James McCown facts for kids
James McCown (born March 21, 1817, in Virginia; died July 8, 1867, in Warrensburg, Missouri) was an officer who served in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.
Contents
Early Life and Family
James Madison McCown grew up in Kanawha County, West Virginia, which was part of Virginia at the time. When he was younger, he worked on riverboats that traveled along the Ohio River. He also became a captain in the local militia, which was like a citizen army.
McCown was a member of the Southern Methodist Church. He married Caroline McCown in Kanawha County. They had a large family with three daughters and six sons. Some of their sons later served alongside their father in the Missouri Militia.
The family later moved to Missouri, first to Henry County, Missouri and then to Warrensburg, Missouri. In Warrensburg, James McCown became an important person in the community. He worked as a clerk for the local county and circuit courts in Johnson County. A clerk helps manage official records and court documents. In 1857, he also worked for the state legislature in Jefferson City, Missouri, the state capital.
Political Tensions Before the War
Before the Civil War began, there was a lot of political excitement in Missouri, which was a "border state" between the North and South. In 1860, McCown ran for county clerk but lost the election to Marsh Foster.
In 1861, Missouri was deciding whether to leave the United States. Marsh Foster supported staying with the Union. On election day, February 18, 1861, James McCown and his son William had a serious disagreement with Marsh Foster at the courthouse in Warrensburg. This argument turned violent, and Marsh Foster was killed. James and William McCown were arrested, but only William McCown was formally charged.
Joining the Confederate Army
When the Civil War started, James McCown joined the Missouri State Guard, which was allied with the Confederacy. He became a colonel and led the 2nd Cavalry Regiment of the 8th Division. His sons, William, James, and Charles, also joined the army with him.
Later, the State Guard became part of the Confederate Army. McCown first served as a private soldier in the First Missouri Confederate Infantry Battalion. But within three months, he was elected to a higher rank, becoming the lieutenant colonel of the battalion.
Leading the 5th Missouri Infantry
On September 1, 1862, the 5th Regiment of Missouri Infantry was formed in Saltillo, Mississippi. This regiment was part of the 1st Missouri Brigade, which belonged to the Army of the West. McCown was elected as its colonel. He commanded a group of five companies from western Missouri, which made up about half of the new regiment. Robert Bevier served as his lieutenant colonel.
Civil War Battles
The 5th Regiment, led by Colonel McCown, was involved in many battles throughout the war. They fought in important campaigns around Corinth and during the Vicksburg Campaign.
Some of the battles they participated in included:
- The Battle of Iuka
- The Second Battle of Corinth
- The Battle of Port Gibson
- The Battle of Champion Hill
- The Battle of Big Black River Bridge
Capture and Continued Service
During the Siege of Vicksburg, the 5th Regiment was captured by Union forces on July 4, 1863. Colonel McCown was taken prisoner.
After being exchanged, meaning he was released in exchange for a Union prisoner, McCown took command of a new regiment. This new group was made up of the remaining soldiers and exchanged prisoners from the 5th Regiment and the 3rd Infantry Regiment.
McCown led this combined regiment as part of General John Bell Hood's army. They fought in the Atlanta Campaign and the Franklin–Nashville campaign. One notable battle they fought in was the Battle of Allatoona.
Later, McCown and his regiment were sent to help defend Mobile, Alabama. There, he commanded the Missouri Brigade and fought in the Battle of Fort Blakeley. He and his troops surrendered as part of the fort's defense on April 9, 1865, which was near the end of the war.
After the War
After the Civil War ended, James McCown returned to his home in Warrensburg, Missouri. He passed away from typhoid fever on July 5 or July 8, 1867. His wife, Caroline, lived many more years and died on August 28, 1915.
Continuing Local Disputes
During the Civil War, Marsh Foster's brother, Emory S. Foster, was a Union officer. He led a raid where Union soldiers burned down McCown's home.
After the war, a Union supporter named Brinkly Hornsby filed a lawsuit against McCown and other Confederate officers like Sterling Price and James S. Rains. Hornsby claimed they had wrongly imprisoned him in 1861.
The disagreements between the McCown and Foster families continued even after James McCown's death. About twenty years later, James McCown's son, William, was killed in connection with the earlier death of Marsh Foster.
Images for kids
-
Colonel James McCown.
