Allen S. Cutts facts for kids

Allen Sherrod Cutts (born December 4, 1826 – died March 17, 1896) was an American soldier. He became a colonel, a high-ranking officer, in the artillery during the American Civil War. He fought for the Confederacy, which was a group of southern states.

Early Life and First War

Allen Sherrod Cutts was born in Pulaski County, Georgia, on December 4, 1826. He was the twelfth and last child in his family. His father, Major Cutts, was a farmer from North Carolina. His mother, Elizabeth Linsey Cutts, was born in Indiana. Allen grew up on his father's farms and received a basic education.

When he was older, he joined the army and served in the Mexican–American War. This war happened from 1846 to 1848. Allen was a sergeant in an artillery unit, which means he helped operate cannons. He served under a famous general named Winfield Scott. Cutts fought in important battles like the Battle of Vera Cruz and the Battle of Cerro Gordo.

After the war, he became a merchant, someone who buys and sells goods, in Oglethorpe, Georgia. In 1854, he moved to Americus. On December 17, 1854, Cutts married Fannie O. Brown from Monroe County, Georgia. They had six children: Claude, Clarence, Earnest, Allen, Inez, and Eldridge. Besides his business, Cutts was also a member of groups like the Freemasons and the Oddfellows. In 1861, he was a brigadier general in the Georgia Militia, a local army group.

Fighting in the Civil War

When the American Civil War began, Allen Cutts put together a group of soldiers in Georgia. This group was called an artillery battery, known as the Sumter Artillery. They used cannons in battle. The battery arrived in Virginia after the First Battle of Bull Run and fought in the Battle of Dranesville.

In 1862, Cutts made his battery bigger, turning it into a battalion. A battalion is a larger group of soldiers. This new group was called the 11th Georgia Artillery Battalion, and Cutts became its commander. Because of his hard work, he was promoted several times. He became a major on May 22, 1862, a lieutenant colonel on May 26, 1862, and finally a colonel on April 22, 1864.

Cutts's battalion served in the Artillery Reserve of the Army of Northern Virginia. This reserve group provided cannon support to the main army. They fought in the Seven Days Battles. The battalion stayed near Richmond, Virginia, for a while and missed the Second Battle of Bull Run.

Cutts's battalion also fought in many other major battles. These included the Antietam, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville. They were still part of the Artillery Reserve. They also fought at Gettysburg, but Cutts was not there. Another officer, John Lane, commanded the battalion at Gettysburg.

Cutts returned to command for the Bristoe Campaign. His battalion was part of the Third Corps Artillery, led by R. Lindsay Walker. They also served in this group during the Battle of Mine Run. During the Overland Campaign in 1864, Cutts helped Walker command the cannons for a part of the army during the Battle of the Wilderness. He continued to command his battalion for most of the Siege of Petersburg.

Early in the siege, Cutts was put in charge of many cannons north of the James River. These cannons fired at the Union forces trying to capture the city. Even though the Union army fired back with their own cannons, Cutts's gunners kept fighting. Later, Cutts's battalion served south of the Appomattox River.

When Cutts was away, often due to illness, Lieutenant Colonel Lane would take command. It is thought that Cutts was sick near the end of the war. Lane was in charge just before the Appomattox Campaign. There is no clear record of what happened to the Sumter Artillery when the war ended.

Life After the War

After the Civil War, Allen Cutts became a farmer and traded in cotton. He then decided to enter politics as a member of the Democratic Party. He served as the mayor of Americus several times: from 1874 to 1875, from 1877 to 1878, and again from 1893 to 1896.

Cutts also served in the Georgia General Assembly, which is the state's law-making body, in 1890 and 1891. While there, he tried to get state money to help build a home for Confederate soldiers, but he was not successful. Allen Sherrod Cutts died while still in office in 1896. He was buried at Oak Grove Cemetery in Americus.