Brig. Gen. Charles Sidney Winder, (CSA)

Brigadier-General Charles S. Winder was born in Maryland in 1829. He was graduated at West Point in 1850, and on advancement from second to first-lieutenant of infantry, U. S. A., was ordered to the Pacific coast. The steamer San Francisco, on which the troops took passage, encountered a hurricane off the Atlantic coast, and for several weeks was reported lost.

Lieutenant Winder and his men were, however, rescued and carried to Liverpool. For his coolness and devotion on this occasion he was promoted to captain of the Ninth regiment, March 3, 1855, being, it is believed, the youngest captain in the army. Finally reaching the Pacific coast he went into Washington Territory in 1856, and was engaged in the desperate combat of To-hots-nim-me, with the Columbia river Indians, and other engagements in 1856 and 1858 in the Spokane country, under the command of Steptoe and Wright.

Early in 1861 he resigned his commission, and was commissioned, to date from March 16th, major of artillery in the Confederate army. He served at Charleston during the reduction of Fort Sumter, and was in command of the South Carolina arsenal until commissioned colonel of the Sixth regiment, South Carolina infantry, July 8, 1861.

He hurried with his command to Manassas, but reached the battle ground at the close of the fight. Promoted brigadier- general in March, 1862, he was assigned to command the Fourth brigade in Hill's division, but on the occurrence of a vacancy was given command of the "Stonewall brigade," in Jackson's division, with which he served in the Valley campaign of 1862.

He led the advance and opened the battle of Port Republic and in the campaign on the Chickahominy led his brigade in the desperate and memorable charge which broke the Federal lines at Cold Harbor or Gaines' Mill. In his report of that battle General Jackson describes the forward movement of the brigade, through the swamp, meeting at that point the Hampton Legion, First Maryland, Twelfth Alabama, Fifty-second Virginia and Thirty-eighth Georgia, which were formed on General Winder's line. " Thus formed, they moved forward under the lead of that gallant officer, whose conduct here was marked by the coolness and courage which distinguished him on the battle- fields of the valley. "

In the subsequent advance against Pope he commanded the division lately under the leadership of Jackson, who was in command of the corps. He was, however, not destined to see the second overwhelming defeat of the Federal army on the historic field of Manassas. While in command of Jackson's division, on August 9, 1862, and directing the movements of his batteries in the terrific artillery duel of the battle of Cedar Mountain, he was given a mortal wound by a shell, and died in a few hours, at the age of thirty-three.

Gen. Stonewall Jackson said in his report, "It is difficult within the proper reserve of an official report to do justice to the merits of this accomplished officer. Richly endowed with those qualities of mind and person which fit an officer for command, and which attract the admiration and excite the enthusiasm of troops, he was rapidly rising to the front rank of his profession, and his loss has been severely felt.

General Lee also wrote, in his official report: "I can add nothing to the well-deserved tribute paid to the courage, capacity, and conspicuous merit of this lamented officer by General Jackson, in whose brilliant campaigns in the valley and on the Chickahominy he bore a distinguished part. "

Source: Confederate Military History, vol. II, p. 165

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_S._Winder

Charles Sidney Winder (October 18, 1829 – August 9, 1862), was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate general officer in the American Civil War. He was killed in action during the Battle of Cedar Mountain.

Early life and career

Winder was born in the town of Easton in Talbot County, Maryland, a nephew of future U.S. naval officer Franklin Buchanan and a second cousin to future Confederate general John H. Winder. He attended St. John's College, also located in Maryland. Then in 1846 he entered the United States Military Academy at West Point, and graduated 22nd of 44 cadets in 1850. He was appointed a brevet second lieutenant in the 4th U.S. Artillery. Exactly a year after leaving West Point, Winder was promoted to second lieutenant in the 3rd U.S. Artillery on July 1, 1851.

Winder served as the 3rd's Regimental Adjutant from April 4, 1854 to March 3, 1855, with a promotion to first lieutenant coming on April 5, 1854. In 1854, while en route to California, the vessel on which he was aboard, the San Francisco, was struck by a hurricane. For his valor in the face of this crisis, Winder was promoted to captain in the 9th U.S. Infantry on March 3, 1855, at the relatively young age of twenty-six.

He later saw action against Native Americans in the Washington Territory. At the outbreak of hostilities between North and South, he resigned from the Army in 1861.

Civil War service

Winder resigned his U.S. Army commission on April 1, 1861, and was appointed a captain of artillery in the Confederate Army on March 16, and then quickly promoted to major later that day. He was appointed colonel of the 6th South Carolina Infantry on July 8, leading it to prominence in the Confederate army.

He was promoted to brigadier general on March 1, 1862, and assigned to the Shenandoah Valley under the command of Stonewall Jackson. Having recently court-martialed Brig. Gen. Richard B. Garnett, Jackson placed Winder in command of his old brigade. This, combined with Winder's reputation as a strict disciplinarian, was widely resented by both the officers and men now under him. In fact, so general was the feeling of animosity toward him, by August 1862 it was widely rumored Winder would be shot by one of his own men in the next battle.

Cedar Mountain and death

On August 9, 1862, Winder led his men into battle at Cedar Mountain, on the left flank of the Confederate line. He did so despite having been ill for several days, and in defiance of a surgeon's order to rest. He was personally directing the fire of a battery when a Union shell struck him in his left side, horribly mangling him. Born to the rear on a stretcher, Winder died later that evening.

Winder's body was initially buried in nearby Orange Court House, before being disinterred and transported to Richmond. There, a state funeral was given in his honor, followed by re-interment at Hollywood Cemetery. Three years later, his family had his body again removed, this time to be permanently buried in the family cemetery at Wye House, located near his birthplace of Easton, Maryland.

In his official report of the battle, Stonewall Jackson lamented General Winder's loss, writing,

It is difficult within the proper reserve of an official report to do justice to the merits of this accomplished officer. Urged by the medical director to take no part in the movements of the day because of the then enfeebled state of his health, his ardent patriotism and military pride could bear no such restraint. Richly endowed with those qualities of mind and person which fit an officer for command and which attract the admiration and excite the enthusiasm of troops, he was rapidly rising to the front rank of his profession. His loss has been severely felt.

Lieutenant Winder and his men were, however, rescued and carried to Liverpool. For his coolness and devotion on this occasion he was promoted to captain of the Ninth regiment, March 3, 1855, being, it is believed, the youngest captain in the army. Finally reaching the Pacific coast he went into Washington Territory in 1856, and was engaged in the desperate combat of To-hots-nim-me, with the Columbia river Indians, and other engagements in 1856 and 1858 in the Spokane country, under the command of Steptoe and Wright.

Early in 1861 he resigned his commission, and was commissioned, to date from March 16th, major of artillery in the Confederate army. He served at Charleston during the reduction of Fort Sumter, and was in command of the South Carolina arsenal until commissioned colonel of the Sixth regiment, South Carolina infantry, July 8, 1861.

He hurried with his command to Manassas, but reached the battle ground at the close of the fight. Promoted brigadier- general in March, 1862, he was assigned to command the Fourth brigade in Hill's division, but on the occurrence of a vacancy was given command of the "Stonewall brigade," in Jackson's division, with which he served in the Valley campaign of 1862.

He led the advance and opened the battle of Port Republic and in the campaign on the Chickahominy led his brigade in the desperate and memorable charge which broke the Federal lines at Cold Harbor or Gaines' Mill. In his report of that battle General Jackson describes the forward movement of the brigade, through the swamp, meeting at that point the Hampton Legion, First Maryland, Twelfth Alabama, Fifty-second Virginia and Thirty-eighth Georgia, which were formed on General Winder's line. " Thus formed, they moved forward under the lead of that gallant officer, whose conduct here was marked by the coolness and courage which distinguished him on the battle- fields of the valley. "

In the subsequent advance against Pope he commanded the division lately under the leadership of Jackson, who was in command of the corps. He was, however, not destined to see the second overwhelming defeat of the Federal army on the historic field of Manassas. While in command of Jackson's division, on August 9, 1862, and directing the movements of his batteries in the terrific artillery duel of the battle of Cedar Mountain, he was given a mortal wound by a shell, and died in a few hours, at the age of thirty-three.

Gen. Stonewall Jackson said in his report, "It is difficult within the proper reserve of an official report to do justice to the merits of this accomplished officer. Richly endowed with those qualities of mind and person which fit an officer for command, and which attract the admiration and excite the enthusiasm of troops, he was rapidly rising to the front rank of his profession, and his loss has been severely felt.

General Lee also wrote, in his official report: "I can add nothing to the well-deserved tribute paid to the courage, capacity, and conspicuous merit of this lamented officer by General Jackson, in whose brilliant campaigns in the valley and on the Chickahominy he bore a distinguished part. "

Source: Confederate Military History, vol. II, p. 165

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_S._Winder

Charles Sidney Winder (October 18, 1829 – August 9, 1862), was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate general officer in the American Civil War. He was killed in action during the Battle of Cedar Mountain.

Early life and career

Winder was born in the town of Easton in Talbot County, Maryland, a nephew of future U.S. naval officer Franklin Buchanan and a second cousin to future Confederate general John H. Winder. He attended St. John's College, also located in Maryland. Then in 1846 he entered the United States Military Academy at West Point, and graduated 22nd of 44 cadets in 1850. He was appointed a brevet second lieutenant in the 4th U.S. Artillery. Exactly a year after leaving West Point, Winder was promoted to second lieutenant in the 3rd U.S. Artillery on July 1, 1851.

Winder served as the 3rd's Regimental Adjutant from April 4, 1854 to March 3, 1855, with a promotion to first lieutenant coming on April 5, 1854. In 1854, while en route to California, the vessel on which he was aboard, the San Francisco, was struck by a hurricane. For his valor in the face of this crisis, Winder was promoted to captain in the 9th U.S. Infantry on March 3, 1855, at the relatively young age of twenty-six.

He later saw action against Native Americans in the Washington Territory. At the outbreak of hostilities between North and South, he resigned from the Army in 1861.

Civil War service

Winder resigned his U.S. Army commission on April 1, 1861, and was appointed a captain of artillery in the Confederate Army on March 16, and then quickly promoted to major later that day. He was appointed colonel of the 6th South Carolina Infantry on July 8, leading it to prominence in the Confederate army.

He was promoted to brigadier general on March 1, 1862, and assigned to the Shenandoah Valley under the command of Stonewall Jackson. Having recently court-martialed Brig. Gen. Richard B. Garnett, Jackson placed Winder in command of his old brigade. This, combined with Winder's reputation as a strict disciplinarian, was widely resented by both the officers and men now under him. In fact, so general was the feeling of animosity toward him, by August 1862 it was widely rumored Winder would be shot by one of his own men in the next battle.

Cedar Mountain and death

On August 9, 1862, Winder led his men into battle at Cedar Mountain, on the left flank of the Confederate line. He did so despite having been ill for several days, and in defiance of a surgeon's order to rest. He was personally directing the fire of a battery when a Union shell struck him in his left side, horribly mangling him. Born to the rear on a stretcher, Winder died later that evening.

Winder's body was initially buried in nearby Orange Court House, before being disinterred and transported to Richmond. There, a state funeral was given in his honor, followed by re-interment at Hollywood Cemetery. Three years later, his family had his body again removed, this time to be permanently buried in the family cemetery at Wye House, located near his birthplace of Easton, Maryland.

In his official report of the battle, Stonewall Jackson lamented General Winder's loss, writing,

It is difficult within the proper reserve of an official report to do justice to the merits of this accomplished officer. Urged by the medical director to take no part in the movements of the day because of the then enfeebled state of his health, his ardent patriotism and military pride could bear no such restraint. Richly endowed with those qualities of mind and person which fit an officer for command and which attract the admiration and excite the enthusiasm of troops, he was rapidly rising to the front rank of his profession. His loss has been severely felt.

Civil War Confederate Brigadier General. Born in Talbot County, Maryland, he graduated 22nd in the West Point class of 1850. He served on garrison and frontier duty for the next decade. While en route to California in 1854, he displayed outstanding heroism when the troopship he was on was battered by a hurricane. His performance earned him promotion to Captain, supposedly the youngest man of that rank in the army at the time. Resigning his commission on April 1, 1861, he entered Confederate service as a Major of artillery. He participated in the bombardment of Fort Sumter, South Carolina, and on July 8 he became Colonel of the 6th South Carolina. On March 7, 1862, he was promoted to Brigadier General and selected by Major General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson to command the Stonewall Brigade. Jackson's decision enraged both the officers and men of his old command. A strict, disciplinarian, he enforced the rules, and veterans despised him. The regimental commanders greeted him coldly, and the enlisted men hissed their new commander when he rode past the ranks. Some in the ranks threatened to kill him when an opportunity in battle offered. He, however, refused to bend. He led them into battle for the first time during Jackson's 1862 Shenandoah Valley Campaign. Though his conduct did not gain the brigade's affection, it earned their grudging respect. On one occasion, when he stood up to Jackson, the brigade cheered him. During the Seven Days' Campaign, he directed his men with gallantry. On August 9, 1862, during the Battle of Cedar Mountain, he was horribly mangled by an exploding shell. He died a few hours later on the field, his death mourned by Jackson and General Robert E. Lee, but not by the Stonewall Brigade.

Winder, Charles S. BATTLE UNIT NAME: Child's Company, South Carolina Artillery (Winder's) SIDE: Confederacy COMPANY: SOLDIER'S RANK IN: Captain SOLDIER'S RANK OUT: Captain ALTERNATE NAME: FILM NUMBER: M381 ROLL 35 PLAQUE NUMBER: NOTES: Battle Unit Note - Formerly Winder's Co. Art'y.

Winder, Charles S. BATTLE UNIT NAME: 6th Regiment, South Carolina Infantry SIDE: Confederacy COMPANY: F&S SOLDIER'S RANK IN: Colonel SOLDIER'S RANK OUT: Colonel ALTERNATE NAME: FILM NUMBER: M381 ROLL 35 PLAQUE NUMBER: NOTES: none