Brig. Gen. Archibald Gracie
Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2007 9:48 pm
I was gracious enough to do him...
Brig. Gen. Archibald Gracie, Jr. (b. 1832, d. 1864). Born into a wealthy New York family, whose home is today the official residence of the mayor of New York City, Gracie settled in Alabama and subsequently joined the South. After being educated at Heidelberg, Germany, he graduated from West Point in 1854, participated in the Snake River expedition one year later but resigned from the army as early as 1856. With his father’s help he successfully entered banking business in Mobile, Alabama, where he joined the militia, becoming commander of the Washington Light Artillery. After Alabama’s secession the unit was incorporated into the 3rd Alabama and sent to Norfolk, Virginia. Gracie returned in July 1861 to his home state to help organize the 11th Alabama regiment with which he left for Virginia in late 1861. Commanding a battalion of sharpshooters at the opening of the Peninsula Campaign the next year, he distinguished himself in rear guard operations. Shortly before the Seven Days he was promoted to colonel and sent to East Tennessee. There he commended the 43rd Alabama under Gen. Kirby Smith, taking part in the Kentucky Campaign. Although he was not involved in the major engagements of the campaign, he got his own brigade and was promoted to brigadier general on November 4, 1862. His main task for the following months was to guard Cumberland Gap with his unit until it was sent to Chickamauga as part of Gen. Simon Buckner’s force. In the bloody battle of September 18-20, 1863 his brigade gained a foothold on the Horseshoe Ridge–the Federal main stronghold and rally point–but had to fall back after sustaining high casualties. Following Chickamauga, Gracie and his men took part in the Knoxville Campaign as part of Gen. Bushrod Johnson’ division, where Gracie was wounded in the fighting at Bean’s Station. He did not recover until early 1864, when he led his brigade to Virginia, where it was part of the defending force at Drewry’s Bluff on May 16, 1864. Assigned afterwards to trenches around Petersburg, Gracie was killed by an exploding shell on December 2, 1864. His son Colonel Archibald Gracie IV would write a book about his father’s biggest battle called “The Truth about Chickamauga”, but would gain more fame from his eyewitness account of the Titanic’s sinking.
Ldr: 4
Tact: 4
Init: 2
Cmd: 3
Cav: 0
Teaches: Sustained Volley, Polar Bears
Brig. Gen. Archibald Gracie, Jr. (b. 1832, d. 1864). Born into a wealthy New York family, whose home is today the official residence of the mayor of New York City, Gracie settled in Alabama and subsequently joined the South. After being educated at Heidelberg, Germany, he graduated from West Point in 1854, participated in the Snake River expedition one year later but resigned from the army as early as 1856. With his father’s help he successfully entered banking business in Mobile, Alabama, where he joined the militia, becoming commander of the Washington Light Artillery. After Alabama’s secession the unit was incorporated into the 3rd Alabama and sent to Norfolk, Virginia. Gracie returned in July 1861 to his home state to help organize the 11th Alabama regiment with which he left for Virginia in late 1861. Commanding a battalion of sharpshooters at the opening of the Peninsula Campaign the next year, he distinguished himself in rear guard operations. Shortly before the Seven Days he was promoted to colonel and sent to East Tennessee. There he commended the 43rd Alabama under Gen. Kirby Smith, taking part in the Kentucky Campaign. Although he was not involved in the major engagements of the campaign, he got his own brigade and was promoted to brigadier general on November 4, 1862. His main task for the following months was to guard Cumberland Gap with his unit until it was sent to Chickamauga as part of Gen. Simon Buckner’s force. In the bloody battle of September 18-20, 1863 his brigade gained a foothold on the Horseshoe Ridge–the Federal main stronghold and rally point–but had to fall back after sustaining high casualties. Following Chickamauga, Gracie and his men took part in the Knoxville Campaign as part of Gen. Bushrod Johnson’ division, where Gracie was wounded in the fighting at Bean’s Station. He did not recover until early 1864, when he led his brigade to Virginia, where it was part of the defending force at Drewry’s Bluff on May 16, 1864. Assigned afterwards to trenches around Petersburg, Gracie was killed by an exploding shell on December 2, 1864. His son Colonel Archibald Gracie IV would write a book about his father’s biggest battle called “The Truth about Chickamauga”, but would gain more fame from his eyewitness account of the Titanic’s sinking.
Ldr: 4
Tact: 4
Init: 2
Cmd: 3
Cav: 0
Teaches: Sustained Volley, Polar Bears