Patrick Ronayne Cleburne was born in Ovens, County Cork, Ireland in 1828. After a short stint in the British Army and an unsuccessful attempt at a Medical career, Cleburne moved to the United States in 1849, ultimately settling in the town of Helena, Arkansas. As the Civil War began and Arkansas seceded from the Union alongside other Southern states, Cleburne stayed loyal to his home state and the people that had adopted him. He joined the Confederate Army in early 1861, quickly rising in the ranks . By December of 1862, following admirable service at the Battles of Shiloh and Perryville, he was promoted to Major General, and would gain fame for successful attacks and actions at The Battle of Stones River, as well as the Campaigns in Southeast Tennessee/Southern Georgia. General Robert E. Lee once described him as a meteor shining from a clouded sky, and his ability to use terrain to his advantage and dig in and hold ground earned him the nickname The Stonewall of The West. On November 30th, 1864, Cleburne and The Confederate Army of Tennessee met the Union Army Of The Ohio at the small town of Franklin, Tennessee. The Federals were well-entrenched in an almost impenetrable position. Commanding General John Bell Hood, desperate to destroy the Union army, ordered a massive direct assault. Though opposed to the ill-conceived attack, Cleburne obeyed his duty. Before the attack began, he was quoted to have said, If we are going to die, let us die like men. He was last seen leading his Men on foot, his horse having been shot out from under him. In a battle that saw 6 generals die, and 10,000 soldiers killed, wounded, captured or missing in just five hours, Cleburne was among the dead. He was 36 years old.
Posted on: Tue, 08 Jul 2014 22:44:38 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015