James Clay Rice | |
|---|---|
 James C. Rice in Harper's Weekly, 28 May 1864 | |
| Nickname | "Old Crazy" |
| Born | (1828-12-27)December 27, 1828 |
| Died | May 10, 1864(1864-05-10) (aged 35) |
| Place of burial | Albany Rural Cemetery,Menands, New York |
| Allegiance | United States of America Union |
| Branch | United States Army Union Army |
| Service years | 1861–1864 |
| Rank |  Brigadier General of Volunteers |
| Commands | 44th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment |
| Conflicts | American Civil War |
| Other work | teacher, journalist, lawyer |
James Clay Rice (December 27, 1828 – May 10, 1864) was a lawyer from Massachusetts who became abrigadier general of volunteers in theUnion Army during theAmerican Civil War. He was killed at theBattle of Spotsylvania Court House in May 1864.
Rice was born inWorthington, Massachusetts, on December 27, 1828, to William Rice and Welthea (Cottrell) Rice. He was self-educated for most of his early life and eventually graduated fromYale University.[1] He subsequently became a teacher inNatchez, Mississippi, and worked for a newspaper. During this time he began studying law and was admitted to the bar in New York City, where he began his practice.
When the Civil War broke out, Rice enlisted on 28 May 1861 in the39th New York Infantry Regiment, quickly becoming a captain of Company B and engaging at theFirst Battle of Bull Run. Rice was mustered out of the 39th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment on 12 Sep 1861. The next day Rice became lieutenant colonel of the newly formed44th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment (also known as People's Ellsworth Regiment). He fought in thePeninsula Campaign and on July 4, 1862, became colonel of the regiment. At theSecond Battle of Bull Run, Colonel Rice temporarily took command of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, V Corps when its commander,Daniel Butterfield, took command of the consolidated 1st and 2nd Brigades and other ranking officers were wounded on the second day of battle.[2] Rice returned to command of the 44th New York and led it at the battles ofFredericksburg andChancellorsville. At theBattle of Gettysburg, Rice and his regiment were sent to the defense ofLittle Round Top. During the fighting, brigade commander ColonelStrong Vincent was mortally wounded and Rice once again assumed command of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, V Corps and led it for the remainder of the battle. For his service at Gettysburg, Rice was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers on August 17, 1863. In March 1864, General Rice was in command of the 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, V Corps which he led into action at theBattle of the Wilderness. Rice was mortally wounded two months later at theBattle of Spotsylvania Court House. As he lay dying he muttered the words "turn me over that I may die with my face to the enemy."[3] He died on the Spotsylvania battlefield on May 10, 1864. He was buried at Albany Rural Cemetery,Menands, New York, in section 42, plot 11.
James Clay Rice was a direct descendant ofEdmund Rice, an English immigrant to theMassachusetts Bay Colony, as follows:[4]
An impressivemonument to the 12th New York and Rice's own 44th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment was constructed on the Gettysburg battlefield.
In the 1993 filmGettysburg, Colonel Rice was portrayed byJoshua D. Maurer and is briefly seen congratulating Col.Joshua L. Chamberlain following the fighting on Little Round Top, informing him of the name of that place.[6]
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