James Dearing | |
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| Born | (1840-04-25)April 25, 1840 Campbell County, Virginia |
| Died | April 22, 1865(1865-04-22) (aged 24) Lynchburg, Virginia |
| Place of burial | Spring Hill Cemetery, Lynchburg |
| Allegiance |  Confederate States of America |
| Service |  Confederate States Army |
| Years of service | 1861–65 |
| Rank |  Brigadier General(not confirmed)  Colonel |
| Commands | Dearing's (Lynchburg) Battery 38th Virginia Light Artillery Battalion 8th Confederate Cavalry Regiment Dearings Brigade |
| Battles / wars | American Civil War |
James Dearing (April 25, 1840 – April 22, 1865) was aConfederate States Army officer during theAmerican Civil War who served in the artillery and cavalry. Dearing entered West Point in 1858 and resigned on April 22, 1861, when Virginia seceded from the Union. Dearing was mortally wounded at theBattle of High Bridge during theAppomattox Campaign of 1865, making him one of the last officers to die in the war. Despite serving as a commander of a cavalry brigade and using the grade ofbrigadier general after he was nominated to that grade byConfederate PresidentJefferson Davis, Dearing did not officially achieve the grade of brigadier general because theConfederate Senate did not approve his nomination. His actual permanent grade wascolonel.
Dearing was born inCampbell County, Virginia. He was a great-grandson of ColonelCharles Lynch, a famous revolutionary war veteran who probably gave his name to what is now known as "lynching".[citation needed] A graduate of Hanover Academy he received an appointment to theUnited States Military Academy in 1858, where he was described as "a reckless, handsome boy" who introduced the tune "Dixie" to the academy, earning him the reputation of a secessionist and demerits from his superiors. Nonetheless, he was ranked first in his class of 1862. When his home state seceded he resigned, just short of the premature graduation of his class, on April 22, 1861.
Dearing traveled toRichmond, Virginia, getting a commission as lieutenant of artillery in theVirginia Militia. He joined the recently arrivedWashington Artillery fromNew Orleans,Louisiana; and was commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant and drill instructor in the 3rd company. He participated in theFirst Battle of Bull Run while being assigned to the 1st company as part of the 4th Brigade of ColonelJubal Early in theArmy of the Potomac, and served as volunteer aide to his battalion commander MajorJames B. Walton.[1] Dearing was promoted to 1st Lieutenant in July 1861; and to captain in April 1862 when he became commander of the reorganized Lynchburg ("Latham´s") Battery. Dearing's (Virginia) Battery was attached toGeorge E. Pickett's Brigade and supported it in thePeninsular Campaign, where Dearing was highly praised by Lieutenant GeneralJames Longstreet, and in theSecond Battle of Bull Run.[2] When Pickett was elevated to division command in Longstreet'sFirst Corps in September Dearing's battery was assigned to the division and fought in theBattle of Fredericksburg.
Captain Dearing was promoted to Major in early 1863, and was appointed Chief of Artillery in Pickett's Division. In April his battalion - made up of the batteries of CaptainsStribling ("Fauquier"), Caskie ("Hampden"), Macon ("Richmond Fayette") and Blount (Dearing's old Lynchburg) - was officially organized as 38th Battalion, Virginia Light Artillery. He led his unit with the division into Longstreet's Tidewater Operations and theSiege of Suffolk.[3]
At theBattle of Gettysburg Dearing's Battalion was in camp nearChambersburg and marched on morning of July 2. While his men were on the march Major Dearing rode ahead to the battlefield and offered his services to Lieutenant ColonelE. Porter Alexander of the corps reserve artillery. Alexander, who's battalion supported the division of Major GeneralLafayette McLaws in its assault of thePeach Orchard, gave Dearing the command of two of his batteries.[4] Those batteries, Jordan's "Bedford" and Woolfolk's "Ashland", were on the right of Alexander's line; and participated in the charge ofBarksdale andKershaw. On July 3 Dearing's battalion took part in the massive artillery barrage prior toPickett's Charge, positioned right in the center supporting Pickett's division. Inflicting heavy damage Dearing's batteries suffered from counter-battery fire, but stayed in position and was reinforced by numerous guns and sections on Col. Alexander's orders. After the initial charge Dearing's guns supported the advance ofAnderson's brigades and put shell against the counterattack ofGeorge Stannard's2nd Vermont Brigade, wounding the later.[5]
Afterwards of Gettysburg Pickett was assigned to command the Department of Southern Virginia and North Carolina; and Dearing went with him. When Pickett needed a mounted force for his operations he selected Major Dearing to command it, and Dearing gathered some 200 men for a provisional battalion.[6] On January 12, 1864, a new cavalry regiment was proposed for service with Pickett, and he recommended Dearing as the commanding officer. Secretary of warJames A. Seddon approved it the next day and Dearing, officially a Lieutenant Colonel of artillery, was promoted to provisional Colonel of cavalry. His regiment, known as 8th Confederate (or simply "Dearing´s Confederate") Cavalry, was composed of the former 12th North Carolina Cavalry Battalion and several other companies, as well as a battery of light artillery.[7][8]
In April 1864, while Dearing participated in the operations again New Bern andPlymouth, he was ordered back to theArmy of Northern Virginia with his official rank of Lieutenant Colonel; to take command of its horse artillery.[9] Virtually at the same time the opening phases of theSiege of Petersburg changed Colonel Dearing's service branch again. On April 29, 1864, he was slated for promotion to brigadier general; and though his promotion was not approved by theCongress of the Confederate States he served with that rank as commander of a cavalry brigade. Still in the Department of Southern Virginia and North Carolina, now under command ofP.G.T. Beauregard, Dearing and his confederate brigade (with its own artillery) served as scout and fire brigade.[10]
In July Dearing was given a command in the ANV again, serving in the cavalry division of Major GeneralW.H.F. "Rooney" Lee. His new brigade consisted of the 8th Georgia, 4th and 65th North Carolina cavalry regiments as well as the 16th North Carolina Battalion; later changed included the addition of the 7th Confederate Cavalry.[11] He was falsely reported to be killed in theBattle of Boydton Plank Road.[12] When Beauregard gained command of the Department of the West in winter 1864 he recommended Dearing for a division command, but his recommendation was not followed.[13]
During theAppomattox Campaign Dearing was given another brigade in the division of his old friend and West Point classmate Major GeneralThomas L. Rosser, composed of the 7th, 11th and 12 Virginia Cavalry regiments and the 35th Virginia Battalion.[14] At theBattle of High Bridge on April 6, 1865, Dearing and his cavalry clashed with a union force of infantry and cavalry. He fought a close range pistol duel with the union commanders, Colonels Theodore Read and Francis Washburn. Read was killed on the spot, supposedly by Dearing. While Washburn was mortally wounded by a bullet through the mouth Dearing was mortally wounded himself when he was shot through the lungs, and he was taken prisoner. Brought to Lynchburg's old city hotel (christened "Ladies´ Relief Hospital"), on April 13 he was visited and paroled by his oldWest Point classmate, Brigadier GeneralRanald S. Mackenzie, then commanding in Lynchburg.[15] Dearing died on April 22 (like Colonel Washburn), and is buried in Spring Hill Cemetery.
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