Civil War Confederate Lieutenant General, Kentucky Governor. Born in Hart County, Kentucky, he graduated from the United States Military Academy with the Class of 1844, serving in the Mexican War. In 1855, he left the Army to enter the private business world. Although he claimed he did not own any slaves (though there is much evidence to the contrary), he felt that the States had the right to determine whether they would allow slavery or not. When the South left the Union, he was commissioned a Brigadier General in the Confederate Army. His forces occupied Bowling Green, Kentucky, but he was forced to surrender Fort Donelson to his former classmate, General Ulysses Grant, and became a prisoner of the Union Army. After a prisoner exchange in 1862, he joined Confederate General Braxton Bragg's 1862 invasion of Kentucky, and was placed in command of the Department of East Tennessee. In 1863, he transferred back to Bragg's command, and led troops at Chickamauga, but played only a minor role there. He became a leader in the move to get General Bragg removed from command, and on September 20, 1864, he was promoted to Lieutenant General, and moved to the Trans-Mississippi Department. There he served as Chief of Staff for General Edmund Kirby Smith, until the end of the war. In 1867, he returned home, where he worked in private business and was active in Confederate Veterans Groups. In 1887, he was elected Governor of Kentucky, serving 4 years. He ran for Vice President in 1896, but lost the election. He died in his home in Munfordville, Kentucky, the last survivor of the top three ranks of the Confederate Army. His son, Simon Jr, also went to West Point and became a full General (4 stars).
Civil War Confederate Lieutenant General, Kentucky Governor. Born in Hart County, Kentucky, he graduated from the United States Military Academy with the Class of 1844, serving in the Mexican War. In 1855, he left the Army to enter the private business world. Although he claimed he did not own any slaves (though there is much evidence to the contrary), he felt that the States had the right to determine whether they would allow slavery or not. When the South left the Union, he was commissioned a Brigadier General in the Confederate Army. His forces occupied Bowling Green, Kentucky, but he was forced to surrender Fort Donelson to his former classmate, General Ulysses Grant, and became a prisoner of the Union Army. After a prisoner exchange in 1862, he joined Confederate General Braxton Bragg's 1862 invasion of Kentucky, and was placed in command of the Department of East Tennessee. In 1863, he transferred back to Bragg's command, and led troops at Chickamauga, but played only a minor role there. He became a leader in the move to get General Bragg removed from command, and on September 20, 1864, he was promoted to Lieutenant General, and moved to the Trans-Mississippi Department. There he served as Chief of Staff for General Edmund Kirby Smith, until the end of the war. In 1867, he returned home, where he worked in private business and was active in Confederate Veterans Groups. In 1887, he was elected Governor of Kentucky, serving 4 years. He ran for Vice President in 1896, but lost the election. He died in his home in Munfordville, Kentucky, the last survivor of the top three ranks of the Confederate Army. His son, Simon Jr, also went to West Point and became a full General (4 stars).
Bio by: Kit and Morgan Benson
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