James B. McPherson Quick Facts

Name Meaning

James is of Hebrew origin and means “he who supplants”

Vital Stats

Birthday: November 14th, 1828
Birth Name: James Birdseye McPherson
Birthplace: Near present day Clyde, Sandusky County, Ohio
Height: 5’10”
Date of Death: July 22nd, 1864
Cause: Killed in action at the Battle of Atlanta
Place of Death: Atlanta, Georgia
Nationality: American
Ancestry: Scottish
Occupation before Civil War:
Officer in U.S. Army
Occupation during Civil War:
Union Army officer. Rose from 1st Lieutenant to Major General in command of the Union Army of Tennessee.

Major Battles:

Fort Henry, Fort Donelson,
Shiloh, Vicksburg Campaign,
Atlanta Campaign

Relatives

Father: William R. McPherson (1796-1847)
Mother: Cynthia Russell McPherson (1805-1883)
Sister: Emaline McPherson (1830-1884)
Brother: Russell McPherson (1832-1877)
Brother: William H. McPherson (1835-1871)

Romance

Engaged to Emily Hoffman (1839-1891) at
the time of his death. She never married.

Resources

Forgotten Hero: General James B. McPherson, The Biography
of a Civil War General by Elizabeth J. Whaley

Generals in Blue by Ezra J. Warner

Decision in the West: The Atlanta Campaign of 1864
by Albert Castle