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POPE, JOHN (1822-1892)

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Originally appearing in Volume V22, Page 87 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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POPE, See also:JOHN (1822-1892) , See also:American soldier, was the son. of Nathaniel Pope (1784-1850), U.S. See also:judge for the See also:district of See also:Illinois, and was See also:born at See also:Louisville, See also:Kentucky, on the 16th of See also:March 1822. He graduated at the See also:United States Military See also:Academy in 1842 and was assigned to the See also:engineers. He served in the Mexican See also:War, receiving the brevets of 1st See also:lieutenant and See also:captain for his conduct at See also:Monterey and Buena Vista. Subsequently he was engaged in See also:engineering and exploring See also:work, mainly in New See also:Mexico, and in See also:surveying the route for a Pacific railroad. He was commissioned captain in 1856. He was actively opposed to the See also:Buchanan See also:administration, and a speech which he made in connexion with the presidential See also:campaign of 186o caused him to be summoned before a See also:court-See also:martial. See also:Early in the See also:Civil War he was placed, as a brigadier-See also:general U.S.V., in See also:charge of the district of See also:Missouri, which by vigorous campaigning against See also:guerrilla bands and severe administration of the civil See also:population he quickly reduced to See also:order. In 1862, along with the gunboat flotilla (commanded by See also:Commodore A. H. See also:Foote) on the See also:Mississippi, Pope obtained a See also:great success by the See also:capture of the defences of New See also:Madrid and See also:Island No. ro, with nearly 7 000 prisoners. Pope subsequently joined See also:Halleck, and in command of the See also:Army of the Mississippi took See also:part in the See also:siege. of See also:Corinth. He was now a See also:major-general U.S.V.

The reputation he had thus gained as an energetic See also:

leader quickly placed him in a high command, to which he proved to be quite unequal. The " Army of See also:Virginia," as his new forces were styled, had but a brief career. At the very outset of his Virginian campaign Pope, by a most See also:ill-advised order, in which he contrasted the performances of the Western troops with the failures of the troops in Virginia, forfeited the confidence of his See also:officers and men. The feeling of the Army of the See also:Potomac (which was ordered to his support) was equally hostile, and the See also:short operations culminated in the disastrous defeat of the second See also:battle of See also:Bull Run. Pope was still sanguine and ready for another trial of strength, but he was soon compelled to realize the impossibility of retrieving his position, and resigned the command. See also:Bitter controversy arose over these events. Halleck, the general-inchief, was by no means See also:free from blame, but the public odium chiefly See also:fell upon generals McClellan and Fitz-John See also:Porter, against whom Pope, while admitting his own mistakes, made See also:grave charges. Pope was not again employed in the Civil War, but in command of the See also:Department of the See also:North-See also:West he showed his former skill and vigour in dealing with See also:Indian risings. In 1865 he was made See also:brevet major-general U.S.A. (having become brigadier-general on his See also:appointment to the Army of Virginia), and he subsequently was in charge of various military districts and departments until his retirement in 1886. In 1882 he was promoted to the full See also:rank of major-general U.S.A. General Pope died at See also:Sandusky, See also:Ohio, on the 23rd of See also:September 1892.

He was the author of various See also:

works and papers, including railway reports (Pacific Railroad Reports vol. iii.) and The Campaign of Virginia (See also:Washington, 1865).

End of Article: POPE, JOHN (1822-1892)

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