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JOHN POPE (1822-1892)

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Originally appearing in Volume V22, Page 87 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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JOHN See also:POPE (1822-1892)  , See also:American soldier, was the son. of Nathaniel See also: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-See also: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: JOHN POPE (1822-1892)
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