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Jubal Early

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Article Genealogy
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Jubal Early
NameJubal Early
CaptionEarly in 1864
Birth date3 November 1816
Death date2 March 1894
Birth placeFranklin County, Virginia
Death placeLynchburg, Virginia
AllegianceUnited States, Confederate States of America
Serviceyears1837–1838 (U.S.), 1861–1865 (C.S.)
RankFirst Lieutenant (U.S.), Lieutenant General (C.S.)
CommandsArmy of the Valley
BattlesSecond Seminole War, American Civil War, – First Battle of Bull Run, – Battle of Williamsburg, – Battle of Malvern Hill, – Battle of Cedar Mountain, – Battle of Antietam, – Battle of Fredericksburg, – Battle of Chancellorsville, – Battle of Gettysburg, – Overland Campaign, – Valley Campaigns of 1864, – Battle of the Wilderness, – Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, – Battle of Cold Harbor, – Battle of Monocacy, – Battle of Fort Stevens, – Third Battle of Winchester, – Battle of Fisher's Hill, – Battle of Cedar Creek
LaterworkLawyer, author

Jubal Early was a prominent Confederate States Army general and key figure in the American Civil War. Known for his aggressive tactics and staunch defense of the Confederacy, he commanded the Army of the Valley during the crucial Valley Campaigns of 1864. His later writings became foundational texts for the Lost Cause of the Confederacy movement, influencing historical memory for generations.

Early life and education

Jubal Anderson Early was born on his family's plantation in Franklin County, Virginia, to a prominent local family. He received an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point, graduating in 1837 alongside future adversaries like Joseph Hooker. After brief service in the Second Seminole War and as an artillery officer, he resigned his commission to pursue a career in law, building a successful practice and serving in the Virginia House of Delegates. His political career included a stint as a Commonwealth's attorney and a delegate to the Virginia Secession Convention of 1861, where he initially opposed secession.

Military career

Despite his initial political reservations, Early joined the Confederate States Army following Virginia's secession. He quickly rose from colonel of the 24th Virginia Infantry to brigadier general after displaying leadership at the First Battle of Bull Run. He served with distinction in the Army of Northern Virginia under General Robert E. Lee, fighting in major battles including the Battle of Williamsburg, the Battle of Antietam, and the Battle of Fredericksburg. Promoted to major general, he led a division at the Battle of Gettysburg, participating in the assault on Cemetery Hill. In 1864, Lee placed him in command of the Army of the Valley, tasking him with threatening Washington, D.C.. His raid culminated in the Battle of Monocacy and a skirmish at Fort Stevens, bringing him within sight of the United States Capitol. Defeated later that year by Philip Sheridan in the Shenandoah Valley at battles like the Third Battle of Winchester and the Battle of Cedar Creek, he was relieved of command in March 1865 after a final defeat at the Battle of Waynesboro.

Postwar life and legacy

After the war, Early fled to Mexico, then Cuba, and Canada before returning to Lynchburg, Virginia in 1869 following a pardon. He resumed his legal practice and became a leading voice in shaping the narrative of the Confederacy. As a founding member and president of the Southern Historical Society, he authored influential memoirs and articles that vigorously defended the actions of Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia. His writings were instrumental in promoting the tenets of the Lost Cause of the Confederacy, which downplayed slavery's role and emphasized states' rights. He never married and remained a defiant symbol of the Old South until his death in Lynchburg.

Historical assessments

Historians regard Early as a capable but often irascible corps commander whose 1864 campaign demonstrated audacious operational skill. Modern scholarship critically examines his role as perhaps the most effective propagandist for the Lost Cause of the Confederacy, a movement his post-war writings helped codify. His bitter disputes with other former Confederates, like James Longstreet, and his unrepentant views on slavery and secession have shaped a complex legacy. Military analysts study his Valley Campaigns of 1864 as a classic example of the use of interior lines, while cultural historians analyze his impact on Jim Crow-era racial politics and the memorialization of figures like Stonewall Jackson.

Jubal Early has been depicted in several films and television series related to the American Civil War. He appears in historical documentaries such as those produced by the History Channel and PBS, often in segments discussing the Battle of Gettysburg or the 1864 raid on Washington, D.C.. The actor Macaulay Culkin portrayed a fictionalized namesake character in the television series *Kings*, though this was not a direct historical depiction. His persona and the mythology he helped create are frequently referenced in literature about the Lost Cause of the Confederacy, including works by authors like Shelby Foote.

Category:1816 births Category:1894 deaths Category:Confederate States Army lieutenant generals Category:People of Virginia in the American Civil War Category:American memoirists