General Joseph “Fightin’ Joe” Wheeler By Wil Elrick September 10, 1836 was an ordinary day that saw the birth of an ordinary child in Augusta, Georgia. The boy was the youngest of four children born to Joseph and Julia Hull Wheeler. The name bestowed upon the ordinary child would go on to be known throughout the United States as that of an excellent soldier and statesman – that name was Joseph Wheeler. In addition to an unremarkable birth, Joseph went through his early life in a similar ordinary state. Joseph senior was a merchant banker and landowner who had built for himself a small fortune only General to see it all taken away in the bank Joseph “Fightin” Joe” Wheeler failures and financial panic of 1837. (Wikipedia) Soon after the family’s fortune was received his appointment to West lost, Julie unexpectedly passed Point at the age of seventeen. away. Unable to raise the young boy On July 1, 1854, Joseph Wheeler on his own, Joseph senior sent entered West Point which at the Joseph to Connecticut to live with time was under Superintendent his two aunts and attend the Robert E. Lee. While at West Point, Cheshire Academy boarding school Joseph Wheeler was once again in 1842. considered unremarkable. He had There is little recorded about his very high scores in the subject of time at Cheshire, but he did seem to Deportment, but otherwise, he was be an average youth who enjoyed in the bottom of his class during his reading about wars and learning five years at the military academy. about history in school. He During this time, he did earn a graduated from Cheshire in 1854 reputation for being both studious and then moved to New York City and persistent, and this was noticed where he lived with his oldest sister by his instructors before he who had moved from Georgia after graduated in 1859 and given his her marriage. It was while he was first commission at Carlisle Parks, living in New York City that he Pennsylvania. Wheeler did not spend a lot of Wheeler’s first post in the time in Pennsylvania. Soon he was Confederate Army was at Pensacola, transferred to Fort Craig, New Florida, under the command of Mexico under the command of General Braxton Bragg. Bragg, along Colonel W. W. Loring, who with General William Hardee wanted specialized in the relatively obscure to form an army in the Mobile and mounted infantry concept. It was Pensacola areas, so Wheeler’s during his time in New Mexico that experience was noticed and Wheeler earned his lifetime appreciated. It was this attention nickname. In June of 1860, he was from Bragg and a friendship with ordered to escort duty for a wagon Confederate politician Leroy Pope train traveling from Missouri to New Walker that resulted in Wheeler Mexico. While the wagon train being promoted to colonel in continued on, Wheeler found September of 1861. This promotion himself at the rear guarding an angered many of Wheeler’s peers ambulance wagon containing a because a jump of four command newborn baby, the mother, their levels was unheard of. surgeon, and the wagon driver. True to his meticulous nature, Because they were far behind the the new colonel in command of the rest of the wagon train, the 19th Alabama Regiment spent the ambulance was attacked by a band winter months of 1861 training his of marauding Indians. During the new recruits and testing them with attack, Wheeler shot one of the endless drilling and exercises. This attacking Indians with his musket paid off when his regiment was and then charged the group while transferred with the rest of the army firing away with his Colt pistol. His to Corinth, Mississippi under act of bravery turned away the General Albert Johnston, who was Indians, and forever left him with prepping his forces for a battle the nickname of “Fightin’ Joe.” against Union forces camped at January 9, 1861 was the day that Pittsburg Landing. The ensuing Georgia seceded from the Union. By battle between Confederate forces this time, Wheeler had already under the command of Generals planned to follow the rest of the Johnston and Beauregard and southern states and pledge his Union forces under the command of service to Georgia. He had been in Generals Ulysses S. Grant and Don contact with his brother William to Buell would famously become notify Governor Joseph Brown that known as Shiloh. when Georgia’s secession occurred, An unknown colonel such as Joe he would resign his commission in Wheeler would not be expected to the U.S. Army and join Georgia’s gain much attention in a battle the forming army. Wheeler was granted scale of Shiloh, and records indicate a commission as a Lieutenant in the that while he was praised by his provisional army, Confederate superiors, he did nothing to stand States of America before he was able out amongst the other young officers to leave his post at Fort Craig. leading their troops into battle. Once again, Joe Wheeler was seen as just ordinary. That is, until the retreat from here that Bragg had really from the battle was ordered and planned to advance into Kentucky. Wheeler was given orders to take a Advancing from Chattanooga brigade of cavalry and cover the rear across the Tennessee River on of the retreating army heading back August 28, 1862, General Bragg to Corinth. advanced 40,000 men in two parts, The task of guarding the retreat the left wing commanded by General would have been challenging except Hardee and the right wing that the Federal Army did not commanded by General Polk. pursue the retreating Confederates. During the movement, Wheeler Therefore, Wheeler’s duties commanded three regiments of consisted mostly of rounding up cavalry and took the left wing. stragglers from the Southern army Wheeler moved his cavalry in front that had been lost during the of the army attacking enemy fighting and salvaging any materials outposts, and occasionally falling that could be found. More back to protect the army’s flank. importantly though, this command While the infantry had relatively was the start of Wheeler’s cavalry easy travels with little Union career with the Confederate Army resistance, this was not the case for and the position to which he went the cavalry who was in daily and from ordinary to extraordinary. sometimes hourly contact with the Wheeler mapped routes, and enemy while advancing through covered retreats for the Army of Tennessee. Tennessee for every campaign from In Sparta, Tennessee, General Shiloh to the army’s surrender to Nathan Bedford Forrest and his General Sherman in 1865. cavalry regiments joined up with After Shiloh, General Braxton Bragg’s army, and everyone Bragg’s plan was to move into expected him to be placed in charge Kentucky and attract supporters to of all the cavalry units. In a surprise join the Confederate cause. In move, General Bragg split up the advance of this campaign, Wheeler cavalry forces and gave a division to and his brigade of cavalry was sent Forrest and a division to Wheeler. into Western Kentucky to give the This move served as a dividing line impression that the entire Army of between Wheeler and Forrest that Tennessee was moving in that would continue throughout the war. direction. During his advance, Both of the men were now linked to Wheeler found that the Federal the Army of Tennessee even though Army had abandoned the area, so they would operate in very separate he destroyed supply lines, train theaters. tracks, and telegraph lines that the History has shown us that Bragg Union Army might use. After several understood the depths of his cavalry days of advance work, he returned assignments because both Wheeler to Tupelo, Mississippi only to find and Forrest were perfectly fitted for that Bragg had moved his army east their new duties. Wheeler was and set up a new headquarters in efficient, faithful, unassuming, and Chattanooga, Tennessee. It was followed orders to the letter while Forrest was known to do his best Battle of Perryville. Even though work independent of direct results of the battle were command. Not long after the inconclusive, the Confederates opted reUnion at Sparta, Forrest was sent to retreat, and this is where Wheeler back to middle Tennessee to once again found himself with an continue direct operations against opportunity to shine. On October Union bases. It was this move that 13th, Wheeler was designated as soon paved the way for Wheeler to “Chief of the Cavalry” which receive yet another promotion. authorized him to give commands in Bragg’s advance toward Louisville the name of the commanding met with failure when U.S. General general. Along with this Buell arrived first to find fresh responsibility, Wheeler was again recruits and supplies waiting for tasked with covering the army’s him. With a reinvigorated army, retreat. Buell went on the hunt for Bragg’s The Southern army’s retreat was Army of Tennessee on September slow and hindered by many 30, 1862. It so happened that obstacles, but the line of retreat ran Wheeler and his division were in southeast from Kentucky to front of the army and observed Cumberland Gap, Tennessee and Buell’s movements and decided that then south through Knoxville on to the Union Army would need to be Chattanooga. During the retreat, delayed while Bragg gathered and Wheeler varied his tactics against restructured his forces. This is the following army allowing the where Wheeler advanced upon Confederates to escape without Buell’s army with a then mostly losing any of their supplies.