Missed my stop...

Today, in 1862,  Major General U.S. Grant captured Fort Donelson on the Mississippi from the Confederates.  The fort was besieged by Grant’s forces, and he demanded the unconditional surrender from his adversary, and old West Point friend, General Simon Bolivar Buckner. Although the Confederates left the fort without a shot being fired, fierce fighting had raged prior to that as Grant attempted to breach the defenses.  This was also the first time under fire for many of Grant’s troops, and while many showed tremendous courage when “seeing the elephant” , the term denoting one’s first battle, others found themselves unable to cope.

One such officer, Captain Alexander G. Somerville of the 31st Illinois Volunteer Infantry was removed from the army for cowardice.  Somerville was charged by his superiors with having “in the face of the enemy, did then and there show fear and trepidation, leaving his command and lying down in a hollow out of harms way, and did remain after the Regiment was withdrawn and until he was captured by the enemy (having no wounds at the time)”.

Above is the order written by General Grant approving the removal of Somerville from the muster rolls.  Written on March 3rd, Somerville was most likely a prisoner returned to the Federal forces when the Confederate forces left, and perhaps was told to resign his commission.

 Somerville was fortunate, for had he been an enlisted man the punishments for cowardice were brutal, including being flogged, or branded upon the cheek with the letter C, for cowardice