Theophilus Holmes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Theophilus Holmes
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Holmes in uniform, c. 1862
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| Birth name | Theophilus Hunter Holmes |
| Born | November 13, 1804 Sampson County, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | June 21, 1880 (aged 75) Fayetteville, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Buried |
MacPherson Presbyterian Church,
(35°03′38.6″N 78°56′44.1″W / 35.060722°N 78.945583°W)Fayetteville, North Carolina, U.S. |
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| Rank |  Major (U.S.) Lieutenant-General (C.S.) |
| Commands held | Reserve Brigade, Army of the Potomac District of Fredericksburg Department of North Carolina District of Aquia Trans-Mississippi Department District of Arkansas North Carolina Reserve Forces |
| Battles/wars | |
| Relations | Gabriel Holmes (father) |
| Signature | .png){kind=small} |
Lieutenant-General Theophilus Hunter Holmes (born November 13, 1804 – died June 21, 1880) was an American soldier. He became a high-ranking officer in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He led infantry (foot soldiers) in the eastern and western parts of the war. Before that, he was a brave officer in the United States Army. He fought in the Seminole Wars and the Mexican–American War. Holmes was a friend of Jefferson Davis, who was the President of the Confederate States. Davis made Holmes the commander of the Trans-Mississippi Department. However, Holmes struggled to protect the Confederacy's control of the Mississippi River.
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Early Life and Education
Theophilus Holmes was born in Sampson County, North Carolina, in 1804. His father, Gabriel Holmes, had been a Governor of North Carolina and a U.S. Congressman. After trying to manage a plantation without success, Holmes asked his father for help. He wanted to get into the United States Military Academy (West Point). He graduated from West Point in 1829. He was ranked 44th out of 46 students in his class. Holmes was also quite deaf, which meant he often didn't hear loud noises like gunfire.
Service in the U.S. Army
After graduating, Holmes became a second lieutenant in the 7th U.S. Infantry Regiment. By 1838, he had become a captain. Early in his career, Holmes served in Florida, the Indian Territory, and Texas. He also fought bravely in the Second Seminole War.
In 1841, he married Laura Whetmore. They had eight children together. During the Mexican–American War, he was given a temporary promotion to major. This was for his actions at the Battle of Monterrey in September 1846. Jefferson Davis saw his courage there, which led to this promotion. He received a full promotion to major in the 8th U.S. Infantry Regiment in 1855.
Service in the Confederate Army
Starting His Confederate Service
Soon after the attack on Fort Sumter, Holmes left his job in the U.S. Army. He also left his command at Fort Columbus in New York City on April 22, 1861. He had already accepted a job as a colonel in the Confederate States Army in March. He was in charge of the coastal defenses for the Department of North Carolina. Then, he became a brigadier-general in the North Carolina Militia.
He was made a brigadier-general on June 5, 1861. He commanded the Department of Fredericksburg. Holmes was then assigned to General P. G. T. Beauregard for the First Battle of Manassas. Beauregard ordered Holmes to attack the U.S. left side. But by the time Holmes got the orders, the Confederate army had already won. Holmes was promoted to major general on October 7, 1861. He later commanded the Aquia District before moving to the Department of North Carolina.
The Peninsula Campaign
During the Peninsula Campaign in the spring of 1862, Holmes's troops moved to the Richmond area. They were there to defend the Confederate capital from the U.S. attack. This meant he temporarily joined the Army of Northern Virginia. His division included brigades led by Brigadier-Generals Junius Daniel, John G. Walker, and Henry A. Wise. It also had a cavalry brigade led by Brig. Gen. J. E. B. Stuart.
On June 30, 1862, while the Battle of Glendale was happening, Holmes was told to fire cannons at retreating U.S. soldiers near Malvern Hill. His forces were pushed back at Turkey Bridge. This was due to artillery fire from Malvern Hill and U.S. gunboats on the James River. His troops were held back during the Battle of Malvern Hill on July 1, 1862. After the Seven Days Battles, General Robert E. Lee was not happy with Holmes's performance. They also disagreed on war plans. Many felt that Holmes, who was nearly 60, was too old and slow for the aggressive war Lee wanted.
Commander of the Trans-Mississippi Department
Holmes was then sent to command the Trans-Mississippi Department. On October 10, 1862, Jefferson Davis promoted Holmes to lieutenant-general. Holmes first said no, feeling he didn't deserve it. But Davis insisted, and Holmes finally accepted.
As commander of the Trans-Mississippi Department, Holmes had a very important job. He was supposed to protect the Confederacy's control of the Mississippi River. However, he failed to do this. He refused to send troops to help Vicksburg, Mississippi, during the Vicksburg Campaign. This led to a U.S. victory. Holmes, who was in Arkansas, argued that his troops there were almost useless. He said it was impossible to use them to help Vicksburg.
Most Confederate forces in this far-off area were not well organized. They were scattered across Arkansas. There were few weapons, and even fewer modern ones. Many soldiers had no shoes, no uniforms, no ammunition, and no training. The situation was worse because many towns in Arkansas had little government. People often didn't pay taxes or follow written laws. They strongly resisted any attempts to make them follow outside government or military rules. Soldiers in the Arkansas militia did not understand how a proper army worked. They also didn't obey orders from higher up. Many were in poor physical shape and couldn't handle a long military campaign.
Holmes believed he could gather about 15,000 men in Arkansas. But he thought there would be almost no good officers to lead them. To make things harder, several U.S. armies were moving into the state from all directions. Holmes wrote to Richmond that even if he could organize the Arkansas militia into an army, they would run away as soon as they crossed the Mississippi River. Another big problem was that the Trans-Mississippi region had less support for the Confederate cause. The decision to leave the United States in 1861 was mostly made by the Arkansas state legislature. Many people there did not like it. Attempts to force people to join the Confederate army were met with resistance. Many locals avoided the draft, became guerrillas, or even joined the U.S. army. State governments punished those who avoided the draft very harshly.
After many complaints were sent to Davis, Holmes was removed as head of the Trans-Mississippi Department in March 1863. Davis did not fully understand the problems in a region almost 900 miles from Richmond.
District of Arkansas
After Holmes was removed from the Trans-Mississippi Department, General Edmund Kirby Smith made him head of the District of Arkansas. In June, Smith ordered Holmes to make a desperate attack. This was meant to take pressure off the struggling Vicksburg forces. On July 4, the same day Vicksburg fell to U.S. General Ulysses Grant's army, Holmes attacked the U.S. troops at Helena, Arkansas. He had 8,000 men. He planned a combined attack with Sterling Price, John S. Marmaduke, James Fleming Fagan, and Arkansas Governor Harris Flanagin.
Despite some miscommunication, the Confederate army had some early success. But after hours of fighting, a general retreat was ordered. The Confederates pulled back to Little Rock, Arkansas. On July 23, Holmes became ill. He temporarily gave command in Arkansas to Sterling Price. Price left Little Rock on September 10. Two weeks later, Holmes took command again.
In a letter to Jefferson Davis on January 29, 1864, Kirby Smith reported that Holmes's age was affecting him. He said Holmes lacked energy and had memory problems. Smith felt Holmes needed to be replaced by a younger man. The soldiers he commanded in Arkansas had already started calling him "Granny" as a joke. When Holmes found out about this, he was insulted. He resigned from his post on February 28.
Later Service and Life
In April 1864, Holmes took command of the Reserve Forces of North Carolina. He saw little fighting in this new role. He held this position until the end of the war. Holmes, along with General Joseph E. Johnston, surrendered to William Tecumseh Sherman on April 26, 1865.
He returned to North Carolina after the war. There, he spent the rest of his life as a farmer. Theophilus Holmes died on June 21, 1880, in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He is buried there in the MacPherson Presbyterian Church Cemetery.
See also
