John M. Brockenbrough
Encyclopedia
John Mercer Brockenbrough (August 1, 1830 – August 24, 1892) was a farmer and a Confederate
colonel
in the American Civil War
.
, and graduated from the Virginia Military Institute
in 1850.
of the 40th Virginia Infantry
, which served attached to Col. Charles W. Field
's Virginia brigade
in Maj. Gen.
A.P. Hill's Light Division and later Maj. Gen. Henry Heth
's division in the Third Corps, Army of Northern Virginia
. Brockenbrough led his regiment
through the Seven Days Battles
, a punishing series of battles that caused 50% casualties in his regiment.
Brockenbrough assumed command of the brigade after Field was wounded at the Second Battle of Bull Run
and led it two days later at Chantilly
. During the Maryland Campaign
, he took part in the capture of Harpers Ferry
, and then marched with the rest of the Light Division to the rescue of Gen. Robert E. Lee
's army at Sharpsburg
; his brigade was deployed on the far right of A.P. Hill's line and did not see any direct action there. At Fredericksburg
, his brigade was ordered to plug a hole in the Confederate line that was being exploited by Union
troops under Maj. Gen. George G. Meade. Brockenbrough lost control of his brigade during this action and two of his regiments split off with him and never reached the fighting. Lee apparently was not impressed with Brockenbrough's leadership qualities. Even though months had passed, the unit was still called Field's Brigade and Brockenbrough was still considered its temporary commander. Lee did not recommend him for promotion.
In early 1863, Lee brought Maj. Gen. Henry Heth
from assignment in Tennessee
to replace Brockenbrough in command of the brigade (soon called "Heth's Brigade"), hoping to restore it to fighting shape. During the Battle of Chancellorsville
, Heth took over command of the division when Hill was wounded on May 2, 1863, which meant that Brockenbrough was back in command of the brigade on May 3, when the it lost around 300 men storming the enemy line. After the battle, Brockenbrough was given a rare commendation for leading the attack by General Heth. He remained in brigade command when Heth was promoted to command a new division.
At the Battle of Gettysburg
, Brockenbrough's brigade was in the rear of Heth's column during the march on the Chambersburg Pike, July 1, 1863, and thus missed the morning attacks against the Union
cavalry and the I Corps
. In the afternoon attacks, his men advanced on a line with J. Johnston Pettigrew
's North Carolina brigade, and although the latter brigade fought fiercely, suffering over a thousand casualties, Brockenbrough's brigade was hesitant and fought ineffectively against the Pennsylvanians of Col. Roy Stone
and a portion of the Iron Brigade
, as may be inferred from their casualty rate of 100. The brigade rested on July 2, but on July 3 participated in the bloody assault known as Pickett's Charge
. There is no record that Brockenbrough marched with his men toward Cemetery Ridge
that day, however, and Col. Robert M. Mayo of the 47th Virginia Infantry
was in temporary command. It is possible that the death of Brockenbrough's brother during the battle on July 1 left him distraught and unable to step up to his responsibilities. Assigned to the far left flank of Pettigrew's divisional line, the brigade was subjected to heavy shelling from Union artillery on Cemetery Hill
and when the 8th Ohio Infantry
came up on their left flank, the Virginians turned and ran.
During the Confederate retreat back to Virginia, Brockenbrough attempted to reclaim some of his damaged reputation by making a reckless advance against Union troops at Falling Waters
on July 14, suffering numerous casualties. Five days later, Brockenbrough's former regimental lieutenant colonel, Brig. Gen. Henry H. Walker, was given command of the brigade, returning Brockenbrough to the 40th Virginia, which he led at Bristoe
and Mine Run
. On January 21, 1864, Brockenbrough resigned from the Confederate States Army. He retained his rank of colonel in the reserves until late 1864.
and Richmond
. He died in Richmond and is buried there in Hollywood Cemetery.
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...
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 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
Brockenbrough was born in Richmond County, VirginiaRichmond County, Virginia
Richmond County is a county located on the Northern Neck in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state in the United States. As of 2010, the population was 9,254. Its county seat is Warsaw. The rural county should not be confused with the large city and state capital Richmond, Virginia, which is over...
, and graduated from the Virginia Military Institute
Virginia Military Institute
The Virginia Military Institute , located in Lexington, Virginia, is the oldest state-supported military college and one of six senior military colleges in the United States. Unlike any other military college in the United States—and in keeping with its founding principles—all VMI students are...
in 1850.
Civil War
At the start of the Civil War, Brockenbrough was appointed colonelColonel
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...
of the 40th Virginia Infantry
40th Virginia Infantry
The 40th Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment raised in Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought mostly with the Army of Northern Virginia. Prior to the reorganization of the army after Chancellorsville, it was part of...
, which served attached to Col. Charles W. Field
Charles W. Field
Charles William Field was a career military officer, serving in the United States Army and then, during the American Civil War, in the Confederate States Army. His division was considered as one of the finest in the Army of Northern Virginia...
's Virginia 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...
in Maj. Gen.
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
A.P. Hill's Light Division and later Maj. Gen. 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 the Third Corps, 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...
. Brockenbrough led his 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...
through the Seven Days Battles
Seven Days Battles
The Seven Days Battles was a series of six major battles over the seven days from June 25 to July 1, 1862, near Richmond, Virginia during the American Civil War. Confederate General Robert E. Lee drove the invading Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan, away from...
, a punishing series of battles that caused 50% casualties in his regiment.
Brockenbrough assumed command of the brigade after Field was wounded at the Second Battle of Bull Run
Second Battle of Bull Run
The Second Battle of Bull Run or Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of an offensive campaign waged by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia against Union Maj. Gen...
and led it two days later at Chantilly
Battle of Chantilly
The Battle of Chantilly took place on September 1, 1862, in Fairfax County, Virginia, as the concluding battle of the Northern Virginia Campaign of the American Civil War. Thomas J...
. During the Maryland Campaign
Maryland Campaign
The Maryland Campaign, or the Antietam Campaign is widely considered one of the major turning points of the American Civil War. Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the North was repulsed by Maj. Gen. George B...
, he took part in the capture of Harpers Ferry
Battle of Harpers Ferry
The Battle of Harpers Ferry was fought September 12–15, 1862, as part of the Maryland Campaign of the American Civil War. As Gen. Robert E. Lee's Confederate army invaded Maryland, a portion of his army under Maj. Gen. Thomas J...
, and then marched with the rest of the Light Division to the rescue of Gen. 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 at Sharpsburg
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with about 23,000...
; his brigade was deployed on the far right of A.P. Hill's line and did not see any direct action there. At Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside...
, his brigade was ordered to plug a hole in the Confederate line that was being exploited 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 under Maj. Gen. George G. Meade. Brockenbrough lost control of his brigade during this action and two of his regiments split off with him and never reached the fighting. Lee apparently was not impressed with Brockenbrough's leadership qualities. Even though months had passed, the unit was still called Field's Brigade and Brockenbrough was still considered its temporary commander. Lee did not recommend him for promotion.
In early 1863, Lee brought Maj. Gen. 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,...
from assignment 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...
to replace Brockenbrough in command of the brigade (soon called "Heth's Brigade"), hoping to restore it to fighting shape. During the Battle of Chancellorsville
Battle of Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville Campaign. It was fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near the village of Chancellorsville. Two related battles were fought nearby on...
, Heth took over command of the division when Hill was wounded on May 2, 1863, which meant that Brockenbrough was back in command of the brigade on May 3, when the it lost around 300 men storming the enemy line. After the battle, Brockenbrough was given a rare commendation for leading the attack by General Heth. He remained in brigade command when Heth was promoted to command a new division.
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...
, Brockenbrough's brigade was in the rear of Heth's column during the march on the Chambersburg Pike, July 1, 1863, and thus missed the morning attacks against the 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...
cavalry and the I Corps
I Corps (ACW)
I Corps was the designation of three different corps-sized units in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The units served in the following armies:...
. In the afternoon attacks, his men advanced on a line with J. Johnston Pettigrew
J. Johnston Pettigrew
James Johnston Pettigrew was an author, lawyer, linguist, diplomat, and a Confederate general in the American Civil War...
's North Carolina brigade, and although the latter brigade fought fiercely, suffering over a thousand casualties, Brockenbrough's brigade was hesitant and fought ineffectively against the Pennsylvanians of Col. Roy Stone
Roy Stone
Roy Stone was a Union Army general during the American Civil War. He is most noted for his stubborn defense of the McPherson Farm during the Battle of Gettysburg.-Early life and family:...
and a portion of 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...
, as may be inferred from their casualty rate of 100. The brigade rested on July 2, but on July 3 participated in the bloody assault known as Pickett's Charge
Pickett's Charge
Pickett's Charge was an infantry assault ordered by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee against Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's Union positions on Cemetery Ridge on July 3, 1863, the last day of the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. Its futility was predicted by the charge's commander,...
. There is no record that Brockenbrough marched with his men toward Cemetery Ridge
Cemetery Ridge
Cemetery Ridge is a geographic feature in Gettysburg National Military Park south of the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, that figured prominently in the Battle of Gettysburg, July 1 to July 3, 1863. It formed a primary defensive position for the Union Army during the battle, roughly the center of...
that day, however, and Col. Robert M. Mayo of the 47th Virginia Infantry
47th Virginia Infantry
The 47th Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment raised in Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought mostly with the Army of Northern Virginia and was a unit in A.P. Hill's Light Division....
was in temporary command. It is possible that the death of Brockenbrough's brother during the battle on July 1 left him distraught and unable to step up to his responsibilities. Assigned to the far left flank of Pettigrew's divisional line, the brigade was subjected to heavy shelling from Union artillery on Cemetery Hill
Cemetery Hill
Cemetery Hill is a Gettysburg Battlefield landform which had 1863 military engagements each day of the July 1–3 Battle of Gettysburg. The northernmost part of the Army of the Potomac defensive "fish-hook" line, the hill is gently sloped and provided a site for American Civil War artillery...
and when the 8th Ohio Infantry
8th Ohio Infantry
The 8th Ohio Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It served in the Eastern Theater in a number of campaigns and battles, but perhaps is most noted for its actions in helping repulse Pickett's Charge during the Battle of...
came up on their left flank, the Virginians turned and ran.
During the Confederate retreat back to Virginia, Brockenbrough attempted to reclaim some of his damaged reputation by making a reckless advance against Union troops at Falling Waters
Battle of Williamsport
The Battle of Williamsport, also known as the Battle of Hagerstown or Falling Waters, took place from July 6 to July 16, 1863, in Washington County, Maryland, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War....
on July 14, suffering numerous casualties. Five days later, Brockenbrough's former regimental lieutenant colonel, Brig. Gen. Henry H. Walker, was given command of the brigade, returning Brockenbrough to the 40th Virginia, which he led at Bristoe
Bristoe Campaign
The Bristoe Campaign was a series of minor battles fought in Virginia during October and November 1863, in the American Civil War. Maj. Gen. George G. Meade, commanding the Union Army of the Potomac, began to maneuver in an unsuccessful attempt to defeat Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern...
and Mine Run
Battle of Mine Run
The Battle of Mine Run, also known as Payne's Farm, or New Hope Church, or the Mine Run Campaign , was conducted in Orange County, Virginia, in the American Civil War....
. On January 21, 1864, Brockenbrough resigned from the Confederate States Army. He retained his rank of colonel in the reserves until late 1864.
Postbellum life
After the war, Brockenbrough lived in NorfolkNorfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
and Richmond
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...
. He died in Richmond and is buried there in Hollywood Cemetery.