A Civil War Biography
John Clifford Pemberton
Pemberton was born 10 August 1814 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania into
an old and influential Quaker family. He attended West Point
graduating 27th in the class of 1837 then served in the cavalry on
the frontier seeing action during the Seminole War and the war with
Mexico.
Although born in the North, Pemberton always stood on the side of
states rights. In 1848 he had married Martha Thompson of Norfolk,
Virginia adding to his Southern ties. When the war erupted Pemberton
decided to side with the Confederacy and, although two of his
brothers remained in the Union army and urged him to do likewise,
resigned his commission on 24 April 1861.
He was appointed a brigadier general by Jefferson Davis on 17 June
1861. In August 1861 Pemberton replaced Robert E. Lee as the
commander of the Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida
when Lee was called to Richmond as an advisor to Jefferson Davis.
Pemberton was promoted to major general in January 1862. He was
promoted to lieutenant general on 10 October 1862 and although many
in the south were suspicious of him because of his northern birth he
was given command of the Department of Mississippi and East
Louisiana. Pemberton always stated that it was conflicting orders
from Davis and Joseph E. Johnston, the overall Confederate commander
in the West, that resulted in him being besieged and eventually
surrendering Vicksburg on 4 July 1863. Davis had sent word not to
give up the city for a single day while Johnston ordered Pemberton
to unite with his forces to attack Ulysses S. Grant even if it meant
abandoning the city. Many in the south accused Pemberton of treason
for surrendering the city and 29,000 Rebel soldiers.
When he was exchanged in May 1864 there was no assignment that
matched his rank so he resigned his commission and offered his
services as a private. Davis re-commissioned Pemberton a lieutenant
colonel in the artillery and assigned him to the defenses of
Richmond, where he served for the last nine months of the war. After
the war Pemberton retired to a farm near Warrenton, Virginia then
moved back to Pennsylvania in 1876. He settled in Penllyn, PA where
he died 13 July 1881.
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