Maj. Gen. Thomas L. Crittenden

[jkBluesman]

Maj. Gen. Thomas Leonidas Crittenden (b. 1819, d. 1893). Born in Russellville, Kentucky as son of the politician John. J. Crittenden, Thomas Leonidas would follow his father’s views when the secession crisis of 1860 divided his nation and state and would fight for the Union while his older brother George joined the Confederates. Thomas Leonidas studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1840, before volunteering for the Mexican-American War. He served as an aide to Gen. Zachary Taylor and was thanked after the war with the post as consul in Liverpool in 1849 when Taylor became president of the United States. Crittenden returned to Kentucky in 1853 and prior to the Civil War he worked as lawyer again and was a general of the state militia. His siding with the Union despite Kentucky’s claimed neutrality brought him the appointment as brigadier general of volunteers in September 1861. He served in the Army of the Ohio and led a division during the Battle of Shiloh on April 7, 1862 when the Army of the Ohio reinforced Gen. U.S. Grant and tipped the battle in favour of the Union. Crittenden received the promotion to major general of volunteers in July for his performance during the bloody battle. He was assigned to command the II corps in the Army of the Ohio and led it through the Perryville Campaign that drove the Southerners from Kentucky. At Stone’s River in December his corps took the brunt of the fighting and Crittenden performed well. The next year he led the XXI corps in the Army of the Cumberland during the Tullahoma Campaign in which Gen. William S. Rosecrans maneuvered the Southerners from Tennessee. When they hit back at Chickamauga in September, parts of the Federal army were routed, including Crittenden’s corps. Rosecrans was relieved of command but only after blaming subordinates for the defeat, one of them being Crittenden. He was relieved of command too for some time before being exonerated after political pressure from the Kentucky legislature. He was sent east. In the midst the Overland Campaign of 1864 at Spotsylvania Court House he was given a division in the XI corps under Gen. Ambrose Burnside and led it at Cold Harbor as well as during the early stages of the siege of Petersburg. But by December 1864 he resigned from the army, probably because his reputation had suffered too much for advancement. After the war however he rejoined the army as colonel and served until his retirement in 1881. He died in Staten Island, New York and was buried in Frankfort in the family grave next to his brother George against whom he had fought during the Civil War.

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

Teaches: Fast

[Gil R.]

(Finally) copied.

[Gil R.]

Here's Crittenden, all ready to go:


Maj. Gen. Thomas Leonidas Crittenden (b. 1819, d. 1893). Born in Russellville, Kentucky as son of the prominent politician John. J. Crittenden, Thomas Leonidas would follow his father’s views when the secession crisis of 1860 divided his nation and state, and would fight for the Union while his older brother George joined the Confederates. Thomas Leonidas studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1840, before volunteering for the Mexican-American War. He served as an aide to Gen. Zachary Taylor and was thanked after the war with the post of consul in Liverpool when Taylor became President in 1849. Crittenden returned to Kentucky in 1853, and prior to the Civil War he worked as a lawyer again and was also a general of the state militia. His siding with the Union despite Kentucky’s claimed neutrality brought him an appointment as brigadier general of volunteers in September 1861. He served in the Army of the Ohio and led a division during the Battle of Shiloh on April 7, 1862 when the Army of the Ohio under Gen. Don Carlos Buell reinforced Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and tipped the battle in favor of the Union. Crittenden received the promotion to major general of volunteers that July for his performance during this bloody battle. He was assigned to command the II Corps in the Army of the Ohio and led it through the Perryville Campaign that drove the Southerners from Kentucky. At Stone’s River, a three-day battle lasting from December 31, 1862 to January 2, 1863, his corps took the brunt of the fighting and Crittenden performed well. Later in 1863 he led the XXI Corps in the Army of the Cumberland during the Tullahoma Campaign in which Gen. William S. Rosecrans maneuvered the Southerners from Tennessee. When they hit back at Chickamauga in mid-September, parts of the Union army were routed, including Crittenden’s corps. Rosecrans was relieved of command but only after blaming subordinates for the defeat – among them Crittenden, who was also relieved of command for some time, before being exonerated with the help of political pressure from the Kentucky legislature. Crittenden was then sent to the Eastern Theater. In the midst the Overland Campaign of May-June 1864 he was given a division in the XI Corps under Gen. Ambrose Burnside, leading it in battle first at Spotsylvania Court House and then at Cold Harbor, as well as during the early stages of the Siege of Petersburg. That December, he resigned from the army, probably because his reputation had suffered too much for further advancement; after the war, however, he rejoined the army at the rank of colonel and served until his retirement in 1881. He died in Staten Island, New York and was buried in Frankfort in the family grave next to his brother George, against whom he had fought during the Civil War. (Bio by Joern Kaesebier)

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

Teaches: Fast (4)

Start date: 16