Elisha Hunt Rhodes
Encyclopedia
Elisha Hunt Rhodes served in the Union
Army of the Potomac
during the American Civil War
. Rhodes' illustrative diary of his war service was quoted prominently in Ken Burns
' PBS documentary The Civil War
.
, to Captain Elisha H. and Eliza A. Chase. He had several sisters and two brothers. At age 14, Rhodes went to a business academy. His father drowned when his schooner Worcester was sunk by a hurricane on December 10, 1858 and was buried on Linyards Cay, Abaco in the Bahamas.
in Company D of the 2nd Rhode Island Volunteer Infantry to colonel
of the regiment
.
in Providence. Rhodes died in Providence on January 14, 1917; he and his wife are now buried at Swan Point Cemetery there.
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...
Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
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...
. Rhodes' illustrative diary of his war service was quoted prominently in Ken Burns
Ken Burns
Kenneth Lauren "Ken" Burns is an American director and producer of documentary films, known for his style of using archival footage and photographs...
' PBS documentary The Civil War
The Civil War (documentary)
The Civil War is a documentary film created by Ken Burns about the American Civil War. It was first broadcast on PBS on five consecutive nights from Sunday, September 23 to Thursday, September 27, 1990. Forty million viewers watched it during its initial broadcast, making it the most-watched...
.
Early life
Rhodes was born in Providence, Rhode IslandProvidence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, to Captain Elisha H. and Eliza A. Chase. He had several sisters and two brothers. At age 14, Rhodes went to a business academy. His father drowned when his schooner Worcester was sunk by a hurricane on December 10, 1858 and was buried on Linyards Cay, Abaco in the Bahamas.
Civil War
Rhodes enlisted in the war with his mother's permission. At first he believed war to be an adventure. During the Civil War, he advanced from privatePrivate (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
in Company D of the 2nd Rhode Island Volunteer Infantry to 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...
of 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...
.
Postbellum career
After the war, he became a successful businessman and became active in veterans' affairs. He never missed a regimental reunion. From 1879 until 1893 he served as Brigadier General in command of the Rhode Island State Militia. Elisha Hunt Rhodes is most remembered for the wartime journal and letters published as All For the Union by a great-grandson, Robert H. Rhodes. This diary reflects the change in Rhodes' ideas about war greatly, and shows how he just wanted to be home with his family after seeing so much death and suffering. His writings were made famous by their incorporation into Ken Burns's PBS-TV serial documentary film The Civil War. He married Caroline Pearce Hunt (1841–1930) on June 12, 1866 and had a son, Frederick Miller Rhodes and a daughter Alice Caroline Rhodes Chace. His large collection of personal relics and mementos is now owned by the Rhode Island Historical SocietyRhode Island Historical Society
The Rhode Island Historical Society is a privately endowed membership organization, founded in 1822, dedicated to collecting, preserving, and sharing the history of Rhode Island...
in Providence. Rhodes died in Providence on January 14, 1917; he and his wife are now buried at Swan Point Cemetery there.