The General vs. The Husband (Article #97)
The Confederate General cut a dashing figure, and he knew it; and his wife was many miles away. The husband was a Doctor and legislator in Tennessee, had earlier married his fourth wife, and he frequently travelled as part of his legislative duties. The Doctor’s new wife was beautiful and was twenty-five years younger than her husband. They were all living in the same small town.
What could go wrong?
Earl Van Dorn, was born in 1820 in Mississippi, and his mother was a niece of President Andrew Jackson. When Earl was eighteen, Jackson arranged an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point. After his graduation in 1842, and commission as a Second Lieutenant, he held various positions in units of the U.S. Army in the Southern states. He married in 1843 and he and his wife had two children. During the War with Mexico in 1847-48, he served honorably, was twice wounded in action, and received several battlefield promotions. He later served in Indian Territory and was wounded four times in different skirmishes; sometimes by gunshots and other times by arrows. However, the last injuries seriously damaged internal organs and it was thought at the early stages that he might not survive. But he recovered, and went on to command units in the U.S. Army until he resigned his commission in January, 1861 when his home state of Mississippi seceded from the Union. He joined the Mississippi state militia and, when Jefferson Davis, then Commander of the militia, left to become President of the Confederate States of America, Earl Van Dorn became his replacement.
But the new Confederate Army needed experienced officers so, in March, 1861, Van Dorn resigned from the state militia and accepted an appointment as a Colonel in the C.S.A. He led successful operations in Texas and was quickly promoted through the ranks to Major General by the fall of 1861. Jefferson Davis himself, then assigned General Van Dorn as Commander of the Trans-Mississippi District, considered to be a most difficult assignment because several lesser ranked Generals had staked out their own territories and refused to coordinate efforts. He quickly gained control of the situation and initiated an audacious plan. He would march through Arkansas, into Missouri, and capture St. Louis. He wrote to his wife, “I am now in for it, to make a reputation and serve my country conspicuously or fail. I must not, shall not, do the latter. I must have St. Louis – Huzza!”
However, despite having a larger force in the area than the Union Commander, he failed to reach St. Louis! He was defeated at Pea Ridge, in Arkansas; but he was not dismayed. In his report to the Confederate Congress, General Van Dorn wrote, “I was not defeated, but only foiled in my intentions.” (Huh?)
Soon Van Dorn suffered another defeat at Corinth, Mississippi, and Jefferson Davis had seen enough. He was, in effect demoted, but General Van Dorn was eager to regain his honor. Meanwhile, a Union General, Ulysses Grant, was having great success against Confederate forces in Tennessee. In his new position as a Cavalry Commander, Van Dorn decided that an attack on General Grant’s forces at Holly Springs could be an effective use of his units and a victory would rebuild his tarnished reputation. In a way, he succeeded at both goals, but he only partly restored his reputation. Among most senior Confederate officers, Van Dorn was respected as a good Cavalry tactician, but was no longer considered for major strategic positions, commanding mixed infantry, artillery, and cavalry forces. And, at least one other Confederate General, did not believe he was capable of even leading Cavalry. Nathan Bedford Forrest, one of the more outspoken Confederate Generals, publicly stated his reservations about Van Dorn’s judgement and was challenged by Van Dorn to a duel. Such a fracture among generals would have forced others to take sides, but cooler heads prevailed; and the duel was called off.
In the first two years of the war, Van Dorn was only able to visit his home, wife and children in Mississippi on a few occasions. He had moved his headquarters to Spring Hill, Tennessee in March 1863 and found himself with time on his hands. His reputation as a “flatterer of women” was well known by this time, as he had usually made the acquaintance of Southern Belles wherever he was quartered. One contemporary called him, “The terror of ugly husbands.” In Spring hill, he was introduced to Jesse Kissack Peters, who was the fourth and (much) younger wife of a local physician and state legislator. The good Doctor was away much of the time and General Van Dorn and Jesse began to be seen by neighbors in the area taking carriage rides together; and even having unsupervised visits to her home.
Tongues began to wag!
On April 12, Doctor Peters returned to Spring Hill and within hours (maybe minutes) was made aware of the situation between the General and his wife. Peters declared that he would kill Van Dorn and any of the General’s staff who he found on his land. One would expect that word would have gotten to both the General and the Doctor’s wife very quickly, but if they were aware, they disregarded the danger. That evening, while Dr. Peters was at a political meeting, the two met in her house and the Doctor barged in to find them in a somewhat compromising situation. The angry Doctor pointed a gun at the two and may have said a few choice words! The General evidently begged for Dr. Peters to spare Jesse and to not hold her responsible for her acquiescence in his pursuit of her; which seems to imply that Van Dorn considered his advances toward women to be irresistible! But, in any case, the Doctor backed down and allowed the General to leave.
We do not know what went on in the Doctor’s home over next three weeks but, on May 7, 1863, Dr. Peters visited the home where General Van Dorn had his headquarters. The Doctor was familiar to the sentries and the General’s staff because he often had sought passes to leave town for official business; so, he was allowed to enter Van Dorn’s office. The General was writing at his desk as Doctor Peters walked up behind him and Van Dorn did not even look over his shoulder.
He should have!
Dr. Peters took out a small pistol and shot the General in the head. Peters was arrested, but never brought to trial as his lawyer argued that “Van Dorn had violated the sanctity of his home - a situation no man could leave unanswered.”
Earl Van Dorn had survived wounds from Mexican soldiers and even arrows from Indian warriors; but he could not survive an attack from a jealous husband!
Post script: As the Northern forces advanced through Tennessee and eventually throughout the south, a new twist in the episode became the subject of speculation; which is still repeated today. Some believe Dr. Peters and Jesse were conspirators with the Union and actually lured Van Dorn into what was a political/military assassination. Two facts lend some credence to that theory; (1) Dr. Peters did sign a loyalty oath to the Union and (2) he and his wife reconciled after Van Dorn’s death. On the other hand, I believe that it was jealousy, not politics, that motivated Dr. Peters, because there were more important Confederate generals that he could have eliminated; if that was his mission.
But who knows for sure?