Montgomery Dent Corse
Encyclopedia
Montgomery Dent Corse was an American
banker, gold prospector, and soldier who served as a general in the Confederate States Army
during the Civil War
. He commanded a regiment
and then a brigade
in the Army of Northern Virginia
, and served in several of that army's most important battles.
in 1816, the eldest son of John and Julia Corse. He attended Major Bradley Lowe's military school at Colross and Benjamin Hallowell's school on Washington Street. As a young boy he witnessed Lafayette's 1825 visit to Alexandria and participated in the inauguration of President Andrew Jackson
in 1829.
He worked in business with his father and was then a captain in the 1st Virginia Regiment
during the Mexican War. He sailed for California
in 1849 and participated in the Gold Rush
. He returned permanently to Alexandria in 1856 and entered the banking business with his brothers, J. D. and William Corse. Three years later became the first lieutenant of the Alexandria Home Guard. In 1860, he organized a militia
company known as the Old Dominion Rifles and became its captain.
of the 6th Virginia Infantry Battalion and soon after the he received the colonelcy
of the 17th Virginia Infantry
. He commanded the 17th at Blackburn's Ford during the First Battle of Manassas, as well during the 1862 Peninsula Campaign
. He saw action at the battles of Yorktown
, Williamsburg
, Seven Pines
, and throughout the Seven Days Battles
. During the subsequent Northern Virginia Campaign
, Corse commanded Kemper's
Brigade during the Second Battle of Manassas until he was wounded. He was healthy enough to participate in the Maryland Campaign
and was wounded at both South Mountain
and Antietam
at the head of his regiment. A new brigade was created for him, and he was promoted to brigadier general on November 1. His brigade was placed in a division
commanded by General George E. Pickett and was only lightly engaged at Fredericksburg
.
Corse married Elizabeth Beverley (1825–1894) on November 22, 1862. They had four children.
In early 1863 he accompanied Lt. Gen. James Longstreet
on an expedition to southeastern Virginia, resulting of the absence of Corse and his brigade from the rest of the army during the Battle of Chancellorsville
. During the Gettysburg Campaign
, Corse's Brigade was detached from Pickett's Division to guard Hanover Junction, north of Richmond
. Because of this, the brigade did not participate in the battle nor the disastrous assault known as Pickett's Charge
.
Pickett's Division was detached from Longstreet's Corps when they were transferred to Georgia
and Tennessee
in late 1863, operating in western Virginia. In January 1864, Corse and his brigade participated in Pickett's operations against New Bern, North Carolina
. After seeing action at Drewry's Bluff against Benjamin Butler's Bermuda Hundred operation, the brigade finally rejoined the Army of Northern Virginia and fought at Cold Harbor
and through the Siege of Petersburg
. Following the disaster at the Battle of Five Forks
, they began the retreat which would eventually end at Appomattox Court House
. Corse himself was captured at the Battle of Sayler's Creek
on April 6, 1865.
After his surrender, General Corse was conveyed to Fort Warren
near Boston, Massachusetts, on the day that Abraham Lincoln
was assassinated, and he and the fourteen generals accompanying him narrowly escaped the violence of a mob at a town in Pennsylvania
on the next morning. They were only saved by the determination of their small guard of Union soldiers and officers.
. In 1870, he was seriously injured when part of the Virginia State Capitol
building in Richmond collapsed. He suffered partial blindness for several years thereafter. On May 24, 1880, Corse was a distinguished guest along with Governor Fitzhugh Lee
and General Joseph E. Johnston
at the dedication of the Confederate monument at Washington and Prince Streets in Alexandria.
M. D. Corse died at his home in Alexandria on February 11, 1895, following a brief illness. He and his wife are buried in the town's Episcopal Cemetery. His personal and wartime papers are in the special collections of the Alexandria Library.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
banker, gold prospector, and soldier who served as a general 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 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...
. He commanded a 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...
and then a 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 the 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...
, and served in several of that army's most important battles.
Early life and career
Montgomery D. Corse was born in Alexandria, VirginiaAlexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
in 1816, the eldest son of John and Julia Corse. He attended Major Bradley Lowe's military school at Colross and Benjamin Hallowell's school on Washington Street. As a young boy he witnessed Lafayette's 1825 visit to Alexandria and participated in the inauguration of President Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
in 1829.
He worked in business with his father and was then a captain in the 1st Virginia Regiment
1st Virginia Regiment
The 1st Virginia Regiment was raised, on July 17, 1775, at Williamsburg, Virginia as a state militia unit and later for service with the Continental Army. Its origins go back to the Charles City-Henrico County Regiment of Militia founded in 1652. During the French and Indian War it was the...
during the Mexican War. He sailed for 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...
in 1849 and participated in the Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
. He returned permanently to Alexandria in 1856 and entered the banking business with his brothers, J. D. and William Corse. Three years later became the first lieutenant of the Alexandria Home Guard. In 1860, he organized a militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
company known as the Old Dominion Rifles and became its captain.
Civil War service
In early 1861 he was given an appointment as the majorMajor (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...
of the 6th Virginia Infantry Battalion and soon after the he received the colonelcy
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 17th Virginia Infantry
17th Virginia Infantry
The 17th 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....
. He commanded the 17th at Blackburn's Ford during the First Battle of Manassas, as well during the 1862 Peninsula Campaign
Peninsula Campaign
The Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March through July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. The operation, commanded by Maj. Gen. George B...
. He saw action at the battles of Yorktown
Battle of Yorktown (1862)
The Battle of Yorktown or Siege of Yorktown was fought from April 5 to May 4, 1862, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. Marching from Fort Monroe, Union Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac encountered Maj. Gen. John B. Magruder's small Confederate force...
, Williamsburg
Battle of Williamsburg
The Battle of Williamsburg, also known as the Battle of Fort Magruder, took place on May 5, 1862, in York County, James City County, and Williamsburg, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War...
, Seven Pines
Battle of Seven Pines
The Battle of Seven Pines, also known as the Battle of Fair Oaks or Fair Oaks Station, took place on May 31 and June 1, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of an offensive up the Virginia Peninsula by Union Maj. Gen....
, and throughout 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...
. During the subsequent Northern Virginia Campaign
Northern Virginia Campaign
The Northern Virginia Campaign, also known as the Second Bull Run Campaign or Second Manassas Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during August and September 1862 in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. Confederate General Robert E...
, Corse commanded Kemper's
James L. Kemper
James Lawson Kemper was a lawyer, a Confederate general in the American Civil War, and the 37th Governor of Virginia...
Brigade during the Second Battle of Manassas until he was wounded. He was healthy enough to participate in 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...
and was wounded at both South Mountain
Battle of South Mountain
The Battle of South Mountain was fought September 14, 1862, as part of the Maryland Campaign of the American Civil War. Three pitched battles were fought for possession of three South Mountain passes: Crampton's, Turner's, and Fox's Gaps. Maj. Gen. George B...
and Antietam
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...
at the head of his regiment. A new brigade was created for him, and he was promoted to brigadier general on November 1. His brigade was placed in 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...
commanded by General George E. Pickett and was only lightly engaged 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...
.
Corse married Elizabeth Beverley (1825–1894) on November 22, 1862. They had four children.
In early 1863 he accompanied Lt. Gen. James Longstreet
James Longstreet
James Longstreet was one of the foremost Confederate generals of the American Civil War and the principal subordinate to General Robert E. Lee, who called him his "Old War Horse." He served under Lee as a corps commander for many of the famous battles fought by the Army of Northern Virginia in the...
on an expedition to southeastern Virginia, resulting of the absence of Corse and his brigade from the rest of the army 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...
. During the Gettysburg Campaign
Gettysburg Campaign
The Gettysburg Campaign was a series of battles fought in June and July 1863, during the American Civil War. After his victory in the Battle of Chancellorsville, Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia moved north for offensive operations in Maryland and Pennsylvania. The...
, Corse's Brigade was detached from Pickett's Division to guard Hanover Junction, north of 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...
. Because of this, the brigade did not participate in the battle nor the disastrous 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,...
.
Pickett's Division was detached from Longstreet's Corps when they were transferred to Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
and 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...
in late 1863, operating in western Virginia. In January 1864, Corse and his brigade participated in Pickett's operations against New Bern, North Carolina
New Bern, North Carolina
New Bern is a city in Craven County, North Carolina with a population of 29,524 as of the 2010 census.. It is located at the confluence of the Trent and the Neuse rivers...
. After seeing action at Drewry's Bluff against Benjamin Butler's Bermuda Hundred operation, the brigade finally rejoined the Army of Northern Virginia and fought at Cold Harbor
Battle of Cold Harbor
The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought from May 31 to June 12, 1864 . It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign during the American Civil War, and is remembered as one of American history's bloodiest, most lopsided battles...
and through the Siege of Petersburg
Siege of Petersburg
The Richmond–Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War...
. Following the disaster at the Battle of Five Forks
Battle of Five Forks
The Battle of Five Forks was fought on April 1, 1865, southwest of Petersburg, Virginia, in Dinwiddie County, during the Appomattox Campaign of the American Civil War. The battle, sometimes referred to as the "Waterloo of the Confederacy," pitted Union Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan against...
, they began the retreat which would eventually end at Appomattox Court House
Appomattox Court House
The Appomattox Courthouse is the current courthouse in Appomattox, Virginia built in 1892. It is located in the middle of the state about three miles northwest of the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, once known as Clover Hill - home of the original Old Appomattox Court House...
. Corse himself was captured at the Battle of Sayler's Creek
Battle of Sayler's Creek
-External links:* * : Maps, histories, photos, and preservation news...
on April 6, 1865.
After his surrender, General Corse was conveyed to Fort Warren
Fort Warren (Massachusetts)
Fort Warren is a historic fort on the Georges Island at the entrance to Boston Harbor. The fort is pentagonal, made with stone and granite, and was constructed from 1833–1861, completed shortly after the beginning of the American Civil War...
near Boston, Massachusetts, on the day that Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
was assassinated, and he and the fourteen generals accompanying him narrowly escaped the violence of a mob at a town in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
on the next morning. They were only saved by the determination of their small guard of Union soldiers and officers.
Postbellum career
Following the war, he took the Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America on July 24, 1865, and was released from Fort Warren. He subsequently returned to his banking profession in Alexandria, Virginia, with his brothers. He was a charter member of the R.E. Lee Camp of the United Confederate VeteransUnited Confederate Veterans
The United Confederate Veterans, also known as the UCV, was a veteran's organization for former Confederate soldiers of the American Civil War, and was equivalent to the Grand Army of the Republic which was the organization for Union veterans....
. In 1870, he was seriously injured when part of the Virginia State Capitol
Virginia State Capitol
The Virginia State Capitol is the seat of state government in the Commonwealth of Virginia, located in Richmond, the third capital of Virginia. It houses the oldest legislative body in the United States, the Virginia General Assembly...
building in Richmond collapsed. He suffered partial blindness for several years thereafter. On May 24, 1880, Corse was a distinguished guest along with Governor Fitzhugh Lee
Fitzhugh Lee
Fitzhugh Lee , nephew of Robert E. Lee, was a Confederate cavalry general in the American Civil War, the 40th Governor of Virginia, diplomat, and United States Army general in the Spanish-American War.-Early life:...
and 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...
at the dedication of the Confederate monument at Washington and Prince Streets in Alexandria.
M. D. Corse died at his home in Alexandria on February 11, 1895, following a brief illness. He and his wife are buried in the town's Episcopal Cemetery. His personal and wartime papers are in the special collections of the Alexandria Library.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals