Irvin McDowell | |
|---|---|
 McDowell, 1860–1865 | |
| Born | (1818-10-15)October 15, 1818 Columbus, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | May 4, 1885(1885-05-04) (aged 66) San Francisco, California, U.S. |
| Place of burial | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | |
| Years of service | 1838–1882 |
| Rank | Major general |
| Commands | |
| Battles / wars | |
| Other work | Park Commissioner,San Francisco |
Irvin McDowell (October 15, 1818 – May 4, 1885)[1] was an Americanarmy officer. He is best known for his defeat in theFirst Battle of Bull Run, the first large-scale battle of theAmerican Civil War. In 1862, he was given command of theI Corps of theArmy of the Potomac. He fought unsuccessfully againstThomas "Stonewall" Jackson's troops during theValley Campaign of 1862 and was blamed for contributing to the defeat of United States troops at theSecond Battle of Bull Run in August.
McDowell was born inColumbus, Ohio, son ofAbram Irvin McDowell and Eliza Seldon McDowell, and was of English and Scots-Irish descent.[2] He was a cousin-in-law ofJohn Buford,[3] and his brother,John Adair McDowell, served as the first colonel of the6th Iowa Volunteer Infantry Regiment during the Civil War.[2]
McDowell initially attended the College de Troyes inFrance before graduating from theUnited States Military Academy in 1838, where one of his classmates wasP. G. T. Beauregard, his future adversary at First Bull Run. He was commissioned asecond lieutenant and posted to the 1st U.S. Artillery. McDowell served as atactics instructor at West Point before becomingaide-de-camp to GeneralJohn E. Wool during theMexican–American War. He wasbrevetted captain atBuena Vista and served in the Adjutant General's department after the war. While in that department, he was promoted to major on May 31, 1856.[3]
Between 1848 and 1861, McDowell generally served as a staff officer to higher-ranking military leaders and developed experience in logistics and supply. He developed a close friendship with GeneralWinfield Scott, while serving on his staff. He also served under future Confederate generalJoseph E. Johnston.[4]
McDowell was promoted tobrigadier general in theregular army on May 14, 1861, and was given command of theArmy of Northeastern Virginia on May 27. The promotion was partly because of the influence of his mentor,Treasury SecretarySalmon P. Chase. Although McDowell knew that his troops were inexperienced and unready and protested that he was a supply officer, not a field commander, pressure from theWashingtonpoliticians forced him to launch a premature offensive againstConfederate forces inNorthern Virginia. His strategy during theFirst Battle of Bull Run was imaginative but ambitiously complex, and his troops were not experienced enough to carry it out effectively, resulting in an embarrassing rout.
After the defeat at Bull Run,Major GeneralGeorge B. McClellan was placed in command of the newUnion Army defending Washington, theArmy of the Potomac. McDowell became a division commander in the Army of the Potomac. On March 14, 1862, President Lincoln issued an order forming the army into corps, and McDowell got command of theI Corps as well as a promotion to major general of volunteers. When the army set off for the Virginia Peninsula in April, McDowell's command was detached for duty in the Rappahannock area out of concern over Stonewall Jackson's activities in the Shenandoah Valley (one division was later sent down to the Peninsula).
Eventually, the three independent commands of Generals McDowell,John C. Frémont, andNathaniel P. Banks were combined into Major GeneralJohn Pope'sArmy of Virginia and McDowell led theIII Corps of that army. Because of his actions atCedar Mountain, McDowell was eventually brevettedmajor general in the regular army; however, he was blamed for the subsequent disaster atSecond Bull Run. McDowell was also widely despised by his own troops, who believed him to be in cahoots with the enemy. He escaped culpability by testifying against Major GeneralFitz John Porter, whom Popecourt-martialed for alleged insubordination in that battle. Pope and McDowell did not like each other, but McDowell tolerated serving under him with the full knowledge that he himself would remain a general after the war was over while Pope would revert to the rank of colonel. Despite his formal escape, McDowell received no new assignments for the next two years.
In July 1864, McDowell was given command of theDepartment of the Pacific. He later commanded theDepartment of California from July 27, 1865, to March 31, 1868; briefly commanded theFourth Military Department; then commanded theDepartment of the East from July 16, 1868, to December 16, 1872. On November 25, 1872, he was promoted to major general. On December 16, 1872, McDowell succeeded GeneralGeorge G. Meade as commander of theMilitary Division of the South and remained until June 30, 1876. From July 1, 1876, he was commander of theDivision of the Pacific. In 1882, Congress imposed a mandatory retirement age of 64 for military officers, and McDowell retired on October 14 of that year.
In 1879, when a board of review commissioned byPresidentRutherford B. Hayes issued its report recommending apardon for Fitz John Porter, it attributed much of the loss of the Second Battle of Bull Run to McDowell. In the report, he was depicted as indecisive, uncommunicative, and inept, repeatedly failing to answer Porter's requests for information, failing to forward intelligence ofLongstreet's positioning to Pope, and neglecting to take command of the left wing of the Union Army as was his duty under theArticles of War.
Following his retirement from the army, General McDowell exercised his fondness for landscape gardening, serving as Park Commissioner ofSan Francisco,California until his death fromheart attack on May 4, 1885. In this capacity, he constructed a park in the neglected reservation of thePresidio, laying out drives that commanded views of theGolden Gate. He is buried inSan Francisco National Cemetery in the Presidio of San Francisco.
Media related toIrvin McDowell at Wikimedia Commons| Military offices | ||
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| Preceded by none | Commander of theArmy of Northeastern Virginia May 27, 1861 – July 25, 1861 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by none | Commander of theI Corps (Army of the Potomac) March 13, 1862 – April 4, 1862 | Succeeded by Reorganized as III Corps (Army of Virginia) |
| Preceded by Himself as Commander of I Corps (Army of the Potomac) | Commander of theIII Corps (Army of Virginia) June 26, 1862 – September 5, 1862 | Succeeded by |
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