John Pope is Civil War 'General of the Month' at Old State Capitol
Send a link to a friend
[September 06, 2012]
SPRINGFIELD -- Gen. John Pope,
famous for commanding the Union troops at the disastrous Second
Battle of Bull Run, is the "General of the Month" for September at
the Old State Capitol State Historic Site in downtown Springfield.
|
Pope was born in Kentucky, but his family moved to Illinois when he
was young. His father, Nathaniel Pope, became a federal judge and
held court in a room adjacent to the Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices in
Springfield. John Pope was a West Pointer and a rising star at the
beginning of the Civil War, as he won two highly publicized
victories: at New Madrid, Mo., and Island No. 10 on the Mississippi
River. His success boosted him to command of the Army of Virginia,
where a series of bad decisions and unfortunate setbacks resulted in
a major Union defeat almost on top of the original Bull Run
battlefield, 30 miles southwest of Washington, D.C. After the
battle, Pope faded into relative obscurity, but he did not retire
from the U.S. Army for another 24 years.
The "General of the Month" exhibit is part of the Old State
Capitol's ongoing commemoration of the Civil War 150th anniversary.
Artifacts from Illinois' Civil War generals from the well-known to
the obscure are included, with a different general featured each
month. Some of the Civil War generals from Illinois are well known,
like Ulysses S. Grant, John A. Logan and John A. McClernand, but
some lesser-known individuals such as Thomas E.G. Ransom, William
Gamble and Lewis Baldwin Parsons will also be featured.
[to top of second column] |
During the 1840s and 1850s, the Old State Capitol was the scene
of debate over issues that led the nation to war in 1861. During the
Civil War, as the seat of government, the Statehouse was the center
of the state's efforts at wartime mobilization. The building also
provided space for local events aiding the needs of local residents
as well as soldier relief efforts.
The Old State Capitol State Historic Site, administered by the
Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
seven days per week. The "General of the Month" exhibit is located
near the adjutant general's office in the rotunda.
[Text from
file received from the
Illinois Historic
Preservation Agency]
|