A. P. Hill Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Ambrose Powell Hill, Jr.

Nickname(s)	"Little Powell", "A. P. Hill"
Born	(1825-11-09)November 9, 1825 Culpeper, Virginia, U.S.
Died	April 2, 1865(1865-04-02) (aged 39) Petersburg, Virginia
Buried	Richmond, Virginia, U.S.
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Army Confederate Army
Years of service	1847–61 (USA) 1861–65 (CSA)
Rank	First Lieutenant (USA) Lieutenant General (CSA)
Commands held	13th Virginia Infantry A. P. Hill's Light Division, Second Corps Third Corps, Army of Northern Virginia
Battles/wars	Mexican-American War Seminole Wars American Civil War Third Battle of Petersburg †

Ambrose Powell Hill, Jr. (1825–1865) was a military officer from Virginia. He served in the United States Army before the American Civil War. When the war started, he left the U.S. Army and became a Confederate States Army general. He died near the end of the war.

Hill began his military career in 1847. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point. He was 15th in his class of 38 students. At West Point, he became good friends with his roommate, George B. McClellan. Hill fought in the last part of the Mexican–American War in Texas. He also served in the Seminole War in Florida from 1849 to 1850. Hill is most famous for leading the "Light Division" under General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson.

Ambrose Hill's Family History
Hill's Early Life and Training
Hill's Role in the Civil War
Images for kids
See also

Ambrose Hill's Family History

The Hill family arrived in Virginia about 200 years before the Civil War. The first family members, whose name was spelled "Hull," came from 12th century England. Henry and William Hill from Shropshire moved to Virginia in 1630. They settled in Middlesex County, Virginia. Both brothers were tobacco farmers and had large families.

In 1740, Russel Hill, who was William's great-grandson, moved to Culpeper County, Virginia. Russel's son, Henry Hill, fought in the American Revolutionary War. He served under Colonel Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee. Henry's son, Thomas Hill, was a farmer, a merchant, and a politician. He married Fannie Russel Baptist. They had four sons and then three daughters. Their fourth son was Ambrose Powell Hill, Jr.

Hill's Early Life and Training

Ambrose Powell Hill, Jr., was born on November 9, 1825. He was born at Greenland, his father's plantation near Culpeper, Virginia. As a child, everyone called him Powell. He went to local schools.

Powell wanted to join the military. In 1842, he was accepted into West Point. However, he did not graduate with his class in 1846. He missed a year because he was sick. He graduated in 1847 and was sent to the U.S. 1st Artillery. After fighting in the Mexican–American War, he was sent to Texas, then Florida. Hill became very sick with Yellow fever, typhoid fever, and malaria. During the 1850s, he was often sick and had to stay in bed. When he got better, he worked for the Coast Surveying Department. This is now called the U.S. National Geodetic Survey.

Hill's Role in the Civil War

Joining the Confederacy

When President Abraham Lincoln became president in March 1861, many U.S. Army officers resigned. Hill was one of them. He joined the Confederacy. He was given command of the 13th Virginia Infantry. He held the rank of colonel. At the First Battle of Bull Run, his regiment was kept in reserve.

In February 1862, he was promoted to brigadier general. During the Peninsula Campaign, he fought against his old West Point roommate, Union General George McClellan. Hill showed he was a strong and active leader. He was promoted again on May 26, 1862. This made him the youngest major general in the Confederate Army.

Hill called his division "the Light Division." This was unusual because it was one of the Confederate Army's largest divisions. He probably named it this because his troops could move very quickly. He was known as a brave general. He was often seen fighting at the front lines of battles.

Feud with General Longstreet

A former aide to Hill, John M. Daniel, often wrote about him. Daniel had been wounded and left the army. He was now the editor of the Richmond Examiner, a popular newspaper. Daniel often wrote that Hill was General Lee's best general. This made other generals upset.

Lieutenant General James Longstreet was Hill's commanding officer. He was especially unhappy. The last straw came on July 2nd. Daniel wrote that Hill had taken command of all of Longstreet's forces when Longstreet was away from the battle. Longstreet was very angry. He thought this was a lie.

Longstreet decided to write his own article to correct Daniel's claims. He asked Major Moxley Sorrel to submit a public response in a different newspaper, the Richmond Whig. This started a very public fight between the two generals. General Lee knew about the feud but chose not to get involved at first.

Hill refused to read any messages sent by Sorrel, Longstreet's aide. Longstreet became furious and ordered Hill's arrest. While Hill was under arrest, his Light Division was led by other generals. Hill felt his honor was questioned. The two generals continued to argue. They even picked a time and place for a duel. At this point, Lee stepped in. He made the two generals agree to stop fighting. Hill was given back his command and assigned to General Stonewall Jackson. Over time, Hill and Longstreet became friends again. Sorrel was later promoted and ended up serving under Hill.

Fighting with Stonewall Jackson

At the Battle of Cedar Mountain in August 1862, Hill proved how valuable he was. His Light Division helped Jackson win a victory against the Union army. At the Second Battle of Bull Run, Hill's division almost ran out of ammunition. But they held their ground against every Federal attack.

At the Battle of Chancellorsville in May 1863, Jackson ordered Hill's division to the front. They were getting ready for a night attack. Meanwhile, Jackson was scouting the area himself. As he returned, his own men accidentally shot him. Jackson was badly wounded and later died. J.E.B. Stuart took over command and called off the night attack. Chancellorsville was a victory for the Confederacy.

Leading a Corps

After Jackson's death, Hill was promoted to lieutenant general. He was now in command of Lee's Third Corps in the Army of the Potomac. Hill's corps fought at the Battle of Gettysburg from July 1–3, 1863. Some people criticized his decisions during this battle. On the first day, he attacked the Union army before all of the Confederate army had arrived.

At the Battle of Bristoe Station on October 14, 1863, Hill's Corps attacked two Union corps. The Union soldiers were slowly moving north. Hill made a mistake by not sending out scouts before the attack. He did not know what his troops were up against. One of Hill's divisions was badly beaten. They also lost an artillery battery. After getting more troops, Hill could not make any progress against the Union corps. The Union soldiers were dug in behind a railroad embankment. After defeating Hill, the Union army continued to Centerville, Virginia. Lee was angry with Hill about his mistakes at Bristoe Station. He told Hill, "bury your dead and say no more about it!"

On May 5, 1864, in a place called the Wilderness in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, Confederate and Union forces fought for two days. Hill's Corps battled two Union corps both days. They were almost forced to retreat. But then Longstreet's Texas Brigade arrived. They helped Hill's men and pushed the Union soldiers back.

Hill was killed on April 2, 1865. This happened at the Third Battle of Petersburg. He had just returned from sick leave. He was riding to the front lines to join his men when an enemy soldier shot him.