Patrick Cleburne was born on March 17, 1828, and lived until November 30, 1864. He was an Irish-born soldier who later became an American, known for his service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, where he reached the rank of major general.
Cleburne served in the 41st Infantry Regiment, a Welsh regiment in the British Army, after failing to enter university in 1846. He emigrated to the United States three years later. When the Civil War began, Cleburne sided with the Confederacy. He rose from a simple private in the local militia to commander of a division.
Cleburne took part in several successful military campaigns, notably the Battle of Stones River and the Battle of Missionary Ridge. He was also present at the Battle of Shiloh. His strategic ability earned him the nickname "Stonewall of the West." He was killed in 1864 at the Battle of Franklin.
When the secession crisis reached a standoff, Cleburne sided with the Southern states. His choice did not come from a love of slavery, which he claimed he did not care about, but from his affection for the Southern people who had adopted him as one of their own.
As the crisis escalated, Cleburne joined a local militia company as a private soldier. He was quickly elected captain of the company. He led a company to seize a U.S. arsenal in Little Rock in January 1861. When Arkansas seceded from the Union, he became part of the 1st Arkansas Infantry Division, later known as the 15th Arkansas, where he was elected colonel. He was promoted to brigadier general on March 4, 1862.
Cleburne served at the Battle of Shiloh and in a battle in Kentucky, where he was wounded in the face when a bullet pierced his left cheek, shattered several teeth, and exited through his mouth. He recovered in time to take part in the Battle of Perryville.
After the Army of Tennessee retreated to Tennessee in late 1862, Cleburne was promoted to command a division and served at the Battle of Stones River. His division advanced three miles, defeating the Union right wing and pushing it back toward Nashville Pike. On his final defensive line, he was promoted to major general on December 13.
During the 1863 campaigns in Tennessee, Cleburne and his men fought at the Battle of Chickamauga. They successfully defeated a much larger Union force led by Major General William Tecumseh Sherman at the northern end of Missionary Ridge during the Battle of Missionary Ridge. They also defeated Joseph Hooker at the northern end of Georgia, where Cleburne’s men again protected the Army of Tennessee during its retreat further into Georgia.
Cleburne and his troops received official thanks from the Confederate Congress for their actions during this campaign. Before the 1864 campaign season, Cleburne became engaged, but the marriage was never completed. Cleburne was killed during a reckless attack he himself opposed on Union fortifications at the Battle of Franklin, south of Nashville, Tennessee, on November 30, 1864.
He was last seen advancing on foot toward Union lines with his sword raised after his horse was shot and fell from under him. Reports later stated he was found directly inside a Federal line, and his body was taken to a aid station. Records indicate he died from an abdominal wound or possibly a bullet that pierced his heart. When Confederates found his body, it had been stripped of all valuables, including his sword, boots, and pocket watch.
The Patrick Cleburne Memorial can be seen at the Franklin Battlefield in Franklin, Tennessee. The Patrick Cleburne Confederate Cemetery is a memorial cemetery in Jonesboro, Georgia, named in honor of General Patrick Cleburne.