Background
Alvan Cullem Gillem was born on July 29, 1830, in Jackson County, Tennessee.
(Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We h...)
Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.
https://www.amazon.com/Cavalry-Assitant-Adjutant-Headquarters-Department/dp/1290408416?SubscriptionId=AKIAJRRWTH346WSPOAFQ&tag=prabook-20&linkCode=sp1&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=1290408416
Alvan Cullem Gillem was born on July 29, 1830, in Jackson County, Tennessee.
Gillem was educated at the United States Military Academy where, in 1851, he graduated eleventh in a class of forty-two.
After ten years of service, against the Seminole Indians (1851 - 52), in garrisons, and on the Texas frontier, at the beginning of the Civil War, Gillem was commissioned captain and assigned to duty with a brigade under Gen. George H. Thomas. In the following Kentucky campaign, at Shiloh, and at Corinth, he won the commendation of his superior officers.
As colonel of the 10th Tennessee Volunteers, he was provost-marshal of Nashville and engaged in minor operations in that vicinity. On June 1, 1863, he was appointed adjutant-general of Tennessee, then under the military governorship of his close friend, Andrew Johnson, and at Johnson’s earnest solicitation he was made brigadier-general of volunteers.
A year later, under Johnson’s orders, he undertook a campaign against Confederate supporters in eastern Tennessee. In a series of engagements, he was successful, notably at Greeneville, where Gen. John Morgan, commanding Confederate raiders, was killed.
Badly routed near Morristown, he reorganized his forces and took part in successful raids into southwestern Virginia and western North Carolina. For gallant and meritorious services in these campaigns, he was successively and rapidly brevetted lieutenant-colonel, colonel, brigadier-general, and finally, April 12, 1865, major-general, United States Volunteers.
In the meanwhile, as vice-president of the convention of January and as a member of the legislature of April 1865, he had taken a prominent part in the reorganization of civil government in Tennessee.
For more than a year after the war ended, he commanded the district of East Tennessee, and on September 1, 1866, was mustered out of the volunteer service with the rank of colonel in the regular army. Under the congressional plan of reconstruction, on January 9, 1868, he was appointed to command the Fourth Military District.
His administration of this office was characterized by a decided relaxation of the rigors of the military rule of his predecessor, Gen. Ord, by a general refusal to interfere with the civil authorities, and by marked improvement in political and economic conditions.
He was severely criticized by the radicals for his refusal to support their demands and shortly after Johnson’s retirement from the presidency, and to the general regret of the conservative whites, he was transferred to the Texas frontier. He commanded troops in the Modoc campaign (1873). On sick- leave he returned to his home, “Soldier’s Rest, ” near Nashville, where he died.
(Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We h...)
Gillem married Margaret Jones of Hampton, Virginia.