‘Stonewall of West’ long remembered
for courage, military battle expertise

(EDITOR’S NOTE:  Breanna Mink’s interest in U.S. history peaked last year when she won a Daughter’s of the American Revolution award for her essay “Memoirs of Paul Revere.” The Madison Central High School freshman also is well versed on the Civil War and wrote the following feature on Confederate Gen. Patrick Cleburne for The Bugle. More about Breanna appears in News Briefs.)

By BREANNA L. MINK

Patrick Cleburne was a major general in the Confederate army during the Civil War who rose quickly through the ranks and was recognized as a great military commander.

Highly respected and with great courage, Cleburne was extremely loyal to the Confederate cause and had many triumphs during his career – but that also came with many defeats.

Patrick Ronayne Cleburne was born in County Cork, Ireland on what some believe to be St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 1828; but other findings show he was born March 16. His father was a physician and he never really knew his mother as she died when he was 18 months old.

Cleburne was expected to follow in his father’s footsteps and study medicine, but he failed to get into Trinity College in Dublin, then enlisted in the British army in 1846. He served with the British 41st Regiment of Foot as an officer, and, in 1849, because of financial difficulties, he bought his way out of the army and came to America.

After working as a pharmacist in Cincinnati, Cleburne settled in Helena, Ark., working as a drugstore clerk and then as an attorney. He earned his citizenship in 1855 and was very involved in politics. He took part in many community projects, even volunteering as one of the few to care for the sick during a yellow fever outbreak. In 1861, he joined a militia group called the Yell Rifles.

Cleburne enlisted as a private, but because of his British military experience, he soon was elected captain by his unit. The Yell Rifles soon joined with other militia groups to form the 1st Arkansas Infantry, later called the 15th Arkansas Infantry. Cleburne’s regiment then joined Major Gen. William J. Hardee near Bowling Green.

Promoted to brigadier general in March 1862, Cleburne fought his first major battle at Shiloh April 6-7 of that year. The battle ended in a northern victory, but Cleburne was highly praised by Hardee for his performance.

The Battle of Richmond occurred Aug. 29-30, 1862 and was the second largest battle in Kentucky and also the largest Civil War victory for the Confederacy in the entire Civil War. Brig. Gen. Cleburne, under the command of Major Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith, encountered Union soldiers near Big Hill. After a time in the hot summer afternoon, Cleburne fell back to wait for Brig. Gen. Thomas Churchill and his division to arrive.

The next morning (Aug. 30), the main battle began near Mt. Zion Christian Church. Cleburne anticipated where the Union’s weak point would be and was leading his brigade when suddenly he was injured. He was shot in the mouth and lost a few teeth, and although someone had to take over his command, Cleburne’s decision of where to strike the Federal troops following a flanking action by Churchill’s men was an instrumental role in the Confederate victory. In December 1862, Cleburne was promoted to major general.

His actions in the Battle of Murfreesboro (Stones River) earned Cleburne praise from Gen. Braxton Bragg and his division played a major role at Chickamauga by causing Union Gen. George H. Thomas to repeatedly called for reinforcements.

The Battle of Chattanooga in November 1863 resulted in the Confederate army retreating, although Cleburne defeated his assailants. Beginning to feel the Confederacy would fall without more manpower, Cleburne proposed a solution to corps and division commanders in the Army of Tennessee on Jan. 2, 1864. He proposed to arm slaves to fight in the army and, in turn, the slaves, in time, would earn their freedom. The proposal was not well received and Confederate President Jefferson Davis ordered the proposal suppressed and not mentioned again. The proposal was the suspected reason that Cleburne never again was promoted in rank.

Cleburne went on to battle in Ringgold, Resaca and Kennesaw Mountain (Georgia). In September 1864, one-legged Gen. John Bell Hood took command and Cleburne felt Hood’s command would bring disaster to the Confederacy. Hood wanted to stop Union Gen. John Schofield from reaching Nashville, but Schofield slipped by in the night into Franklin. The Battle of Franklin on Nov. 30, 1864 was a disastrous loss for the Confederacy as Hood ordered a frontal assault straight into well prepared Union troops. Members of the Army of Tennessee knew they were likely to die.  The battle ended with about 6,000 killed or mortally injured, including six generals. Cleburne was one of those generals shot and killed.

Cleburne was buried at St. John’s Church in Mount Pleasant, Tenn. at age 36. In 1870, his remains were moved to his native town of Helena, Ark., and he was laid to rest in the Evergreen Confederate Cemetery on Crowley’s Ridge.

The general had met and became engaged to Susan Tarleton of Mobile, Ala., during 1864, but never got the opportunity to marry her.

Gen. Hardee called Cleburne and his division heroic. He also is referred to as the “Stonewall of the West,” which was a great compliment comparing him to Gen. Thomas (Stonewall) Jackson.  Cleburne received much praise for his battle action and earned the thanks of the Confederate Congress several times. He was highly respected by those he commanded and by those from whom he took command.

Cleburne was and is one of America’s great heroes. He fought and gave his life for a cause that he truly believed in, for a country he grew to truly love.