Evander McNair
Encyclopedia
Evander McNair was a brigadier general
in the Confederate States Army
during the American Civil War
.
in Scotland County, North Carolina
. His parents moved to Simpson County, Mississippi
soon after his birth.
In his early twenties McNair opened a mercantile business in Jackson, Mississippi
. During the Mexican War McNair joined the 1st Mississippi Rifles under the command of Colonel Jefferson Davis
, who would later become President of the Confederacy
.
In 1856 McNair moved to Washington, Arkansas
, and continued his business there until Arkansas
seceded
from the Union. McNair raised seven companies of infantry which was augmented with other volunteers and designated the 4th Arkansas Infantry
.
Regiment on August 17, 1861. He led his unit into battle first at the Battle of Wilson's Creek
in southwest Missouri
and later at the Battle of Pea Ridge
. When General Benjamin McCulloch
was killed and Colonel Louis Hébert
was captured, McNair became the commander of the brigade.
Soon after the Battle of Pea Ridge McNair and his brigade were transferred east of the Mississippi River
. McNair's brigade was sent to General Edmund Kirby Smith
for his invasion of Kentucky and fought at the Battle of Richmond.
On November 4, 1862, McNair received his commission as Brigadier General. Several other units were folded into his brigade including the 1st
and 2nd Arkansas Mounted Rifles
(dismounted), the 4th Arkansas Infantry Regiment, 30th Arkansas Infantry Regiment
, 4th Arkansas Infantry Battalion
, and Humphrey's Arkansas Artillery Battery
.
On December 31, 1862, McNair and his troops participated in McCown's charge on the Union right at the Battle of Stones River
near Murfreesboro, Tennessee
. In May 1863 McNair and his division were sent to reinforce the Army of Tennessee under General Joseph E. Johnston
for the relief of the siege at Vicksburg, Mississippi
. McNair participated in the various battles around Jackson, Mississippi.
At the Battle of Chickamauga
McNair's division participated in exploiting the break in the Union lines that turned the battle for the Confederates. During the fierce fighting McNair was wounded and both he and his brigade were sent to Mississippi
for recuperation. In 1864 McNair was transferred to the Trans-Mississippi Department
where he served for the remainder of the war.
and later to Hattiesburg, Mississippi
and Magnolia, Mississippi
.
Evander McNair died at Hattiesburg, Mississippi
, and is buried at Magnolia Cemetery
in Magnolia. Although he fought on the side of the confederates, he was married to a Yankee, Hannah Merrill- born in New York, seen in appropriate census reports.
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...
.
Biography
Evander McNair was born at Laurel HillLaurel Hill, North Carolina
Laurel Hill, North Carolina can refer to:* Laurel Hill, Scotland County, North Carolina, an unincorporated community* Laurel Hill Township, North Carolina in Scotland County* Laurel Hill, Lincoln County, North Carolina, an unincorporated community...
in Scotland County, North Carolina
Scotland County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 35,998 people, 13,399 households, and 9,674 families residing in the county. The population density was 113 people per square mile . There were 14,693 housing units at an average density of 46 per square mile...
. His parents moved to Simpson County, Mississippi
Simpson County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 27,639 people, 10,076 households, and 7,385 families residing in the county. The population density was 47 people per square mile . There were 11,307 housing units at an average density of 19 per square mile...
soon after his birth.
In his early twenties McNair opened a mercantile business in Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
. During the Mexican War McNair joined the 1st Mississippi Rifles under the command of Colonel 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...
, who would later become President of the Confederacy
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...
.
In 1856 McNair moved to Washington, Arkansas
Washington, Arkansas
Washington is a city in Hempstead County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 148 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Hope Micropolitan Statistical Area.The city is also home to Old Washington Historic State Park....
, and continued his business there until Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
seceded
Secession
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:...
from the Union. McNair raised seven companies of infantry which was augmented with other volunteers and designated the 4th Arkansas Infantry
Arkansas Civil War Confederate Units
Arkansas Civil War Confederate Units, a list of units formed from that state for service in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. Like most states, Arkansas possessed a prewar Militia organization, which consisted of seventy one regiments, organized into eight brigades, and divided into two...
.
Military service
Evander McNair became colonel of the 4th Arkansas Infantry4th Arkansas Infantry
4th Arkansas Infantry was a Confederate Army infantry regiment from the state of Arkansas during the American Civil War. There was also a 4th Regiment, Arkansas State Troops which participated in the Battle of Wilson's Creek, but was never transferred to Confederate Service...
Regiment on August 17, 1861. He led his unit into battle first at 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...
in southwest Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
and later at 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...
. When General Benjamin McCulloch
Benjamin McCulloch
Benjamin McCulloch was a soldier in the Texas Revolution, a Texas Ranger, a U.S. marshal, and a brigadier general in the army of the Confederate States during the American Civil War.-Early life:...
was killed and Colonel Louis Hébert
Louis Hébert (Confederate Army officer)
Louis Hébert was an American educator, civil engineer, writer and soldier who became a brigadier general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War.-Biography:...
was captured, McNair became the commander of the brigade.
Soon after the Battle of Pea Ridge McNair and his brigade were transferred east 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...
. McNair's brigade was sent to General Edmund Kirby Smith
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...
for his invasion of Kentucky and fought at the Battle of Richmond.
On November 4, 1862, McNair received his commission as Brigadier General. Several other units were folded into his brigade including the 1st
Arkansas Civil War Confederate Units
Arkansas Civil War Confederate Units, a list of units formed from that state for service in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. Like most states, Arkansas possessed a prewar Militia organization, which consisted of seventy one regiments, organized into eight brigades, and divided into two...
and 2nd Arkansas Mounted Rifles
Arkansas Civil War Confederate Units
Arkansas Civil War Confederate Units, a list of units formed from that state for service in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. Like most states, Arkansas possessed a prewar Militia organization, which consisted of seventy one regiments, organized into eight brigades, and divided into two...
(dismounted), the 4th Arkansas Infantry Regiment, 30th Arkansas Infantry Regiment
Arkansas Civil War Confederate Units
Arkansas Civil War Confederate Units, a list of units formed from that state for service in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. Like most states, Arkansas possessed a prewar Militia organization, which consisted of seventy one regiments, organized into eight brigades, and divided into two...
, 4th Arkansas Infantry Battalion
Arkansas Civil War Confederate Units
Arkansas Civil War Confederate Units, a list of units formed from that state for service in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. Like most states, Arkansas possessed a prewar Militia organization, which consisted of seventy one regiments, organized into eight brigades, and divided into two...
, and Humphrey's Arkansas Artillery Battery
Arkansas Civil War Confederate Units
Arkansas Civil War Confederate Units, a list of units formed from that state for service in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. Like most states, Arkansas possessed a prewar Militia organization, which consisted of seventy one regiments, organized into eight brigades, and divided into two...
.
On December 31, 1862, McNair and his troops participated in McCown's charge on the Union right at the Battle of Stones River
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...
near Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Murfreesboro is a city in and the county seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 108,755 according to the United States Census Bureau's 2010 U.S. Census, up from 68,816 residents certified during the 2000 census. The center of population of Tennessee is located in...
. In May 1863 McNair and his division were sent to reinforce the Army of Tennessee under General 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...
for the relief of the siege at Vicksburg, Mississippi
Vicksburg, Mississippi
Vicksburg is a city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the only city in Warren County. It is located northwest of New Orleans on the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers, and due west of Jackson, the state capital. In 1900, 14,834 people lived in Vicksburg; in 1910, 20,814; in 1920,...
. McNair participated in the various battles around Jackson, Mississippi.
At the Battle of Chickamauga
Battle of Chickamauga
The Battle of Chickamauga, fought September 19–20, 1863, marked the end of a Union offensive in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia called the Chickamauga Campaign...
McNair's division participated in exploiting the break in the Union lines that turned the battle for the Confederates. During the fierce fighting McNair was wounded and both he and his brigade were sent to Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
for recuperation. In 1864 McNair was transferred to the Trans-Mississippi Department
Trans-Mississippi Department
The Trans-Mississippi Department was an administrative subdivision of the Confederate States of America west of the Mississippi, consisting of Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Indian Territories recognized by the CSA, and parts of Western Louisiana...
where he served for the remainder of the war.
Postbellum
After the conflict McNair moved to New OrleansNew Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
and later to Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Hattiesburg is a city in Forrest County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 44,779 at the 2000 census . It is the county seat of Forrest County...
and Magnolia, Mississippi
Magnolia, Mississippi
Magnolia is a city in Pike County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 2071 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Pike County, which lies within the McComb, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
.
Evander McNair died at Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Hattiesburg is a city in Forrest County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 44,779 at the 2000 census . It is the county seat of Forrest County...
, and is buried at Magnolia Cemetery
Magnolia Cemetery
Magnolia Cemetery is the name of at least eight cemeteries in the United States:*Magnolia Cemetery , listed on the NRHP in Alabama, also known as Magnolia Cemetery including Mobile National Cemetery*Magnolia Cemetery , in Georgia...
in Magnolia. Although he fought on the side of the confederates, he was married to a Yankee, Hannah Merrill- born in New York, seen in appropriate census reports.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals