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John Pope (March 16, 1822 – September 23, 1892) was a career United States Army officer and Union general in the American Civil War. He had a brief stint in the Western Theater, but he is best known for his defeat at the Second Battle of Bull Run (Second Manassas) in the East.
Pope was a graduate of the United States Military Academy in 1842. He served in the Mexican–American War and had numerous assignments as a topographical engineer and surveyor in Florida, New Mexico, and Minnesota. He spent much of the last decade before the Civil War surveying possible southern routes for the proposed First Transcontinental Railroad. He was an early appointee as a Union brigadier general of volunteers and served initially under Maj. Gen. John C. Frémont. He achieved initial success against Brig. Gen. Sterling Price in Missouri, then led a successful campaign that captured Island No. 10 on the Mississippi River. This inspired the Lincoln administration to bring him to the Eastern Theater to lead the newly formed Army of Virginia.
He initially alienated many of his officers and men by publicly denigrating their record in comparison to his Western command. He launched an offensive against the Confederate army of General Robert E. Lee, in which he fell prey to a strategic turning movement into his rear areas by Maj. Gen. Stonewall Jackson. At Second Bull Run, he concentrated his attention on attacking Jackson while the other Confederate corps attacked his flank and routed his army.
Following Manassas, Pope was banished far from the Eastern Theater to the Department of the Northwest in Minnesota, where he commanded U.S. Forces in the Dakota War of 1862. He was appointed to command the Department of the Missouri in 1865 and was a prominent and activist commander during Reconstruction in Atlanta. For the rest of his military career, he fought in the Indian Wars, particularly against the Apache and Sioux.
Pope was a graduate of the United States Military Academy in 1842. He served in the Mexican–American War and had numerous assignments as a topographical engineer and surveyor in Florida, New Mexico, and Minnesota. He spent much of the last decade before the Civil War surveying possible southern routes for the proposed First Transcontinental Railroad. He was an early appointee as a Union brigadier general of volunteers and served initially under Maj. Gen. John C. Frémont. He achieved initial success against Brig. Gen. Sterling Price in Missouri, then led a successful campaign that captured Island No. 10 on the Mississippi River. This inspired the Lincoln administration to bring him to the Eastern Theater to lead the newly formed Army of Virginia.
He initially alienated many of his officers and men by publicly denigrating their record in comparison to his Western command. He launched an offensive against the Confederate army of General Robert E. Lee, in which he fell prey to a strategic turning movement into his rear areas by Maj. Gen. Stonewall Jackson. At Second Bull Run, he concentrated his attention on attacking Jackson while the other Confederate corps attacked his flank and routed his army.
Following Manassas, Pope was banished far from the Eastern Theater to the Department of the Northwest in Minnesota, where he commanded U.S. Forces in the Dakota War of 1862. He was appointed to command the Department of the Missouri in 1865 and was a prominent and activist commander during Reconstruction in Atlanta. For the rest of his military career, he fought in the Indian Wars, particularly against the Apache and Sioux.
John Pope (military officer) - Wikipedia
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American History
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A short statement of the tactical situation and its consequences for John Pope.
Thank you, my friend Maj Marty Hogan for making us aware that March 16 is the anniversary of the birth of career United States Army officer and Union general in the American Civil War John Pope.
John Pope was USMA graduate number 1,127. His civil war general officer classmates included future BG Henry Lawrence Eustis [Fort Eustis namesake]; MG John Newton, MG William Stark Rosecrans, CSA MG Gustavus Smith, CSA MG Mansfield Lovell, BG Seth Williams, MG Abner Doubleday, CSA LTC Daniel Harvey [DH] Hill, MG Napoleon Jackson Tecumseh Dana, MG George Sykes, CSA LTG Richard Heron Anderson, CSA MG Lafayette McLaws, CSA MG Earl Van Dorn and CSA LTG James Longstreet
[Listed in graduation order]
Most of the general officers on both sides in the Civil War had fought alongside each other in earlier wars after knowing each other as USMA cadets.
Images
1. John Pope in Uniform
2. 1862-08-27 Union Camp at Manassas Junction.
3. 1862-08-24 Virginia - Jackson's flanking march to Manassas Map.
4. 1862-08-29 The Diehards by Don Troiani at Second Manassas battle.
Rest in peace John Pope!
Following Manassas, Pope was banished far from the Eastern Theater to the Department of the Northwest in Minnesota, where he commanded U.S. Forces in the Dakota War of 1862.
Second Manassas: Overview
"A short statement of the tactical situation and its consequences for John Pope."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEvYGGcDY_I
Background from civilwarhome.com/popebio.htm
"The only army commander operating against the Army of Northern Virginia to earn the personal animosity of Robert E. Lee was John Pope. The Kentucky native had spent his entire career in the military service. Receiving an appointment to West Point from Illinois, he was graduated in 1842 and was posted to the topographical engineers. Performing creditably, he was considered a top soldier. The Mexican War brought him two brevets and he continued to rise regularly in rank.
His Civil War-era assignments were somewhat less happy and included: captain, Topographical Engineers (since July 1, 1856); brigadier general, USV June 14, 1861, (to rank from May 17); commanding District of North Missouri, Western Department (July 29-October 1861); commanding 2nd Division, Army of Southwest Missouri, Western Department (October-November 9, 1861); commanding 2nd Division, Army of Southwest Missouri, Department of the Missouri (November 9-December 186 1); commanding District of Central Missouri, Department of the Missouri (December 1861-February 18, 1862); commanding Army of the Mississippi (February 23-june 26, 1862); major general, USV (March 21, 1862); commanding Army of Virginia (June 26-September 2 1862); brigadier general, USA (July 14, 1862); and commanding Department of the Northwest (September 16-November 28, 1862 and February 13, 1863-February 13, 1865).
Having served in the escort of Lincoln to the Washington inaugural ceremonies, Pope was named to be a brigadier of volunteers and performed organizational duties in Illinois before serving under Fremont in the Western Department. His capabilities being displayed in Missouri, he was eventually given charge of the operations along the Mississippi River.
In early 1862 he scored major successes at New Madrid and Island # 10 and the advance on Memphis. He then led one of the three field armies serving under Henry W. Halleck in a painfully slow advance on Corinth, Mississippi. In the meantime he had been awarded a second star in the volunteer service and was marked for advancement. With the scattered forces in northern Virginia unable to contain Stonewall Jackson's small mobile command in the Shenandoah Valley and thus unable to advance on Richmond from the North, Pope was called east.
Three departments were merged into his newly formed Army of Virginia. His former commander, Fremont, refused to be one of his corps commanders and was relieved. Pope was then advanced to a brigadier generalship in the regular establishment. Not taking command of his scattered forces in the field until late July, he lost the faith of his men when he made an address praising the western armies and disparaging the efforts of the eastern forces up to that time. In bombastic fashion he declared his headquarters would be in the saddle. This led to a quip that he didn't know his headquarters from his hindquarters.
His proposals on how to deal with the secessionist population raised the ire of his opponents, especially Lee. Part of Pope's command was defeated at Cedar Mountain. Later that month his command and parts of McClellan's Army of the Potomac fought at 2nd Bull Run. Pope had no idea of the true situation on the field and was routed.
Blaming the defeat upon his subordinates, he came into conflict with those officers who were McClellan partisans. He charged Fitz-John Porter with disobedience of orders in failing to launch an attack which was in fact impossible. Nonetheless Porter was cashiered, but Pope also lost his command on September 21 1862, and the Army of Virginia was merged into the Army of the Potomac 10 days later.
While there was recognition of a lack of support from McClellan and his officers, Lincoln felt he had little choice but to give the consolidated command to McClellan in the face of the Confederate invasion of Maryland. Pope then spent most of the balance of the war commanding the Department of the Northwest and dealing with the Sioux uprising. He performed his job ably and in 1865 was brevetted a regular army major general for Island #10.
Mustered out of the volunteers on September 1, 1866, he held departmental commands in the regular army, mostly in the West, until his 1886 retirement. Four years later he was named a full major general. (Ropes, John C., The Army Under Pope and Ellis, Richard N., General Pope and U.S. Indian Policy)"
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen Lt Col Charlie Brown LTC Greg Henning LTC Jeff Shearer Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Maj William W. "Bill" Price Maj Marty Hogan CPT Scott Sharon CWO3 Dennis M. SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL SSG William Jones SGT (Join to see) SGT John " Mac " McConnell SP5 Mark Kuzinski PO1 H Gene Lawrence PO2 Kevin Parker PO3 Bob McCord
John Pope was USMA graduate number 1,127. His civil war general officer classmates included future BG Henry Lawrence Eustis [Fort Eustis namesake]; MG John Newton, MG William Stark Rosecrans, CSA MG Gustavus Smith, CSA MG Mansfield Lovell, BG Seth Williams, MG Abner Doubleday, CSA LTC Daniel Harvey [DH] Hill, MG Napoleon Jackson Tecumseh Dana, MG George Sykes, CSA LTG Richard Heron Anderson, CSA MG Lafayette McLaws, CSA MG Earl Van Dorn and CSA LTG James Longstreet
[Listed in graduation order]
Most of the general officers on both sides in the Civil War had fought alongside each other in earlier wars after knowing each other as USMA cadets.
Images
1. John Pope in Uniform
2. 1862-08-27 Union Camp at Manassas Junction.
3. 1862-08-24 Virginia - Jackson's flanking march to Manassas Map.
4. 1862-08-29 The Diehards by Don Troiani at Second Manassas battle.
Rest in peace John Pope!
Following Manassas, Pope was banished far from the Eastern Theater to the Department of the Northwest in Minnesota, where he commanded U.S. Forces in the Dakota War of 1862.
Second Manassas: Overview
"A short statement of the tactical situation and its consequences for John Pope."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEvYGGcDY_I
Background from civilwarhome.com/popebio.htm
"The only army commander operating against the Army of Northern Virginia to earn the personal animosity of Robert E. Lee was John Pope. The Kentucky native had spent his entire career in the military service. Receiving an appointment to West Point from Illinois, he was graduated in 1842 and was posted to the topographical engineers. Performing creditably, he was considered a top soldier. The Mexican War brought him two brevets and he continued to rise regularly in rank.
His Civil War-era assignments were somewhat less happy and included: captain, Topographical Engineers (since July 1, 1856); brigadier general, USV June 14, 1861, (to rank from May 17); commanding District of North Missouri, Western Department (July 29-October 1861); commanding 2nd Division, Army of Southwest Missouri, Western Department (October-November 9, 1861); commanding 2nd Division, Army of Southwest Missouri, Department of the Missouri (November 9-December 186 1); commanding District of Central Missouri, Department of the Missouri (December 1861-February 18, 1862); commanding Army of the Mississippi (February 23-june 26, 1862); major general, USV (March 21, 1862); commanding Army of Virginia (June 26-September 2 1862); brigadier general, USA (July 14, 1862); and commanding Department of the Northwest (September 16-November 28, 1862 and February 13, 1863-February 13, 1865).
Having served in the escort of Lincoln to the Washington inaugural ceremonies, Pope was named to be a brigadier of volunteers and performed organizational duties in Illinois before serving under Fremont in the Western Department. His capabilities being displayed in Missouri, he was eventually given charge of the operations along the Mississippi River.
In early 1862 he scored major successes at New Madrid and Island # 10 and the advance on Memphis. He then led one of the three field armies serving under Henry W. Halleck in a painfully slow advance on Corinth, Mississippi. In the meantime he had been awarded a second star in the volunteer service and was marked for advancement. With the scattered forces in northern Virginia unable to contain Stonewall Jackson's small mobile command in the Shenandoah Valley and thus unable to advance on Richmond from the North, Pope was called east.
Three departments were merged into his newly formed Army of Virginia. His former commander, Fremont, refused to be one of his corps commanders and was relieved. Pope was then advanced to a brigadier generalship in the regular establishment. Not taking command of his scattered forces in the field until late July, he lost the faith of his men when he made an address praising the western armies and disparaging the efforts of the eastern forces up to that time. In bombastic fashion he declared his headquarters would be in the saddle. This led to a quip that he didn't know his headquarters from his hindquarters.
His proposals on how to deal with the secessionist population raised the ire of his opponents, especially Lee. Part of Pope's command was defeated at Cedar Mountain. Later that month his command and parts of McClellan's Army of the Potomac fought at 2nd Bull Run. Pope had no idea of the true situation on the field and was routed.
Blaming the defeat upon his subordinates, he came into conflict with those officers who were McClellan partisans. He charged Fitz-John Porter with disobedience of orders in failing to launch an attack which was in fact impossible. Nonetheless Porter was cashiered, but Pope also lost his command on September 21 1862, and the Army of Virginia was merged into the Army of the Potomac 10 days later.
While there was recognition of a lack of support from McClellan and his officers, Lincoln felt he had little choice but to give the consolidated command to McClellan in the face of the Confederate invasion of Maryland. Pope then spent most of the balance of the war commanding the Department of the Northwest and dealing with the Sioux uprising. He performed his job ably and in 1865 was brevetted a regular army major general for Island #10.
Mustered out of the volunteers on September 1, 1866, he held departmental commands in the regular army, mostly in the West, until his 1886 retirement. Four years later he was named a full major general. (Ropes, John C., The Army Under Pope and Ellis, Richard N., General Pope and U.S. Indian Policy)"
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen Lt Col Charlie Brown LTC Greg Henning LTC Jeff Shearer Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Maj William W. "Bill" Price Maj Marty Hogan CPT Scott Sharon CWO3 Dennis M. SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL SSG William Jones SGT (Join to see) SGT John " Mac " McConnell SP5 Mark Kuzinski PO1 H Gene Lawrence PO2 Kevin Parker PO3 Bob McCord
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