Joseph King Fenno Mansfield

You may be asking me "Mr. Starline, the death of Mansfield was a big deal!" And indeed it is dear reader, indeed it is, but he's mostly forgotten and overshadowed because of other major battles and commanders such as Meade Sherman, Pope, McClellan, and Grant. But just because he wasn't widely known doesn't mean they did nothing to help.



Early Life

\- Descendant of an early English settler, Mansfield was born in New Haven in December 22, 1803, one of his cousins was Brevet Major General Joseph G. Totten. At the feeble age of 13, Mansfield entered the Military Academy at West Point, and graduated 2nd out of 40, notable classmates were Isaac R. Trimble, David Hunter, and George A. McCall. After graduating he received a rank of second lieutenant then to be promoted to first lieutenant and then getting his captaincy in 1838. In the Mexican-American War, Mansfield was appointed as General Zachary Taylor's Chief Engineer, being bounced around brevet promotions more than a basketball in the NBA ending the war as a Brevet Colonel. In 1853 he was appointed in the office of the Inspector General, recommended by one Jefferson Davis. 

  
Outbreak of the War

\- During the outbreak of the War, Mansfield was given the rank of Brigadier General in the regular army and tasked to defend Washington. In the Battle of Hampton Road, Mansfield took a vital role, being in command of all coastal batteries that fired on the CSS Virginia, when Franklin Buchanan who was the commander of the Virginia sent two small ships to take possession of the USS Congress. One of Mansfield subordinates said that the rebels had the right to proceed as they've taken the Congress but Mansfield stood like a wall and said  “I know the damned ship has surrendered, but we haven’t!” This infuriated Confederate Admiral Buchanan, prompting him to grab a rifle and try to fire back at Union soldiers but ended up getting shot in the dick...I'm not kidding you, he got shot in the groin.

  
Antietam  
  
\- Several days before commanding XII Corps, Mansfield was in command of a division within VII Corps. Once Mansfield got command of XII Corps he was tasked to help aide Joseph Hooker's left flank, but like his troops, Mansfield was green and didn't know how to command a corps, so once he was ordered to deploy, he deployed his corps in a column-like formation instead of stretching out into a line. While riding along the line, he saw one of his regiments, the 10th Maine firing into the woods, Mansfield thought they were firing into Hooker's flank so he ordered them to stop. Once the 10th Maine ensured Mansfield that they were indeed firing on rebel troops, he said "Yes, yes, you're right." Only to be shot in the chest, when one of his officers rode out toward him, a gust of wind blew his coat aside, he and Mansfield saw that his chest was covered with blood, Mansfield said "By God, I think they \[Union Soldiers\] shot me!" It was an unidentified Confederate ranker... Mansfield died a day later and was posthumously promoted to Major General

  
Overall: 7/10

He didn't do much and was overly unexperienced but was bloody amazing in the Mexican American War. Tell me who should I do next and some points where I was wrong!

Part III of my series: Unknown or Overshadowed generals of the Civil War: Major General Joseph King Fenno Mansfield