Civil War CDV Union General John Palmer 14th Illinois Infantry
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:178692 |
Condition as seen. "Political generals have a reputation for mediocrity among Civil War historians. John McAuley Palmer, however, broke that mold in Illinois.
The Kentucky-born Palmer came to Illinois at age 14 in 1831 and settled in Carlinville in 1839, where he read law. A delegate to the 1848 Illinois constitutional convention and a Democratic state senator, he broke with the Stephen A. Douglas wing of the party over the Kansas-Nebraska Act and resigned his seat, the first of fiv...e changes in political party for the idealistic, impulsive Palmer. He switched to the Republicans in 1856 and presided at the inaugural state Republican Convention.
At war's outbreak, Palmer was elected colonel of the 14th Illinois Infantry and quickly moved up the ranks, ascending to brigadier general that December and division commander two months later. However, Palmer was no political hack. One peer, Brig. Gen. R.W. Johnson, called Palmer "one of the ablest and best generals in the army."
A recent scholar described Palmer as "handsome and engaging ... a capable fighter whose subsequent promotions were earned by solid performance." Examples of his battlefield ability included crucial stands at Stone River and Chickamauga. Palmer eventually was promoted to major general and commanded the XIV Corps, one of the better fighting units in the west.
Popular in the ranks, Palmer loved his men back, but he held little regard for many superiors. Palmer, like many others, clashed with the "West Point clique, " but his resentment also was directed at a long list, including the likes of Grant and Sherman, as well as John A. Logan, William Rosecrans, Henry Halleck, and John Pope. Of Phil Sheridan, Palmer wrote in 1867 that he had "shared two great battles with him, Stone River and Chickamauga. In both he was whipped out of his boots, and in both he gained more reputation by his pretense than by his acts. He was then and still is a humbug."
However, Palmer greatly admired his favorites. One of his 10 children, daughter Jessie Lyon Palmer, was named for Nathaniel Lyon, one of the early martyrs of the Union cause. Palmer also encouraged the naming of a grandson for George Thomas, the "Rock of Chickamauga."
In August 1864, Palmer became embroiled in a dispute with John Schofield over rank and resigned his commission. President Lincoln, a personal friend, then appointed Palmer military governor of Kentucky. Racially progressive for his era, Palmer freed Kentucky slaves and insisted upon being tried under the "Logan Black Laws" in Carlinville for having brought a free black to live in his home.
The Kentucky-born Palmer came to Illinois at age 14 in 1831 and settled in Carlinville in 1839, where he read law. A delegate to the 1848 Illinois constitutional convention and a Democratic state senator, he broke with the Stephen A. Douglas wing of the party over the Kansas-Nebraska Act and resigned his seat, the first of fiv...e changes in political party for the idealistic, impulsive Palmer. He switched to the Republicans in 1856 and presided at the inaugural state Republican Convention.
At war's outbreak, Palmer was elected colonel of the 14th Illinois Infantry and quickly moved up the ranks, ascending to brigadier general that December and division commander two months later. However, Palmer was no political hack. One peer, Brig. Gen. R.W. Johnson, called Palmer "one of the ablest and best generals in the army."
A recent scholar described Palmer as "handsome and engaging ... a capable fighter whose subsequent promotions were earned by solid performance." Examples of his battlefield ability included crucial stands at Stone River and Chickamauga. Palmer eventually was promoted to major general and commanded the XIV Corps, one of the better fighting units in the west.
Popular in the ranks, Palmer loved his men back, but he held little regard for many superiors. Palmer, like many others, clashed with the "West Point clique, " but his resentment also was directed at a long list, including the likes of Grant and Sherman, as well as John A. Logan, William Rosecrans, Henry Halleck, and John Pope. Of Phil Sheridan, Palmer wrote in 1867 that he had "shared two great battles with him, Stone River and Chickamauga. In both he was whipped out of his boots, and in both he gained more reputation by his pretense than by his acts. He was then and still is a humbug."
However, Palmer greatly admired his favorites. One of his 10 children, daughter Jessie Lyon Palmer, was named for Nathaniel Lyon, one of the early martyrs of the Union cause. Palmer also encouraged the naming of a grandson for George Thomas, the "Rock of Chickamauga."
In August 1864, Palmer became embroiled in a dispute with John Schofield over rank and resigned his commission. President Lincoln, a personal friend, then appointed Palmer military governor of Kentucky. Racially progressive for his era, Palmer freed Kentucky slaves and insisted upon being tried under the "Logan Black Laws" in Carlinville for having brought a free black to live in his home.
