Theodore O'Hara
Encyclopedia
Theodore O'Hara was a poet
and an officer for the United States Army
in the Mexican-American War, and a Confederate
colonel
in the American Civil War
. He is best known for the poems The Bivouac of the Dead
, which is quoted in many cemeteries, and The Old Pioneer.
on February 11, 1820. Afterwards, the family moved to Frankfort, Kentucky
. He returned to Danville to go to Centre College
, and then continued his education at St. Joseph Academy in Bardstown, Kentucky
, where he also served as a Greek
professor
during his senior year. He later studied law with future United States Vice President and Confederate Secretary of War John C. Breckinridge
, and was admitted to the bar in 1842. He decided to forgo law and went to journalism in 1845, just before being appointed for a position in the United States Treasury department in 1845.
of volunteers under General Gideon J. Pillow as they advanced upon Mexico City
, Mexico
. For excellent conduct in the Battle of Contreras and the Battle of Churubusco
, O'Hara was honored with the rank of brevet-major on August 20, 1847. He was honorably discharged on October 15, 1848. After the war ended in 1848, O'Hara returned to Washington, D.C.
to continue his law practices until 1851.
ing. He joined others from Kentucky in an expedition to Cuba
in 1850, after spending much of 1849 recruiting Kentuckians to the filibuster cause. Under the command of General Narciso López
, Theodore O'Hara commanded a regiment in the hopes of removing Spanish rule from Cuba with the rank of colonel. In the battle of Cárdenas
on May 18, 1850, he suffered a severe injury. After Lopez failed and died in his Cuba position in 1851, Theodore O'Hara returned to Kentucky, after fellow Kentuckians serving in Cuba took O'Hara with him as they escaped, returning to the United States at Key West, Florida
.
Theodore O'Hara went back to journalism, first working for the Frankfort Yeoman of Frankfort, Kentucky, and then helping to found the original Louisville Times of Louisville, Kentucky
in 1852, which became an organ for spreading Democratic Party propaganda. O'Hara left the Louisville Times in 1853 to join General John A. Quitman
's filibuster expedition to Cuba. After Quitman's efforts failed, O'Hara attained a commission in the United States Army, was appointed captain of the Second Cavalry on March 3, 1855, and returned to Louisville as a recruiter for the Army. He was reassigned to Indian fighting on the prairies of Texas
. He was forced to resign on December 1, 1856 by none other than the great (then Lt. Colonel) Robert E. Lee
, as Lee brought up charges of drunkenness against O'Hara, and threatened O'Hara with court martial.
When John Forsyth Jr.
, editor-in-chief of the Mobile Register of Mobile, Alabama
became minister to Mexico in 1856, O'Hara took his place in the newspaper
. He continued to follow government orders, such as his diplomatic mission into the Tehuantepec
grant debate. Although speculated, it was never proven that he was involved with William Walker's filibuster expedition to Nicaragua
.
in 1861, Theodore O'Hara joined the Confederate army and became colonel of the Twelfth Alabama Regiment. He would serve with General Albert Sidney Johnston
and General John C. Breckinridge, his fellow law student. He distinguished himself in the Western Theater of the War in Tennessee
at the Battle of Shiloh
and Battle of Stone's River. However, conflicts O'Hara had with both General Braxton Bragg
and President of the Confederate States of America Jefferson Davis
hampered his military career and made his efforts to attain a regimental command futile.
to be in the cotton
business, but eventually lost his business to a fire. He later resided on a plantation near Guerrytown, Alabama where he died and was returned to Columbus for burial. On September 15, 1874, his remains, along with those of other Mexican War officers were buried in the state cemetery in Frankfort, Kentucky, Frankfort Cemetery
. Theodore O'Hara's friend Sergeant Henry T. Stanton read "The Bivouac of the Dead" at the reinternment and said, "O’Hara, in giving utterance to this song, became at once the builder of his own monument and the author of his own epitaph." Lines from the poem would eventually grace the gates of numerous national cemeteries and several monuments of Confederate Dead. In particular, the first verse's second quatrain
is often used:
However, due to the fact he served for the Confederacy, Theodore O'Hara would often go uncredited when the quatrain was used in a non-Confederate cemetery setting. There is a dispute on when Theodore O'Hara wrote. It is popularly thought to be written after the Battle of Buena Vista
of 1847, where many Kentucky volunteers died. Other's say it was actually written after the Battle of Cárdenas in 1851. The New York Times wrote it was first published in the Frankfort Yeoman in 1850, which puts it before O'Hara's Cuba adventures.
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and an officer for the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
in the Mexican-American War, and 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...
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...
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...
. He is best known for the poems The Bivouac of the Dead
Bivouac of the Dead
The Bivouac of the Dead is a poem written by Theodore O'Hara to honor his fellow soldiers from Kentucky who died in the Mexican-American War...
, which is quoted in many cemeteries, and The Old Pioneer.
Early life
Theodore O'Hara was born to notable educator Kane O'Hara and his wife in Danville, KentuckyDanville, Kentucky
Danville is a city in and the county seat of Boyle County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 16,218 at the 2010 census.Danville is the principal city of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Boyle and Lincoln counties....
on February 11, 1820. Afterwards, the family moved to Frankfort, Kentucky
Frankfort, Kentucky
Frankfort is a city in Kentucky that serves as the state capital and the county seat of Franklin County. The population was 27,741 at the 2000 census; by population it is the 5th smallest state capital in the United States...
. He returned to Danville to go to Centre College
Centre College
Centre College is a private liberal arts college in Danville, Kentucky, USA, a community of approximately 16,000 in Boyle County south of Lexington, KY. Centre is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution. Centre was founded by Presbyterian leaders, with whom it maintains a loose...
, and then continued his education at St. Joseph Academy in Bardstown, Kentucky
Bardstown, Kentucky
As of the census of 2010, there were 11,700 people, 4,712 households, and 2,949 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 5,113 housing units at an average density of...
, where he also served as a Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
during his senior year. He later studied law with future United States Vice President and Confederate Secretary of War John C. Breckinridge
John C. Breckinridge
John Cabell Breckinridge was an American lawyer and politician. He served as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Kentucky and was the 14th Vice President of the United States , to date the youngest vice president in U.S...
, and was admitted to the bar in 1842. He decided to forgo law and went to journalism in 1845, just before being appointed for a position in the United States Treasury department in 1845.
Mexican-American War
As the Mexican-American War was just beginning, Theodore O'Hara signed up for the U.S. Army on June 26, 1846. He held the positions of captain and quartermasterQuartermaster
Quartermaster refers to two different military occupations depending on if the assigned unit is land based or naval.In land armies, especially US units, it is a term referring to either an individual soldier or a unit who specializes in distributing supplies and provisions to troops. The senior...
of volunteers under General Gideon J. Pillow as they advanced upon Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. For excellent conduct in the Battle of Contreras and the Battle of Churubusco
Battle of Churubusco
The Battle of Churubusco took place on August 20, 1847, in the immediate aftermath of the Battle of Contreras during the Mexican-American War. After defeating the Mexican army at Churubusco, the U.S. Army was only 5 miles away from Mexico City, the capital of the nation...
, O'Hara was honored with the rank of brevet-major on August 20, 1847. He was honorably discharged on October 15, 1848. After the war ended in 1848, O'Hara returned to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
to continue his law practices until 1851.
Between Wars
Theodore O'Hara was a firm believer in American expansion, in the form of filibusterFilibuster (military)
A filibuster, or freebooter, is someone who engages in an unauthorized military expedition into a foreign country to foment or support a revolution...
ing. He joined others from Kentucky in an expedition to Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
in 1850, after spending much of 1849 recruiting Kentuckians to the filibuster cause. Under the command of General Narciso López
Narciso López
Narciso López was a Venezuelan adventurer and soldier, best known for an expedition aimed at liberating Cuba from Spain in the 1850s..- Life in Venezuela, Cuba, and Spain:...
, Theodore O'Hara commanded a regiment in the hopes of removing Spanish rule from Cuba with the rank of colonel. In the battle of Cárdenas
Cárdenas, Matanzas, Cuba
Cárdenas is a municipality and city in the Matanzas Province of Cuba, about east of Havana.-Geography:Cárdenas is a maritime port town on the level and somewhat marshy shore of a spacious bay of the northern coast of the island , sheltered by a long promontory...
on May 18, 1850, he suffered a severe injury. After Lopez failed and died in his Cuba position in 1851, Theodore O'Hara returned to Kentucky, after fellow Kentuckians serving in Cuba took O'Hara with him as they escaped, returning to the United States at Key West, Florida
Key West, Florida
Key West is a city in Monroe County, Florida, United States. The city encompasses the island of Key West, the part of Stock Island north of U.S. 1 , Sigsbee Park , Fleming Key , and Sunset Key...
.
Theodore O'Hara went back to journalism, first working for the Frankfort Yeoman of Frankfort, Kentucky, and then helping to found the original Louisville Times of Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
in 1852, which became an organ for spreading Democratic Party propaganda. O'Hara left the Louisville Times in 1853 to join General John A. Quitman
John A. Quitman
John Anthony Quitman was an American politician and soldier. He served as Governor of Mississippi from 1835 to 1836 as a Whig and again from 1850 to 1851 as a Democrat and one of the leading Fire-Eaters.-Early life:John A. Quitman studied Classics at Hartwick Seminary, graduating in 1816...
's filibuster expedition to Cuba. After Quitman's efforts failed, O'Hara attained a commission in the United States Army, was appointed captain of the Second Cavalry on March 3, 1855, and returned to Louisville as a recruiter for the Army. He was reassigned to Indian fighting on the prairies of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. He was forced to resign on December 1, 1856 by none other than the great (then Lt. Colonel) 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....
, as Lee brought up charges of drunkenness against O'Hara, and threatened O'Hara with court martial.
When John Forsyth Jr.
John Forsyth Jr.
John Forsyth was an American newspaper editor of the Mobile Register and the son to politician John Forsyth and grandson of U.S. Congressman Robert Forsyth.-Biography:...
, editor-in-chief of the Mobile Register of Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
became minister to Mexico in 1856, O'Hara took his place in the newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
. He continued to follow government orders, such as his diplomatic mission into the Tehuantepec
Tehuantepec
Tehuantepec is a city and municipality in the southeast of the Mexican state of Oaxaca. It is part of the Tehuantepec District in the west of the Istmo Region. The area was important in pre Hispanic period as part of a trade route that connected Central America with what is now the center of...
grant debate. Although speculated, it was never proven that he was involved with William Walker's filibuster expedition to Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
.
Civil War
At the beginning of the American Civil WarAmerican 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...
in 1861, Theodore O'Hara joined the Confederate army and became colonel of the Twelfth Alabama Regiment. He would serve with General Albert Sidney Johnston
Albert Sidney Johnston
Albert Sidney Johnston served as a general in three different armies: the Texas Army, the United States Army, and the Confederate States Army...
and General John C. Breckinridge, his fellow law student. He distinguished himself in the Western Theater of the War 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...
at the Battle of Shiloh
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. A Union army under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had moved via the Tennessee River deep into Tennessee and...
and Battle of Stone's River. However, conflicts O'Hara had with both General Braxton Bragg
Braxton Bragg
Braxton Bragg was a career United States Army officer, and then a general in the Confederate States Army—a principal commander in the Western Theater of the American Civil War and later the military adviser to Confederate President Jefferson Davis.Bragg, a native of North Carolina, was...
and President of the Confederate States of America 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...
hampered his military career and made his efforts to attain a regimental command futile.
Legacy
After the war ended, Theodore O'Hara went to Columbus, GeorgiaColumbus, Georgia
Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Muscogee County, Georgia, United States, with which it is consolidated. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 189,885. It is the principal city of the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area, which, in 2009, had an estimated population of 292,795...
to be in the cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
business, but eventually lost his business to a fire. He later resided on a plantation near Guerrytown, Alabama where he died and was returned to Columbus for burial. On September 15, 1874, his remains, along with those of other Mexican War officers were buried in the state cemetery in Frankfort, Kentucky, Frankfort Cemetery
Frankfort Cemetery
The Frankfort Cemetery is located on East Main Street in Frankfort, Kentucky. The cemetery is the burial site of Daniel Boone and contains the graves of other famous Americans including seventeen Kentucky governors.-History:...
. Theodore O'Hara's friend Sergeant Henry T. Stanton read "The Bivouac of the Dead" at the reinternment and said, "O’Hara, in giving utterance to this song, became at once the builder of his own monument and the author of his own epitaph." Lines from the poem would eventually grace the gates of numerous national cemeteries and several monuments of Confederate Dead. In particular, the first verse's second quatrain
Quatrain
A quatrain is a stanza, or a complete poem, consisting of four lines of verse. Existing in various forms, the quatrain appears in poems from the poetic traditions of various ancient civilizations including Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, and China; and, continues into the 21st century, where it is...
is often used:
- On Fame's eternal camping-ground
- Their silent tents are spread,
- And Glory guards, with solemn round,
- The bivouac of the dead.
However, due to the fact he served for the Confederacy, Theodore O'Hara would often go uncredited when the quatrain was used in a non-Confederate cemetery setting. There is a dispute on when Theodore O'Hara wrote. It is popularly thought to be written after the Battle of Buena Vista
Battle of Buena Vista
The Battle of Buena Vista , also known as the Battle of Angostura, saw the United States Army use artillery to repulse the much larger Mexican army in the Mexican-American War...
of 1847, where many Kentucky volunteers died. Other's say it was actually written after the Battle of Cárdenas in 1851. The New York Times wrote it was first published in the Frankfort Yeoman in 1850, which puts it before O'Hara's Cuba adventures.