Gideon Johnson Pillow ( June 8, 1806 - October 8, 1878 ) - American lawyer, politician and general of the Confederation during the Civil War in the United States . He is best known for his ineffective command of troops at the Battle of Fort Donelson .
| Gideon Johnson Pillow | |
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| Gideon johnson pillow | |
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| Date of Birth | June 8, 1806 |
| Place of Birth | Williamson, Tennessee |
| Date of death | October 8, 1878 (72 years old) |
| Place of death | Helena, Arkansas |
| Affiliation | US Army, CSA Army |
| Type of army | and |
| Years of service | 1846–48 (USA), 1861–65 (United States) |
| Rank | Brigadier General (KSA) Major General (USA) |
| Battles / wars | Mexican war
U.S. Civil War
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Early years
Pillow was born in Williamson County, Tennessee , in the family of Gideon Pillow and Anna Payne Pillow. In 1827, he graduated from Nashville University and became a practicing lawyer in Columbia (Tennessee), and was a partner of the future US President James Polk . On March 24, 1831, he married Mary Elizabeth Maartin. From 1833 to 1839 he served as brigadier general of the Tennessee militia.
When the Mexican War broke out , Pillow joined the U.S. Army (in July 1846) as a brigadier general, and President Polk promoted him to Major General on April 13, 1847. He was wounded in the right arm at Cerro Gordo and in the left leg at Chapultepec .
During the war, his conflict began with Commander-in-Chief Winfield Scott . On September 10, 1847, an anonymous letter signed by Leonidas hit the press, the author of which claimed that it was Pillow who won the battles between Conteras and Churubusco. Pillow's authorship was soon established, he was arrested and sentenced to trial. President Polk, helping Pillow, called Scott to Washington. The trial began in March 1848. Major Archibald Burns confirmed the authorship of Pillow. Pillow escaped punishment, but in July 1848 he was fired from the army.
Civil War
Pillow was an opponent of secession, but after the outbreak of war he joined the Confederate army, where from May 9, 1861 he served as major general of the Tennessee militia. In July, he was awarded the rank of Brigadier General of the Confederate Army and received the detachment, which at one time was called the "Liberation Army." He soon became subordinate to General Albert Sidney Johnston at the Western Theater. His first battle was the battle of Belmonte, where he met with Ulysses Grant , for whom this battle was also the first.