James Patton Brownlow (December 17, 1842 – April 26, 1879) was an American Union Army officer during the American Civil War.
Brownlow was the son of East Tennessee preacher and politician Parson Brownlow. James P. Brownlow served in several positions in the Union Army, finishing the war as colonel of the 1st Tennessee Cavalry Regiment. He was noted for his courage and perceptiveness in battle and keen sense of military tactics. Union cavalry in Tennessee, in addition to participating in crucial organized battles of the war, "primarily meant almost endless skirmishing with partisans, guerrillas, and bushwackers, as well as with the Rebel raiders of John Hunt Morgan, Joseph Wheeler, and Nathan Bedford Forrest, who frequently recruited and supplied themselves from behind enemy lines." Jim Brownlow's deft handling of these engagements left him with a reputation as "one of the greatest daredevils of the Civil War."
The United States Senate confirmed the award of the grade of brevet brigadier general of volunteers, to rank from March 13, 1865, to Brownlow on March 12, 1866, at which time he was just 23 years old. After the war, he was adjutant general of the State of Tennessee and then a railroad superintendent. He died in 1879 at the age of 36.
Early life James Patton Brownlow was born on December 14, 1842, in Jonesborough, Tennessee. He was the son of preacher, newspaper publisher and editor, Governor of Tennessee and United States Senator "Parson" William G. Brownlow and Eliza (O'Brien) Brownlow.Hunt, Roger D. and Jack R. Brown, Brevet Brigadier Generals in Blue. Gaithersburg, MD: Olde Soldier Books, Inc., 1990. . p. 86 He was the younger brother of Colonel John B. Brownlow, commander of the 9th Regiment of Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry (Union). He had five sisters, Susan, Mary, Fannie, and the twins, Annie and Caledonia Temple. Brownlow attended Emory and Henry College in Emory, Virginia. He was called Jim Brownlow by his friends.
American Civil War In accord with his father and a majority of the residents of eastern Tennessee,Carter, William Randolph. History of the First Regiment of Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry in the Great War of the Rebellion. Knoxville, Gaut–Ogden Co., 1902. . Retrieved June 22, 2011. pp. 12–14 James P. Brownlow remained loyal to the Union after the outbreak of the American Civil War. One source shows Brownlow as a private in the Tennessee militia in 1861.While this was certainly a Union military unit, no further details about this militia have yet been found for this page.Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher. Civil War High Commands. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001. . p. 149
Organization; Cumberland Gap campaign, Nashville, Triune Brownlow's regiment was first organized in November 1861 at Camp Garber near Flat Lick, Kentucky, as the 4th Tennessee Infantry (Union).Civil War Centennial Commission of Tennessee. Tennesseans in the Civil War: A Military History of Confederate and Union Units with Available Rosters of Personnel. Part One of Two Parts. Nashville: Civil War Centennial Commission, 1964, 1965. Reprinted Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1981, 1984. . p. 318 Brownlow joined the U.S. Army as a private. In April 1862, the regiment was supposed to become the 1st Regiment of Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry also at Camp Garber. This transition was delayed until November. James P. Brownlow was elected captain of Company C of the 4th Tennessee Infantry (Union) upon its organization.Carter, 1902, p. 20 Robert Johnson, son of former United States Senator, the Military Governor of Tennessee and later President of the United States Andrew Johnson, was the regiment's first colonel. Perhaps complicating matters, the respective fathers of Robert Johnson, age 28, and James P. Brownlow, age 19, had been fierce political enemies for close to 30 years. Another issue was Bob Johnson's drinking; he ultimately "had to leave the military because of an alcohol addiction." Robert Johnson was "rarely in command of his regiment and was never in a battle," and it seems clear that Brownlow led the East Tennessee mountaineers whenever Johnson was absent on a recruiting task or incapacitated by his addiction, which was often.Carter, 1902, p. 72
On April 30, 1862, the regiment became part of Brigadier General James G. Spears'sSpears was arrested on February 6, 1864 for insubordination, court-martialed and dismissed from the service on August 30, 1864. He was described as "brave in battle but hot-headed, impulsive and obstinate." Temple, Oliver Perry, Notable Men of Tennessee. New York, The Cosmopolitan Press, 1912. . pp. 186–189. brigade of Brigadier General George W. Morgan's 7th Division of the Army of the Ohio.Civil War Centennial Commission, 1964, p. 319 At this time, it continued to operate as the 4th Tennessee Infantry. On July 30, 1862, Major General Don Carlos Buell declined Military Governor of Tennessee Andrew Johnson's request to mount the regiment. The regiment had been participating in Brigadier General George W. Morgan's Cumberland Gap Campaign and was camped near the gap until Morgan had to withdraw in September 1862.
Brownlow had shown his leadership during this campaign and while on guard duty in Virginia east of the gap. On August 1, 1862, Brownlow became lieutenant colonel of the regiment. On September 17, 1862, General Morgan abandoned Cumberland Gap because Confederate forces were converging on his men and they were in danger of being cut off from supplies and reinforcements.Carter, 1902, p. 51 They retreated to Ohio, harassed by Confederate cavalry much of the way. On November 1, 1862, the designation of the regiment was finally changed to 1st Regiment of Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry.Carter, 1902, p. 59Another regiment, under the command of Colonel R. M. Edwards, was already called the 1st East Tennessee Cavalry Regiment. It became the 4th Tennessee Cavalry Regiment. The 4th Tennessee Infantry Regiment designation was the used again by a new regiment being organized at the time under the command of Colonel Daniel Stover. Neither of these regiments should be confused with Colonel Johnson's, later Colonel Brownlow's, regiment. Civil War Centennial, 1964, p. 319Hunt shows that at some point Brownlow became lieutenant colonel and acting assistant inspector general on the staff of Brigadier General Samuel D. Sturgis. Hunt shows this assignment but Eicher does not. In January 1863, the regiment moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to begin operations in their home state.Carter, 1902, p. 66
On February 1, 1863, Lt. Colonel Brownlow led the regiment on a scout to Franklin, Tennessee, south of Nashville, where his regiment inflicted some casualties, took some prisoners and quickly returned to Nashville.Carter, 1902, p. 67 In late February, Brownlow led a reconnaissance to Triune, Tennessee, south-east of Nashville, after being temporarily assigned as the only cavalry regiment in Brigadier General James B. Steedman's division.Carter, 1902, pp. 68–69 The 1st Tennessee took about 100 prisoners and cleared the area sufficiently so that the division could spend until June 1863 encamped at Triune.Carter, 1902, p. 69 According to a history of the 14 Union cavalry regiments from Tennessee:
The regiment skirmished with Confederates camped nearby all winter and often took prisoners during these skirmishes.Carter, 1902, p. 70
Promotion, Tullahoma, Chickamauga, Chattanooga On May 31, 1863, Colonel Johnson resigned due to "ill health" and Brownlow was immediately promoted to colonel of the 1st Regiment of Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry (Union).Carter, 1902, p. 72. Carter refers to Johnson's ill health but alcohol was his obvious problem. Carter says Brownlow "was the real commander before his promotion to colonel."Eicher, 2001, p. 149 shows the date as June 15, 1864 but Baggett, James Alex. Homegrown Yankees: Tennessee's Union cavalry in the Civil War. Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana State University Press, 2009. . Retrieved June 21, 2011 gives the date as May 1863, which is clearly the time Brownlow took command of the regiment. Yet the narrative in Civil War Centennial, 1964, p. 320 refers to "Lieutenant Colonel" Brownlow at least 3 times after May 31, 1863 and before mid-1864. With respect to Colonel Johnson's ill health, Baggett states that Johnson imbibed heavily, especially after the death of his brother Charles and Brownlow often commanded in the field. In June 1863, Major General David S. Stanley organized the Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Cumberland. Brigadier General Robert B. Mitchell commanded the corps, Colonel (later Brigadier General) Edward M. McCook commanded the First Division and Colonel A. P. Campbell commanded the 1st Brigade, to which the 1st Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry Regiment was assigned. In that month, Major General William Rosecrans began the Tullahoma Campaign which forced the Confederates to abandon that town and retreat to Chattanooga. Brownlow's regiment covered the retreat of the Union Army to Chattanooga after the Battle of Chickamauga, September 19–20, 1863.Carter, 1902, p. 96 He was said to have been at the battles of Shelbyville and Chickamauga, "in both of which he distinguished himself with his wonderous bravery, leading his regiment with his sabre."
On September 30, 1863, Confederate Major General Joseph Wheeler began a ride around the Union Army in an effort to cut their communications and supplies in support of Confederate General Braxton Bragg's siege of Chattanooga. Brownlow's regiment joined in the pursuit of Wheeler's force, riding over in eight days. A few days later, on October 12, 1863, Campbell's brigade made an attack at nightfall in the rain on Confederate Brigadier General Philip D. Roddey's Division, which soon disengaged and moved to a camp away from the battlefield. The regiment removed to Winchester, Tennessee, to rest and re-equip. Then on November 25, 1863, the 1st Tennessee Cavalry engaged the Confederate 25th Tennessee Infantry Regiment and Confederate guerrillas at Sparta, Tennessee, eventually driving them off. In early December, they were joined by the other regiments of their brigade.Carter, 1902, pp. 100–111
Knoxville campaign On December 7, 1863, McCook's First Division of the Army of the Cumberland Cavalry Corps headed for Knoxville, where the Union garrison under Major General Ambrose Burnside was threatened by the corps of Confederate Lieutenant General James Longstreet, which had been detached from General Braxton Bragg's army.Carter, 1902, p. 112 On December 15, the division reached Knoxville and McCook allowed the 1st Tennessee Cavalry to be the first regiment to enter the home town of Colonel Brownlow and many of the men.Carter, 1902, p. 113 Burnside had just been relieved as commander of the Union forces at Knoxville by Brigadier General John G. Foster.Carter, 1902, p. 114 Longstreet's attack on Knoxville had been repulsed on November 29, 1863, and he moved his force into upper east Tennessee to camp for the winter.Carter, 1902, p. 119 McCook's division pursued Longstreet. On December 24, 1863, Campbell's brigade and an artillery battery were ordered to attack a Confederate force at Dandridge. The Confederates had left Dandridge and taken up a position about to the east at Hays Ferry where the 1st Tennessee Cavalry became heavily engaged in support of Colonel Garrard's cavalry brigade from the Army of the Ohio.Carter, 1902, p. 122 During the day, the regiment lost 11 killed and 7 wounded before it withdrew to New Market, Tennessee.
On November 16, 1863, Brigadier General Washington Lafayette Elliott replaced Major General David S. Stanley as Chief of Cavalry of the Army of the Cumberland.Carter, 1902, p. 108 When McCook's division moved to Knoxville, Brigadier General Samuel D. Sturgis of the Army of the Ohio took command of the division because he had taken command of all cavalry operating in East Tennessee on December 15, 1863.