"One of the more laughed at generals of the American Civil War, Gideon Pillow is often associated with failure in his military life. Always considered petty, jealous, and quite undeserving of command, he served infamously for the United States in the Mexican-American War and for the Confederacy during the Civil War. In their book The Life and Wars of Gideon J. Pillow Nathaniel C. Hughes Jr. and Roy P. Stonesifer attempt to inflate Pillow from his previous flattened state. Even with sympathetic treatment they do not fully succeed; however, they do manage to give the reader greater insight into one of the Confederacy's worst generals. The authors insist that Pillow never fully capitalized on the many opportunities he received as a general. Despite this, they see past the common interpretation of Pillow, and still believe that he had redeeming qualities as a general.
Pillow was not a man of misfortune off the battlefield. Born in Middle Tennessee to a pioneer family, he had amble opportunities for advancement as a young man. Much of his family had served with Andrew Jackson during the Creek War and the Battle of New Orleans, and this connection brought Pillow to the eye of Jackson. Throughout the 1830s and 1840s, Pillow helped grease the wheels of the political machine against the Whigs in Tennessee. Being a well educated lawyer and having such strong connections to the Democratic Party, Pillow soon entwined himself with another Jackson protégé, James K. Polk. In fact, Pillow (characteristically) claimed that he had been the motivating force that turned the historic ninth ballot at the 1844 Democratic National Convention in favor of Polk. By Polk's inauguration, Pillow was one of the wealthiest men in Tennessee and sought a political appointment from his friend. With the outbreak of hostilities with Mexico, Pillow got his chance. He received a Major General rank from the administration, one of many political generals appointed.
Mexico would be Pillow's political downfall, but not before he blundered on the field. Beginning with digging ditches on the wrong side of the fortifications at Camargo, Pillow soon found himself waiting on the defensive as Zachary Taylor chose other subordinates to march with him. Pillow finally got a chance at combat after moving to the coast to help Winfield Scott. Causing needless casualties at Cerdo Gordo, he finally had better luck at Chapultepec. After a self aggrandizing campaign, in which he styled himself the "Hero of Chapultepec," Pillow began to attack Scott's performance, crediting himself with victories he had no claim to. Always seen as a political spy lodged in the army for Polk, Pillow fell out of favor with most regular officers. After the war Pillow took to politics and the controversy between him and Scott grew. It helped cost him the Vice Presidential bid in both 1852 and 1856…"
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Amicalement
Armand
gets his hands on some fields and fences.