U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865
Jacksonville Civil War Soldier Kills Union General
This article is compiled by Julian Williams.
As far as we know, we do not even have a picture of John McCrimmon of Jacksonville, Georgia. We have one of his wife, the former Christiana Clements, daughter of Uncle Jimmy Clements, who hand-carved the Mt. Carmel Church altar rails, lectern, and communion table, and his son, Thomas McCrimmon, who ran the Jacksonville Ferry for some time. But John McCrimmon has a unique place in history - he killed the great and famous Major General Philip Kearny (pronounced "Car-nee") in the Civil War.
Now, to begin with - Phil Kearny was not your run-of-the-mill general. His mother and father wanted him to be a minister and attorney, respectively, but he greatly yearned to be a great military leader. This ambition was helped by a generous grandfather who gave young Kearny one million dollars at the tender age of 21. With this huge amount of money (even more so in that day!), young Kearny went abroad and headed straight for the throne room of Napoleon III of France. Here he studied military tactics and strategy in the great military schools of France and fought with Napoleon in Algiers and Italy. He was a brave and able soldier and placed duty and honor right up there at the top of the list (his quote: "It is a sweet and fitting thing to die for one's country"). He came home to offer his services in the Mexican War in the 1840's. General Winfield Scott said he was the bravest man he had ever met. While helping Scott win that war, Phil Kearny lost his left arm at Churubusco, Mexico, right outside Mexico City. But that did not stop him. He went from there to the American West, where he engaged the Indians. And then when the United States became un-united, he went to fight in the Civil War - on the side of the North (Union).
General Kearny was a perfectionist. When he mistakenly reprimanded some soldiers for being out-of-place, they sheepishly reminded the General that they belonged to another unit - not his. He said he would never make that mistake again so he went back to camp and had all his men make round red badges and affix to their caps so they would be "identified." These patches or badges were the forerunners of all military unit patches worn to this day.
But this case of mistaken identity was minor. The next mistake of identity that General Kearny made was worse. In fact, it was fatal.
One gloomy day, September 1, 1862, the steady rain and the dark of nightfall were meeting each other on the battlefield of tiny Chantilly, Virginia, when General Phil Kearny mistakenly rode into the camp of an enemy military unit. He was riding his favorite little brown horse, Bayard, because his comrades had advised he stay off Moscow, a big white animal, too much a conspicuous target for the enemy. Well into the assemblage of men, General Kearny asked the unit to identify itself. Someone answered, "The Georgia 49th." General Kearny knew at once he had made a mistake of gigantic proportion. With his left arm gone and his reins in his teeth, he quietly whirled to make a very quick exit. But on turning, according to the Official Report of the unit, Major John Pate saw the blue uniform and insignia. He shouted for the rider to halt but Kearny kept going. Major Pate then ordered "the boys" to fire and Sergeant John McCrimmon of Telfair County, Jacksonville, Georgia, shot and killed the famous Federal general.
General Robert E. Lee, who had great admiration and respect for General Kearny, was called to the scene. It is said he promoted John McCrimmon and gave him a thirty day furlough and signed it. But, it is also said, he "suggested" , because of the status and reputation of the great man, that his horse and accoutrements be sent to his widow. Of course, the men thought this suggestion was just the thing to do. At this point, General Lee actually "stopped the war" by having a temporary truce called so General Kearny's men could come over and get his body and belongings.
Sgt. John McCrimmon could not take his furlough because of the intensity of the war. He went on to Harper's Ferry and probably helped fellow soldiers tear up an iron railroad bridge which was 837 feet in length. After the capture of the federal garrison there, he rode in great haste with General A.P. Hill to Antietam to face the bloodiest single day of the Civil War where over 22,000 were killed. There he joined his brother, Lt. Farquhar McCrimmon of the Georgia 20th, who led the soldiers that killed hundreds of Yankee troops as they tried to come over the famous bridge at Antietam Creek (Union General Ambrose Burnside could have let his men run across the creek - it was shallow enough at the time to wade). Farquhar was killed at Gettysburg the next year. John had another soldier brother, Robert William, who died at Richmond, and another, Lt. Duncan McCrimmon, who was wounded at the Wilderness and surrendered with General Lee at Appomattox. He made it home to Jacksonville and signed the amnesty oath in 1867.
General Phil Kearny, even though killed by one of them, would have been proud of the way the McCrimmon boys conducted themselves as soldiers. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery and his huge monument is one of only two equestrian statues in the cemetery - probably still riding ole Bayard!
And what happened to John McCrimmon? It is said he returned to Jacksonville, Georgia, and lived until 1887, when he died of catarrh (stoppage of nasal and other passages in the head), consumption (now called tuberculosis), and a rupture he suffered tearing up an iron railroad bridge in the Civil War (probably the one at Harpers Ferry).
John McCrimmon is buried in the Blockhouse Baptist Church Cemetery, Jacksonville, Georgia. His grave is about forty feet or so from that of his commanding officer, Captain Lucius L. Williams (Company "B", Georgia 49th Regiment, CSA).
Note: Sgt. John McCrimmon is the great-great-grandfather of Carol Ray Morgan and JoAnne Ray Lewis of Douglas. He is the great grandfather of Col. Joel Ray of West Green.
