Gracie Archibald was a soldier. He was the captain of the Washington Light Infantry company of Mobile.
Background
Archibald Gracie was born on December 1, 1832, in New York City. He was the son of Archibald Grade and Elizabeth Davidson Bethune, of Huguenot descent.
His grandfather, Archibald Gracie, emigrated from Scotland to Petersburg, Virginia, where he became a prominent merchant.
Later, removing to New York City, he became known as a merchant, banker, and pioneer advocate of public-school education.
Education
Young Archibald was educated in Heidelberg, Germany, and at West Point. In 1854, he graduated from the Military Academy.
Career
Gracie was stationed at Fort Vancouver, Washington, and at Fort Dalles, Oregon, taking part in the Snake River expedition in 1855. He was stationed at Fort Boise, Idaho, when he resigned his commission, May 31, 1856, to enter business with his father, then a merchant in Mobile, Alabama.
Gracie joined the Washington Light Infantry company of Mobile and became its captain. When the Civil War broke he chose to stay with his company, and under orders from Gov. Moore, he seized the United States arsenal at Mount Vernon before Alabama seceded.
This company became a unit in the 3rd Alabama Infantry, which was the first body of Alabama troops to be mustered into service. With this organization he saw service in Virginia.
On July 12, 1861, he was promoted major of the 1 ith Alabama. In the spring of 1862, he raised a regiment of his own, the 43rd Alabama, of which he was elected colonel, and was assigned to Kirby-Smith’s corps, then operating in eastern Tennessee.
Later, in the same year, he led an expedition across the Cumberland Mountains, attacking and capturing Fort Cliff, which was defended by Tennessee Unionists.
He continued with his regiment during the Kentucky campaign and was in command of Lexington during the Confederate occupation. Commissioned brigadier-general in November 1862, he took part in the engagement at Chicka- mauga, where his brigade lost in two hours more than seven hundred killed and wounded.
He was wounded in an engagement at Bean’s Station, but recovering, he rejoined his brigade and served under Gen. Beauregard in the campaign of May From June until his death in December, he was in the trenches at Petersburg, where he won the admiration of Gen. Lee.
On December 2, while peering through a telescope at the enemy’s lines, he was instantly killed. After the surrender his remains were interred in the family vault in New York City.
He was soon to have received his commission as major-general and has been accorded that rank on a brass tablet in the library at West Point.
Achievements
Connections
On November 19, 1856, Gracie was married at Elizabeth, New Jersey, to Josephine Mayo, the daughter of Edward C. Mayo, of Richmond, Virginia.