Questions about Earl Van Dorn
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who was Earl Van Dorn and what was he known for?
Earl Van Dorn (the 17th of September 1820 - the 7th of May 1863) was a Confederate major general who served first as a U.S. Army officer. He was known for his victories over the Comanche on the Texas frontier, the Holly Springs Raid that thwarted Grant's first Vicksburg campaign, and being declared a pirate by President Lincoln after capturing the Union ship Star of the West in 1861. Military historians noted he was most effective as a cavalry commander, a role in which he was never defeated.
How did Earl Van Dorn die?
Earl Van Dorn was shot at his headquarters in the Cheairs mansion at Spring Hill, Tennessee, on the morning of the 7th of May, 1863. Dr. George B. Peters, a local physician and state legislator, entered Van Dorn's office while the general was writing at his desk and shot him in the back of the head. Van Dorn died four hours later, never having regained consciousness. Peters alleged the killing was in defense of his wife's honor, claiming Van Dorn had carried on an affair with her.
What was the Holly Springs Raid and why did it matter?
The Holly Springs Raid was a surprise cavalry strike led by Van Dorn on the 20th of December, 1862, in which 2,500 Confederate cavalry captured 1,500 Union soldiers and destroyed at least $1,500,000 worth of U.S. supplies. The raid thwarted Grant's first attempt to capture Vicksburg by destroying his supply lines and disrupting communications. It also delayed the implementation of Grant's General Order No. 11, which had expelled Jews as a class from his military district.
Why did President Lincoln declare Earl Van Dorn a pirate?
Lincoln declared Van Dorn a pirate following the capture of the Union supply ship Star of the West at Matagorda Bay, Texas, on the 17th of April, 1861. The legal charge was seizure of vessels by persons acting under Confederate authority. The capture also resulted in the first formal surrender of the Civil War. Van Dorn allowed Union troops to keep their firearms because he considered them fellow Americans.
How did Earl Van Dorn perform at the Battle of Pea Ridge?
Van Dorn commanded approximately 17,000 Confederate troops against a smaller U.S. force of about 10,500 at Pea Ridge, Arkansas, in early March 1862. He abandoned his supply wagons for speed, leaving his men under-equipped in cold weather, and split his force to attack the Union rear. When generals McCulloch and McIntosh were killed on the 7th of March, his right wing fell into confusion. Curtis counterattacked on the 8th of March and routed the Confederates. Confederate casualties were estimated around 2,000; Union losses around 1,000-1,200. Despite the loss, the Confederate Congress voted its formal thanks to Van Dorn on the 21st of April.
What was Earl Van Dorn's connection to Andrew Jackson?
Van Dorn's mother, Sophia Donelson Caffery, was a niece of Andrew Jackson, making Van Dorn a great-nephew of the former president. That family connection secured Van Dorn his appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he enrolled in 1838 and graduated in 1842.