Killed at the battle of Shiloh, Tennessee, on April 6, 1862
From the personal collection of Surgeon & General Bernard John Dowling Irwin. Irwin has the distinct honor of being the first recipient of the Medal of Honor in U.S. military history by date of action, February 13, 1861
(1803-62) Born in Washington, Kentucky, he was first educated at Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky, where he met and befriended fellow student Jefferson Davis, who was also born in Kentucky. Both were appointed to the United States Military Academy, with Johnston graduating in the West Point class of 1826, and Davis in 1828. He saw his first military action in the Black Hawk Indian War of 1832, then moved to Texas in 1836, and enlisted as a private in the Texian Army in the Texas War of Independence against the Republic of Mexico. He was named Adjutant General with rank of colonel in the Republic of Texas Army on August 5, 1836. On January 31, 1837, he became senior brigadier general in command of the Texas Army, and later was Secretary of War of the Republic of Texas. When the United States declared war on Mexico in May 1846, Johnston rode 400 miles from his home in Galveston to Port Isabel to volunteer for service in General Zachary Taylor's Army, and was appointed colonel of the Texas Volunteers. He later served as colonel of the 2nd U.S. Cavalry on the Texas frontier, led the Utah expedition against the Mormons, was appointed a full general in the Confederacy in 1861, commanded all C.S.A. troops west of the Alleghenies, and was mortally wounded during the battle of Shiloh, on April 6, 1862, dying on the battlefield. Tennessee Governor Isham G. Harris, who was serving on Johnston's staff, and the other staff officers wrapped General Johnston's body in a blanket so as not to damage the morale of the Confederate troops with the sight of their dead general. Johnston was soon taken to his field headquarters on the Corinth road, where his body remained in his tent for the remainder of the battle, with General P.G.T. Beauregard taking over command of the army. After the battle, the Confederate army retreated to Corinth, Miss., and General Johnston's body was taken to the home of Colonel William Inge, which had been his headquarters in Corinth. He was covered in the Confederate States flag and lay in state for several hours. Johnston was initially buried in New Orleans, and in 1866, a joint resolution of the Texas Legislature was passed to have his body moved and re-interred at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin. The re-interment occurred in 1867, and 40 years later, the state appointed Elisabet Ney to design a monument and sculpture of him to be erected at his grave site, which was installed in 1905. Confederate States President Jefferson Davis considered him to be the finest general officer in the Confederacy. Johnston was the highest-ranking officer on either side killed during the entire war, and Jeff Davis believed that the loss of General Albert Sidney Johnston was the turning point of the fate of the Confederacy!
Wet plate, albumen carte de visite photograph, mounted to 2 3/8 x 4 card. Bust view in uniform. No actual photograph of Johnston in Confederate uniform is known to exist. This view was adopted from his prewar U.S. Army uniform circa late 1850's. This image came from the Surgeon and General Bernard J.D. Irwin collection. There is a period ink inscription written on the front mount, Genl. A.S. Johnson, C.S.A. Written in period ink in Irwin's hand on the reverse is, Lt. Genl. A. Sidney Johnson, C.S.A. Killed at Shiloh, Tenn., April 6, '62. (written in red ink as are all the inscriptions of generals who were killed during the war). Oct. '59. (It is most likely that this date was written by Irwin indicating when this image of Johnston was originally done). This is image No. 17 in the Irwin collection as indicated on the reverse of the card. Back mark: C.D. Fredricks & Co., 587 Broadway, New York, 108 Calle de la Habana, and 31 Passage du Havre, Paris. Excellent condition, very desirable Confederate general. Rare.
History of United States Surgeon & General Bernard John Dowling Irwin
Surgeon & General Irwin was the first United States Medal of Honor Recipient by date of action, February 13, 1861.
(1830-1917) Born in County Roscommon, Ireland, he immigrated with his parents to the United States in the 1840s. He attended New York University from 1848 to 1849, and then served as a private in the New York Militia. In 1850, he entered Castleton Medical College, and he later transferred to New York Medical College, where he graduated in 1852. He served as a surgeon and physician at the State Emigrant Hospital on Ward's Island, NYC, until his appointment as assistant surgeon in the U.S. Army in 1856. He was an assistant army surgeon during the Apache Wars, and was the first Medal of Honor recipient chronologically by date of action. His actions on February 13, 1861, at Apache Pass, Arizona, are the earliest for which the Medal of Honor was awarded! The citation on his medal of honor reads; "Voluntarily took command of troops and attacked and defeated hostile Indians he met on the way. Surgeon Irwin volunteered to go to the rescue of 2d Lt. George N. Bascom, 7th U.S. Infantry, who, with 60 men, was trapped by Chiricahua Apaches under Cochise. Irwin and 14 men, not having horses, began the 100-mile march riding mules. After fighting and capturing Indians, recovering stolen horses and cattle, he reached Bascom's column and helped break his siege."
Cochise, the Apache Indian chief, and a group of Apache warriors were accused of kidnapping a boy and a small group of U.S. soldiers in the Arizona Territory after the Army had captured Cochise's brother and nephews. When the Army refused to make a prisoner exchange, Cochise killed his prisoners. Soldiers then killed Cochise's brother and nephews. 2nd Lieutenant George Nicholas Bascom led a group of 60 men from the 7th U.S. Infantry after Cochise but was soon besieged, prompting a rescue mission by the army. In response to the siege of Bascom and his men, Irwin set out on a rescue mission with 14 men of the 1st U.S. Dragoons. He was able to catch up with the Apaches at Apache Pass in present day Arizona. He strategically placed his small unit around Cochise and his men, tricking the Apache leader into thinking that he had a much larger army with him. The Apaches fled and Bascom and his men were saved. Bascom and his men joined Irwin and together they were able to track Cochise into the mountains & rescued the young boy that Cochise had captured. The Medal of Honor did not exist during the time of the "Bascom Incident," and would not be established until a year later in 1862. However, the actions of Irwin were well remembered, and he was awarded the Medal of Honor just prior to his retirement. Irwin's actions were the earliest for which the Medal of Honor was awarded, predating the outbreak of the American Civil War.
Irwin subsequently served with the Union army during the Civil War, and was promoted to captain in August 1861, and the next year was appointed medical director under Major General William "Bull" Nelson. He improvised one of the first field hospitals used by the U.S. Army at the Battle of Shiloh, on April 7, 1862. He was captured during the Battle of Richmond, Ky., while attempting to save the wounded General Nelson. He was promoted to major in September 1862, and after his release from a Rebel prison he became medical director in the Army of the Southwest. From 1863 to 1865, he was superintendent of the military hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, and in March of 1865, he was brevetted to the rank of colonel. He was a companion of the California Commandery of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, and the Order of the Indian Wars of the United States. After the Civil War, Irwin served as a senior medical officer at several U.S. army posts, including West Point from 1873 to 1878. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in September 1885, to colonel in August 1890, and to brigadier general in April 1904. He died in Ontario, Canada, on December 15, 1917, and is buried in the West Point Cemetery, at the U.S. Military Academy, New York. His son George LeRoy Irwin, graduated from West Point in 1889, and served in World War I, becoming a Major General in the U.S. Army. His grandson Stafford LeRoy Irwin, graduated from West Point in 1915, and served in World War II, and became a Lieutenant General in the U.S. Army. His daughter, Amy Irwin Addams McCormick, was a nurse with the American Red Cross and served during World War I.
General Irwin was an admirer and collector of photographs, and he put together a very large, and superb collection of Union and Confederate images. Interestingly, he collected photographs of both Rebel and Yankee alike. I have owned several famous military photograph albums before and never came across one that collected images from both sides of the rebellion. He numbered each individual image, and wrote a brief historical notation on each one. The collection was split up by another dealer, and by the time I found out about it, I was still very fortunate to be able to acquire about one third of his superb Civil War image collection. Each image is rare because it is "one of a kind" having come from the Irwin collection!
The image of B.J.D. Irwin pictured here is a copy photograph from the "Find a Grave" website and is used here for illustration purposes only.
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