Earl Van Dorn
A flamboyant and controversial Confederate cavalry commander whose military career was cut short by a scandalous personal death.
1820–1863 (age 43)·Confederate States Army general·Birthday: September 17
Biography
Earl Van Dorn was shot and killed at his headquarters in Spring Hill, Tennessee, in 1863 by a doctor who claimed Van Dorn had an affair with his wife. Born in Mississippi in 1820, he graduated from West Point and fought with distinction in the Mexican-American War. As a U.S. Army officer on the Texas frontier, he led campaigns against the Comanche. When Mississippi seceded, he resigned his commission and became a Confederate major general. Van Dorn suffered significant defeats at the Battles of Pea Ridge and Corinth. His death, more a tabloid scandal than a war story, sealed his legacy as a talented but troubled officer.
#1 When Earl Was Born
The biggest hits of 1820
Earl's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1820Born
1825Started school
1833Became a teenager
1836Could drive
1838Could vote
1841Turned 21
1850Turned 30
1860Turned 40
1863Died at 43
President: Abraham Lincoln
Key Achievements
- Received a brevet promotion for gallantry during the Mexican-American War, serving under General Winfield Scott.
- Successfully defended a Native American settlement from Comanche forces while serving as a U.S. Army officer in Texas in 1858.
- Commanded the Confederate Army of the West during the early stages of the Civil War in the Trans-Mississippi theater.
- Led a successful cavalry raid that destroyed a Union supply depot at Holly Springs, Mississippi, in December 1862, disrupting Ulysses S. Grant's first Vicksburg campaign.
Did You Know?
He was a cousin of Confederate President Jefferson Davis.
Before the Civil War, he was seriously wounded by a Comanche arrow through the lung but survived.
A monument to him stands in his hometown of Port Gibson, Mississippi.
His death was investigated by Confederate authorities, who concluded it was a justifiable homicide.
“A cavalry charge must be delivered with the speed of a thunderbolt.”
