CSA Bios: W. McRae, D. McRae, McNair, Mackall

[Battleline]

McLaws has been done by jkBluesman

Brig. Gen. William McRae (b. 1834, d. 1882) Small and scrappy, William McRae was not one to back down from a challenge. According to Ezra Warner’s “Generals in Gray,” McRae was said to “have the ability of instilling more ‘fight’ into his troops than any other officer in the army, John B. Gordon excepted.” Born in Wilmington, North Carolina Sept. 9, 1834, McRae was educated as a civil engineer and was working at this job in Monroe, North Carolina, in 1861. He enlisted as a private in the Monroe Light Infantry, but was elected that unit’s captain when it became part of the 15th North Carolina Infantry. Sent to fight in Virginia as part of Howell Cobb’s brigade, McRae moved up the command structure. The unit fought at the Seven Days Campaign and Second Manassas. At Sharpsburg, McRae briefly commanded the 250 men of the brigade and repelled three Federal assaults before retiring with 50 men. At Fredericksburg, the unit fought at Marye’s Heights. McRae was promoted to lieutenant colonel in the regiment April 1862 and colonel in February 1863. As part of John R. Cooke’s brigade, the regiment was rotated back to North Carolina duty before rejoining the Army of Northern Virginia for the Bristoe Campaign. At Cold Harbor, a wound to Gen. Kirkland opened up a brigadier’s spot and McRae was promoted to that rank, temporarily, from June 22, 1864. The temporary tag was removed Nov. 4, 1864. During the Petersburg Campaign, McRae’s brigade was one of three which forced Federals at Ream’s Station to retreat with a Federal artillery battery captured in the process. Not a shot was fired in offense. At Burgess’ Mill, McRae’s brigade held off a growing number of Federal troops until darkness, when it withdrew. McRae was with his men at Appomattox. Broke after the surrender, McRae became an engineer for a number of different railroads in the south. His attention to his work was not good for his health and he died in Augusta, Georgia, Feb. 11, 1882.

Brig. Gen. Dandridge McRae (b. 1829, d. 1899) Dandridge McRae fought in many battles in the Trans-Mississippi Department before resigning his commission in 1864. McRae was born in Baldwin County, Alabama, Oct. 10, 1829, and was an 1849 graduate of South Carolina College. Moving to Searcy, Arkansas, McRae earned admission to the bar and served as the clerk of the county and circuit courts for six years. When the war started, he was serving as inspector general on the staff of Gov. Rector. He became one of the first of his adopted state to enlist in Confederate service and was commissioned as major of the Third Battalion of Arkansas Infantry. He was promoted to colonel and given charge of the 21st Arkansas Infantry. He led this unit into combat at Wilson’s Creek. Here, he earned praise from his superior, Brig. Gen. Ben McCulloch, for coolness under fire. After the battle of Elkhorn Tavern, McRae again earned praise during an otherwise bleak time for the Confederates. Brig. Gen. Thomas Hindman labeled him as “indomitable” for pulling off a forced march of 25 miles to support Gen. Albert Rust at Des Arc. Just prior to his Nov. 5, 1862, promotion to brigadier general, McRae’s fiercest rival emerged. Maj. Gen. Theophilus H. Holmes labeled McRae’s Arkansas troops as being “a crude mass of undisciplined material, almost as poorly armed as drilled.” Holmes later accused McRae of “misbehavior before the enemy” for failing to reinforce Brig. Gen. Thomas Fagan at Hindman’s Hill during the campaign to relieve Vicksburg. Gen. Sterling Price defended McRae, who commanded troops under Price in the Red River Campaign fights at Marks’ Mills and Jenkins’ Ferry. Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith finally dismissed charges in December 1864, but that was after McRae went back to Searcy, Arkansas, resuming his career as a lawyer. After the war, McRae was elected deputy secretary of state in 1881. He became a “one-man state chamber of commerce,” according to Ezra Warner’s “Generals in Gray.” He was a commissioner to various expositions and served as the president of the state bureau of information before his death in Searcy, Arkansas, April 23, 1899.

Brig. Gen. Evander McNair (b. 1820, d. 1902) A veteran of two wars, Evander McNair commanded troops in the western theaters of the Civil War. McNair was born near Laurel Hill, North Carolina, April 15, 1820. As a tot, his family moved to Mississippi and settled in Simpson County. McNair grew up there and became a merchant in Jackson at the age of 22. When the Mexican War broke out, McNair enlisted and became a member of E Company, First Mississippi Rifles. Jefferson Davis was colonel of that outfit. After the Mexican War, McNair moved to Washington, Arkansas, and continued in mercantile business. With war coming, he raised a battalion of seven infantry companies. That unit was recruited to full strength and made the Fourth Arkansas Infantry. As organizer, McNair was elected the unit’s colonel. His regiment was bloodied in the battles at Wilson’s Creek and Elkhorn Tavern. At the latter fight, McNair assumed brigade command after Ben McCulloch was killed and Louis Hebert captured. His unit was shifted east, fighting under Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith during the Kentucky Campaign, fighting at Richmond, Kentucky. Praised by his superiors, the Confederate Congress confirmed McNair as a brigadier general Nov. 4, 1862. Fighting at Murfreesboro, McNair’s men were involved in some of the heaviest fighting. After that, the unit moved under Gen. Joseph Johnston in an attempt to relive the siege around Vicksburg. At the Battle of Chickamauga, McNair’s brigade defeated a Federal brigade at Viniard’s Farm. During attacks on the following day, McNair was severely wounded as his brigade pounded the Federal center. The brigade captured two Federal batteries to earn the name “Star Brigade of Chickamauga.” After McNair recovered from his wounds, he was sent back to the Trans-Mississippi Department. In command of Arkansas troops, McNair participated in Price’s Missouri Raid. Following the war, McNair returned to business in New Orleans. He also lived in Magnolia, Mississippi, and Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He died in Hattiesburg Nov. 13, 1902.

Brig Gen. William W. Mackall (b. 1817, d. 1891) The Confederate career of William Whann Mackall was intertwined with that of his West Point classmate, Braxton Bragg. Born in Cecil County, Maryland, Mackall and Bragg were both part of the U.S. Military Academy’s Class of 1837. Mackall graduated eighth in the class and saw immediate action, being wounded in the Seminole War. He earned two brevets for gallant and meritorious conduct while commanding artillery in the Mexican War. Mackall was offered the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Federal army with the title of assistant adjutant general, but he declined the promotion and resigned his commission July 3, 1861. Mackall was given the same rank, lieutenant colonel with the adjutant general’s department and found a home on the staff of Gen. A.S. Johnston. Getting involved in army politics, Mackall became a supporter of Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard, and secured his own promotion to brigadier general Feb. 27, 1862. Mackall replaced Gen. John McCown as commander of Island No. 10 and was captured at that post. Exchanged, Mackall briefly commanded a brigade, a district and a subdistrict before receiving the call from his old classmate, Bragg. As chief of staff of the Army of Tennessee, Mackall served through Chickamauga. Growing tired of his role, Mackall asked to be relieved. Praised by Bragg, Mackall got a brigade in Mississippi. In January of 1864, Mackall returned to the Army of Tennessee as chief of staff for Gen. Joseph Johnston. When Johnston was replaced by Gen. John B. Hood, Mackall refused to serve the new army commander and his role in the war was over. He surrendered to Federal forces in Macon, Georgia, April 20, 1865. After the war, Mackall ran a number of farms in Virginia. He died on one of them, “Langley” Aug. 12, 1891.

[jkBluesman]

Somehow you seem to get all the lawyers. Is there a statistic showing how many Confederate generals or officers were attorney prior to the war?
When did Mackall resign, was it when D.H. Hill was relieved?
By the way, I enjoy reading your bios, espacially when they cover some less known engagements.

[Battleline]

jk,
Thanks for the compliment. I enjoy your work as well.
Just taking them in reverse alphabetical order. Seems that most Confederate generals either were career military men, politicians or lawyers somehow -- men of stature within their communities. I would suspect that the initial election of officers within units had something to do with it.
As for Mackall, it was sometime in July of 1864. No exact date is listed anywhere. D.H. Hill pretty much was done with the Army of Tennessee after Chickamauga when he and Bragg came to a disagreement. This was about the same time Mackall left Bragg's staff to go to Mississippi.
Who are you working on next?
Battleline

[jkBluesman]

Battleline,
I will work on Cheatham (getting back to the Army of Tennessee) and Drayton, who did not see much fighting. And I will do some more German born Union generals.

[Gil R.]

Yeah, I've also noticed the large number of lawyers. I guess that many colonels and lieutenants were prominent men in their communities, and these guys rose to brigadier general after a while.

[pg1862]

Noticed an error in the Dandridge McRae bio...You have the following quote: "Maj. Gen. Theophilus H. Holmes labeled McRae’s Arkansas troops as being “a crude mass of undisciplined material, almost as poorly armed as drilled.”

I've seen it other places also, but the actual quote is "...but with the exception of McCulloch's division and McRae's brigade, which are partially drilled, they are a crude mass of undisciplined material, 7,000 of whom are without arms of any kind..."

The original source, from which somebody has totally taken the quote out of context, is a report from Holmes to Gen. Douglas Cooper on October 26, 1862. It's in the O.R.

[Battleline]

pg1862,
Thanks for your comment.
This bio was done quite a while back, but I will check my primary sources and see which one supplied that particular quote.
I do not doubt the veracity of your claim. One thing I have learned over the many bios I have written is that the sources sometimes provide confilicting information. As I do not have the entire O.R. at my fingertips, I usually have to rely on these sources, particularly
Ezra Warner's Generals in Gray and Generals in Blue
The Historical Times Encyclopedia of the Civil War and
Heidler's Encyclopedia.

If Gil would approve, we could just remove that statement by Holmes. I believe we have enough without it to illustrate the rivalry between Holmes and McRae.
Thanks,
Battleline

[Gil R.]

Well, since we’re discussing this bio, I decided that I might as well make it the one that I edit today. As you can see, not many changes (other than a few style changes that aren’t bolded), and I took care of the issue raised by pg1862. (Thanks for alerting us to the problem, by the way. That’s not something I would ever have caught.)

Brig. Gen. Dandridge McRae (b. 1829, d. 1899). McRae fought in many battles in the Trans-Mississippi Department before resigning his commission in 1864. McRae, who was born in Baldwin County, Alabama, on October 10, 1829, graduated from South Carolina College in 1849. Moving to Searcy, Arkansas, McRae earned admission to the bar and served as the clerk of the county and circuit courts for six years. When the Civil War started, he was serving as inspector general on the staff of Gov. Henry M. Rector, and left that position to become one of the first of his adopted state to enlist in Confederate service, receiving a commission as major of the 3rd Battalion of Arkansas Infantry. McRae was soon promoted to colonel and given charge of the 21st Arkansas Infantry, and led this unit into combat at Wilson’s Creek, the first major battle in the western theater, on August 10, 1861. In this battle he earned praise from his superior, Brig. Gen. Ben McCulloch, for coolness under fire. After the defeat in the Battle of Pea Ridge (Elkhorn Tavern) the following March 8, McRae again earned praise during an otherwise bleak time for the Confederates, as Brig. Gen. Thomas Hindman labeled him “indomitable” for pulling off a forced march of 25 miles to support Gen. Albert Rust at the new Confederate rendezvous point and supply center at Des Arc, Arkansas. Promoted to brigadier general on November 5, 1862, McRae soon found a fierce rival in Maj. Gen. Theophilus H. Holmes, who later accused him of “misbehavior before the enemy” for failing to reinforce Brig. Gen. Thomas Fagan at Hindman’s Hill during the campaign to relieve Vicksburg in 1863. Gen. Sterling Price defended McRae, who commanded troops under Price in the Red River Campaign fights at Marks’ Mills and Jenkins’ Ferry the following spring. Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith, who was commanding the Trans-Mississippi Department, finally dismissed charges in December 1864, but that was after McRae had returned to Searcy and resumed his career as a lawyer. After the war, McRae was elected deputy secretary of state in 1881, becoming a “one-man state chamber of commerce,” according to Ezra Warner’s “Generals in Gray.” McRae was a commissioner to various expositions and served as the president of the state bureau of information before his death in Searcy on April 23, 1899. (Bio by Bill Battle)

Leadership: 3
Tactical: 4
Initiative: 3
Command: 5
Cavalry:

Start date: 44

Teaches: Steady (14), Hardy (5)

[Battleline]

Gil,
Thanks for editing the bio.
The source in question was the Historical Times Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Civil War, Patricia L. Faust editor. It's usually a very good source of information, the same stuff you see in any of these Civil War encyclopedias.
Bio writers are like baby birds sometimes. We have to use regurgitated information someone else has digested and shortened to be able to write these. As I stated before, there sometimes are conflicts in information and additional sources are needed to try to figure things out. These events happened over 140 years ago and stories always weren't reported the same way twice.

It's good to see someone new like pg1862 taking an interest in this project. Want to write some of these bios?
Our merry band of bio writers seems to be shrinking. I would compare it to any early-war regiment still active in 1865. We could use some reinforcements!

Thanks,
Battleline

[jkBluesman]

Yes, sign up and you will get a few dozen Union generals for free!

[Gil R.]

Since I wanted to stick to my goal of one bio per day, I chose a short one. I rewrote a bit here and there but didn't really add anything of substance. I think this is one of the only generals with historically based ratings who has very high leadership but nothing else all that impressive -- which seems about right, based on his bio.


Brig. Gen. William McRae (b. 1834, d. 1882). Small and scrappy, McRae was not one to back down from a challenge. According to Ezra Warner’s “Generals in Gray,” McRae was said to “have the ability of instilling more ‘fight’ into his troops than any other officer in the army, John B. Gordon excepted.” Born in Wilmington, North Carolina on September 9, 1834, McRae was educated as a civil engineer. He was working at this job in Monroe, North Carolina, in 1861 when the Civil War began. He soon enlisted as a private in the Monroe Light Infantry, but was elected that unit’s captain when it became part of the 15th North Carolina Infantry Regiment. Sent to fight in Virginia as part of Gen. Howell Cobb’s brigade, McRae moved up the command structure. The unit fought in the Seven Days Campaign and at Second Manassas in the summer of 1862. During the Battle of Antietam that September, McRae briefly commanded the 250 men of the brigade and repelled three Federal assaults before retiring with 50 men. At Fredericksburg three months later, the unit fought at Marye’s Heights. McRae was promoted to lieutenant colonel in the regiment April 1862 and made colonel in February 1863. As part of Gen. John R. Cooke’s brigade, the regiment was rotated back to North Carolina duty before rejoining the Army of Northern Virginia for the Bristoe Campaign that fall. At Cold Harbor the following spring, a wound to Gen. William W. Kirkland opened up a brigadier’s spot and McRae was promoted to that rank, temporarily, from June 22, 1864. (The temporary tag was removed on November 4.) During the Petersburg Campaign later that summer, McRae’s brigade was one of three which forced Union forces at Reams Station to retreat and captured an enemy artillery battery in the process – without firing a shot in offense. At Burgess’ Mill, McRae’s brigade held off a growing number of Federal troops until darkness, when it withdrew. In April 1865, McRae and his men surrendered along with the rest of the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Court House. Returning to civilian life, McRae found himself financially broke after the surrender, and became an engineer for a number of different southern railroads. His attention to his work was not good for his health and he died on February 11, 1882 in Augusta, Georgia. (Bio by Bill Battle)

Leadership: 6
Tactical: 3
Initiative: 2
Command: 3
Cavalry:

Start date: 83

[pg1862]

Glad to help. I've been researching him for several years with the end goal of writing a book about him and his service during the war. I ran across that quote somewhere else and was puzzled by it because it ran contrary to everything else I'd seen. I asked the author of the source and he didn't know where he got it and then I stumbled across it in the O.R. I'd be glad to help with some of the other bios if you want me to. My forte would be those fighting in the Trans-Mississippi.

[Gil R.]

ORIGINAL: pg1862

Glad to help. I've been researching him for several years with the end goal of writing a book about him and his service during the war. I ran across that quote somewhere else and was puzzled by it because it ran contrary to everything else I'd seen. I asked the author of the source and he didn't know where he got it and then I stumbled across it in the O.R. I'd be glad to help with some of the other bios if you want me to. My forte would be those fighting in the Trans-Mississippi.

I'm curious: why McRae? Is there a family link to him or someone who served under him?

It would be great to have you involved in the project. I just looked through my assignments file, and none of the big-name trans-Mississippi generals are still out there. So, I should ask, are there any from that theater who interest you, and don't appear to have been done yet (which you can check on just by doing a keyword search of this sub-forum)? Or, if you are open to east-of-the-Mississippi guys, I can come up with a few famous generals (including Chamberlain, who should be reassigned after all this time, McPherson and Sedgwick).