Brig. General (CSA), James E. Harrison

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_E._Harrison

James Edward Harrison (April 24, 1815 - February 23, 1875) was a Confederate States Army brigadier general during the American Civil War. He served in the Trans-Mississippi Department and fought in campaigns in Louisiana. Before the war, he was a two-term Mississippi state senator before moving to Texas in 1857. After the war, he was a trustee of Baylor University.

Early life

James Edward Harrison was born on April 24, 1815 in Greenville District, South Carolina. The Harrison family moved to Alabama and then to Mississippi when Harrison was a boy.

James Harrison served two terms in the Mississippi Senate.

Harrison moved to Texas, near Waco, in 1857. He was a commissioner for the State of Texas in negotiations with Native Americans (Indians). These negotiations were undertaken upon the order of Texas Governor Edward Clark, who replaced the deposed Sam Houston when Houston refused to swear allegiance to the Confederacy. The negotiators tried to persuade the Five Civilized Tribes to join with the Confederacy in the event of war with the United States. The negotiators returned with an optimistic report. Upon his return from the negotiations, Harrison became a member of the Texas secession convention

American Civil War

James E. Harrison's Confederate States Army service was almost entirely west of the Mississippi River. He began his service with the 15th Texas Infantry Regiment. He was lieutenant colonel of the regiment in May 1862. He participated in the Louisiana campaign of 1863 (First Bayou Teche Campaign) under Brigadier General Thomas Green. He commanded a cavalry brigade in the District of West Louisiana at this time. The 15th Texas Infantry made a successful charge on the Union force's rear in an operation along the Atchafalaya River in September 1863. Harrison also fought in the Second Bayou Teche Campaign.

In 1864, Harrison was promoted to colonel of the 15th Texas Infantry. He participated in the 1864 (Red River Campaign) under Lieutenant General Richard Taylor. He received favorable mention in the reports of the commanders in both Louisiana campaigns.

On January 6, 1865, Harrison was appointed and confirmed as a brigadier general to rank from December 22, 1864 by Confederate President Jefferson Davis.

James Harrison commanded a brigade in the District of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona of the Confederate Trans-Mississippi Department from March to April 7, 1865 in Major General Camille A. J. M. de Polignac's Division and the 1st Brigade, Brigadier General Samuel B Maxey's Division in the same district from April 7, 1865 through May 26, 1865.

Aftermath

Harrison was a prominent member of the Waco, Texas community after the Civil War. He was active in education and served as a trustee of Baylor University.

Family

James Edward Harrison was the son of Isham Harrison (November 4, 1788 Greenville County, South Carolina - September 30, 1863) and Harriet Kelly (February 11, 1789 Greenville County, South Carolina - July 1, 1856 Aberdeen, Mississippi). He was a brother of Confederate Brigadier General Thomas Harrison and a second cousin of Wade Hampton III.

James Edward Harrison died February 23, 1875 in Waco, Texas and is buried in First Street Cemetery in Waco.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_E._Harrison

James Edward Harrison (April 24, 1815 - February 23, 1875) was a Confederate States Army brigadier general during the American Civil War. He served in the Trans-Mississippi Department and fought in campaigns in Louisiana. Before the war, he was a two-term Mississippi state senator before moving to Texas in 1857. After the war, he was a trustee of Baylor University.

Early life

James Edward Harrison was born on April 24, 1815 in Greenville District, South Carolina. The Harrison family moved to Alabama and then to Mississippi when Harrison was a boy. He was a brother of Confederate Brigadier General Thomas Harrison.

James Harrison served two terms in the Mississippi Senate.

Harrison moved to Texas, near Waco, in 1857. He was a commissioner for the State of Texas in negotiations with Native Americans (Indians). These negotiations were undertaken upon the order of Texas Governor Edward Clark, who replaced the deposed Sam Houston when Houston refused to swear allegiance to the Confederacy. The negotiators tried to persuade the Five Civilized Tribes to join with the Confederacy in the event of war with the United States. The negotiators returned with an optimistic report. Upon his return from the negotiations, Harrison became a member of the Texas secession convention.

American Civil War

James E. Harrison's Confederate States Army service was almost entirely west of the Mississippi River. He began his service with the 15th Texas Infantry Regiment. He was lieutenant colonel of the regiment in May 1862. He participated in the Louisiana campaign of 1863 (First Bayou Teche Campaign) under Brigadier General Thomas Green. He commanded a cavalry brigade in the District of West Louisiana at this time. The 15th Texas Infantry made a successful charge on the Union force's rear in an operation along the Atchafalaya River in September 1863. Harrison also fought in the Second Bayou Teche Campaign.

In 1864, Harrison was promoted to colonel of the 15th Texas Infantry. He participated in the 1864 (Red River Campaign) under Lieutenant General Richard Taylor. He received favorable mention in the reports of the commanders in both Louisiana campaigns.

On January 6, 1865, Harrison was appointed and confirmed as a brigadier general to rank from December 22, 1864 by Confederate President Jefferson Davis.

James Harrison commanded a brigade in the District of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona of the Confederate Trans-Mississippi Department from March to April 7, 1865 in Major General Camille A. J. M. de Polignac's Division and the 1st Brigade, Brigadier General Samuel B Maxey's Division in the same district from April 7, 1865 through May 26, 1865.

Aftermath

Harrison was a prominent member of the Waco, Texas community after the Civil War. He was active in education and served as a trustee of Baylor University.

James Edward Harrison died February 23, 1875 in Waco, Texas and is buried in Waco.

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HARRISON, JAMES EDWARD (1815-1875).

James Edward Harrison, public official and Confederate army officer, the son of Isham and Harriet (Kelly) Harrison, was born in Greenville District, South Carolina, on April 24, 1815. He was a brother of Thomas Harrison.qv The family moved soon after James's birth to Jefferson County, Alabama, and then, about 1829, to Monroe County, Mississippi, where Harrison served two terms in the state Senate. There, too, he met Mary Evans, whom he married in 1841.

In 1857 the couple moved to Texas and settled near Waco. Because of his fluency in Choctaw and Creek, Harrison was appointed in 1861 as a commissioner to treat with the Indians for the state.

He served in the Secession Convention and then entered Confederate service as the major of Lt. Col. Joseph W. Speight's First Texas Infantry Battalion. Harrison became a lieutenant colonel in 1862, when the battalion was reorganized as the Fifteenth Texas Infantry. He subsequently became colonel of the Fifteenth Texas, which he had helped to raise, when Speight assumed command of Col. W. R. Bradfute's brigade in 1863.

Harrison and his regiment served in the Trans-Mississippi Department under Maj. Gen. Thomas Green in the Louisiana campaigns of 1863 and 1864. He was promoted to brigadier general in Gen. Camille Armand Polignac's division of the Trans-Mississippi Department on December 22, 1864, and given command of a brigade consisting of his own Fifteenth Texas Infantry plus Col. Robert T. P. Allen's Seventeenth Texas Infantry Regiment and Col. James G. Stevens's Twenty-second and Col. Trezevant Hawpe's Thirty-first Texas dismounted cavalry regiments.

After the Civil War Harrison returned to Waco, where he was prominent in local affairs and in the Baptist church. From 1861 through 1874 he served as a trustee of Baylor University. He died on February 23, 1875, and is buried in the First Street Cemetery, Waco. The McLennan County community of Harrison is named in his honor.

Source: The New Texas Handbook