1824
- CS Brigadier General Barnard Elliott Bee, Jr.¹ is born in Charleston, South Carolina. The Bee family would move to Pendleton, South Carolina, where young Barnard would attend the Pendleton Academy. In 1836 his parents would move to Texas, but he would stay with his mother’s sisters to continue his education. In 1841 Bee would be accepted to the Military Academy at West Point, and would graduate
in 1845 – 33rd in his class. Bee would be assigned to Texas, and would later be brevetted for gallantry during the Mexican-American War. After the Mexican War, Bee would be assigned to posts in Mississippi, New Mexico, Minnesota, Utah and Wyoming. During this time, he would be promoted from captain, to major. He would receive a brevet promotion to lieutenant colonel while serving in Utah. While in Minnesota, he would marry Sophia Elizabeth Hill. With the outbreak of the Civil War, he would be torn, as many officers were, between their southern roots, and their devotion to the United States. He would resign his U.S. Army commission, on March 3, 1861. Moving to Charleston, South Carolina, he would be appointed lieutenant colonel of the 1st South Carolina Regulars. He would be promoted brigadier general on June 17, 1861 and would be sent to join the forces commanded by General Joseph E. Johnston in the Shenandoah Valley. Bee would be assigned command of the 3rd Brigade. With the movement of the Federal Army, commanded by US Major General Irvin McDowell, towards Manassas Junction, Johnston would move his Army of the Shenandoah, by train, to join forces with those commanded by Brigadier General P.G.T. Beauregard, already at Manassas Junction to fight the Battle of First Manassas. Bee’s Brigade, along with the brigade commanded by Brigadier General Thomas J. Jackson, would be posted near Henry House Hill. With the Federal brigade, commanded by US Colonel Ambrose Burnside, approaching from Matthews Hill, to the north, the Confederate forces were pushed back to the area of the Henry’s house. During the hard fighting, that took place here, Bee would be noted as saying, “There is Jackson standing like a stone wall. Let us determine to die here, and we will conquer. Follow me.” Perhaps some of the last words spoken by Bee, he would be mortally wounded, during the Confederate stand, dying the next day. However, his words, often cited as having a negative connotation, would earn Jackson the sobriquet, “Stonewall.”
1862
- A small skirmish occurred at Linn Creek, Virginia (present day West Virginia). Total Federal casualties were two, with Confederate casualties of 15.
- The Battle of Roanoke Island² was fought on the outer banks of North Carolina. Part of US Brigadier General Ambrose Burnside’s North Carolina Campaign, it was one of the first amphibious assaults, of the Civil War (the Battle of Fort Henry, in the west, occurred two days earlier). Defending the fort at Roanoke Island was a group of Confederate gunboats, termed the “Mosquito Fleet,” and a garrison commanded by CS Brigadier General Henry Wise. With Wise currently hospitalized, command devolved to CS Colonel H.M. Shaw. Burnside’s division, of infantry, was able to push towards the forts, flanking them on both sides. Shaw, determined to save as many of his garrison, as possible, surrendered to Burnside. The Federal forces suffered 264 casualties, while the Confederate forces suffered 2,643 casualties, of which 2,500 were due to capture.
¹ Barnard Elliott Bee, Jr. at Wikipedia, and BattlefieldPortraits.com was used to research this article.
² Battle of Roanoke Island at Wikipedia was used to research this article.