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John B. Magruder

John Bankhead Magruder (May 1, 1807[N 1] – February 18, 1871) was an American and Confederate military officer. A graduate of West Point, Magruder served with distinction during the Mexican–American War (1846–1848) and was a prominent Confederate Army general during the American Civil War (1861–1865). As a major general, he received recognition for delaying the advance of Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan's large force, the Army of the Potomac, during the 1862 Peninsula Campaign, as well as recapturing Galveston, Texas the following year.

John Bankhead Magruder
Nickname(s)"Prince John"
Born(1807-05-01)May 1, 1807
Port Royal, Virginia, United States
DiedFebruary 18, 1871(1871-02-18) (aged 63)
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Place of burial
Episcopal Cemetery, Galveston, Texas
Allegiance United States
 Confederate States
Second Mexican Empire
Service/branch United States Army
 Confederate States Army
Years of service1830–1861 (U.S. Army)
1861–1865 (Confederate Army)
Rank Captain
Bvt. Lieutenant Colonel (USA)
Major General (CSA)
Commands held
  • Army of the Peninsula
  • Magruder's Division
  • District of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona
  • Department of Arkansas
Battles/warsSecond Seminole War
Mexican–American War
American Civil War
Other workLawyer, lecturer
Signature

When the Civil War began in 1861, Magruder left the Union Army to accept a commission in the Confederacy. As commander of the Army of the Peninsula, he fortified the Virginia Peninsula and won the Battle of Big Bethel. In the Peninsula Campaign, he stalled McClellan's Army of the Potomac outside Yorktown, allowing Maj. Gen. Joseph E. Johnston to arrive with reinforcements, organize a retreat, and defend the Confederate capital, Richmond. Magruder was criticized for his leadership in battles at Savage's Station and Malvern Hill during the Seven Days Battles. He spent the remainder of the war administering the District of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona and the Department of Arkansas; in his tenure, Magruder lifted the naval blockade over Galveston and recaptured the city in 1863.

After surrendering the Trans-Mississippi Department in June 1865, Magruder fled to Mexico. He worked in an administrative role under Emperor Maximillian I before returning to the United States in 1867. In 1869, he embarked on a lecture tour, speaking on the Mexican monarchy. Magruder died in Houston in 1871.

Early life and career edit

John Bankhead Magruder was born in Port Royal, Virginia, on May 1, 1807[2] He was the fifth child of ten, eight of whom lived past infancy. Magruder's father Thomas was from a family of Scottish plantation owners; on June 22, 1797, he married Elizabeth Bankhead, the eldest daughter of "noted millers" in Albemarle County.[3][4] Thomas Magruder was an attorney and practiced in the Chancery Court of Fredericksburg, but he was negligent in his duties and a constant debtor. By 1820, he lost ownership of all his slaves, and his homestead was sold at public auction five years later. Thomas was eventually reduced to living on Elizabeth's property in Aberfoyle with his daughter Isabella, while his wife lived with their son Allan in Albemarle County.[5]

Magruder was not interested in the law but loved the idea of soldiering.[6] His uncle James Bankhead, a military officer during the War of 1812, is assumed to have instilled in Magruder a fascination with combat, in large part because of the war stories that he and Colonel James Bankhead – Magruder's American Revolutionary War veteran grandfather – told.[6] In 1825, on letters of recommendation from his father, uncle, and Virginian congressman Robert S. Garnett, Magruder was notified of his appointment to West Point where he was to report a year later. He spent one semester at the University of Virginia in the interim.[6]

At West Point, Magruder was a hyperactive and ambitious cadet who was often at odds with superintendent Sylvanus Thayer's regulations. His closest friends were William N. Pendleton and Alexander J. Swift; the former was later a Confederate officer and the latter distinguished himself as top of Magruder's class.[7] He graduated in 1830, fifteenth in his class of 42 cadets, and was commissioned as a brevet second lieutenant in the 7th Infantry Regiment.[8]

Magruder spent most of his furlough in the company of 20 year-old Henrietta von Kapff (March 27, 1810 – January 1, 1884), the wealthy daughter of businessman Johann von Kapff.[9] The couple soon began a romance and married on May 18, 1831. They had three children; Isabella (1833 – July 20, 1869); Katherine Elizabeth (1836 – April 26, 1896); and Henry R. (1841 – January 31, 1907).

His family occasionally traveled with Magruder during his various assignments but, because of the unfavorable conditions in the various remote locales, Henrietta found it more practical to live in Baltimore where she could raise their children and stay close to her business interests. Thereafter, Magruder infrequently spent time with his family; he last saw them as he tended to Isabella during an illness that led to her death in 1869. Despite his absences, close family friends noted that Henrietta remained "in love with [her husband] to an uncommon degree".[10]

U.S. Army career edit

On a request to the United States Department of War, Magruder arranged a transfer to the 1st Artillery with Albert Miller Lea, a correspondent from West Point, to stay close to Henrietta.[11] Biographer Thomas M. Settles described the lieutenant as a great favorite among his men—‌"always charming, frivolous at times, but intelligent and obviously well read".[11] Known as "Prince John", a resplendently uniformed man with a theatrical manner, Magruder attained a reputation for his social grace and etiquette.[11]

The 1830s for Magruder, however, were largely regulated to garrison duty in North Carolina, Maryland, and Florida; the uneventful aspects of these assignments granted him time to study law and pass the bar examination. By 1844, Magruder, working as a recruitment officer, was dissatisfied with military service.[12] The adverse northern climate found at his latest post, the Hancock Barracks in Maine, contributed to a bronchial infection, he had seen no military action, and felt slighted by the lack of recognition for organizing crucial supplies during the Second Seminole War.[13]

 
Magruder in an 1848 painting

In August 1845, Magruder volunteered for assignment in Corpus Christi, Texas, to join General Zachary Taylor's army there, occupying the former republic; the US was on the verge of war with Mexico over the question of annexation. After hostilities opened on April 25, 1846, Magruder first saw combat at the Battle of Palo Alto, 14 days later.[14][15] On April 18, 1847, Magruder served with "zeal and ability", in General Winfield Scott's expedition, under heavy fire and turned Mexican artillery against them at Cerro Gordo, for which he was praised by his superiors and brevetted to major.[16]

By September 12, US forces had begun targeting Chapultepec, in one of a series of engagements in the Battle of Mexico City. Magruder—lightly wounded—ordered the first shots in the early morning on the 13th and offered pursuit, despite superior Mexican numbers, to capture the Anzures, Veronica, and Belen intersection—a crucial crossroads that would block efforts by General Santa Anna to relieve the palace.[17]

From the conflict in Mexico, Magruder learned the value of deceiving and flanking forces outnumbering his own.[18] He also saw the war as demonstrating "the science of artillery is continually advancing", and submitted a detailed plan for separating the light artillery from "ordnance, field, and sea coast artillery"—in theory, "resulting in an enlightened division of labor" and specialization; however, in a post-war cost-cutting decision, the War Department rejected the proposal and ordered Magruder's men to serve as foot soldiers.[19]

In 1850, Magruder was assigned to command the post in San Diego, California, where for a time he was also "a land speculator, lawyer, saloon owner, railroad president, and one of California's most celebrated duelists".[20] In the late 1850s Magruder took Rancho Jamacha from Apolinaria Lorenzana.[21] Years later in May 1857, while stationed at Fort Adams, his company was remounted as a light artillery battery.[22] Historian Edward A. Pollard noted that Magruder was recognized as one of the lead artillerists in the army: "It was in the rapid and effective management of field-pieces, and the combinations with which they were applied to accomplish immediate and important results, that his genius shone"; Magruder's experience helped him convince the War Department in 1860 to accept a revised version of his logistics plan, and fund an expedition to observe European artillery tactics.[23][24]

Civil War edit

At the onset of the Civil War Magruder was posted in Washington, D.C.—on the side of the Union. However, Magruder, whose loyalties were with his home state of Virginia, resigned his commission in the army four days after the state seceded on April 17, 1861, to join the Confederate States of America (CSA); subsequently, Governor John Letcher appointed him to colonel in the Confederate Army.[25] His superiors—perhaps impressed by his detailed inventory of Richmond's defenses—placed Magruder in command of forces, soon officially termed the Army of the Peninsula, on the Virginia Peninsula, east of Richmond where the city seemed most vulnerable to Union attack.[26]

Immediately after establishing his headquarters at Yorktown, Magruder surveyed the region and found the circumstances favorable: the marshy terrain, dense undergrowth, and watercourses led him to surmise that a successful defense of the Peninsula was plausible.[27] He ordered the construction of three fortified lines to counter mounting Union forces under the command of Maj. Gen. Benjamin Franklin Butler at Fort Monroe.[28]

On May 27, Butler sent a force 8 miles (13 km) north to occupy the lightly defended town of Newport News, and expanded Camp Hamilton, established in the adjacent town of Hampton.[29] Magruder, seeking to delay his opponent while awaiting men and supplies, prepared a well-defended advanced outpost at Big and Little Bethel just 8 miles (13 km) from Union camp at Newport News to goad Butler into a premature attack; Butler complied and suffered a defeat in the Battle of Big Bethel on June 10. Civilian intelligence reports and a friendly fire incident during the night exposed the position of Butler's troops whose initial advance and subsequent thrusts were thwarted despite a Confederate disadvantage of manpower.[30][31]

The praise for Magruder following Big Bethel far superseded its tactical importance but it nonetheless had a profound psychological impact.[32] His victory reaffirmed the belief of many southerners in the Confederate cause, and Civil War historian Douglas Southall Freeman wrote Magruder was one of its earliest heroes—"second only to Beauregard in the esteem of the Confederacy" prior to the Seven Days Battles.[33] By August 1861, he rose to the rank of major general.[34]

Peninsula Campaign edit

Defending the peninsula edit

 
A map of events up to the Battle of Seven Pines. Magruder held the Warwick Line until General Johnston's arrival on April 17, 1862.
  Confederate
  Union

The victory of the Confederates at the First Battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861, had paralyzed Union forces there for the remainder of the year, and presented the Confederate government time to consolidate its manpower.[35] With the new year, preparations for the Union campaign of 1862 were urged forward by the Federal government, impatient for an advance on Richmond.[36] Following the withdrawal of the Army of Northern Virginia, under Maj. Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, south of the Rappahannock River, Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan revised plans for the spring offensive.[36] As part of his Peninsula Campaign, McClellan ordered his army—the Army of the Potomac—to disembark for Fort Monroe from Alexandria, Virginia, and Annapolis, Maryland, on March 17, 1862.[37] McClellan sought to turn on Johnston's position and advance toward Richmond before the Confederates could readily defend their capital.[38]

As McClellan's plans were gradually revealed to the Confederates, the mass of Johnston's army was ordered to the Peninsula by early April.[39] Magruder's Army of the Peninsula—about 13,600 men—was tasked with delaying McClellan's 121,500-man force.[39][40] Finding that his advanced line required more force than was at his command, Magruder fell back behind the Warwick River to his secondary position, the Warwick Line. He described his position:

Yorktown and redoubts Nos. 4 and 5, united by long curtains and flanked by rifle-pits, form the left of the line, until at the commencement of the military road it reaches the Warwick River, here a sluggish and boggy stream, twenty or thirty yards wide, and running a dense wood fringes by swamps. Along this river are five dams–one at Wynne's Mill, one at Lee's Mill, and three constructed by myself. The effect of these dams is to back up the water along the course of the river, so that for nearly three fourths of its distance its passage is impractical.[41]

Two garrisons, amounting to 6,000 men, were stationed at Gloucester Point and Mulberry Island with heavy artillery to block Union passage of the York and James Rivers.[42]

The Army of the Potomac marched forward with four divisions and cavalry—about 58,000 men—in two columns under Brigadier Generals Samuel Heintzelman and Erasmus Keyes on April 4.[43] The following day, downpours bogged down the march.[44] As Union forces emerged from patches of woods on Magruder's right flank and towards Lee's Mill, artillery and rifle fire erupted to repel Keyes's advance. Heintzelman was also brought to a halt by Yorktown's defensive works.[45] Magruder's tactics—the constant marching of his forces and sporadic artillery barrages—created the illusion of a much larger military presence and persuaded McClellan to call for a siege of Yorktown.[45] His only attempt to break Magruder's line, at Dam No. One on April 16, was repelled after the 3rd Vermont Infantry briefly held rifle-pits on the West side of the Warwick.[46]

A day later, Johnston arrived and superseded Magruder in command; reinforcements increased the Confederates' presence on the Peninsula to 56,600 men.[47] By April 27, Johnston learned that the Union's batteries would be prepared in five or six days, and he therefore elected to withdraw for Richmond, much to Magruder's disappointment. The retreat on the night of May 3 came at a high cost—Johnston was forced to leave behind artillery pieces and ammunition.[48]

Williamsburg and Seven Pines edit

Magruder led his 17,300-man division in retreat on Lee's Mill Road toward Williamsburg. On arrival, he received a leave of absence from Johnston to seek medical treatment at Westover; Maj. Gen. David Rumph Jones replaced Magruder in command.[49] At Magruder's instruction, an earthen redoubt—pridefully named Fort Magruder—was constructed in the winter of 1861 to defend the junction of the Yorktown and Lee's Mill roads in front of Williamsburg. Thirteen smaller redoubts also extended from Queen's Creek to the north and College Creek in the south.[50] The Union artillerist Charles S. Wainwright termed the location a "very ugly place to attack", a sentiment shared by many officers.[50]

In his memoirs, President Jefferson Davis wrote Magruder's absence from the Battle of Williamsburg on May 5 was regrettable, "as it appears that the positions of the redoubts he had constructed were not all known to the commanding General [Johnston], and some of them being unoccupied were seized by the enemy".[51] Nonetheless, the results of the engagement were advantageous to the Confederates. By checking the Union's pursuit at Williamsburg, Johnston's retreat from the Peninsula continued without molestation.[52]

Magruder rejoined his men at Bottom's Bridge, 12 miles east of Richmond, on May 9 and reassumed command from Jones.[51] His division, as well as others in the Army of Northern Virginia, was ordered to retreat on May 15 southwest across the Chickahominy River in preparation for the defense of Richmond.[53] On May 31, Johnston massed the divisions of Major Generals James Longstreet, D. H. Hill, and Benjamin Huger as part of a bold offensive toward Seven Pines, which aimed at isolating two Union corps south of the Chickahominy and overwhelming them. Magruder's men, held in reserve, guarded the main force's left flank yet saw no action during the two-day battle.[54] Despite inflicting heavy casualties in the first day, "the opportunity was lost by hesitation and disjointed action", resulting in another inconclusive battle.[55]

The Seven Days edit

After Johnston suffered a chest wound on May 31, the command of the Army of Northern Virginia fell to Maj. Gen. G. W. Smith. A day later, Smith too was relieved of the position by President Davis who then appointed General Robert E. Lee.[56] Lee hastened forward his plans for an attack on McClellan's right flank, finding his left heavily fortified following Seven Pines and "injudicious, if not impracticable" for an assault.[57] Lee's objectives—by assuming the offensive—were to avoid allowing Richmond to fall under siege and to turn on Brig. Gen. Fitz John Porter's Fifth Corps near Mechanicsville, forcing McClellan to defend his supply lines and communications.[57][58] Simultaneously, Magruder and Huger guarded the capital from Union forces south of the Chickahominy.[59]

Though McClellan's subordinates urged for reinforcements north of the Chickahominy following the Battle of Mechanicsville, McClellan was alarmed by threatening troop movements organized by Magruder, who revived the tactics that deceived Union forces at Yorktown.[60] On June 27, while the Battle of Gaines's Mill was occurring north of the Chickahominy, Magruder directed the brigade of Brig. Gen. Robert Toombs to conduct reconnaissance at James Garnett farm.[61] A minor skirmish, on Toombs's orders, resulted at dusk with Brig. Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock's forces.[61] In consequence of confusion of commands, only two regiments engaged, and Magruder countermanded the attack as soon as he was informed.[62]

Lee, having ascertained by the night of June 28 that McClellan was in retreat, ordered Magruder the next day in immediate pursuit along the Williamsburg Road and York River Railroad.[63] Magruder played a passive role, having been informed by Lee that Jackson would help "push the pursuit vigorously".[64] Without Jackson or reinforcements from Huger, Magruder cautiously engaged at Savage's Station with the Union's rear guard, "satisfied just to maintain the fight and position" against a force that outnumbered his own nearly 2-to-1, and concluded fighting with no significant outcome.[64] Late that evening Lee reprimanded him: "I regret very much that you made so little progress today in the pursuit of the enemy. In order to reap the benefits of our victory the pursuit should be most vigorous. I must urge you then to press on his rear rapidly and steadily".[65]

As the Confederates continued their pursuit on June 30, poor coordination and miscommunication cost Magruder valuable time while McClellan repositioned his troops. Magruder's division was held in reserve at Glendale. By the afternoon, he was ordered to unite with Maj. Gen. Theophilus H. Holmes who was engaging the enemy at Malvern Hill. He arrived too late—‌the belated orders kept Magruder out of action and exhausted his troops.[66][67] In the Battle of Malvern Hill on July 1, Lee resumed the offensive and assigned Magruder, Jackson, and Huger to lead the attack. Though Jackson and Huger's forces arrived by midday, "poor guides and poorer maps" set Magruder marching in the wrong direction and delayed his arrival by three hours.[68] He rode ahead of his forces, confused to the situation.[69] Lee gave new orders for Magruder and his aide A. G. Dickinson took note of them: "General Lee expects you to advance rapidly. He says it is reported the enemy is getting off. Press forward your whole line ...".[69] Thus, Magruder led charges on Malvern Hill, initially with brigades under Huger's command; he impatiently rushed his straggling men into the battle as they arrived to the field, failing to break through the Union's defensive works.[70]

As accounts of Malvern Hill accumulated, Magruder was charged with being "under the intoxicating influence of ardent spirits", but Settles calls this claim "unsubstantiated" and "simultaneously the most damaging" to Magruder's reputation.[71] Lee never lent support to charges of intoxication or incompetency, dispelling the threat of Magruder's recall; President Davis reassigned Magruder to command the District of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona on October 10.[72]

District of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona edit

Magruder's predecessor, Paul Octave Hébert, surrendered Galveston, Texas on October 9 in the face of a Union blockade under Captain William B. Renshaw.[73][74] Shortly after his arrival Magruder drew up plans with naval captain Leon Smith to recapture the city against forces that enjoyed advantages in manpower and naval superiority.[75] On December 31, Confederate men and artillery positioned themselves to fire at enemy vessels. An artillery duel ensued and Smith's two improvised cottonclad warships— the CS Bayou City and CS Neptune—arrived at daybreak on January 1, 1863, to open a second front on the Union fleet.[76] The Bayou City rammed and captured the USS Harriet Lane, prompting a three-hour truce to allow Renshaw to agree to terms of surrender. Renshaw, however, died while scuttling his flagship, the USS Westfield, and the remainder of the fleet fled from the harbor. The unlikely victory lifted the blockade and captured two Union barques and a schooner at the cost of only 26 casualties.[77]

With Galveston in Confederate hands, Magruder retired to his headquarters in Houston on February 13 to attend to administrative duties.[78] He attempted unsuccessfully to revise the cotton contract system, and soldiers of the Trans-Mississippi Department suffered from lack of provisions.[79] Magruder strenuously enforced the draft, commanders in subdistricts held dictatorial powers, and he occasionally suspended habeas corpus; commander of the Trans-Mississippi Department Edmund Kirby Smith opined that Magruder had an "utter disregard for the law".[80]

During his tenure, east Texas was under constant threat from Union forces under Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks; Banks' failed invasion of Red River Valley in 1864 prompted an order from his superior, Ulysses S. Grant, to abandon efforts to attack the Gulf Coast.[81] In September 1864, Magruder led the Department of Arkansas until he returned to his previous position in March 1865.[82]

Despite Lee's surrender at Appomattox on April 9, Magruder and Smith urged their men to continue the struggle. Having exhausted all options, on June 2 the two generals signed the Canby-Buckner Convention aboard the USS Fort Jackson.[83]

Later years edit

Though Confederate officers were not under threat of detainment, Magruder joined the Confederate exodus to Mexico. Magruder stayed in the country for 17 months, from July 1865 to November 1866.[84] There, he gained audience with Emperor Maximillian I in Mexico City to negotiate the establishment of Confederate colonies. By September 17, having become a naturalized Mexican citizen, Magruder was appointed chief of the Land Office of Colonization.

In 1866, Napoleon III's troop withdrawal from Mexico crippled the monarchy.[85] Before fleeing to Havana, Magruder appealed to Maximillian I to escape the country; the Emperor refused to abandon his followers, fell under siege in Querétaro, and was executed on June 19, 1867.[86]

 
Magruder—standing top row, third from left—with Robert E. Lee and other Confederate officers in 1869

In early 1867, Magruder returned to the United States with little money and no prospects for employment. He arrived in New York City to establish a law practice, yet he was constantly on the move in the final years of his life.[87]

In 1869, Magruder was invited to lecture in New Orleans on Mexican politics, speaking "kindly of the well-intentioned emperor [Maximillian I] and his ambitious wife and judged that they were genuinely concerned about the welfare of Mexico".[88] A "natural at the podium", Magruder's lectures were well-attended in New Orleans, Baltimore, Galveston, and elsewhere.[88] After a group of wealthy Texan admirers pledged to purchase him a plantation, Magruder traveled to Galveston in April 1870—to his disappointment, the offer never materialized.[89]

Weakened by failing health, Magruder moved into the Hutchins House, a luxurious hotel in Houston.[90]

On February 18, 1871, "Magruder, having been unwell for several days, suffering from disease of the heart, breathed his last about 3 o'clock Saturday morning at the Hutchins House".[91] He was buried in Houston's Episcopal cemetery.[91] Soon after his death, the citizens of Galveston formed a committee to have Magruder's remains moved to the island. On January 10, 1876, his body was reinterred in Galveston's Episcopal cemetery and a monument was erected there in 1894.[92]

Legacy edit

 
John Bankhead Magruder Monument

The third highest-ranking officer in the Army of the Northern Virginia, Magruder never published any memoirs. He cultivated a flamboyant, distinctive image and personality in the belief that it would inspire his troops.[93] His affinity for pomp and showmanship often became a topic of discussion among his men and wings of the officer corps.[94] Likewise, his extravagant social life led to many, largely unfounded, rumors of drunkenness on duty.[93] As a leader, Magruder was an "experienced artillery officer of shrewd intelligence", developed an ability to deliver charismatic speeches, and was quick to credit his men for his successes.[95][96]

At a time when Richmond was vulnerable to attack, Magruder's command of the Army of the Peninsula in April and May 1862 was, according to Settles, his "greatest contribution to the Confederacy".[96] Later, as he reflected in his 1874 book Narrative of Military Operations, Johnston wrote Magruder's efforts on the Virginia Peninsula "saved Richmond and gave the Confederate government time to swell that officer's handful to an army".[97]

In nineteenth century assessments of Confederate leadership, it was frequently asserted that Magruder's poor field command during the Seven Days campaign cost the Confederacy a decisive victory—particularly at Malvern Hill—or even that Magruder's judgement allowed McClellan's army to escape.[98] According to historian Stephen W. Sears, however, Magruder's "peculiar talent for accomplishing what he did in the trench lines at Yorktown"—a talent which "probably none other army's generals had"—contributed greatly to delivering Richmond from siege.[98]

See also edit

References edit

Informational notes

  1. ^ Magruder and his father both stated that he was born on May 1, 1807, but the Dictionary of American Biography erroneously stated, and Douglas Southall Freeman repeated, that he was born on August 15, 1810.[1]

Citations

  1. ^ Settles 2009, p. viii.
  2. ^ Settles 2009, pp. 2–3.
  3. ^ Settles 2009, pp. 4–5.
  4. ^ Casdorph 1996, p. 6.
  5. ^ Settles 2009, p. 7.
  6. ^ a b c Settles 2009, pp. 7–8.
  7. ^ Settles 2009, pp. 13–14.
  8. ^ Casdorph 1996, pp. 24, 27.
  9. ^ Casdorph 1996, p. 29.
  10. ^ Settles 2009, p. 24.
  11. ^ a b c Settles 2009, pp. 24–25.
  12. ^ Settles 2009, p. 29.
  13. ^ Settles 2009, pp. 35–37.
  14. ^ Settles 2009, pp. 42–43.
  15. ^ Casdorph 1996, pp. 61–62.
  16. ^ Settles 2009, pp. 63–65.
  17. ^ Settles 2009, pp. 75–77.
  18. ^ Settles 2009, p. 72.
  19. ^ Settles 2009, p. 83.
  20. ^ Settles 2009, p. 88.
  21. ^ Hughes, Charles (Summer 1975). Hughes, James E. (ed.). "The Decline of Californios". The Journal of San Diego History. 21 (3). Retrieved September 25, 2023. Only one incident has been recorded which a Californio's rancho changed owners through other than legal means in San Diego in the 1850s. Sometime during 1850 or 1851 Juan Forster, agent in charge of Rancho Santa Clara de Jamacha, allowed Captain John Magruder to use the ranch for grazing horses belonging to the United States cavalry detachment stationed in the community. About nine years later Magruder visited Apolinaria Lorenzana, the owner of the rancho, in San Juan Capistrano, hoping to buy the property. According to her recollection, she refused to sell or rent it to Magruder since she had never received any remuneration from him for his previous use of the property. After an angry exchange Magruder returned to San Diego and seized the property. Miss Lorenzana claimed that she never received any payment for her property and after being intimidated by Magruder never pressed her claim.
  22. ^ Settles 2009, p. 109.
  23. ^ Pollard 1867, p. 840.
  24. ^ Settles 2009, pp. 111–112.
  25. ^ Casdorph 1996, pp. 113–114.
  26. ^ Settles 2009, pp. 124–125.
  27. ^ Settles 2009, p. 126.
  28. ^ Quarstein & Moore 2012, pp. 24–26.
  29. ^ Quarstein & Moore 2012, p. 23.
  30. ^ Settles 2009, pp. 132–133.
  31. ^ Quarstein & Moore 2012, pp. 28–29.
  32. ^ Settles 2009, pp. 135–136.
  33. ^ Freeman 1997, p. 62.
  34. ^ Settles 2009, p. 142.
  35. ^ Allan 1892, p. 1.
  36. ^ a b Allan 1892, pp. 4–6.
  37. ^ Sears 1992, pp. 23–24.
  38. ^ Sears 1992, pp. 18–19.
  39. ^ a b Allan 1892, p. 7.
  40. ^ Sears 1992, p. 26.
  41. ^ Allan 1892, pp. 7–8.
  42. ^ Quarstein & Moore 2012, p. 84.
  43. ^ Allan 1892, p. 8.
  44. ^ Quarstein & Moore 2012, p. 92.
  45. ^ a b Sears 1992, pp. 37–39.
  46. ^ Quarstein & Moore 2012, pp. 107–110.
  47. ^ Sears 1992, pp. 60–62.
  48. ^ Allan 1892, pp. 14–15.
  49. ^ Settles 2009, pp. 181–182.
  50. ^ a b Sears 1992, p. 70.
  51. ^ a b Settles 2009, p. 184.
  52. ^ Allan 1892, p. 27.
  53. ^ Allan 1892, p. 28.
  54. ^ Allan 1892, pp. 39–40.
  55. ^ Allan 1892, p. 55.
  56. ^ Sears 1992, pp. 144–145.
  57. ^ a b Sears 1992, pp. 175–176.
  58. ^ Settles 2009, pp. 194, 196.
  59. ^ Allan 1892, pp. 71–72.
  60. ^ Sears 1992, pp. 215–217.
  61. ^ a b Sears 1992, pp. 247–248.
  62. ^ Allan 1892, p. 98.
  63. ^ Allan 1892, pp. 101–102.
  64. ^ a b Sears 1992, pp. 267–271.
  65. ^ Sears 1992, p. 274.
  66. ^ Allan 1892, p. 121.
  67. ^ Sears 1992, p. 293.
  68. ^ Settles 2009, pp. 220, 224.
  69. ^ a b Sears 1992, pp. 322–324.
  70. ^ Sears 1992, pp. 331–332.
  71. ^ Settles 2009, p. 235.
  72. ^ Settles 2009, pp. 238–241.
  73. ^ Settles 2009, pp. 242–244.
  74. ^ Barr, Alwyn (June 15, 2010). "Battle of Galveston". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  75. ^ Settles 2009, pp. 245–247.
  76. ^ Casdorph 1996, pp. 229–232.
  77. ^ Settles 2009, pp. 248–251.
  78. ^ Casdorph 1996, p. 235.
  79. ^ Settles 2009, pp. 260–264.
  80. ^ Settles 2009, pp. 271–272.
  81. ^ Casdorph 1996, pp. 262–263.
  82. ^ Settles 2009, pp. 276–278.
  83. ^ Casdorph 1996, pp. 297–298.
  84. ^ Casdorph 1996, pp. 299–300.
  85. ^ Settles 2009, pp. 287–288.
  86. ^ Casdorph 1996, pp. 306–309.
  87. ^ Casdorph 1996, p. 311.
  88. ^ a b Settles 2009, p. 295.
  89. ^ Casdorph 1996, pp. 314–315.
  90. ^ Settles 2009, p. 298.
  91. ^ a b Casdorph 1996, p. 316.
  92. ^ Settles 2009, pp. 303–304.
  93. ^ a b Quarstein & Moore 2012, pp. 31–32, 57–58.
  94. ^ Casdorph 1996, p. 81.
  95. ^ Sears 1992, pp. 26–27.
  96. ^ a b Settles 2009, p. 174.
  97. ^ Allan 1892, p. 12.
  98. ^ a b Sears 1992, pp. 343–344.

Bibliography

john, magruder, john, bankhead, magruder, 1807, february, 1871, american, confederate, military, officer, graduate, west, point, magruder, served, with, distinction, during, mexican, american, 1846, 1848, prominent, confederate, army, general, during, american. John Bankhead Magruder May 1 1807 N 1 February 18 1871 was an American and Confederate military officer A graduate of West Point Magruder served with distinction during the Mexican American War 1846 1848 and was a prominent Confederate Army general during the American Civil War 1861 1865 As a major general he received recognition for delaying the advance of Maj Gen George B McClellan s large force the Army of the Potomac during the 1862 Peninsula Campaign as well as recapturing Galveston Texas the following year John Bankhead MagruderNickname s Prince John Born 1807 05 01 May 1 1807Port Royal Virginia United StatesDiedFebruary 18 1871 1871 02 18 aged 63 Houston Texas U S Place of burialEpiscopal Cemetery Galveston TexasAllegiance United States Confederate States Second Mexican EmpireService wbr branch United States Army Confederate States ArmyYears of service1830 1861 U S Army 1861 1865 Confederate Army RankCaptain Bvt Lieutenant Colonel USA Major General CSA Commands heldArmy of the Peninsula Magruder s Division District of Texas New Mexico and Arizona Department of ArkansasBattles warsSecond Seminole WarMexican American WarAmerican Civil War Peninsula Campaign Siege of Yorktown Seven Days Battles Battle of GalvestonOther workLawyer lecturerSignatureWhen the Civil War began in 1861 Magruder left the Union Army to accept a commission in the Confederacy As commander of the Army of the Peninsula he fortified the Virginia Peninsula and won the Battle of Big Bethel In the Peninsula Campaign he stalled McClellan s Army of the Potomac outside Yorktown allowing Maj Gen Joseph E Johnston to arrive with reinforcements organize a retreat and defend the Confederate capital Richmond Magruder was criticized for his leadership in battles at Savage s Station and Malvern Hill during the Seven Days Battles He spent the remainder of the war administering the District of Texas New Mexico and Arizona and the Department of Arkansas in his tenure Magruder lifted the naval blockade over Galveston and recaptured the city in 1863 After surrendering the Trans Mississippi Department in June 1865 Magruder fled to Mexico He worked in an administrative role under Emperor Maximillian I before returning to the United States in 1867 In 1869 he embarked on a lecture tour speaking on the Mexican monarchy Magruder died in Houston in 1871 Contents 1 Early life and career 1 1 U S Army career 2 Civil War 2 1 Peninsula Campaign 2 1 1 Defending the peninsula 2 1 2 Williamsburg and Seven Pines 2 1 3 The Seven Days 2 2 District of Texas New Mexico and Arizona 3 Later years 4 Legacy 5 See also 6 ReferencesEarly life and career editJohn Bankhead Magruder was born in Port Royal Virginia on May 1 1807 2 He was the fifth child of ten eight of whom lived past infancy Magruder s father Thomas was from a family of Scottish plantation owners on June 22 1797 he married Elizabeth Bankhead the eldest daughter of noted millers in Albemarle County 3 4 Thomas Magruder was an attorney and practiced in the Chancery Court of Fredericksburg but he was negligent in his duties and a constant debtor By 1820 he lost ownership of all his slaves and his homestead was sold at public auction five years later Thomas was eventually reduced to living on Elizabeth s property in Aberfoyle with his daughter Isabella while his wife lived with their son Allan in Albemarle County 5 Magruder was not interested in the law but loved the idea of soldiering 6 His uncle James Bankhead a military officer during the War of 1812 is assumed to have instilled in Magruder a fascination with combat in large part because of the war stories that he and Colonel James Bankhead Magruder s American Revolutionary War veteran grandfather told 6 In 1825 on letters of recommendation from his father uncle and Virginian congressman Robert S Garnett Magruder was notified of his appointment to West Point where he was to report a year later He spent one semester at the University of Virginia in the interim 6 At West Point Magruder was a hyperactive and ambitious cadet who was often at odds with superintendent Sylvanus Thayer s regulations His closest friends were William N Pendleton and Alexander J Swift the former was later a Confederate officer and the latter distinguished himself as top of Magruder s class 7 He graduated in 1830 fifteenth in his class of 42 cadets and was commissioned as a brevet second lieutenant in the 7th Infantry Regiment 8 Magruder spent most of his furlough in the company of 20 year old Henrietta von Kapff March 27 1810 January 1 1884 the wealthy daughter of businessman Johann von Kapff 9 The couple soon began a romance and married on May 18 1831 They had three children Isabella 1833 July 20 1869 Katherine Elizabeth 1836 April 26 1896 and Henry R 1841 January 31 1907 His family occasionally traveled with Magruder during his various assignments but because of the unfavorable conditions in the various remote locales Henrietta found it more practical to live in Baltimore where she could raise their children and stay close to her business interests Thereafter Magruder infrequently spent time with his family he last saw them as he tended to Isabella during an illness that led to her death in 1869 Despite his absences close family friends noted that Henrietta remained in love with her husband to an uncommon degree 10 U S Army career edit On a request to the United States Department of War Magruder arranged a transfer to the 1st Artillery with Albert Miller Lea a correspondent from West Point to stay close to Henrietta 11 Biographer Thomas M Settles described the lieutenant as a great favorite among his men always charming frivolous at times but intelligent and obviously well read 11 Known as Prince John a resplendently uniformed man with a theatrical manner Magruder attained a reputation for his social grace and etiquette 11 The 1830s for Magruder however were largely regulated to garrison duty in North Carolina Maryland and Florida the uneventful aspects of these assignments granted him time to study law and pass the bar examination By 1844 Magruder working as a recruitment officer was dissatisfied with military service 12 The adverse northern climate found at his latest post the Hancock Barracks in Maine contributed to a bronchial infection he had seen no military action and felt slighted by the lack of recognition for organizing crucial supplies during the Second Seminole War 13 nbsp Magruder in an 1848 paintingIn August 1845 Magruder volunteered for assignment in Corpus Christi Texas to join General Zachary Taylor s army there occupying the former republic the US was on the verge of war with Mexico over the question of annexation After hostilities opened on April 25 1846 Magruder first saw combat at the Battle of Palo Alto 14 days later 14 15 On April 18 1847 Magruder served with zeal and ability in General Winfield Scott s expedition under heavy fire and turned Mexican artillery against them at Cerro Gordo for which he was praised by his superiors and brevetted to major 16 By September 12 US forces had begun targeting Chapultepec in one of a series of engagements in the Battle of Mexico City Magruder lightly wounded ordered the first shots in the early morning on the 13th and offered pursuit despite superior Mexican numbers to capture the Anzures Veronica and Belen intersection a crucial crossroads that would block efforts by General Santa Anna to relieve the palace 17 From the conflict in Mexico Magruder learned the value of deceiving and flanking forces outnumbering his own 18 He also saw the war as demonstrating the science of artillery is continually advancing and submitted a detailed plan for separating the light artillery from ordnance field and sea coast artillery in theory resulting in an enlightened division of labor and specialization however in a post war cost cutting decision the War Department rejected the proposal and ordered Magruder s men to serve as foot soldiers 19 In 1850 Magruder was assigned to command the post in San Diego California where for a time he was also a land speculator lawyer saloon owner railroad president and one of California s most celebrated duelists 20 In the late 1850s Magruder took Rancho Jamacha from Apolinaria Lorenzana 21 Years later in May 1857 while stationed at Fort Adams his company was remounted as a light artillery battery 22 Historian Edward A Pollard noted that Magruder was recognized as one of the lead artillerists in the army It was in the rapid and effective management of field pieces and the combinations with which they were applied to accomplish immediate and important results that his genius shone Magruder s experience helped him convince the War Department in 1860 to accept a revised version of his logistics plan and fund an expedition to observe European artillery tactics 23 24 Civil War editAt the onset of the Civil War Magruder was posted in Washington D C on the side of the Union However Magruder whose loyalties were with his home state of Virginia resigned his commission in the army four days after the state seceded on April 17 1861 to join the Confederate States of America CSA subsequently Governor John Letcher appointed him to colonel in the Confederate Army 25 His superiors perhaps impressed by his detailed inventory of Richmond s defenses placed Magruder in command of forces soon officially termed the Army of the Peninsula on the Virginia Peninsula east of Richmond where the city seemed most vulnerable to Union attack 26 Immediately after establishing his headquarters at Yorktown Magruder surveyed the region and found the circumstances favorable the marshy terrain dense undergrowth and watercourses led him to surmise that a successful defense of the Peninsula was plausible 27 He ordered the construction of three fortified lines to counter mounting Union forces under the command of Maj Gen Benjamin Franklin Butler at Fort Monroe 28 On May 27 Butler sent a force 8 miles 13 km north to occupy the lightly defended town of Newport News and expanded Camp Hamilton established in the adjacent town of Hampton 29 Magruder seeking to delay his opponent while awaiting men and supplies prepared a well defended advanced outpost at Big and Little Bethel just 8 miles 13 km from Union camp at Newport News to goad Butler into a premature attack Butler complied and suffered a defeat in the Battle of Big Bethel on June 10 Civilian intelligence reports and a friendly fire incident during the night exposed the position of Butler s troops whose initial advance and subsequent thrusts were thwarted despite a Confederate disadvantage of manpower 30 31 The praise for Magruder following Big Bethel far superseded its tactical importance but it nonetheless had a profound psychological impact 32 His victory reaffirmed the belief of many southerners in the Confederate cause and Civil War historian Douglas Southall Freeman wrote Magruder was one of its earliest heroes second only to Beauregard in the esteem of the Confederacy prior to the Seven Days Battles 33 By August 1861 he rose to the rank of major general 34 Peninsula Campaign edit Defending the peninsula edit nbsp A map of events up to the Battle of Seven Pines Magruder held the Warwick Line until General Johnston s arrival on April 17 1862 Confederate UnionThe victory of the Confederates at the First Battle of Bull Run on July 21 1861 had paralyzed Union forces there for the remainder of the year and presented the Confederate government time to consolidate its manpower 35 With the new year preparations for the Union campaign of 1862 were urged forward by the Federal government impatient for an advance on Richmond 36 Following the withdrawal of the Army of Northern Virginia under Maj Gen Joseph E Johnston south of the Rappahannock River Maj Gen George B McClellan revised plans for the spring offensive 36 As part of his Peninsula Campaign McClellan ordered his army the Army of the Potomac to disembark for Fort Monroe from Alexandria Virginia and Annapolis Maryland on March 17 1862 37 McClellan sought to turn on Johnston s position and advance toward Richmond before the Confederates could readily defend their capital 38 As McClellan s plans were gradually revealed to the Confederates the mass of Johnston s army was ordered to the Peninsula by early April 39 Magruder s Army of the Peninsula about 13 600 men was tasked with delaying McClellan s 121 500 man force 39 40 Finding that his advanced line required more force than was at his command Magruder fell back behind the Warwick River to his secondary position the Warwick Line He described his position Yorktown and redoubts Nos 4 and 5 united by long curtains and flanked by rifle pits form the left of the line until at the commencement of the military road it reaches the Warwick River here a sluggish and boggy stream twenty or thirty yards wide and running a dense wood fringes by swamps Along this river are five dams one at Wynne s Mill one at Lee s Mill and three constructed by myself The effect of these dams is to back up the water along the course of the river so that for nearly three fourths of its distance its passage is impractical 41 Two garrisons amounting to 6 000 men were stationed at Gloucester Point and Mulberry Island with heavy artillery to block Union passage of the York and James Rivers 42 The Army of the Potomac marched forward with four divisions and cavalry about 58 000 men in two columns under Brigadier Generals Samuel Heintzelman and Erasmus Keyes on April 4 43 The following day downpours bogged down the march 44 As Union forces emerged from patches of woods on Magruder s right flank and towards Lee s Mill artillery and rifle fire erupted to repel Keyes s advance Heintzelman was also brought to a halt by Yorktown s defensive works 45 Magruder s tactics the constant marching of his forces and sporadic artillery barrages created the illusion of a much larger military presence and persuaded McClellan to call for a siege of Yorktown 45 His only attempt to break Magruder s line at Dam No One on April 16 was repelled after the 3rd Vermont Infantry briefly held rifle pits on the West side of the Warwick 46 A day later Johnston arrived and superseded Magruder in command reinforcements increased the Confederates presence on the Peninsula to 56 600 men 47 By April 27 Johnston learned that the Union s batteries would be prepared in five or six days and he therefore elected to withdraw for Richmond much to Magruder s disappointment The retreat on the night of May 3 came at a high cost Johnston was forced to leave behind artillery pieces and ammunition 48 Williamsburg and Seven Pines edit Magruder led his 17 300 man division in retreat on Lee s Mill Road toward Williamsburg On arrival he received a leave of absence from Johnston to seek medical treatment at Westover Maj Gen David Rumph Jones replaced Magruder in command 49 At Magruder s instruction an earthen redoubt pridefully named Fort Magruder was constructed in the winter of 1861 to defend the junction of the Yorktown and Lee s Mill roads in front of Williamsburg Thirteen smaller redoubts also extended from Queen s Creek to the north and College Creek in the south 50 The Union artillerist Charles S Wainwright termed the location a very ugly place to attack a sentiment shared by many officers 50 In his memoirs President Jefferson Davis wrote Magruder s absence from the Battle of Williamsburg on May 5 was regrettable as it appears that the positions of the redoubts he had constructed were not all known to the commanding General Johnston and some of them being unoccupied were seized by the enemy 51 Nonetheless the results of the engagement were advantageous to the Confederates By checking the Union s pursuit at Williamsburg Johnston s retreat from the Peninsula continued without molestation 52 Magruder rejoined his men at Bottom s Bridge 12 miles east of Richmond on May 9 and reassumed command from Jones 51 His division as well as others in the Army of Northern Virginia was ordered to retreat on May 15 southwest across the Chickahominy River in preparation for the defense of Richmond 53 On May 31 Johnston massed the divisions of Major Generals James Longstreet D H Hill and Benjamin Huger as part of a bold offensive toward Seven Pines which aimed at isolating two Union corps south of the Chickahominy and overwhelming them Magruder s men held in reserve guarded the main force s left flank yet saw no action during the two day battle 54 Despite inflicting heavy casualties in the first day the opportunity was lost by hesitation and disjointed action resulting in another inconclusive battle 55 The Seven Days edit After Johnston suffered a chest wound on May 31 the command of the Army of Northern Virginia fell to Maj Gen G W Smith A day later Smith too was relieved of the position by President Davis who then appointed General Robert E Lee 56 Lee hastened forward his plans for an attack on McClellan s right flank finding his left heavily fortified following Seven Pines and injudicious if not impracticable for an assault 57 Lee s objectives by assuming the offensive were to avoid allowing Richmond to fall under siege and to turn on Brig Gen Fitz John Porter s Fifth Corps near Mechanicsville forcing McClellan to defend his supply lines and communications 57 58 Simultaneously Magruder and Huger guarded the capital from Union forces south of the Chickahominy 59 Though McClellan s subordinates urged for reinforcements north of the Chickahominy following the Battle of Mechanicsville McClellan was alarmed by threatening troop movements organized by Magruder who revived the tactics that deceived Union forces at Yorktown 60 On June 27 while the Battle of Gaines s Mill was occurring north of the Chickahominy Magruder directed the brigade of Brig Gen Robert Toombs to conduct reconnaissance at James Garnett farm 61 A minor skirmish on Toombs s orders resulted at dusk with Brig Gen Winfield Scott Hancock s forces 61 In consequence of confusion of commands only two regiments engaged and Magruder countermanded the attack as soon as he was informed 62 Lee having ascertained by the night of June 28 that McClellan was in retreat ordered Magruder the next day in immediate pursuit along the Williamsburg Road and York River Railroad 63 Magruder played a passive role having been informed by Lee that Jackson would help push the pursuit vigorously 64 Without Jackson or reinforcements from Huger Magruder cautiously engaged at Savage s Station with the Union s rear guard satisfied just to maintain the fight and position against a force that outnumbered his own nearly 2 to 1 and concluded fighting with no significant outcome 64 Late that evening Lee reprimanded him I regret very much that you made so little progress today in the pursuit of the enemy In order to reap the benefits of our victory the pursuit should be most vigorous I must urge you then to press on his rear rapidly and steadily 65 As the Confederates continued their pursuit on June 30 poor coordination and miscommunication cost Magruder valuable time while McClellan repositioned his troops Magruder s division was held in reserve at Glendale By the afternoon he was ordered to unite with Maj Gen Theophilus H Holmes who was engaging the enemy at Malvern Hill He arrived too late the belated orders kept Magruder out of action and exhausted his troops 66 67 In the Battle of Malvern Hill on July 1 Lee resumed the offensive and assigned Magruder Jackson and Huger to lead the attack Though Jackson and Huger s forces arrived by midday poor guides and poorer maps set Magruder marching in the wrong direction and delayed his arrival by three hours 68 He rode ahead of his forces confused to the situation 69 Lee gave new orders for Magruder and his aide A G Dickinson took note of them General Lee expects you to advance rapidly He says it is reported the enemy is getting off Press forward your whole line 69 Thus Magruder led charges on Malvern Hill initially with brigades under Huger s command he impatiently rushed his straggling men into the battle as they arrived to the field failing to break through the Union s defensive works 70 As accounts of Malvern Hill accumulated Magruder was charged with being under the intoxicating influence of ardent spirits but Settles calls this claim unsubstantiated and simultaneously the most damaging to Magruder s reputation 71 Lee never lent support to charges of intoxication or incompetency dispelling the threat of Magruder s recall President Davis reassigned Magruder to command the District of Texas New Mexico and Arizona on October 10 72 District of Texas New Mexico and Arizona edit Magruder s predecessor Paul Octave Hebert surrendered Galveston Texas on October 9 in the face of a Union blockade under Captain William B Renshaw 73 74 Shortly after his arrival Magruder drew up plans with naval captain Leon Smith to recapture the city against forces that enjoyed advantages in manpower and naval superiority 75 On December 31 Confederate men and artillery positioned themselves to fire at enemy vessels An artillery duel ensued and Smith s two improvised cottonclad warships the CS Bayou City and CS Neptune arrived at daybreak on January 1 1863 to open a second front on the Union fleet 76 The Bayou City rammed and captured the USS Harriet Lane prompting a three hour truce to allow Renshaw to agree to terms of surrender Renshaw however died while scuttling his flagship the USS Westfield and the remainder of the fleet fled from the harbor The unlikely victory lifted the blockade and captured two Union barques and a schooner at the cost of only 26 casualties 77 With Galveston in Confederate hands Magruder retired to his headquarters in Houston on February 13 to attend to administrative duties 78 He attempted unsuccessfully to revise the cotton contract system and soldiers of the Trans Mississippi Department suffered from lack of provisions 79 Magruder strenuously enforced the draft commanders in subdistricts held dictatorial powers and he occasionally suspended habeas corpus commander of the Trans Mississippi Department Edmund Kirby Smith opined that Magruder had an utter disregard for the law 80 During his tenure east Texas was under constant threat from Union forces under Maj Gen Nathaniel P Banks Banks failed invasion of Red River Valley in 1864 prompted an order from his superior Ulysses S Grant to abandon efforts to attack the Gulf Coast 81 In September 1864 Magruder led the Department of Arkansas until he returned to his previous position in March 1865 82 Despite Lee s surrender at Appomattox on April 9 Magruder and Smith urged their men to continue the struggle Having exhausted all options on June 2 the two generals signed the Canby Buckner Convention aboard the USS Fort Jackson 83 Later years editThough Confederate officers were not under threat of detainment Magruder joined the Confederate exodus to Mexico Magruder stayed in the country for 17 months from July 1865 to November 1866 84 There he gained audience with Emperor Maximillian I in Mexico City to negotiate the establishment of Confederate colonies By September 17 having become a naturalized Mexican citizen Magruder was appointed chief of the Land Office of Colonization In 1866 Napoleon III s troop withdrawal from Mexico crippled the monarchy 85 Before fleeing to Havana Magruder appealed to Maximillian I to escape the country the Emperor refused to abandon his followers fell under siege in Queretaro and was executed on June 19 1867 86 nbsp Magruder standing top row third from left with Robert E Lee and other Confederate officers in 1869In early 1867 Magruder returned to the United States with little money and no prospects for employment He arrived in New York City to establish a law practice yet he was constantly on the move in the final years of his life 87 In 1869 Magruder was invited to lecture in New Orleans on Mexican politics speaking kindly of the well intentioned emperor Maximillian I and his ambitious wife and judged that they were genuinely concerned about the welfare of Mexico 88 A natural at the podium Magruder s lectures were well attended in New Orleans Baltimore Galveston and elsewhere 88 After a group of wealthy Texan admirers pledged to purchase him a plantation Magruder traveled to Galveston in April 1870 to his disappointment the offer never materialized 89 Weakened by failing health Magruder moved into the Hutchins House a luxurious hotel in Houston 90 On February 18 1871 Magruder having been unwell for several days suffering from disease of the heart breathed his last about 3 o clock Saturday morning at the Hutchins House 91 He was buried in Houston s Episcopal cemetery 91 Soon after his death the citizens of Galveston formed a committee to have Magruder s remains moved to the island On January 10 1876 his body was reinterred in Galveston s Episcopal cemetery and a monument was erected there in 1894 92 Legacy edit nbsp John Bankhead Magruder MonumentThe third highest ranking officer in the Army of the Northern Virginia Magruder never published any memoirs He cultivated a flamboyant distinctive image and personality in the belief that it would inspire his troops 93 His affinity for pomp and showmanship often became a topic of discussion among his men and wings of the officer corps 94 Likewise his extravagant social life led to many largely unfounded rumors of drunkenness on duty 93 As a leader Magruder was an experienced artillery officer of shrewd intelligence developed an ability to deliver charismatic speeches and was quick to credit his men for his successes 95 96 At a time when Richmond was vulnerable to attack Magruder s command of the Army of the Peninsula in April and May 1862 was according to Settles his greatest contribution to the Confederacy 96 Later as he reflected in his 1874 book Narrative of Military Operations Johnston wrote Magruder s efforts on the Virginia Peninsula saved Richmond and gave the Confederate government time to swell that officer s handful to an army 97 In nineteenth century assessments of Confederate leadership it was frequently asserted that Magruder s poor field command during the Seven Days campaign cost the Confederacy a decisive victory particularly at Malvern Hill or even that Magruder s judgement allowed McClellan s army to escape 98 According to historian Stephen W Sears however Magruder s peculiar talent for accomplishing what he did in the trench lines at Yorktown a talent which probably none other army s generals had contributed greatly to delivering Richmond from siege 98 See also edit nbsp American Civil War portal nbsp Biography portal nbsp Mexico portalReferences editInformational notes Magruder and his father both stated that he was born on May 1 1807 but the Dictionary of American Biography erroneously stated and Douglas Southall Freeman repeated that he was born on August 15 1810 1 Citations Settles 2009 p viii Settles 2009 pp 2 3 Settles 2009 pp 4 5 Casdorph 1996 p 6 Settles 2009 p 7 a b c Settles 2009 pp 7 8 Settles 2009 pp 13 14 Casdorph 1996 pp 24 27 Casdorph 1996 p 29 Settles 2009 p 24 a b c Settles 2009 pp 24 25 Settles 2009 p 29 Settles 2009 pp 35 37 Settles 2009 pp 42 43 Casdorph 1996 pp 61 62 Settles 2009 pp 63 65 Settles 2009 pp 75 77 Settles 2009 p 72 Settles 2009 p 83 Settles 2009 p 88 Hughes Charles Summer 1975 Hughes James E ed The Decline of Californios The Journal of San Diego History 21 3 Retrieved September 25 2023 Only one incident has been recorded which a Californio s rancho changed owners through other than legal means in San Diego in the 1850s Sometime during 1850 or 1851 Juan Forster agent in charge of Rancho Santa Clara de Jamacha allowed Captain John Magruder to use the ranch for grazing horses belonging to the United States cavalry detachment stationed in the community About nine years later Magruder visited Apolinaria Lorenzana the owner of the rancho in San Juan Capistrano hoping to buy the property According to her recollection she refused to sell or rent it to Magruder since she had never received any remuneration from him for his previous use of the property After an angry exchange Magruder returned to San Diego and seized the property Miss Lorenzana claimed that she never received any payment for her property and after being intimidated by Magruder never pressed her claim Settles 2009 p 109 Pollard 1867 p 840 Settles 2009 pp 111 112 Casdorph 1996 pp 113 114 Settles 2009 pp 124 125 Settles 2009 p 126 Quarstein amp Moore 2012 pp 24 26 Quarstein amp Moore 2012 p 23 Settles 2009 pp 132 133 Quarstein amp Moore 2012 pp 28 29 Settles 2009 pp 135 136 Freeman 1997 p 62 Settles 2009 p 142 Allan 1892 p 1 a b Allan 1892 pp 4 6 Sears 1992 pp 23 24 Sears 1992 pp 18 19 a b Allan 1892 p 7 Sears 1992 p 26 Allan 1892 pp 7 8 Quarstein amp Moore 2012 p 84 Allan 1892 p 8 Quarstein amp Moore 2012 p 92 a b Sears 1992 pp 37 39 Quarstein amp Moore 2012 pp 107 110 Sears 1992 pp 60 62 Allan 1892 pp 14 15 Settles 2009 pp 181 182 a b Sears 1992 p 70 a b Settles 2009 p 184 Allan 1892 p 27 Allan 1892 p 28 Allan 1892 pp 39 40 Allan 1892 p 55 Sears 1992 pp 144 145 a b Sears 1992 pp 175 176 Settles 2009 pp 194 196 Allan 1892 pp 71 72 Sears 1992 pp 215 217 a b Sears 1992 pp 247 248 Allan 1892 p 98 Allan 1892 pp 101 102 a b Sears 1992 pp 267 271 Sears 1992 p 274 Allan 1892 p 121 Sears 1992 p 293 Settles 2009 pp 220 224 a b Sears 1992 pp 322 324 Sears 1992 pp 331 332 Settles 2009 p 235 Settles 2009 pp 238 241 Settles 2009 pp 242 244 Barr Alwyn June 15 2010 Battle of Galveston Texas State Historical Association Retrieved July 10 2018 Settles 2009 pp 245 247 Casdorph 1996 pp 229 232 Settles 2009 pp 248 251 Casdorph 1996 p 235 Settles 2009 pp 260 264 Settles 2009 pp 271 272 Casdorph 1996 pp 262 263 Settles 2009 pp 276 278 Casdorph 1996 pp 297 298 Casdorph 1996 pp 299 300 Settles 2009 pp 287 288 Casdorph 1996 pp 306 309 Casdorph 1996 p 311 a b Settles 2009 p 295 Casdorph 1996 pp 314 315 Settles 2009 p 298 a b Casdorph 1996 p 316 Settles 2009 pp 303 304 a b Quarstein amp Moore 2012 pp 31 32 57 58 Casdorph 1996 p 81 Sears 1992 pp 26 27 a b Settles 2009 p 174 Allan 1892 p 12 a b Sears 1992 pp 343 344 Bibliography Allan William 1892 The Army of Northern Virginia in 1862 Houghton Mifflin and Co ISBN 0 306 80656 8 Casdorph Paul D 1996 Prince John Magruder His Life and Campaigns John Wiley amp Sons ISBN 0 471 15941 7 Freeman Douglas Southall 1997 1942 Lee s Lieutenants A Study in Command Charles Scribner s Sons ISBN 978 0 684 83784 0 Pollard Edward A 1867 Lee and His Lieutenants E B Treat and Co ISBN 1 149 84631 3 Quarstein John V Moore J Michael 2012 Yorktown s Civil War Siege The History Press ISBN 978 1 60949 656 2 Sears Stephen W 1992 To the Gates of Richmond The Peninsula Campaign Mariner Books ISBN 0 89919 790 6 Settles Thomas M 2009 John Bankhead Magruder A Military Reappraisal Louisiana State University Press ISBN 978 0 8071 3391 0 Retrieved from https en 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