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James ArcherLawyer, US Army officer during the Mexican War, Confederate Army general
Date of Birth: 19.12.1817
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Early Life and Military Career
- Legal Practice and Civil War Outbreak
- Confederate Service
- Gettysburg and Capture
- Imprisonment and Post-War
Early Life and Military Career
James Jay Archer was born in Bel Air, Maryland on December 1, 1817. He graduated from Princeton University in 1835 and studied law at the University of Maryland. When the Mexican-American War broke out, he volunteered for the U.S. Army and saw combat in several battles, earning a brevet promotion to major for his bravery at Chapultepec.
Legal Practice and Civil War Outbreak
After the war, Archer moved to Texas and was shot in a duel with Andrew Porter, a future Union general. He resumed his legal practice but rejoined the U.S. Army in 1855 as a captain in the 9th Infantry Regiment. When the Civil War began, he was serving in Fort Walla Walla, Washington Territory. He resigned his commission on May 14, 1861, and joined the Confederate Army.
Confederate Service
Initially a colonel in the 5th Texas Infantry Regiment, Archer was soon promoted to brigadier general in June 1862. He commanded a brigade in John Bell Hood's division during the Peninsula Campaign. His brigade performed well at Eltham's Landing and Seven Pines but failed to gain the respect of the Texans.
Archer's brigade was consolidated into the "Light Brigade" under Ambrose Hill and fought in the Seven Days' Battles and at Cedar Mountain. At the Second Battle of Bull Run, he was known as "Little Gamecock" for his small stature and tenacity in battle.
Gettysburg and Capture
During the Gettysburg Campaign, Archer's health suffered due to the heat and humidity. His brigade participated in the attack on the Union IX Corps at East Cemetery Hill. While leading his men in the fierce fighting, he was shot and captured by Patrick Maloney of the 2nd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment. Archer became the first captured general of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia.
Imprisonment and Post-War
Archer was sent to prisoner-of-war camps at Fort Delaware and Johnson's Island. His health declined rapidly in the harsh conditions. He proposed an escape plan to the Confederate War Department but it was not implemented.
Archer was released in a prisoner exchange in late 1864 and returned to Confederate service. He commanded his former brigade in the defense of Petersburg but was forced to resign due to illness. He died in Richmond, Virginia on October 24, 1864, and was buried in Hollywood Cemetery.
