years later he relocated to Baltimore, Maryland, and in 1847 he gave up teaching and served as rector of All Saints' Church
All Saints' Church (Easton, Maryland)
All Saints' Church is a historic Carpenter Gothic style Episcopal church at Easton, Talbot County, Maryland, United States. It is a small rectangular frame church constructed in 1900-1901. The exterior features of the church include a three-stage bell tower with a shingled spire...
. In 1853 Pendleton returned to Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
and became rector of Grace Church in Lexington
Lexington, Virginia
Lexington is an independent city within the confines of Rockbridge County in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 7,042 in 2010. Lexington is about 55 minutes east of the West Virginia border and is about 50 miles north of Roanoke, Virginia. It was first settled in 1777.It is home to...
, and was there when the American Civil War began.
Civil War service
When the American Civil War commenced in 1861, Pendleton chose to follow the Confederate causeConfederate 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...
. On March 16 he entered the Regular Confederate Artillery with the rank of captain, and on May 1 he was elected captain in the Virginia Artillery. He commanded a four-gun 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...
called the Rockbridge Artillery, naming his guns "Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
" after the Gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
writers. On July 2 Pendleton participated in the minor Battle of Falling Waters
Battle of Hoke's Run
The Battle of Hoke's Run, also known as the Battle of Falling Waters or Hainesville, took place on July 2, 1861, in Berkeley County, Virginia as part of the Manassas Campaign of the American Civil War....
, where "he and his battery performed capably." On July 13 Pendleton was promoted to 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 began serving as chief of artillery for Brig. Gen. Joseph E. Johnston
Joseph E. Johnston
Joseph Eggleston Johnston was a career U.S. Army officer, serving with distinction in the Mexican-American War and Seminole Wars, and was also one of the most senior general officers in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...
's command during the First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run, also known as First Manassas , was fought on July 21, 1861, in Prince William County, Virginia, near the City of Manassas...
on July 21. He was wounded in this fight, injured in an ear and his back.
Beginning in July 1861 Pendleton led the artillery of the Confederate Army of the Potomac, and on March 14, 1862, he continued in this role after the army was renamed the Army of Northern Virginia. On March 26 he was promoted to brigadier general. On July 3 Pendleton was again wounded when a mule from his artillery kicked him in the leg and possibly breaking one of his bones there. His most noted Civil War performance occurred during the 1862 Maryland Campaign
Maryland Campaign
The Maryland Campaign, or the Antietam Campaign is widely considered one of the major turning points of the American Civil War. Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the North was repulsed by Maj. Gen. George B...
. On the evening September 19 Lee gave Pendleton command of the rearguard
Rearguard
Rearguard may refer to:* A military detachment protecting the rear of a larger military formation, especially when retreating from a pursuing enemy force. * Rear Guard , a computer game released in 1982...
infantry following the Battle of Shepherdstown
Battle of Shepherdstown
The Battle of Shepherdstown, also known as the Battle of Boteler's Ford, took place September 19–20, 1862, in Jefferson County, Virginia , at the end of the Maryland Campaign of the American Civil War.-Background:...
, ordering him to hold the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
crossings until the morning. Despite a commanding position from which to defend the fords, "Pendleton lost track of his forces and lost control of the situation." Awakening Lee after midnight, he frantically reported his position lost and all of his guns captured. This turned out to be a highly exaggerated and hasty account, as he lost only four guns, but he had pulled out the infantry "without sufficient cause." Richmond newspapers viciously reported on this incident for the remainder of the war, and unflattering rumors and jokes were spread by his own soldiers and throughout the army. At least one military court of inquiry was held to investigate Pendleton's actions at Shepherdstown.
Pendleton served with the Army of Northern Virginia for the rest of the conflict, taking part in the 1863 and 1864 major campaigns of the Eastern Theater
Eastern Theater of the American Civil War
The Eastern Theater of the American Civil War included the states of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, the District of Columbia, and the coastal fortifications and seaports of North Carolina...
. However during the final two years of the war, Pendleton's role was mostly administrative, and his active command was only of the reserve ordnance. Throughout the war, he continues in his religious calling, always preaching to his men. Pendleton surrendered with Lee's army at Appomattox Court House
Appomattox Court House
The Appomattox Courthouse is the current courthouse in Appomattox, Virginia built in 1892. It is located in the middle of the state about three miles northwest of the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, once known as Clover Hill - home of the original Old Appomattox Court House...
on April 9, 1865, and was paroled from there and returned home.
Postbellum career and death
After the war, Pendleton returned to Lexington and his rectorRector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
ship of Grace Church, which he would hold for the rest of his life. There in Lexington, Virginia, he retained a strong friendship with Matthew Fontaine Maury
Matthew Fontaine Maury
Matthew Fontaine Maury , United States Navy was an American astronomer, historian, oceanographer, meteorologist, cartographer, author, geologist, and educator....
, Francis Henney Smith
Francis Henney Smith
Francis Henney Smith was a United States Military Academy graduate, United States Army second lieutenant, college professor, including teacher at West Point, Confederate Army colonel, Virginia Militia general, first superintendent of Virginia Military Institute and its rebuilder after the American...
, and Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
, and played a significant role in persuading his former commander to move to Lexington himself to take up the presidency of the institution that was to become Washington and Lee University
Washington and Lee University
Washington and Lee University is a private liberal arts college in Lexington, Virginia, United States.The classical school from which Washington and Lee descended was established in 1749 as Augusta Academy, about north of its present location. In 1776 it was renamed Liberty Hall in a burst of...
. Lee, in turn, became one of Pendleton's parishioners, and Lee's last public transaction in 1870 was at a Grace Church vestry
Vestry
A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service....
meeting in which Lee led a group of church leaders in a mutual pledge to increase Pendleton's salary.(Source: Joseph William Jones' [former C.S.A.] "Personal Reminiscences, Anecdotes, and Letters of Gen. Robert E. Lee.")
Pendleton remained in Lexington until his death in 1883, and is buried in the city's Grace Church Cemetery.
In popular media
Pendleton was portrayed in the 2003 Civil War film Gods and GeneralsGods and Generals (film)
Gods and Generals is a 2003 American film based on the novel Gods and Generals by Jeffrey Shaara. It depicts events that take place prior to those shown in the 1993 film Gettysburg, which was based on The Killer Angels, a novel by Shaara's father, Michael...
by John Castle
John Castle
John Castle is an English actor. Castle has acted in theatre, film and television. He is well known for his role as Postumus in the 1976 BBC television adaptation of I, Claudius and for playing Geoffrey in the 1968 film, The Lion in Winter. He also played Dr...
. The scene featured a conversation between Pendleton and Stonewall Jackson
Stonewall Jackson
ຄຽשת״ׇׂׂׂׂ֣|birth_place= Clarksburg, Virginia |death_place=Guinea Station, Virginia|placeofburial=Stonewall Jackson Memorial CemeteryLexington, Virginia|placeofburial_label= Place of burial|image=...
regarding his son, Alexander Swift "Sandie" Pendleton
Sandie Pendleton
Alexander Swift "Sandie" Pendleton was an officer on the staff of Confederate Generals Thomas J. Jackson, Richard S. Ewell and Jubal A. Early during the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...
, who was present. During the scene, Pendleton informed Jackson of the naming the howitzers Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John; to which, Jackson replied "I'm sure your men will spread the gospel wherever they encounter the enemy."
See also
- List of American Civil War generals
Further reading
- Lee, Susan P., Memoirs of William Nelson Pendleton, Sprinkle Publications, 1991, ISBN 1-59442-092-0.