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 a figure of antebellum military ambition and Civil War infamy. 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, actions for which he was praised. When his home state seceded, he resigned his commission and became a Confederate major general. Van Dorn was a bold and aggressive cavalry commander, but his record was mixed. He suffered significant defeats at the Battles of Pea Ridge and Corinth, failures that tarnished his reputation. His military career, however, was not ended on the battlefield. In 1863, at his headquarters in Spring Hill, Tennessee, he was shot and killed by a local doctor who claimed Van Dorn had an affair with his wife. His death, more a tabloid scandal than a war story, cemented his legacy as a talented but troubled officer whose personal passions proved as dangerous as the enemy's guns.
#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.”
