General Pender’s Chip (Article 119)

“He fought like he had a chip on his shoulder.”

So said a contemporary of Confederate General William Dorsey Pender. And, the description was probably right!

The term “A chip on his shoulder” was common by the mid-nineteenth century. It alluded to a practice, perhaps hoping for a legal loophole, whereby a person, who had been disrespected, cheated, or insulted, wanted to retaliate against the other party, but did not want to be labeled as the primary aggressor. So, the aggrieved would place a wood chip on his shoulder and dare the other person to knock it off, when the offender obliged, it was no holds barred. The meaning has evolved over time, but still describes a person who feels they have been wronged and looks for ways to gain vindication.

That seems to describe, in part, William Pender.

He was born in 1834, in North Carolina where his family owned 500 acres of land and twenty slaves. They also owned a small mercantile store where William often worked as an apprentice to another relative. He was an intelligent and industrious boy and was accepted into the U.S. Military academy at West Point at sixteen years old. He graduated at the age of twenty, with a specialty in artillery, but was soon assigned to the cavalry in the U.S. Army, serving with distinction in the Northwest territories.

A famous story to describe Pender’s daring relates that his unit was in a skirmish with a larger Native American force, when he charged on his horse at the nearest Chief, pulled him off his horse, and carried him back to his line of cavalrymen. After a brief stand-off, the Natives withdrew and Pender released the Chief. The act was considered so brazen and courageous, that the Natives gave wide berth to Pender’s unit in the field from then on.  

Some thought that Pender always had to prove himself. Even in the U.S. Army, before the Civil War, officers from Virginia seemed, to him, to have favored status. And it clearly bothered him. He did not suffer in silence, however, and his discontent was well known, as he often shared his feelings with other officers. However, his complaining did not affect his career as his otherwise exemplary leadership and battlefield results outweighed his personal issues in the eyes of his superior officers. In essence, he was a good United States Army officer.

In 1859, he returned home to North Carolina to marry Fanny Shepard, who he had known since childhood and, over the next few years, they had 3 children.

But Pender was a loyal Southerner and believed secession was warranted and he resigned his commission in the U.S. Army in March 1861 when the Confederate States of America was officially formed. He became a Colonel in the Confederate Army and, When North Carolina seceded in May 1861, he was placed in command of one of that state’s units. He was an effective battlefield leader and, within a year, he had been promoted to Brigadier General. After one of his battlefield exploits became known he received a personal commendation from Confederate President Jefferson Davis who said, “General Pender, I salute you.”

Despite these rapid promotions, Pender still expressed his concerns that the Confederate Senior officers from Virginia favored their own. He was not just selfish in his opinion as he thought other good generals from other Southern states were also overlooked. One contemporary wrote that General Pender could become “more than agitated” when discussing the favoritism shown to Virginians.

However, in the field, he did his job and did it well. With his determination to lead his men from the front, he was wounded several times in different battles, but with one exception, always remained in command on the battlefield. In that one instance, he was forced by his superior officer to move back for treatment, but after a brief respite, he was soon back with his men. Once, a shot grazed his head and he wrote to his wife that his head was a "little more bald of yore."

Confederate General A.P. Hill, wrote, “Gen. Pender has fought with the Division in every battle, has been four times wounded and never left the field, has risen by death and wounds from fifth brigadier to be its senior, has the best drilled and disciplined Brigade in the Division, and more than all, possesses the unbounded confidence of the Division."

Another contemporary wrote, “He was one of the coolest, most self-possessed and one of the most absolutely fearless men under fire I ever knew."

But the “Chip on his shoulder” still showed from time to time. Unlike most Confederate supporters, he did not like Stonewall Jackson, who is revered even today by most southerners. Pender said Jackson was one of the Virginians who received undeserved praise and that he did not want to be under Jackson’s command. He further noted that Jackson would "kill up the army the way he marches" and that Jackson was too forgetful of the fact "that one gets tired, hungry, or sleepy."  

But Pender was a good soldier and was consistently given important missions.

Then Pender and his men were assigned to key positions in the looming battles at Gettysburg. As always, he was leading from the front when he received a wound in his thigh, brushing it off, he continued to rally his men. Soon, however, the wound began to bleed profusely, and Pender was taken back to the Confederate lines for care. Despite an amputation, the doctors could not stop the bleeding and it became clear General Pender would not survive his wounds. He dictated this final note for his wife, “I do not fear to die. I can confidently resign my soul to God, trusting in the atonement of Jesus Christ. My only regret is to leave her and our two children. I have always tried to do my duty in every sphere in which Providence has placed me."

And then he was gone.

Robert E. Lee wrote this: “The loss of Major-General Pender is severely felt by the army and the country. Wounded on several occasions, he never left his command in action until he received the injury that resulted in his death. His promise and usefulness as an officer were only equaled by the purity and excellence of his private life.”

William Pender was certainly a devoted, committed, and courageous Confederate officer; however, just maybe, the chip on his shoulder drove him to prove something to those Virginians.