Maj. Gen. Irvin McDowell, (USA)

Irvin McDowell was a career American army officer, famous for his defeat during the First Battle of Bull Run, the first large-scale battle of the American Civil War.

McDowell was born in Columbus, Ohio, son of Abram Irvin McDowell and Eliza Seldon McDowell. He was a cousin-in-law of John Buford, and his brother, John Adair McDowell, served as a colonel in the Union Army. Irvin initially attended the College de Troyes in France before graduating from the United States Military Academy in 1838, where one of his classmates was P.G.T. Beauregard, his future adversary at First Bull Run. He was commissioned a second lieutenant and posted to the 1st U.S. Artillery. McDowell served as a tactics instructor at West Point, before becoming aide-de-camp to General John E. Wool during the Mexican-American War. He was brevetted captain at Buena Vista and served in the Adjutant General's department after the war. While in that department he was promoted to major on May 31, 1856.

Civil War

McDowell was promoted to brigadier general in the regular army on May 14, 1861, and given command of the Army of Northeastern Virginia, despite never having commanded troops in combat. The promotion was partly because of the influence of his mentor, Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase. Although McDowell knew that his troops were inexperienced and unready, pressure from the Washington politicians forced him to launch a premature offensive against Confederate forces in Northern Virginia. His strategy during the First Battle of Bull Run was imaginative but ambitiously complex, and his troops were not experienced enough to carry it out effectively, resulting in an embarrassing rout.

After the defeat at Bull Run, Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan was placed in command of the new Union Army defending Washington, the Army of the Potomac. McDowell commanded a division in the new army, but McClellan soon reorganized his command and McDowell was given I Corps the following spring. His corps stayed behind to defend Washington, and was eventually supposed to march to McClellan's support while the latter fought in the Peninsula Campaign; however, the nervous politicians who feared that General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's Valley Campaign would eventually attack Washington kept McDowell's 40,000 soldiers behind.

Eventually, the three independent commands of Generals McDowell, John C. Frémont, and Nathaniel P. Banks were combined into Maj. Gen. John Pope's Army of Virginia and McDowell led the III Corps of that army. Because of his actions at Cedar Mountain, McDowell was eventually brevetted major general in the regular army; however, he was blamed for the subsequent disaster at Second Bull Run. He escaped culpability by testifying against Maj. Gen. Fitz John Porter, whom Pope court-martialed for alleged insubordination in that battle. Despite his formal escape, McDowell spent the following two years in effective exile from the leadership of the Army.

Later service and postbellum career

In July 1864, McDowell was given command of the Department of the Pacific. He later commanded the Department of California, the Fourth Military District (the military government for Arkansas and Louisiana during Reconstruction), and the Department of the West. He was promoted to permanent major general in the regular army in 1872. In 1879, when a Board of Review commissioned by President Rutherford B. Hayes issued its report recommending a pardon for Fitz John Porter, it attributed much of the loss of the Second Battle of Bull Run to McDowell. In the report he was depicted as indecisive, uncommunicative, and inept, repeatedly failing to answer Porter's requests for information, failing to forward intelligence of Longstreet's positioning to Pope, and neglecting to take command of the left wing of the Union Army as was his duty under the Articles of War.

McDowell retired from the army in 1882 and served as Park Commissioner of San Francisco, California until his death in 1885. He is buried in San Francisco National Cemetery in the Presidio of San Francisco.

Civil War Union Major General. Class of West Point 1838 (23 out of 45) Artillery Officer. Was Gen. Wools A.D.C. during Mexican war and was Brevet Captain for bravery. Later served on the Western Frontier until 1856 when he was sent to the Army HQ in Washington with rank of Major. Named Brig. Gen USA May 14th 1861 Give command of the Union troops south of the Potomac. Was defeated at the battle of 1st Bull Run he was appointed Commander of McDowell's Division. Named Maj. Gen. USV and commanded the 1st Corps Army of the Potomic Mar.4-Apr. 62 Then Commanded Army of the Rappahannock Apr-June 1862. At Cedar Mnt. & 2nd Bull Run He commander the III Corps Army of Va. and was severely criticized for his performance there and relieved of command. He was exonerated by Military Court Marshal but was sent back to Washington and served on the promotion board, Until 1864 when he was given command of the Dept. of the Pacific until June 1865. After the War he was given command of Dept's East & South until he retired in 1882. He moved to California and was made Park Commissioner by the City of San Francisco until his death at age 67 of a heart attack. He was buried with full military honors by the Local GAR. His name is misspelled "Irwin" on his headstone.

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Aug 28 2021, 1:24:05 UTC