Robert Anderson ( born Robert Anderson ; June 14, 1805 , Louisville , Kentucky - October 26, 1871 , Nice , France ) is an American military leader who served in the U.S. Army during the U.S. Civil War .
| Robert Anderson | |
|---|---|
| Robert Anderson | |
 | |
| Date of Birth | June 14, 1805 |
| Place of Birth | Louisville , Kentucky , USA |
| Date of death | October 26, 1871 (66 years old) |
| Place of death | Nice , France |
| Affiliation | USA |
| Type of army | and |
| Years of service | 1825–1863 |
| Rank |  (v.) Major General |
| Commanded | Fort Sumter |
| Battles / wars |
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Biography
Robert Anderson was born on June 14, 1805 in Louisville ( Kentucky ). In 1825, he graduated from the US Military Academy , where he was average in academic performance on the course, and was assigned to the 3rd artillery regiment with the rank of second lieutenant . He participated in the Black Hawk War (1832), where he was a colonel of Illinois volunteers [1] , and it was in his regiment that he served as captain Abraham Lincoln .
June 30, 1833 received the rank of first lieutenant, participated in the Second Seminole War (1837-1838), and October 23, 1841 became the captain of the 3rd artillery regiment. In 1846 he took part in the Mexican-American War . He participated in the siege of Veracruz , in the battle of Cerro Gordo , in the shootout at Amazoc (May 14) and in the battle of Molino del Rey . In the latter he was seriously wounded and received the temporary rank of major for this, although he was out of order before the end of the war.
In 1857 he rose to the rank of major of the regular army [1] .
In 1845, Robert Anderson married Elizabeth Bayard Clinch of Georgia , had four children [2] .
In November 1860, Anderson was appointed commander of Fort Moultrie in South Carolina . Fort Moultry was intended to protect the harbor and was practically not protected from land. At a mile distance, at the entrance to Charleston Harbor, the construction of Fort Sumter , located on an island and protected by a powerful brick wall, was ending. Fort Sumter was designed for a garrison of 650 soldiers, equipped with 146 large guns [2] .
Ebner Doubleday subsequently recalled:
On the 21st, our new commander arrived and took command. He felt that he had the right to be here, as his father had fought in the War of Independence, defended the old Fort of Moultrie from the British, and spent a lot of time in Charleston prison. We knew Anderson well as a gentleman; noble, honest, educated and experienced in his profession. He was raised twice for courage, once for the war against the Seminoles in Florida, and once for the battle of Molino del Rey in Mexico, where he was badly wounded. In politics, he was a staunch supporter of slavery. However, he was against secession and extremist southerners.
Original text- On the 21st our new commander arrived and assumed command. He felt as if he had a hereditary right to be there, for his father had distinguished himself in the Revolutionary War in defense of old Fort Moultrie against the British, and had been confined a long time as a prisoner in Charleston. We had long known Anderson as a gentleman; courteous, honest, intelligent, and thoroughly versed in his profession. He had been twice brevetted for gallantry — once for services against the Seminole Indians in Florida, and once for the battle of Molino del Rey in Mexico, where he was badly wounded. In politics he was a strong pro-slavery man. Nevertheless, he was opposed to secession and Southern extremists.
When the state of South Carolina announced secession in December 1860, Anderson was in a difficult position. Although he was from Kentucky and was a slave owner, Major Anderson remained loyal to the Union and made efforts to keep the forts of Moultry and Sumter under the control of the northerners. In the context of the growing conflict, when the Charleston militias were preparing to attack the federal troops, Anderson on December 26 transferred his garrison from Fort Maltry to Sumter. This action provoked the outrage of the southerners. In Sumter, there was an acute shortage of food, ammunition and other supplies. Anderson sent a letter to President Lincoln asking for supplies, after much deliberation, Lincoln agreed to send an escort convoy to Sumter. However, the Confederates under the command of General Boregar , having learned about this, began bombing the fort on April 12, 1861. Two days later, Anderson and his people (a total of 127 people, including civilian personnel) surrendered [2] . This event served as the formal beginning of the Civil War .
Anderson’s attempt to preserve Fort Sumter for the Union made him a hero of the northerners. He was immediately promoted to the rank of brigadier general and sent to command the Cumberland Army , but soon he was forced to transfer command to General Sherman because of his illness. In 1863, Anderson retired, but at the end of the war he returned to Charleston to again raise the US flag over Fort Sumter, lowered during surrender in 1861 [2] . On February 3, 1865, Anderson was awarded the temporary rank of Major General for the defense of Fort Sumter [1] .
After the war, Anderson and his family lived in France [2] . He died on October 26, 1871 in Nice, and was buried at West Point Cemetery. [1]
Family Relations
His brother Charles later became governor of Ohio , his nephew Thomas participated in the Civil War, after the war he rose to the rank of brigadier general [1] .
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 John H Eicher; David J Eicher. Civil War high commands. - Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001 .-- P. 105. - ISBN 0-8047-3641-3 .
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 Richard J. Roder. Anderson, Robert // Encyclopedia of American History / Gary B. Nash. - Revised Edition. - New York: Facts on File, 2010 .-- T. V: Civil War and Reconstruction (1856 to 1869). - P. 9-10. - ISBN 978-0816071364 .