The Civil War Reminiscences of General Basil W. Duke, C.S.A
(Kentuckian Basil W. Duke entered the War Between the Stat...)
Kentuckian Basil W. Duke entered the War Between the States when Missouri seceded and continued to have a long and remarkable career in the Confederate military, leading Morgan's Raiders after the death of Gen. John Hunt Morgan. Very much a southern gentleman, articulate and gregarious, Duke here recounts his many experiences and encounters during the Civil War and Reconstruction and gives his opinions of prominent men of the Confederacy, such as Jefferson Davis, Nathan Bedford Forrest, and Albert Sidney Johnston. He describes life in the military camps in intimate detail, even recording the lyrics of favored songs, and reveals in its anecdotes of military life many of the complex realities of the Civil War.
Basil Wilson Duke was an American confederate soldier. As a soldier, he was not of the first rank, though an able cavalry commander but his personality made him one of the most attractive figures of his time.
Background
Basil Wilson Duke was born on May 28, 1838, in Scott County, Kentucky, United States. He was the son of Nathaniel Wilson and Mary Currie Duke. Nathaniel Duke was a naval officer, descended from a Maryland family which established itself in Kentucky in the eighteenth century.
Education
Duke was educated at Georgetown College, Kentucky, and Centre College, and at the law school of Transylvania University at Lexington.
Admitted to the bar in 1858, Duke began the practice of law in St. Louis. An enthusiastic state-rights man, he took a very active part in the secessionist movement in Missouri and engaged in secret operations which exposed him to danger from friends as well as enemies. On one occasion he narrowly escaped summary execution at the hands of a secessionist vigilance committee, by whom he was "suspected of being a suspicious character." Later, his arrest within the Union lines was prevented only by the intervention of his old friend, John M. Harlan, then in the Union army and later a justice of the Supreme Court, who was convinced that Duke was not there in the capacity of a spy, - as, indeed, he was not on this particular occasion, for he was merely taking a short cut to Lexington to pay a visit to his wife.
The secessionist movement in Missouri having been checked, Duke enlisted as a private in his brother-in-law's "Lexington Rifles," and was elected the first lieutenant. When the Lexington Rifles became a part of the 2nd Kentucky Cavalry, Duke was appointed a lieutenant-colonel of the regiment and later became its colonel. He took a conspicuous part in all the operations of Morgan’s cavalry command, was wounded at Shiloh, was captured along with the rest of Morgan’s men in his spectacular raid through Ohio in and for a year remained a prisoner of war. Exchanged and rejoining his regiment, Duke was appointed a brigadier general in September and commanded a cavalry brigade in eastern Kentucky and western Virginia until Lee's surrender. The infantry in the little army was then disbanded, the guns were spiked, and the wagon train was abandoned; the cavalry, mostly mounted on the draft mules of the train, endeavored to join Johnston in North Carolina. Reaching Charlotte, it was assigned as escort to Jefferson Davis and the fugitive Confederate government. Its general officers, Duke among them, shared in Davis's last council of war and unanimously declared that further resistance was hopeless. After the party broke up, Duke, with a small force, tried to lead the pursuit away from the direction in which Davis had fled, and then surrendered and was paroled. He eventually settled in Louisville and resumed law practice.
A member of the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1869, he served as a commonwealth attorney of the fifth judicial district from 1875 to 1880. For more than twenty years he was a member of the legal staff of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad.
Basil's interest in Civil War history was keen, and he wrote extensively on such parts of it as came within his own experiences. His "History of Morgan's Cavalry," first published in 1867, was reprinted in 1906 with a briefer title. He was a frequent contributor to the Southern Bivouac, a magazine the editorship of which he shared for two years (1885-1887). From 1893 to 1894 he edited the Mid-Continent Magazine and the Southern Magazine. "The Reminiscences of General Basil W. Duke, C.S.A." appeared in book form in 19x1, after having previously been published as separate magazine articles. He also wrote a "History of the Bank of Kentucky" in 1895. From 1895 until his death he was a commissioner of Shiloh National Park.
While Duke was in the Kentucky legislature, he worked mostly for corporations, became well-versed in the rights and laws of companies, particularly banks and railways.
Views
Strong in his conviction of the justice of the Confederate cause, Duke could yet clearly appreciate the point of view of his opponents; and four years of war roused in him feelings of warm friendship, rather than of hatred, toward those against whom he fought.
Personality
As an officer, Duke's way of "gently ordering" soldiers under his command allowed him to have friendly relations with his men. He loved fighting, was steadfast during difficult moments in conflicts and was described as a "spit-and-polish" officer.
Duke's cheerfulness was unquenchable. The Reminiscences, written in his old age, are full of boyish enthusiasm and enjoyment, as well as shrewd comments on political and military measures. He was boyish, too, in his frank hero-worship of Morgan.
Physical Characteristics:
Duke was small in stature and slight of frame. His face was distinguished by the mustache and goatee of the traditional Kentucky gentleman, and by a humorous eye.
Quotes from others about the person
"Basil W. Duke rides again alongside his kinsman John Hunt Morgan in this first full-length biography. Duke helped to establish Morgan's reputation as a cavalryman in his writing in the years after the Civil War. More important, we watch the enterprising Kentuckian as he also engaged in law, politics, and railroading. Remaining an advocate of the 'Lost Cause,' Duke firmly embraced the spirit of reconciliation as well as remembrance." - Brian S. Wills
"No Southerner was more dedicated to the Confederacy than General Basil W. Duke." - James A. Ramage
Interests
History, writing, banking
Connections
In June 1861 Duke married Henrietta Hunt Morgan, the sister of John Hunt Morgan, who was soon to distinguish himself as a cavalry leader. They had four sons and three daughters.