Joseph B. Palmer
Encyclopedia
Joseph Benjamin Palmer (November 1, 1825 – November 4, 1890) was an American
lawyer, legislator, and soldier. He served as a Confederate
general in the American Civil War
, during which he was wounded four times. After the conflict he resumed his law practice in Tennessee
.
. He was orphaned when he was an infant and was subsequently raised by his grandparents. Palmer received his education at the Union University
located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee
. He was admitted to the state bar association
in 1848 and began practicing as a lawyer. In 1849 Palmer was elected to the Tennessee General Assembly
, and in 1851 he was re-elected. In 1855 he was then elected as mayor of Murfreesboro, serving until 1859.
of soldiers and in May was elected a captain in the 18th Tennessee Infantry, into which this company was added. That June he was elected colonel
, assuming command of the regiment
.
Palmer fought primarily in the Western Theater of the American Civil War
. He was part of the garrison surrendered at Fort Donelson
on February 15, 1862, and was exchanged on August 15. That October Palmer was given brigade
command in the Army of Mississippi
. He fought in the Battle of Stones River
and was wounded in his right shoulder and his right leg on January 2, 1863. Palmer fought during the Battle of Chickamauga
that fall, and was wounded on September 19 when he again hit in his right shoulder.
Temporarily unfit for active field service, Palmer was appointed to district command in the Department of Tennessee beginning on November 18, 1863. He resumed brigade command on June 27 in the Army of Tennessee
, and then participated in the Atlanta Campaign
. Palmer fought during the Battle of Jonesborough
, and was wounded on the third day of the fight on September 1, 1864. He was promoted to the rank of brigadier general on November 15.
Palmer fought in the 1864 Franklin-Nashville Campaign
, participating in the Battle of Franklin on November 30, in the Battle of Nashville
on December 15–16, and was part of the army's rearguard
during the retreat following Nashville. What remained of the Tennessee regiments of the Army of Tennessee were consolidated, were placed under Palmer's command, and he led them during the 1865 Carolinas Campaign
.
On March 19, 1865, Palmer fought during the Battle of Bentonville
and was again wounded, but remained in brigade command until April 26. He surrendered with Gen. Joseph E. Johnston
on May 1 and was paroled from Greensboro, North Carolina
. Palmer was pardoned by the U.S. Government on October 26, and again on May 21, 1866.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer, legislator, and soldier. 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 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...
, during which he was wounded four times. After the conflict he resumed his law practice 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
Joseph B. Palmer was born in 1825 in Rutherford County, TennesseeRutherford County, Tennessee
Rutherford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2010 census, it is the state's fifth-largest county by population with 262,604 people, an increase of 44.3 percent over the 2000 population of 182,023. Its county seat is Murfreesboro, which is also the geographic...
. He was orphaned when he was an infant and was subsequently raised by his grandparents. Palmer received his education at the Union University
Union University
Union University is a private, evangelical Christian, liberal arts university located in Jackson, Tennessee, with additional campuses in Germantown, Tennessee, and Hendersonville, Tennessee...
located in 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...
. He was admitted to the state 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 1848 and began practicing as a lawyer. In 1849 Palmer was elected to the Tennessee General Assembly
Tennessee General Assembly
The Tennessee General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.-Constitutional structure:According to the Tennessee State Constitution of 1870, the General Assembly is a bicameral legislature and consists of a Senate of thirty-three members and a House of Representatives of...
, and in 1851 he was re-elected. In 1855 he was then elected as mayor of Murfreesboro, serving until 1859.
Civil War service
At the beginning of the American Civil War in 1861, Palmer chose to follow his home state and the Confederate cause. He organized a companyCompany (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
of soldiers and in May was elected a captain in the 18th Tennessee Infantry, into which this company was added. That June he was elected 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...
, assuming command 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...
.
Palmer fought primarily 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:...
. He was part of the garrison surrendered at Fort Donelson
Battle of Fort Donelson
The Battle of Fort Donelson was fought from February 11 to February 16, 1862, in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. The capture of the fort by Union forces opened the Cumberland River as an avenue for the invasion of the South. The success elevated Brig. Gen. Ulysses S...
on February 15, 1862, and was exchanged on August 15. That October Palmer 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 Mississippi
Army of Mississippi
There were three organizations known as the Army of Mississippi in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. -Army of Mississippi :This army, at times known by the names Army of the West or Army of the...
. He fought in 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...
and was wounded in his right shoulder and his right leg on January 2, 1863. Palmer fought during 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...
that fall, and was wounded on September 19 when he again hit in his right shoulder.
Temporarily unfit for active field service, Palmer was appointed to district command in the Department of Tennessee beginning on November 18, 1863. He resumed brigade command on June 27 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...
, and then participated in the 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...
. Palmer fought during the Battle of Jonesborough
Battle of Jonesborough
-Further reading:...
, and was wounded on the third day of the fight on September 1, 1864. He was promoted to the rank of brigadier general on November 15.
Franklin-Nashville Campaign
The Franklin-Nashville Campaign, also known as Hood's Tennessee Campaign, was a series of battles in the Western Theater, conducted from September 18 to December 27, 1864, in Alabama, Tennessee, and northwestern Georgia during the American Civil War. The Confederate Army of Tennessee under Lt....
, participating in the Battle of Franklin on November 30, in the Battle of Nashville
Battle of Nashville
The Battle of Nashville was a two-day battle in the Franklin-Nashville Campaign that represented the end of large-scale fighting in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. It was fought at Nashville, Tennessee, on December 15–16, 1864, between the Confederate Army of Tennessee under...
on December 15–16, and was part of the army's rearguard
Rearguard
Rearguard may refer to:* A military detachment protecting the rear of a larger military formation, especially when retreating from a pursuing enemy force. * Rear Guard , a computer game released in 1982...
during the retreat following Nashville. What remained of the Tennessee regiments of the Army of Tennessee were consolidated, were placed under Palmer's command, and he led them 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 ...
.
On March 19, 1865, Palmer fought during 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...
and was again wounded, but remained in brigade command until April 26. He surrendered with Gen. 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...
on May 1 and was paroled from Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...
. Palmer was pardoned by the U.S. Government on October 26, and again on May 21, 1866.
Postbellum career
Following the war, Palmer returned home and resumed his law practice. Despite several requests to run for governor of Tennessee he chose to avoid public service. Palmer died in 1890 at his home in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and his body was buried in the city's Evergreen Cemetery.Further reading
- Neff, Robert O., Tennessee's Battered Brigadier: The Life Of General Joseph B. Palmer CSA, Hillsboro Press, 2000, ISBN 1-5773-6198-9.
External links
- 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 Stones River. - pastigo.com Site describing Palmer's house he built in 1869 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
- murfreesboropost.com Murfreesboro Post site biography of Palmer.