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ORIGINAL: Gil R.

Nice job. Only some minor changes were made.


Maj. Gen. David Rumph Jones (b. 1825, d. 1863). A solid officer, Jones was called “Neighbor” due to his easygoing nature. After graduating from West Point in 1846, the South Carolinian served in the American-Mexican War, earning one brevet. Although he was married to a niece of Pres. Zachary Taylor, he did not advance further than 1st lieutenant, and subsequently resigned from the army in February 1861. (The way you wrote this implies that he resigned because he didn’t advance in his career, but the timing suggests that secession was the issue, since the state seceded on December 20. If so, we should say.) Jones enlisted in South Carolina’s militia when the state seceded, securing the position of aide-de-camp to Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard during the siege and bombardment of Fort Sumter. After being promoted to brigadier general in June 1861, Jones led a brigade at the Battle of First Bull Run on July 17, but he and his men did not see much action. When the Confederate armies in the East were merged to the Army of Northern Virginia in the spring of 1862, Jones was promoted to major general (dating from March 10). During the Peninsula Campaign his division was assigned to the wing commanded by Gen. John Magruder. Though held in reserve at the Battle of Seven Pines on May 31-June 1, the Jones’ division saw more action during the Seven Days’ Campaign a month later. It fought well at Mechanicsville and Gaines’s Mill, where the main task was to initiate diversionary attacks to prevent the Union forces from reinforcing Gen. Fitz John Porter’s isolated corps, but performed with less success during the other battles. Jones was kept in the army – in contrast to Magruder and others – and his division became part of Gen. James Longstreet’s I Corps. In the lead-up to the Battle of Second Bull Run, Jones’ men on August 28 secured Thoroughfare Gap for the corps, which was thus able to unite with Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson’s II Corps at Manassas and successfully attack the Union army under Gen. John Pope two days later. At the Battle of Antietam three weeks later, Jones was assigned the task of holding the right flank and securing the Confederate retreat route. Outnumbered at least two to one, his men managed to hold off Gen. Ambrose Burnside’s corps for several hours but were finally pushed back, after the Federals managed to cross the bridge that was later named after Burnside Only the timely arrival of Gen. A.P. Hill saved the whole army. It was Jones’ last battle: a heart condition forced him to resign from the army after the Maryland Campaign, and he died early the following year, on January 15, 1863. (Bio by Joern Kaesebier)

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

Teaches: Steady, Shooters

Start date: 10
“Death” date: 41