Collett Leventhorpe
Encyclopedia
Collett Leventhorpe was a brigadier general
in the Confederate States Army
during the American Civil War
.
, Devon
, England
. Thomas died, probably of tuberculosis
, about nine weeks after Collett's birth. Leventhorpe's ancestry could be traced back to the 14th century and was connected to royalty through marriage and service.
Leventhorpe studied at Winchester College
until the age of fourteen. For the next three years he was educated by a private tutor.
In 1832 Leventhorpe purchased the rank of ensign
in the 14th Regiment of Foot (the Buckinghamshire's), in the army of King William IV
. Leventhorpe was stationed in Ireland
for the next three years. He purchased a lieutenancy on November 2, 1835, and was stationed in the British West Indies
. After several years of duty there he spent a year in Canada
. Leventhorpe reached the level of Captain
of Grenadiers, on November 16, 1842. He then transferred to the 18th Regiment of Foot and on October 24, 1842 he sold his Captaincy in order to travel to South Carolina
on business for an English company.
, Leventhorpe traveled to Asheville, North Carolina
, where he met his future wife, Louisa Bryan, daughter of General Edmund Bryan, of Rutherfordton, NC.
Leventhorpe entered the Medical College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina
. He graduated at the top of his class then married Louisa on April 1, 1849 and the couple made their home in Rutherfordton. Interestingly, Leventhorpe never practiced medicine. In 1849, Leventhorpe applied for and was granted United States citizenship
.
Leventhorpe offered his military services to his adopted state. His community standing and military background won him the rank of colonel
in the 34th North Carolina Infantry. He spent the early months of the War drilling and disciplining the regiment
and by December he was given temporary command of a brigade
. During the winter of 1861-62 he was at Fort Branch near Hamilton, North Carolina
guarding the Roanoke River
and the Weldon Railroad Bridge
. In April 1862 he was transferred to the 11th North Carolina, elected its colonel and was sent to the Atlantic coast to head the District of Wilmington. Later that year he manned the defenses along Virginia's Blackwater River. Returning to North Carolina in December, he led his troops impressively at the Battle of White Hall
, which slowed Federals under Brigadier General John G. Foster
in their advance toward Goldsboro, North Carolina
. In mid-December, Leventhorpe's 11th North Carolina was attached to the brigade of Brig. Gen. J. Johnston Pettigrew
. During this period, Leventhorpe complained that he was being held back from higher command because of his foreign birth and lack of political connections, though he was offered a command in the cavalry
but declined it due to his lack of experience in that branch. After helping repulse an attack during the Siege of Washington
, in April 1863, Pettigrew's Brigade joined General Robert E. Lee
's Army of Northern Virginia
for the Gettysburg Campaign
as part of Major General
Henry Heth
's division in Lieutenant General
A. P. Hill
's Corps. With the rest of Heth's command, the 11th North Carolina participated in the July 1 fighting at the Battle of Gettysburg
. Leventhorpe was seriously wounded in fighting against the Iron Brigade
after flanking the 19th Indiana south of Herbst's Woods. He was wounded in the left arm, shattering the bone, and hip and was removed from the field. Leventhorpe was captured by Union cavalry during the retreat to Virginia. The Union surgeon tending to him detected that gangrene
had set in his wound and suggested amputation
but Leventhorpe refused, so submitted to allowing the surgeon to cauterize
the wound with nitric acid
and Leventhorpe refused anesthesia
, saying he "would have died, rather than let an enemy see that a Confederate Officer could not endure anything without a complaint." His arm discharged bone fragments for three months. He survived the operation, but was held at Fort McHenry
and Point Lookout for eight months before he was exchanged, with friends in England sending him money to purchase necessities while held in prison. After he was released, he resigned his commission with the 11th North Carolina and took command of one of the North Carolina Home Guard brigades tracking down deserters. He was later commissioned brigadier general of state troops and he defended the Roanoke River
, Fort Branch, and the Petersburg & Weldon Railroad
. His state generalship made him the Confederacy's only English born soldier to hold that rank. On February 18, 1865, he also became a Brigadier General in the Confederate ranks, but 3 weeks later he refused the appointment, choosing instead to remain in state service. His troops defended Raleigh
when Major General
William T. Sherman
marched through North Carolina. He and his men retreated to Greensboro
, where they surrendered on April 26, 1865.
and also traveled frequently to England. Leventhorpe was sympathetic to the Ku Klux Klan
during Radical Reconstruction, though no record exists of his joining the Klan. He eventually settled in Wilkes County, North Carolina
, where he died on December 1, 1889.
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
in the Confederate States Army
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...
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
Collett Leventhorpe was born May 15, 1815 to Thomas Leventhorpe and Mary Collett in ExmouthExmouth
Exmouth is a town in Devon. It may also refer to:Places*Exmouth Peninsula in Southern Chile*Exmouth, Western AustraliaPeople*Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth , a British naval officerShips...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Thomas died, probably of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
, about nine weeks after Collett's birth. Leventhorpe's ancestry could be traced back to the 14th century and was connected to royalty through marriage and service.
Leventhorpe studied at Winchester College
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
until the age of fourteen. For the next three years he was educated by a private tutor.
In 1832 Leventhorpe purchased the rank of ensign
Ensign
An ensign is a national flag when used at sea, in vexillology, or a distinguishing token, emblem, or badge, such as a symbol of office in heraldry...
in the 14th Regiment of Foot (the Buckinghamshire's), in the army of King William IV
William IV of the United Kingdom
William IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death...
. Leventhorpe was stationed in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
for the next three years. He purchased a lieutenancy on November 2, 1835, and was stationed in the British West Indies
British West Indies
The British West Indies was a term used to describe the islands in and around the Caribbean that were part of the British Empire The term was sometimes used to include British Honduras and British Guiana, even though these territories are not geographically part of the Caribbean...
. After several years of duty there he spent a year in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Leventhorpe reached the level of Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
of Grenadiers, on November 16, 1842. He then transferred to the 18th Regiment of Foot and on October 24, 1842 he sold his Captaincy in order to travel to South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
on business for an English company.
Antebellum life
In 1843, while on an extended holiday in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Leventhorpe traveled to Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...
, where he met his future wife, Louisa Bryan, daughter of General Edmund Bryan, of Rutherfordton, NC.
Leventhorpe entered the Medical College of Charleston 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...
. He graduated at the top of his class then married Louisa on April 1, 1849 and the couple made their home in Rutherfordton. Interestingly, Leventhorpe never practiced medicine. In 1849, Leventhorpe applied for and was granted United States citizenship
Citizenship
Citizenship is the state of being a citizen of a particular social, political, national, or human resource community. Citizenship status, under social contract theory, carries with it both rights and responsibilities...
.
Civil War
When North Carolina secededSecession
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:...
Leventhorpe offered his military services to his adopted state. His community standing and military background won him the rank 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...
in the 34th North Carolina Infantry. He spent the early months of the War drilling and disciplining the 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...
and by December he was given temporary command of 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...
. During the winter of 1861-62 he was at Fort Branch near Hamilton, North Carolina
Hamilton, North Carolina
Hamilton is a town in Martin County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 516 at the 2000 census. The current mayor is Gil Matthews.-Geography:Hamilton is located at ....
guarding the Roanoke River
Roanoke River
The Roanoke River is a river in southern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina in the United States, 410 mi long. A major river of the southeastern United States, it drains a largely rural area of the coastal plain from the eastern edge of the Appalachian Mountains southeast across the Piedmont...
and the Weldon Railroad Bridge
Wilmington and Weldon Railroad
Originally chartered in 1835 as the Wilmington and Raleigh Railroad, the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad name began use in 1855. At the time of its 1840 completion, the line was the longest railroad in the world with 161.5 miles of track...
. In April 1862 he was transferred to the 11th North Carolina, elected its colonel and was sent to the Atlantic coast to head the District of Wilmington. Later that year he manned the defenses along Virginia's Blackwater River. Returning to North Carolina in December, he led his troops impressively at the Battle of White Hall
Battle of White Hall
The Battle of White Hall, also called the Battle of White Hall Ferry, took place on December 15–16, 1862, in Wayne County, North Carolina, as part of the Union expedition to Goldsboro, North Carolina, during the American Civil War.-Battle:...
, which slowed Federals under Brigadier General John G. Foster
John G. Foster
John Gray Foster was a career military officer in the United States Army and a Union general during the American Civil War whose most distinguished services were in North and South Carolina. A postbellum expert in underwater demolition, he wrote the definitive treatise on the subject.-Early...
in their advance toward Goldsboro, North Carolina
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 mid-December, Leventhorpe's 11th North Carolina was attached to the brigade of Brig. Gen. J. Johnston Pettigrew
J. Johnston Pettigrew
James Johnston Pettigrew was an author, lawyer, linguist, diplomat, and a Confederate general in the American Civil War...
. During this period, Leventhorpe complained that he was being held back from higher command because of his foreign birth and lack of political connections, though he was offered a command in the cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
but declined it due to his lack of experience in that branch. After helping repulse an attack during the Siege of Washington
Battle of Washington
The Battle of Washington took place from March 30 to April 19, 1863, in Beaufort County, North Carolina, as part of Confederate Lt. Gen. James Longstreet's Tidewater operations during the American Civil War.-Background:...
, in April 1863, Pettigrew's Brigade joined General 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 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...
for the Gettysburg Campaign
Gettysburg Campaign
The Gettysburg Campaign was a series of battles fought in June and July 1863, during the American Civil War. After his victory in the Battle of Chancellorsville, Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia moved north for offensive operations in Maryland and Pennsylvania. The...
as part of Major General
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...
Henry Heth
Henry Heth
Henry "Harry" Heth was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate general in the American Civil War. He is best remembered for inadvertently precipitating the Battle of Gettysburg, when he sent some of his troops of the Army of Northern Virginia to the small Pennsylvania village,...
's division in Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General (United States)
In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...
A. P. Hill
A. P. Hill
Ambrose Powell Hill, Jr. , was a career U.S. Army officer in the Mexican-American War and Seminole Wars and a Confederate general in the American Civil War...
's Corps. With the rest of Heth's command, the 11th North Carolina participated in the July 1 fighting at the Battle of 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...
. Leventhorpe was seriously wounded in fighting against the Iron Brigade
Iron Brigade
The Iron Brigade, also known as the Iron Brigade of the West or the Black Hat Brigade, was an infantry brigade in the Union Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War. Although it fought entirely in the Eastern Theater, it was composed of regiments from Western states...
after flanking the 19th Indiana south of Herbst's Woods. He was wounded in the left arm, shattering the bone, and hip and was removed from the field. Leventhorpe was captured by Union cavalry during the retreat to Virginia. The Union surgeon tending to him detected that gangrene
Gangrene
Gangrene is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that arises when a considerable mass of body tissue dies . This may occur after an injury or infection, or in people suffering from any chronic health problem affecting blood circulation. The primary cause of gangrene is reduced blood...
had set in his wound and suggested amputation
Amputation
Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma, prolonged constriction, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on individuals as a preventative surgery for...
but Leventhorpe refused, so submitted to allowing the surgeon to cauterize
Cauterize
Cauterize was an alternative rock band from Canada, active from 1995 to 2007.In 2003, Cauterize’s first single Something Beautiful was released, with its only music video, was broadcast on the web site muchloud.com...
the wound with nitric acid
Nitric acid
Nitric acid , also known as aqua fortis and spirit of nitre, is a highly corrosive and toxic strong acid.Colorless when pure, older samples tend to acquire a yellow cast due to the accumulation of oxides of nitrogen. If the solution contains more than 86% nitric acid, it is referred to as fuming...
and Leventhorpe refused anesthesia
Anesthesia
Anesthesia, or anaesthesia , traditionally meant the condition of having sensation blocked or temporarily taken away...
, saying he "would have died, rather than let an enemy see that a Confederate Officer could not endure anything without a complaint." His arm discharged bone fragments for three months. He survived the operation, but was held at Fort McHenry
Fort McHenry
Fort McHenry, in Baltimore, Maryland, is a star-shaped fort best known for its role in the War of 1812, when it successfully defended Baltimore Harbor from an attack by the British navy in Chesapeake Bay...
and Point Lookout for eight months before he was exchanged, with friends in England sending him money to purchase necessities while held in prison. After he was released, he resigned his commission with the 11th North Carolina and took command of one of the North Carolina Home Guard brigades tracking down deserters. He was later commissioned brigadier general of state troops and he defended the Roanoke River
Roanoke River
The Roanoke River is a river in southern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina in the United States, 410 mi long. A major river of the southeastern United States, it drains a largely rural area of the coastal plain from the eastern edge of the Appalachian Mountains southeast across the Piedmont...
, Fort Branch, and the Petersburg & Weldon Railroad
Petersburg Railroad
Petersburg Railroad was chartered in 1830 and opened in 1833. It ran from Petersburg, Virginia south to Garysburg, North Carolina, from which it ran to Weldon via trackage rights over the Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad...
. His state generalship made him the Confederacy's only English born soldier to hold that rank. On February 18, 1865, he also became a Brigadier General in the Confederate ranks, but 3 weeks later he refused the appointment, choosing instead to remain in state service. His troops defended Raleigh
Raleigh, 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...
when Major General
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...
William T. Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman was an American soldier, businessman, educator and author. He served as a General in the Union Army during the American Civil War , for which he received recognition for his outstanding command of military strategy as well as criticism for the harshness of the "scorched...
marched through North Carolina. He and his men retreated to Greensboro
Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...
, where they surrendered on April 26, 1865.
Post-War career
After the war, Leventhorpe was involved in several business enterprises and politics following the War. He and his wife moved to 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 also traveled frequently to England. Leventhorpe was sympathetic to the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
during Radical Reconstruction, though no record exists of his joining the Klan. He eventually settled in Wilkes County, North Carolina
Wilkes County, North Carolina
Wilkes County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The 2000 U.S. Census listed the county's population at 65,632; the 2010 U.S. Census listed the population at 69,340...
, where he died on December 1, 1889.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals