Astronomer and soldier; born in
Union county, Ky., Aug. 28, 1810; graduated at
West Point in 1829, and was assistant
Professor of Mathematics there until 1831.
He became a lawyer, and for ten years (1834-44) was
Professor of Mathematics, Philosophy, and Astronomy in Cincinnati College.
When an observatory was established at
Cincinnati he became its director.
Soon afterwards he became engineer of a railroad, and from 1859 to 1861 he was director of the
Dudley Observatory at
Albany, N. Y. Professor Mitchel was a very popular lecturer on astronomy, but the breaking out of the
Civil War turned his extraordinary energies into another field of effort.
In August, 1861, he was made
a brigadier-general of volunteers and ordered to the Department of the Ohio.
The Confederate forces under
Gen. A. S. Johnston, when they passed through
Nashville (q. v.) pushed on to
Murfreesboro, and there, taking a southwesterly course, joined the forces under
Beauregard at
Corinth, in northern Mississippi.
Gen. Ormsby M. Mitchel was sent by
General Buell, with a part of his force, in the direction of
Huntsville, Ala.; to seize and hold the Memphis and Charleston Railway at that place.
He performed this task with most wonderful vigor.
With engines and cars captured at
Bowling Green he entered
Nashville, and pushed on southward.
He reached the southern boundary of
Tennessee on April 10,, crossed the State-line the same day, and entered
northern Alabama.
He had passed through a very hostile region, but now saw signs of loyalty.
Pushing on to
Huntsville, before dawn, April 11, while the unsuspecting inhabitants were soundly slumbering, he surprised and captured the place.
He did not tarry long there.
Finding himself in possession of an ample supply of rolling-stock, he speedily organized two expeditions to operate along the line of the railway each way from
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Huntsville.
Colonel Sill led the expedition eastward to
Stevenson, and
Colonel Turchin the other westward to
Tuscumbia.
On April 16
Mitchel said to his soldiers: “You have struck blow after blow with a rapidity unparalleled.
Stevenson fell 60 miles to the east of
Huntsville;
Decatur and
Tuscumbia have been in like manner seized, and are now occupied.
In three days you have extended your front of operations more than 100 miles, and your morning-gun at
Tuscumbia may now be heard by your comrades on the battle-field made glorious by their victory before
Corinth.”
For these exploits
Mitchel was promoted major-general in April, 1862.
In September he was made commander of the Department of the South, with his headquarters at
Hilton Head, where he was working with his usual energy in preparations for a vigorous campaign, when he died with yellow fever, Oct. 30, 1862.
