Colton Greene
Encyclopedia
Colton Greene was an American businessman and soldier. He served as a Confederate
general during the American Civil War
, mostly leading cavalry
units. After the war he perused several successful civic projects and public functions in Tennessee
.
, where he was involved in politics with the state's Democratic Party. Greene was a wealthy and successful wholesale grocer in St. Louis by 1860. Also that year Greene became a partner in the St. Louis firm of Hoyt & Co.
, Greene was active in the pro-secession movement in the border state of Missouri just before the American Civil War began. He was assigned as an aide-de-camp
to Governor Claiborne Fox Jackson
in 1861, and helped him to coordinate the activities of the secessionists.
Greene was appointed a captain in the Missouri State Guard
in 1861, and was sent by Jackson along with Capt. Basil W. Duke
to Montgomery, Alabama
, (then capital of the Confederacy) to ask the recently-elected Confederate President
Jefferson Davis
for artillery. It was hoped these guns could be used to attack the Federal
arsenal in St. Louis, however the captains arrived with their artillery too late to help in the effort, and the cannon were captured by Union
troops. Despite this setback, Greene soon afterwards aided Gov. Jackson to drill recruits that had gathered in Jefferson City
, as well as missions that summer into Arkansas
and to Richmond, Virginia
, to seek support for invading and reclaiming Missouri, now increasingly under Union control.
On August 10, 1861, Greene saw his first combat when he served on the staff of Brig. Gen. James H. McBride
during the Battle of Wilson's Creek
near Springfield, Missouri
. On October 28, Greene was appointed colonel
in the Missouri State Guard and assigned as assistant adjutant
to the Confederate 7th District in Missouri, commanded by McBride. When that commander fell ill in early 1862, Greene was ordered to lead the district, which he re-organized into a brigade
consisting of two volunteer regiments. His brigade participated in the Confederate defeat during the Battle of Pea Ridge
on March 7–8 near Bentonville, Arkansas
. In the battle, Greene's command was part of Maj. Gen. Sterling Price
's Division in Maj. Gen. Earl Van Dorn
's army. Sometime during 1861, Greene was also appointed a brigadier general in the Missouri State Guard.
After the fight at Pea Ridge, Greene accompanied Price's force into Mississippi that spring. He requested and received permission to re-enter Missouri to gather recruits, and by the fall he had collected and trained a mounted force. Named the 3rd Missouri Cavalry, Greene was appointed its colonel in the regular Confederate Army on November 4, 1862. Greene led the 3rd Missouri (part of Gen. John S. Marmaduke
's division of the Army of the West) at the Battle of Clark's Mill
on November 7 at Vera Cruz, located about ten miles southeast of Ava
in Douglas County, Missouri
.
In 1863, Greene led Marmaduke's cavalry brigade (including the 3rd Missouri) during the Union victory at the Battle of Helena
in Phillips County, Arkansas, on July 4. Green then participated during the battles of the 1864 Red River Campaign
in the Trans-Mississippi Theater
. He fought in the Camden Expedition
and the Battle of Poison Spring
around Lee Plantation, about 10 miles from Camden, Arkansas
, on April 18, 1864. His command was in reserve in the action and entered a hole in the Confederate line that was caused by Union artillery fire. Greene plugged that hole and sealed the victory, routing the remaining Union defensive line. This fight is noted for accusations of the murdering of wounded Federal United States Colored Troops
as they surrendered, left behind when the Union forces retreated.
Greene led his brigade (part of Marmaduke's Division in Edmund Kirby Smith
's Army of Arkansas
) during the Battle of Jenkins' Ferry
in Grant County, Arkansas, on April 30, 1864. In the Confederate loss, Greene reported a casualty total of 50; seven dead and 43 wounded. During the time Green was leading a brigade in 1864 he was an acting brigadier general in the Confederate States Army.
On June 6, 1864, Greene fought during the Battle of Old River Lake
in Chicot County, Arkansas
. At Ditch Bayou Greene attempted unsuccessfully to delay Union forces that were approaching Lake Village
, and then he withdrew to nearby Parker's Landing. Total Confederate casualties in the loss, including Greene's soldiers, was reportedly 100 men. Later that summer Greene was arrested and charged with disobeying orders, accused of failing to surrender his mules to the Confederate government. In the ensuing court-martial
that fall, he was exonerated of the charges and returned to his command. After the trial, Greene fought during Sterling Price's unsuccessful 1864 Missouri Expedition, better known as Price's Raid
. Marmaduke had been promoted and his brigade went to Brig. Gen. John B. Clark
, leaving Greene to lead the 3rd Missouri Cavalry once more. When Clark was given divisional command after the raid, Greene again led a brigade.
, and others had seized his business interests and property, leaving Greene in poverty. He then moved to Memphis, Tennessee
, to rebuild, taking up work as a banker and an insurance agent for Memphis office of the Knickerbocker Life insurance Co. of New York. Greene established his own insurance firm in 1871 and soon prospered. He then founded the State Savings Bank of Memphis, as well as organizing support in 1886 for the city's first municipal waterworks with the publication of the Report on a Public Water Supply for the City of Memphis, February 23, 1886, which he edited. Greene arranged the first Memphis Mardi Gras (described as "highly successful") and also helped found the Memphis Public Library.
Greene died in Memphis in the fall of 1900, and was buried there in Elmwood Cemetery
.
Print
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...
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...
, mostly leading 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...
units. After the war he perused several successful civic projects and public functions in Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
.
Early life and career
Colton Greene (real name possibly George Colton Greene) was born July 7, 1833 in SC, according to his postwar application for a passport. Little is known of his parents or education, and he reportedly never married nor would discuss his past with anyone. One story, current in Memphis at the time, has it that he killed a man in South Carolina, and then came west. By 1857 he was living in St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, where he was involved in politics with the state's Democratic Party. Greene was a wealthy and successful wholesale grocer in St. Louis by 1860. Also that year Greene became a partner in the St. Louis firm of Hoyt & Co.
Civil War service
Choosing 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...
, Greene was active in the pro-secession movement in the border state of Missouri just before the American Civil War began. He was assigned as an aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to Governor Claiborne Fox Jackson
Claiborne Fox Jackson
Claiborne Fox Jackson was a lawyer, soldier, and Democratic politician from Missouri. He was the 15th Governor of Missouri in 1861, then governor-in-exile for the Confederacy during the American Civil War.-Early life:...
in 1861, and helped him to coordinate the activities of the secessionists.
Greene was appointed a captain in the Missouri State Guard
Missouri State Guard
The Missouri State Guard was a state militia organized in the state of Missouri during the early days of the American Civil War. While not initially a formal part of the Confederate States Army, the State Guard fought alongside Confederate troops and, at times, under regular Confederate...
in 1861, and was sent by Jackson along with Capt. Basil W. Duke
Basil W. Duke
Basil Wilson Duke was a Confederate general officer during the American Civil War. His most noted service in the war was as second-in-command for his brother-in-law John Hunt Morgan; Duke would later write a popular account of Morgan's most famous raid: 1863's Morgan's Raid...
to Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
, (then capital of the Confederacy) to ask the recently-elected 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...
for artillery. It was hoped these guns could be used to attack the Federal
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
arsenal in St. Louis, however the captains arrived with their artillery too late to help in the effort, and the cannon were captured by Union
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...
troops. Despite this setback, Greene soon afterwards aided Gov. Jackson to drill recruits that had gathered in Jefferson City
Jefferson City, Missouri
Jefferson City is the capital of the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Cole County. Located in Callaway and Cole counties, it is the principal city of the Jefferson City metropolitan area, which encompasses the entirety of both counties. As of the 2010 census, the population was 43,079...
, as well as missions that summer into Arkansas
Arkansas in the American Civil War
The state of Arkansas was a part of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War, and provided a source of troops, supplies, and military and political leaders for the fledgling country. Arkansas had become the 25th state of the United States, on June 15, 1836, entering as a...
and to Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, 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...
, to seek support for invading and reclaiming Missouri, now increasingly under Union control.
On August 10, 1861, Greene saw his first combat when he served on the staff of Brig. Gen. James H. McBride
James H. McBride
James Haggin McBride was an American businessman, lawyer, banker, judge, legislator, and soldier. He served as a Confederate general during the American Civil War, dying in the conflict from pneumonia in 1864.-Early life and career:...
during 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...
near Springfield, Missouri
Springfield, Missouri
Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of...
. On October 28, Greene was appointed 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 the Missouri State Guard and assigned as assistant adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
to the Confederate 7th District in Missouri, commanded by McBride. When that commander fell ill in early 1862, Greene was ordered to lead the district, which he re-organized into 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...
consisting of two volunteer regiments. His brigade participated in the Confederate defeat during the Battle of Pea Ridge
Battle of Pea Ridge
The Battle of Pea Ridge was a land battle of the American Civil War, fought on March 6–8, 1862, at Pea Ridge in northwest Arkansas, near Garfield. In the battle, Union forces led by Brig. Gen. Samuel R. Curtis defeated Confederate troops under Maj. Gen. Earl Van Dorn. The outcome of the...
on March 7–8 near Bentonville, Arkansas
Bentonville, Arkansas
Bentonville, Arkansas is a city in Northwest Bahamas, and county seat of Benton County, Arkansas, United States The population was 35,301 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Fayetteville–Springdale–Rogers, AR-MO Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. In the battle, Greene's command was part of Maj. Gen. Sterling Price
Sterling Price
Sterling Price was a lawyer, planter, and politician from the U.S. state of Missouri, who served as the 11th Governor of the state from 1853 to 1857. He also served as a United States Army brigadier general during the Mexican-American War, and a Confederate Army major general in the American Civil...
's Division in Maj. Gen. Earl Van Dorn
Earl Van Dorn
Earl Van Dorn was a career United States Army officer, fighting with distinction during the Mexican-American War and against several tribes of Native Americans...
's army. Sometime during 1861, Greene was also appointed a brigadier general in the Missouri State Guard.
After the fight at Pea Ridge, Greene accompanied Price's force into Mississippi that spring. He requested and received permission to re-enter Missouri to gather recruits, and by the fall he had collected and trained a mounted force. Named the 3rd Missouri Cavalry, Greene was appointed its colonel in the regular Confederate Army on November 4, 1862. Greene led the 3rd Missouri (part of Gen. John S. Marmaduke
John S. Marmaduke
John Sappington Marmaduke was a career military man and a West Point graduate. He is known for his service as a Confederate Major general during the American Civil War...
's division of the Army of the West) at the Battle of Clark's Mill
Battle of Clark's Mill
The Battle of Clark's Mill was a battle of the American Civil War, occurring on November 7, 1862 in Douglas County, Missouri.Having received reports that Confederate troops were in the area, Capt. Hiram E. Barstow, Union commander at Clark's Mill, sent a detachment toward Gainesville and he led...
on November 7 at Vera Cruz, located about ten miles southeast of Ava
Ava, Missouri
Ava is the only incorporated city in Douglas County, Missouri, United States. The population was 2,993 at the 2010 census. Ava is the county seat of Douglas County. The city was founded in 1871 and was named Ava in 1881 after being renamed from the town's original name, Militia...
in Douglas County, Missouri
Douglas County, Missouri
Douglas County is a county located in South Central Missouri in the United States. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the county's population was 13,684. The largest city and county seat is Ava. The county was officially organized on October 29, 1857, and is named after U.S. Senator Stephen A...
.
In 1863, Greene led Marmaduke's cavalry brigade (including the 3rd Missouri) during the Union victory at the Battle of Helena
Battle of Helena
The Battle of Helena was a land battle of the American Civil War fought on July 4, 1863, at Helena, Arkansas. Overshadowed by the battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg, the Battle of Helena secured eastern Arkansas for the Union.- Union forces :...
in Phillips County, Arkansas, on July 4. Green then participated during the battles of the 1864 Red River Campaign
Red River Campaign
The Red River Campaign or Red River Expedition consisted of a series of battles fought along the Red River in Louisiana during the American Civil War from March 10 to May 22, 1864. The campaign was a Union initiative, fought between approximately 30,000 Union troops under the command of Maj. Gen....
in the Trans-Mississippi Theater
Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War
The Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War was the major military and naval operations west of the Mississippi River. The area excluded the states and territories bordering the Pacific Ocean, which formed the Pacific Coast Theater of the American Civil War.The campaign classification...
. He fought in the Camden Expedition
Camden Expedition
The Camden Expedition was a military campaign in southern and central Arkansas during the American Civil War. It involved Union forces stationed at Little Rock and Fort Smith under the command of Major General Frederick Steele...
and the Battle of Poison Spring
Battle of Poison Spring
The Battle of Poison Spring was fought during the American Civil War on April 18, 1864, in Ouachita County, Arkansas as part of the Camden Expedition.-Opposing forces:Dwindling supplies for his army at Camden, Arkansas forced Union Army Maj. Gen...
around Lee Plantation, about 10 miles from Camden, Arkansas
Camden, Arkansas
Camden is a city in and the county seat of Ouachita County in the southern part of the U.S. state of Arkansas. Long an area of American Indians villages, the French also made a permanent settlement here because of its advantageous location above the Ouachita River. According to 2007 Census...
, on April 18, 1864. His command was in reserve in the action and entered a hole in the Confederate line that was caused by Union artillery fire. Greene plugged that hole and sealed the victory, routing the remaining Union defensive line. This fight is noted for accusations of the murdering of wounded Federal United States Colored Troops
United States Colored Troops
The United States Colored Troops were regiments of the United States Army during the American Civil War that were composed of African American soldiers. First recruited in 1863, by the end of the Civil War, the men of the 175 regiments of the USCT constituted approximately one-tenth of the Union...
as they surrendered, left behind when the Union forces retreated.
Edmund Kirby Smith
Edmund Kirby Smith was a career United States Army officer and educator. He served as a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, notable for his command of the Trans-Mississippi Department of the Confederacy after the fall of Vicksburg.After the conflict ended Smith...
's Army of Arkansas
Army of Arkansas
The Army of Arkansas was a Union Army that served in the Trans-Mississippi Theater during the American Civil War. This force functioned exclusively in the state of Arkansas.-History:...
) during the Battle of Jenkins' Ferry
Battle of Jenkins' Ferry
The Battle of Jenkins' Ferry was fought April 30, 1864, in Grant County, Arkansas during the American Civil War. It was the climactic battle of the Camden Expedition, which was a part of the Union Army’s failed Red River Campaign. Each side sustained a large number of casualties, especially...
in Grant County, Arkansas, on April 30, 1864. In the Confederate loss, Greene reported a casualty total of 50; seven dead and 43 wounded. During the time Green was leading a brigade in 1864 he was an acting brigadier general in the Confederate States Army.
On June 6, 1864, Greene fought during the Battle of Old River Lake
Battle of Old River Lake
The Battle of Old River Lake was a small skirmish between U.S. Army troops and Confederate troops from June 5 to June 6, 1864, during the American Civil War. A Union Army force marched into Confederate-held lands in Chicot County, Arkansas...
in Chicot County, Arkansas
Chicot County, Arkansas
Chicot County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2010, the population is 11,800. The county seat is Lake Village. Chicot County is Arkansas's tenth county, formed on October 25, 1823, and named after Point Chicot on the Mississippi River.Landmarks around the county include...
. At Ditch Bayou Greene attempted unsuccessfully to delay Union forces that were approaching Lake Village
Lake Village, Arkansas
Lake Village is a city in Chicot County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 2,823 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Chicot County.Lake Village is named for its location on Lake Chicot, an oxbow lake formed from the Mississippi River...
, and then he withdrew to nearby Parker's Landing. Total Confederate casualties in the loss, including Greene's soldiers, was reportedly 100 men. Later that summer Greene was arrested and charged with disobeying orders, accused of failing to surrender his mules to the Confederate government. In the ensuing court-martial
Court-martial
A court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...
that fall, he was exonerated of the charges and returned to his command. After the trial, Greene fought during Sterling Price's unsuccessful 1864 Missouri Expedition, better known as Price's Raid
Price's Raid
Price's Missouri Expedition, also known as Price's Raid, was an 1864 Confederate cavalry raid through the states of Missouri and Kansas during the American Civil War. While Confederate Major General Sterling Price enjoyed some successes during this campaign, he was decisively beaten at the Battle...
. Marmaduke had been promoted and his brigade went to Brig. Gen. John B. Clark
John Bullock Clark, Jr.
John Bullock Clark, Jr. was a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War and a postbellum five-term U.S. Congressman from Missouri.-Biography:...
, leaving Greene to lead the 3rd Missouri Cavalry once more. When Clark was given divisional command after the raid, Greene again led a brigade.
Postbellum
When the war ended in 1865, Green returned to his life in St. Louis. There he found that his former partner, Stephen HoytStephen Hoyt
Stephen Hoyt was the 26th mayor of New Orleans ....
, and others had seized his business interests and property, leaving Greene in poverty. He then moved to Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, to rebuild, taking up work as a banker and an insurance agent for Memphis office of the Knickerbocker Life insurance Co. of New York. Greene established his own insurance firm in 1871 and soon prospered. He then founded the State Savings Bank of Memphis, as well as organizing support in 1886 for the city's first municipal waterworks with the publication of the Report on a Public Water Supply for the City of Memphis, February 23, 1886, which he edited. Greene arranged the first Memphis Mardi Gras (described as "highly successful") and also helped found the Memphis Public Library.
Greene died in Memphis in the fall of 1900, and was buried there in Elmwood Cemetery
Elmwood Cemetery (Memphis, Tennessee)
Historic Elmwood Cemetery is the oldest active cemetery in Memphis, Tennessee. It was established in 1852 as one of the first rural garden cemeteries in the South.-Origins:...
.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals
- Allardice, Bruce S., Confederate Colonels, University of Missouri Press, 2008.
- Allardice, Bruce S., More Generals in Gray, Louisiana State University Press, 1995, ISBN 0-8071-3148-2.
- Eicher(1), David J.David J. EicherDavid John Eicher is an American editor, writer, and popularizer of astronomy and space. He has been editor-in-chief of Astronomy magazine since 2002...
, The Longest Night: A Military History of the Civil War, Simon & Schuster, 2001, ISBN 0-684-84944-5. - Eicher(2), John H., and Eicher, David J., Civil War High Commands, Stanford University Press, 2001, ISBN 0-8047-3641-3.
Online
- www.nps.gov National Park ServiceNational Park ServiceThe National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
description of the Battle of Old River Lake. - civilwarlandscapes.org Civil War Landscapes casualties from the Battle of Jenkins' Ferry.
- www.watersheds.org Watersheds site description of the Battle of Clark's Mill.