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Mosby Monroe Parsons (May 21, 1822 – August 15, 1865) was a brigadier general of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.
[edit] Early Life and Career
Born in Charlottesville, Virginia, Parsons came to Cole County, Missouri at an early age, eventually taking up law. Parsons served as a volunteer officer in the Mexican-American War at the rank of captain and was cited for gallantry at the Battle of Sacramento on February 28, 1847. This led to a successful political career as Attorney General in Missouri from 1853 to 1857 and then as Missouri State Senator at the outbreak of the American Civil War.
[edit] Civil War
During the secession crisis, Parsons was appointed brigadier general of the gathering "Sixth Division" of the secessionist Missouri State Guard. He arrived too late to participate in its initial skirmish at Boonville, but he went on to lead his Missouri State Guard command at Carthage and the Battle of Wilson's Creek in Missouri as well as the Battle of Pea Ridge in Arkansas.
He was commissioned a brigadier general of the Confederacy on November 5, 1862 and led his infantry brigade in the Battle of Prairie Grove, Arkansas a month later. His force would participate in the attack at Helena, Arkansas on July 4, 1863 and reinforce Richard Taylor in thwarting U.S. Major General Nathaniel Banks' Red River Campaign of 1864 in Louisiana, as well as U.S. Major General Steele's Camden Expedition in Arkansas. He was appointed major general by Trans-Mississippi Departmental Commander Kirby Smith on April 30, 1864, although he was never appointed as such by Jefferson Davis.
[edit] Post War and Death
After the surrender of the Confederacy, Parsons retreated to Mexico where he and five companions are believed to have been killed on August 15, 1865. He is said to be buried in Nuevo León, although no one knows precisely where Parsons is buried, if he was buried at all).
[edit] References
- Warner, Ezra;Generals in Gray, Lives of the Confederate Commanders Baton Rouge, Louisiana: Louisiana State University Press, 1959. ISBN 0-8071-0823-5.
- Hinze, David; Farnham, Karen, The Battle of Carthage, Border War in Southwest Missouri, July 5, 1861. Gretna, Louisiana: Pelican Publishing, 2004. ISBN 1-58980-223-3.
