- John Bordenave Villepigue
John Bordenave Villepigue (
July 2 ,1830 –November 9 ,1862 ) was a career U.S. Army officer who served on the Western Frontier and became a Confederate general in theAmerican Civil War . One of his descendents would later beWorld War I Medal of Honor recipient John Canty Villepigue.Early career
Villepigue (pronounced VIL-uh-PIG) was born in Camden,
Kershaw County, South Carolina , ofHuguenot descent; one of no less than six Confederate generals who came from Kershaw County. Admitted to The South Carolina Military Academy at the Arsenal 1 Jan 1846, transferred theCitadel on 1 Jan 1847, a pay cadet and not eligible for a Beneficiary Cadet scholarship, he left to enter theUnited States Military Academy . He graduated from the United States Military Academy, in 1854, as a brevetsecond lieutenant in the 2nd U.S. Dragoons. His initial service was out on the frontiers ofKansas andNebraska and he was involved in theSioux expedition of 1855, the march to Fort Lookout, Dakota in 1856, and theUtah campaign of 1857-58. By now afirst lieutenant , Villepigue spent time at the Carlisle Cavalry School and was on duty inUtah at the time of thesecession , whereupon he resigned his commission onMarch 31 ,1861 , to enter the service of the Confederacy.Defense of Fort McRee
Villepigue was initially commissioned as a
captain of artillery but was quickly promoted to the rank ofcolonel in the provisional army and assigned to the 36th Georgia InfantryRegiment . His first notable action was to command the defense ofFort McRee , guarding Pensacola harbor, during the bombardment ofNovember 22 ,1861 . At the time, his commanding officer, GeneralBraxton Bragg , suggested that for the number and caliber of guns involved, this would surely rank as the heaviest bombardment in the world to date. Bragg praised Villepigue's coolness under fire, even while grievously wounded, and noted that his example caused the troops he was leading—for the most part raw volunteers from Georgia and Mississippi—to fight with the courage of veterans.General Bragg wrote of Colonel Villepigue that he was, "an educated soldier, possessing in an eminent degree the love and confidence of his officers and men, he had been specially selected for this important and perilous post. The result fully vindicates the fortunate choice, and presents for our admiration, blended in perfect harmony, the modest but heroic soldier with the humble but confiding Christian."
Defense of Fort Pillow
Villepigue was promoted to the staff of General Bragg as chief of engineers and artillery. He moved to
Mobile, Alabama , and was appointed abrigadier general early in 1862. GeneralP.G.T. Beauregard , who also held him in high esteem, then moved him to commandFort Pillow ,Mississippi . Villepigue conducted a stubborn and skillful defense against greatly superior Federal land and naval forces. Finally ordered to retire, he blew up his fortifications and led his men to safety.Brigade commander
Villepigue commanded a
brigade at theSecond Battle of Corinth in October 1862, in the division ofMajor General Mansfield Lovell , under the overall command of Maj. Gen.Earl van Dorn . He distinguished himself in both the successful opening attack and the covering of the eventual retreat. The arduous nature of the campaign laid him low with a fever however, and, with the promise of a major general's commission, he was sent toPort Hudson, Louisiana , to recuperate. Unfortunately, no sooner had he arrived there than his condition worsened and he died ofpneumonia .Brigadier General Villepigue is buried in the "
Old Quaker Cemetery " in his home town of Camden, South Carolina. John Canty Villepigue was buried there also after his death in World War I. That cemetery also maintains the grave of World War I Medal of Honor recipient Richmond Hobson Hilton, the graves of Civil War Confederate GeneralsJoseph B. Kershaw andJohn Doby Kennedy , and that of Confederate soldier and hero from theBattle of Fredericksburg ,Richard Rowland Kirkland .References
* Eicher, John H., & Eicher, David J., "Civil War High Commands", Stanford University Press, 2001, ISBN 0-8047-3641-3.
* Warner, Ezra J., "Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders", Louisiana State University Press, 1959, ISBN 0-8071-0823-5.External links
* [http://www.pathsofthecivilwar.com/Pastfinder/PCWsummaryALL.asp?locationID=MS002 Corinth order of battle]
*findagrave|9095 Retrieved on2008-02-13
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.