Generals in Gray: Early

Jubal A. Early

In September he assumed command of a division at Sharpsburg, where his performance impressed Jackson and Lee. "Old Jube" led his division at Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, and the Wilderness. In the western part of Virginia, facing light Confederate resistance, David Hunter's Army of the Shenandoah had cut a path of destruction from Staunton to Lexington and was headed for Lynchburg. In June 1864 Lee sent Early to end the threat to his endangered left, and although outnumbered, Early easily forced Hunter into a hasty retreat into West Virginia. Early then marched his Army of the Valley from Staunton toward the Potomac on a mission to draw some of Grant's forces away from Petersburg. He won a costly battle at Monacacy on July 9, 1864, and reached the outskirts of Washington two days later; but realizing his small force was too weak to penetrate the capital defenses, he slowly withdrew. Embittered by three years of war and seeking vengeance for Hunter's scorched earth campaign, Early sent "Tiger John" McCausland on a raid into Pennsylvania to seize and plunder Chambersburg, demand ransom, and reduce the town to ashes. Fed up, Grant replaced Hunter with "Little Phil" Sheridan in August. Early was defeated by Sheridan in a series of small battles (Winchester, Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and Waynesboro) until there was nothing left of his Army of the Valley. Early fled to Mexico at the end of the war but returned to practice law and engage in a postwar literary fight with Longstreet over who was responsible for the defeat at Gettysburg. Early died an "unreconstructed" Rebel on March 2, 1894.

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Jubal Anderson Early was born on November 3, 1816, in Franklin County, Virginia. He graduated from West Point in 1837, served one year in the army, and resigned to practice law in Rocky Mount, Virginia. Early was elected to the House of Delegates and served as a prosecuting attorney. When the war with Mexico broke out, Early was appointed major of Virginia volunteers. He arrived at Camargo as the war was winding down and was not involved in combat. At age 32, he returned to his law practice in Rocky Mount (he also began an affair with a young woman, age 17, who bore him four children though they never married). Early was a Unionist who opposed secession, but once Virginia left the Union he joined the Confederate Army as a colonel of the 24th Virginia Infantry. He fought at First Manassas in July 1861 and was promoted to brigadier general after the battle. In May 1862 he was wounded at Williamsburg during the first stage of McClellan's Peninsula Campaign. He recovered and returned to duty in July at Malvern Hill. In August he led a brigade in Stonewall Jackson's corps at Second Manassas.

© 2003 David C. Hanson, HIS 269 - Civil War and Reconstruction, Virginia W. Community College

Jubal A. Early
	In September he assumed command of a division at Sharpsburg, where his performance impressed Jackson and Lee. "Old Jube" led his division at Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, and the Wilderness. In the western part of Virginia, facing light Confederate resistance, David Hunter's Army of the Shenandoah had cut a path of destruction from Staunton to Lexington and was headed for Lynchburg. In June 1864 Lee sent Early to end the threat to his endangered left, and although outnumbered, Early easily forced Hunter into a hasty retreat into West Virginia. Early then marched his Army of the Valley from Staunton toward the Potomac on a mission to draw some of Grant's forces away from Petersburg. He won a costly battle at Monacacy on July 9, 1864, and reached the outskirts of Washington two days later; but realizing his small force was too weak to penetrate the capital defenses, he slowly withdrew. Embittered by three years of war and seeking vengeance for Hunter's scorched earth campaign, Early sent "Tiger John" McCausland on a raid into Pennsylvania to seize and plunder Chambersburg, demand ransom, and reduce the town to ashes. Fed up, Grant replaced Hunter with "Little Phil" Sheridan in August. Early was defeated by Sheridan in a series of small battles (Winchester, Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and Waynesboro) until there was nothing left of his Army of the Valley. Early fled to Mexico at the end of the war but returned to practice law and engage in a postwar literary fight with Longstreet over who was responsible for the defeat at Gettysburg. Early died an "unreconstructed" Rebel on March 2, 1894. Generals >
Jubal Anderson Early was born on November 3, 1816, in Franklin County, Virginia. He graduated from West Point in 1837, served one year in the army, and resigned to practice law in Rocky Mount, Virginia. Early was elected to the House of Delegates and served as a prosecuting attorney. When the war with Mexico broke out, Early was appointed major of Virginia volunteers. He arrived at Camargo as the war was winding down and was not involved in combat. At age 32, he returned to his law practice in Rocky Mount (he also began an affair with a young woman, age 17, who bore him four children though they never married). Early was a Unionist who opposed secession, but once Virginia left the Union he joined the Confederate Army as a colonel of the 24th Virginia Infantry. He fought at First Manassas in July 1861 and was promoted to brigadier general after the battle. In May 1862 he was wounded at Williamsburg during the first stage of McClellan's Peninsula Campaign. He recovered and returned to duty in July at Malvern Hill. In August he led a brigade in Stonewall Jackson's corps at Second Manassas.
© 2003 David C. Hanson, HIS 269 - Civil War and Reconstruction, Virginia W. Community College