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Brigadier-General James J. Archer was born in
Harford county, Maryland, of a distinguished family which has contributed brave soldiers to American battles.
He was a graduate of the United States military academy, class of 1826, the class of
Albert Sidney Johnston and
E. Kirby Smith, and was assigned to the Third infantry.
After serving on frontier duty in the
West he was promoted first-lieutenant in October, 1833. March 31, 1834, he resigned and was engaged in business as a lumber merchant at
Havre-de-Grace, Md., until 1847, and from that date until 1861 as a planter at
San Patricio, Tex. He was commissioned a captain in the regular army of the
Confederate States March 16, 1861, and soon afterward with the rank of colonel of the Fifth Texas regiment, was in command of the
Texas brigade at the
Evansport batteries.
In May as acting brigadiergen-eral he was on duty at
West Point, Va., and after the battle of
Seven Pines he was promoted brigadier-general and assigned to the command of a brigade in
A. P. Hill's division, consisting mainly of
Tennessee and
Alabama regiments.
Under his gallant leadership
Archer's brigade soon rose to prominence in the famous ‘light division’ and won laurels through all the hard fighting which followed.
On June 26th in the
battle of Mechanicsville, he advanced along the
Bethesda road and made a desperate attack upon the
Federal position with such valor that the losses of the attack fell principally upon his brigade.
Following the retreating enemy he was again engaged with distinction at
Gaines' Mill.
With
Jackson's command in the campaign of
Manassas which followed, he was in action at
Cedar Mountain, August 9th,
Manassas Junction, August 16th, and in the battles of
Manassas, August 28, 29 and 30.
On the 29th, according to
General Lee's report,
General Archer ‘firmly held his ground against every attack.’
He was subsequently in action at
Ox Hill, during the
Maryland campaign took part in the capture of
Harper's Ferry and the battle of
