CSA Bios: Little, Lilley, Liddell

[Battleline]

Brig. Gen. Lewis H. Little (b. 1817, d. 1862) Unfortunate. If one word could be used to summarize Lewis Henry Little’s demise, that would be it. Little was killed by a ball from Federal lines at the Battle of Iuka while in conversation with fellow Confederate generals Sterling Price and Louis Hebert. The shot actually passed under Price’s arm before hitting Little in the forehead, killing him instantly Sept. 19, 1862. Originally buried in the garden behind his Iuka headquarters, Little later was moved to Green Mountain Cemetery in Baltimore. Little was born in Baltimore March 19, 1817, the son of a longtime Maryland Congressman and veteran of the War of 1812. In 1839, Little was commissioned into the U.S. Army, serving in the 7th U.S. Infantry. At the Battle of Monterrey in the Mexican War, Little earned a brevet to captain for gallant and meritorious conduct. He stayed in the army until resigning May 7, 1861, to join the Confederate Army. He was commissioned there as a major of artillery and soon was attached to Price’s staff as a colonel and assistant adjutant general. A favorite of Price, Little took charge of a brigade, the 1st Missouri, at the Battle of Elkhorn Tavern. He earned praise from Price and Gen. Earl Van Dorn, which led to Little’s promotion to brigadier general April 16, 1862. After the evacuation of Corinth, Mississippi, Little was given command of a division, the 1st Division, Army of the West, under Gen. Braxton Bragg. At Iuka, Little’s men fought against Federal troops under Gen. Rosecrans. He was under Price’s command at the time of his death. Price was so shaken that he did not counterattack on Sept. 20. Hebert took over the division and renamed the camp at Baldwyn, Mississippi, in Little’s honor.

Brig. Gen. Robert D. Lilley (b. 1836, d. 1886) A line officer for much of the war, Robert Doak Lilley ascended to brigade command with the Army of Northern Virginia in 1864. Born near Greenville in Augusta County, Virginia, Lilley completed his education at Washington College (now Washington and Lee University). He was employed prior to the war in selling surveying instruments invented by his father. In Charleston, South Carolina, for the bombardment of Fort Sumter, Lilley came back to Virginia to help recruit the Augusta Lee Guards. That unit first saw action in the western part of Virginia in 1861 as a company of the 25th Virginia. The regiment fought at Rich Mountain and Greenbriar River. Part of Early’s Brigade of Ewell’s Division, the unit fought at McDowell, in the Shenandoah Valley Campaign, at Cedar Mountain, Second Manassas and Sharpsburg. During that time, Lilley continued to move up through the ranks. In January 1863, he was promoted to major and his unit fought in the brigade of Gen. Imboden. At Gettysburg, the 25th Virginia was part of the Stonewall Brigade. After the Battle of Gettysburg, Lilley was elevated to lieutenant colonel and fought in the Mine Run Campaign and at the Wilderness and Spotsyvania. With officer casualties mounting, Lilley was promoted to brigadier general to rank from May 31, 1864, and given command of Early’s old brigade in the Second Corps. While undertaking reconnaissance (Stephenson’s Depot) near Winchester, Virginia, July 20, 1864, Lilley was wounded three times and captured. An arm had to be amputated and the Federals left him in Winchester when abandoning the town after their loss at Kernstown. Lilley recovered enough to command reserve forces in the Shenandoah Valley during the closing days of the war. After the war ended, he was a financial agent for his alma mater, raising substantial sums of money. A member of the Presbyterian Synod of Virginia, Lilley died in Richmond, Virginia, Nov. 12, 1886, while attending a Synod meeting. He was buried in Staunton, Virginia.

Brig. Gen. St. John R. Liddell (b. 1815, d. 1870) Louisiana general St. John Richardson Liddell fought in Mississippi and the Trans-Mississippi theaters during the war. Liddell was born Sept. 6, 1815, at “Elmsley” plantation near Woodville, Mississippi. He was appointed to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1833, but left after one year, possible due to his low class standing. Liddell entered the life of a planter when his father purchased him a plantation in Catahoula Parish, Louisiana. That was home for the rest of his life. When war broke out, Liddell, then 46, served as a volunteer aide-de-camp with the rank of colonel on the staff of Gen. Hardee. He then was a confidential courier for Gen. A.S. Johnston. At the Battle of Corinth, Liddell led a brigade under Gen. Patrick Cleburne and impressed his superiors enough to earn promotion to brigadier general to rank from July 17, 1862. He stayed active in the Kentucky Campaign, leading troops at Perryville. In Tennessee, his men fought at Murfreesboro. At Liberty Gap June 24, 1863, Lidell’s Arkansas brigade held off three attacking Federal brigades. Liddell was away from his command on leave at the start of Chickamauga, but reported back when he heard fighting had started. He was one of the committee members to draft the constitution of the Comrades of the Southern Cross, a fraternal organization for officers. At his own request, Liddell was sent to the Trans-Mississippi Department. During the Red River Campaign, Liddell led troops under Gen. Richard Taylor. During the defense of Mobile Bay, Liddell was captured at Fort Blakely April 9, 1865. Liddell argued with a neighboring planter, Charles Jones (former lieutenant colonel of the 17th Louisiana). While traveling on a Black River steamboat Feb. 14, 1870, Liddell met his death at the hands of Jones and his two sons. Liddell was buried on his plantation.

[Gil R.]

Got them, thanks.

Edited McClellan today, but need to look some things up before posting it. One of these days, I'll have a whole batch to post, after I spend some time looking things up and shortening.