Maj. Gen. Arnold Elzey

[jkBluesman]

Maj. Gen. Arnold Elzey (b. 1816, d. 1871). Elzey experienced the early stages of the Civil War as Union officer at Augusta and ended the war as commander of the Confederate militia at the same place. Born into the Jones family, one of the oldest in Maryland, he chose to use his middle name as last name when he graduated from West Point in 1837. The reason was probably to stick out from the various Joneses in the army. As artillery officer he served in the Second Seminole War and was afterwards sent to Texas on frontier duty. During the Mexican-American War he fired the first artillery shot of the conflict at Fort Brown and won two brevets for his conduct at Contreras and Churubusco. In the years following the conflict he fought again against the Seminoles (1849-1850 and 1856) and served on the frontier. In 1860 he was in command of the Federal arsenal at Augusta, Georgia. When it was threatened by secessionists in January 1861, he asked for instructions from the national government and upon receiving none surrendered the arsenal. He went to Washington and stayed in the service despite his sympathy for the South. Although Maryland did not secede he resigned his commission after the firing on Fort Sumter in April. In the Confederate army he was given command of a Maryland regiment and served under Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith. When Smith was wounded at First Manassas on July 21, Elzey led the brigade against Federal artillery on the Southern left. The capture of the battery helped to turn the tide in favour of Confederates who won the first major battle of the war. Elzey was promoted to brigadier general dating from the victory. He also received the nickname “Blücher of the Confederacy” for his attack at Manassas. At the end of the year he was given command of a brigade in Gen. Richard S. Ewell’s division that joined Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson in April 1862 for the Shenandoah Valley Campaign. Elzey was wounded at Cross Keys on June 8 and thus missed the final days of the famous campaign. But he rejoined his brigade near Richmond a week later where it would fight during the Seven Days. Elzey commanded his men only at Gaines’s Mill on June 27 as he received a head wound in that battle. It took him months to recover during which he was promoted to major general (dating from December 4, 1862). At the end of the year he became commander of the Richmond defenses. Offered the post as chief of artillery in the Army of Northern Virginia in spring of 1863 he had to decline because he was still too weak. But he managed to defend the Confederate capital against Union raids throughout the year and beginning of the following. In March of 1864 he was supposed to lead the “Maryland Line” a unit composed of Marylanders but the unit was never organized as the commanders of Maryland units refused any transfer. Thus the plan to form the unit was given up. However in September, Elzey was appointed chief of artillery in John B. Hood’s Army of Tennessee. The evidence is not clear whether he reached the army in time for the invasion of Tennessee at the end of the year or not. But he was relieved from duty in February 1865 after the army had been beaten. Returning to Augusta Elzey commanded the local militia before surrendering to the Federals. After he received his parole he returned to Maryland and spent his final years as farmer. He was buried in Baltimore’s Green Mount Cemetery.

Ldr: 3
Tact: 5
Init: 4
Cmd: 3
Cav: 0

Teaches: Blasted

[Gil R.]

Copied, thanks.

[Gil R.]

Here's Elzey. I added nothing important, other than explaining who Blucher was.


Maj. Gen. Arnold Elzey (b. 1816, d. 1871). Elzey experienced the early stages of the Civil War as a Union officer at Augusta and ended the war as commander of the Confederate militia at the same place. Born into the Jones family, one of the oldest in Maryland, he chose to use his middle name as last name when he graduated from West Point in 1837, probably in order to stick out from the various Joneses in the army. He served as an artillery officer in the Second Seminole War and afterwards was sent to Texas on frontier duty. During the Mexican-American War he fired the first artillery shot of the conflict at Fort Brown and won later two brevets for his conduct at Contreras and Churubusco. In the years following the conflict he fought again against the Seminoles (1849-1850 and 1856) and served on the frontier. In 1860 he was in command of the Federal arsenal at Augusta, Georgia. When it was threatened by secessionists in January 1861, he asked for instructions from the national government and upon receiving none surrendered the arsenal. Elzey then headed to Washington and stayed in the service despite his sympathy for the South. But, even though Maryland did not secede, Elzey resigned his commission after the firing on Fort Sumter in April. Joining the Confederate army, he was appointed colonel and given command of a Maryland regiment under Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith. When Smith was wounded at First Manassas on July 21, Elzey led his brigade against Federal artillery on the Southern left. The capture of the battery helped to turn the tide in favor of the Confederates, helping them achieve victory in the first major battle of the war. In recognition of his performance, Elzey was promoted to brigadier general, dating from the victory, and received the nickname “Blücher of the Confederacy,” a reference to the Prussian general of the Napoleonic Wars. At the end of the year, he was given command of a brigade in Gen. Richard S. Ewell’s division, which joined Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson in April 1862 for the Shenandoah Valley Campaign. Elzey was wounded at Cross Keys on June 8 and thus missed the final days of the famous campaign, but he rejoined his brigade near Richmond a week later, in time for the Seven Days Battles. However, Elzey only commanded his men at Gaines’s Mill on June 27, since he received a head wound in that battle. It took him many months to recover, during which he was promoted to major general (dating from December 4, 1862). At the end of the year he became commander of the Richmond defenses. Offered the post of chief of artillery in the Army of Northern Virginia in spring of 1863, Elzey had to decline because he was still too weak. He instead continued in his post, managing to defend the Confederate capital against Union raids throughout the year and beginning of the following. In March 1864 he was supposed to lead the “Maryland Line,” a unit composed of Marylanders, but the unit was never organized because the commanders of the Maryland units intended for it refused any transfer, forcing the plan’s abandonment. In September, Elzey was appointed chief of artillery in Gen. John B. Hood’s Army of Tennessee following the fall of Atlanta. The evidence is not clear whether he reached the army in time for the invasion of Tennessee at the end of the year or not, but he was relieved from duty in February 1865 after the army had been beaten. Returning to Augusta, Elzey commanded the local militia before surrendering to the invading Union army. After Elzey received his parole he returned to Maryland and spent his final years there as a farmer. He was buried in Baltimore’s Green Mount Cemetery. (Bio by Joern Kaesebier)

Ldr: 3
Tact: 5
Init: 4
Cmd: 3
Cav: 0

Teaches: Blasted (15), Thrifty (26)

Start date: 13