Edmund Pettus
Encyclopedia
Edmund Winston Pettus was an American
lawyer, soldier, and legislator. He served as a Confederate
general during the American Civil War
, during which he was captured three times, as well as a U.S. Senator
after the war.
The Edmund Pettus Bridge
, spanning over the Alabama River
and after 1965 a civil rights
landmark, was named in his honor.
. He was a son of John Pettus and Alice Taylor Winston, brother of John J. Pettus
, and a distant cousin of Jefferson Davis
. Pettus was educated in local public schools, and later graduated from Clinton College
located in Smith County, Tennessee.
Pettus then studied law in Tuscumbia, Alabama
, and was admitted to the state's bar association
in 1842. Shortly afterward he settled in Gainesville
and began practicing as a lawyer. On June 27, 1844, Pettus married Mary L. Chapman, with which he would have three children. Also that year he was elected solicitor for the seventh Judicial Circuit of Alabama.
During the Mexican–American War
in 1847–49, Pettus served as a lieutenant
with the Alabama Volunteers, and after hostilities he moved to California
. By 1853 he had returned to Alabama, serving again in the seventh circuit as solicitor. He was appointed a judge in that circuit in 1855 until resigning in 1858. Pettus then relocated to the now extinct town of Cahaba
in Dallas County, Alabama
, where he again took up work as a lawyer.
's major
, and on October 8 he became its lieutenant colonel
.
From then on Pettus served in the Western Theater of the American Civil War
. During the Stones River Campaign
, he was captured by Union soldiers
on December 29, 1862. He was exchanged a short time later, and was captured again on May 1, 1863. At the time Pettus was part of the surrendered garrison that had been defending Port Gibson
in Mississippi, however he managed to escape and return to his own lines. He was promoted to colonel
on May 28, and given command of the 20th Alabama.
During the 1863 Vicksburg Campaign
, Pettus and his regiment was part of the force defending Confederate control of the Mississippi River
. When the garrison was surrendered on July 4, Pettus was again captured, and would be a prisoner until his exchange on September 12. Six days later he was promoted to the rank of brigadier general, and on November 3 he was given brigade
command in the Army of Tennessee
. Pettus and his brigade participated in the Chattanooga Campaign
, posted on the extreme southern slope of Missionary Ridge
on November 24, and fought during the action the following day.
Pettus and his command took part in the 1864 Atlanta Campaign
, fighting in the battles of Kennesaw Mountain
on June 27, Atlanta
on July 22, and Jonesborough
from August 31 to September 1. Beginning on December 17, he temporarily led a division
in the Army of Tennessee. Afterward during the 1865 Carolinas Campaign
, Pettus was sent to defend Columbia
, South Carolina, and participated in the Battle of Bentonville
from March 19–21. Pettus was wounded in this fight, hit in his right leg during the battle's first day. On May 2 he was paroled from Salisbury, North Carolina
, and was pardoned by the U.S. Government on October 20.
. On March 4, 1897, he was elected to the U.S. Senate, and was re-elected in 1903. Pettus was serving this term when he died at Hot Springs, North Carolina
, in the summer of 1907. His body was brought back to Alabama and was buried in Live Oak Cemetery located in Selma.
Pettus has been described by military historian Ezra J. Warner as "a fearless and dogged fighter and distinguished himself on many fields in the western theater of war." and after his promotion to a general officer "he followed with conspicuous bravery every forlorn hope which the Confederacy offered..." Likewise historian Jon L. Wakelyn summed up his military career by saying "..he volunteered for service in the Confederate Army and distinguished himself in the western command."
As a U.S. Senator, Pettus was "the last of the Confederate brigadiers to sit in the upper house of the national Congress."
The Edmund Pettus Bridge
in Selma became a civil rights landmark when on March 7, 1965, a band of civil rights marchers on their way to Montgomery
crossed the bridge, only to be attacked by state troopers on the other side. This event has since been called Bloody Sunday.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer, soldier, and legislator. 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...
, during which he was captured three times, as well as a U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
after the war.
The Edmund Pettus Bridge
Edmund Pettus Bridge
The Edmund Pettus Bridge is a bridge that carries U.S. Highway 80 across the Alabama River in Selma, Alabama. Built in 1940, it is named for Edmund Winston Pettus, a former Confederate brigadier general and U.S. Senator from Alabama. The bridge is a steel through arch bridge with a central span of...
, spanning over the Alabama River
Alabama River
The Alabama River, in the U.S. state of Alabama, is formed by the Tallapoosa and Coosa rivers, which unite about north of Montgomery.The river flows west to Selma, then southwest until, about from Mobile, it unites with the Tombigbee, forming the Mobile and Tensaw rivers, which discharge into...
and after 1965 a civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
landmark, was named in his honor.
Early life and career
Edmund W. Pettus was born in 1821 in Limestone County, AlabamaLimestone County, Alabama
Limestone County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is included in the Huntsville Metropolitan Area.It is also included in the merged Huntsville-Decatur Metro Area. Its name comes from Limestone Creek, a local stream. In 2000, the population was 65,676. As of 2010 the county's...
. He was a son of John Pettus and Alice Taylor Winston, brother of John J. Pettus
John J. Pettus
John Jones Pettus was a United States politician. A member of the Democratic party, he was Governor of the state of Mississippi from January 5, 1854 to January 10, 1854, and later was elected to a full term, from 21 November 1859 - 16 November 1863...
, and a distant cousin of 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...
. Pettus was educated in local public schools, and later graduated from Clinton College
Clinton College (Tennessee)
Clinton College was a college in New Middleton, Smith County, Tennessee. The original Porter's Hill Academy was formed in 1830 and then reorganized as Clinton College in 1833-4. Its main teacher was Francis Haynes Gordon. The school had failed by February 1842....
located in Smith County, Tennessee.
Pettus then studied law in Tuscumbia, Alabama
Tuscumbia, Alabama
Tuscumbia is a city in and the county seat of Colbert County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 8,423 and is included in The Shoals MSA....
, and was admitted to the state's bar association
Bar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
in 1842. Shortly afterward he settled in Gainesville
Gainesville, Alabama
Gainesville is a town in Sumter County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 220.-Geography:Gainesville is located at .According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....
and began practicing as a lawyer. On June 27, 1844, Pettus married Mary L. Chapman, with which he would have three children. Also that year he was elected solicitor for the seventh Judicial Circuit of Alabama.
During the Mexican–American 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...
in 1847–49, Pettus served as a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
with the Alabama Volunteers, and after hostilities he moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. By 1853 he had returned to Alabama, serving again in the seventh circuit as solicitor. He was appointed a judge in that circuit in 1855 until resigning in 1858. Pettus then relocated to the now extinct town of Cahaba
Cahaba, Alabama
Cahaba, also spelled Cahawba, was the first permanent state capital of Alabama from 1820 to 1825. It is now a ghost town and state historic site. The site is located in Dallas County, southwest of Selma.-Capital:...
in Dallas County, Alabama
Dallas County, Alabama
Dallas County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of United States Secretary of the Treasury Alexander J. Dallas. The county seat is Selma.- History :...
, where he again took up work as a lawyer.
Civil War service
In 1861 Pettus chose to follow the Confederate cause. He was chosen as a delegate to the secession convention in Mississippi, where his brother John was serving as governor. Pettus then help organize the 20th Alabama Infantry, and was elected as one of its first officers. On September 9 he was made the regimentRegiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
's 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...
, and on October 8 he became its lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
.
From then on Pettus served in the Western Theater of the American Civil War
Western Theater of the American Civil War
This article presents an overview of major military and naval operations in the Western Theater of the American Civil War.-Theater of operations:...
. During the Stones River Campaign
Battle of Stones River
The Battle of Stones River or Second Battle of Murfreesboro , was fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863, in Middle Tennessee, as the culmination of the Stones River Campaign in the Western Theater of the American Civil War...
, he was captured by Union soldiers
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...
on December 29, 1862. He was exchanged a short time later, and was captured again on May 1, 1863. At the time Pettus was part of the surrendered garrison that had been defending Port Gibson
Battle of Port Gibson
The Battle of Port Gibson was fought near Port Gibson, Mississippi, on May 1, 1863, between Union and Confederate forces during the Vicksburg Campaign of the American Civil War. The Union Army was led by Maj. Gen. Ulysses S...
in Mississippi, however he managed to escape and return to his own lines. He 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...
on May 28, and given command of the 20th Alabama.
Vicksburg Campaign
The Vicksburg Campaign was a series of maneuvers and battles in the Western Theater of the American Civil War directed against Vicksburg, Mississippi, a fortress city that dominated the last Confederate-controlled section of the Mississippi River. The Union Army of the Tennessee under Maj. Gen....
, Pettus and his regiment was part of the force defending Confederate control of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. When the garrison was surrendered on July 4, Pettus was again captured, and would be a prisoner until his exchange on September 12. Six days later he was promoted to the rank of brigadier general, and on November 3 he was given 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...
command in the Army of Tennessee
Army of Tennessee
The Army of Tennessee was the principal Confederate army operating between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River during the American Civil War. It was formed in late 1862 and fought until the end of the war in 1865, participating in most of the significant battles in the Western Theater...
. Pettus and his brigade participated in the Chattanooga Campaign
Chattanooga Campaign
The Chattanooga Campaign was a series of maneuvers and battles in October and November 1863, during the American Civil War. Following the defeat of Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans's Union Army of the Cumberland at the Battle of Chickamauga in September, the Confederate Army of Tennessee under Gen...
, posted on the extreme southern slope of Missionary Ridge
Battle of Missionary Ridge
The Battle of Missionary Ridge was fought November 25, 1863, as part of the Chattanooga Campaign of the American Civil War. Following the Union victory in the Battle of Lookout Mountain on November 24, Union forces under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant assaulted Missionary Ridge and defeated the...
on November 24, and fought during the action the following day.
Pettus and his command took part in the 1864 Atlanta Campaign
Atlanta Campaign
The Atlanta Campaign was a series of battles fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta during the summer of 1864. Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman invaded Georgia from the vicinity of Chattanooga, Tennessee, beginning in May...
, fighting in the battles of Kennesaw Mountain
Battle of Kennesaw Mountain
The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain was fought on June 27, 1864, during the Atlanta Campaign of the American Civil War. It was the most significant frontal assault launched by Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman against the Confederate Army of Tennessee under Gen. Joseph E...
on June 27, Atlanta
Battle of Atlanta
The Battle of Atlanta was a battle of the Atlanta Campaign fought during the American Civil War on July 22, 1864, just southeast of Atlanta, Georgia. Continuing their summer campaign to seize the important rail and supply center of Atlanta, Union forces commanded by William T. Sherman overwhelmed...
on July 22, and Jonesborough
Battle of Jonesborough
-Further reading:...
from August 31 to September 1. Beginning on December 17, he temporarily led a division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
in the Army of Tennessee. Afterward during the 1865 Carolinas Campaign
Carolinas Campaign
The Carolinas Campaign was the final campaign in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. In January 1865, Union Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman advanced north from Savannah, Georgia, through the Carolinas, with the intention of linking up with Union forces in Virginia. The defeat of ...
, Pettus was sent to defend Columbia
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...
, South Carolina, and participated in the Battle of Bentonville
Battle of Bentonville
At 3 p.m., Confederate infantry from the Army of Tennessee launched an attack and drove the Union left flank back in confusion, nearly capturing Carlin in the process and overrunning the XIV Corps field hospital. Confederates under Maj. Gen. D.H. Hill filled the vacuum left by the retreating...
from March 19–21. Pettus was wounded in this fight, hit in his right leg during the battle's first day. On May 2 he was paroled from Salisbury, North Carolina
Salisbury, North Carolina
Salisbury is a city in Rowan County in North Carolina, a state of the United States of America. The population was 33,663 in the 2010 Census . It is the county seat of Rowan County...
, and was pardoned by the U.S. Government on October 20.
Postbellum career and legacy
After the war, Pettus returned to Alabama and resumed his law practice in SelmaSelma, Alabama
Selma is a city in and the county seat of Dallas County, Alabama, United States, located on the banks of the Alabama River. The population was 20,512 at the 2000 census....
. On March 4, 1897, he was elected to the U.S. Senate, and was re-elected in 1903. Pettus was serving this term when he died at Hot Springs, North Carolina
Hot Springs, North Carolina
Hot Springs is a town in Madison County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 645 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Hot Springs is located at ....
, in the summer of 1907. His body was brought back to Alabama and was buried in Live Oak Cemetery located in Selma.
As a U.S. Senator, Pettus was "the last of the Confederate brigadiers to sit in the upper house of the national Congress."
The Edmund Pettus Bridge
Edmund Pettus Bridge
The Edmund Pettus Bridge is a bridge that carries U.S. Highway 80 across the Alabama River in Selma, Alabama. Built in 1940, it is named for Edmund Winston Pettus, a former Confederate brigadier general and U.S. Senator from Alabama. The bridge is a steel through arch bridge with a central span of...
in Selma became a civil rights landmark when on March 7, 1965, a band of civil rights marchers on their way to Montgomery
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...
crossed the bridge, only to be attacked by state troopers on the other side. This event has since been called Bloody Sunday.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals