Position at Antietam
Commander, Army of Northern Virginia (Age 55 at the battle)
Personal
1816-1894 Virginia
Nickname: Old Jube
Born in Franklin County, Virginia, near Roanoke, into a well-established and well-connected family in the area. Lived with Julia McNealey, who bore him four children, but they never married.
Education
Graduated West Point in 1837; ranked 18th of 50. Resigned from the U.S. Army one year later. Studied law and admitted to Virginia bar in 1840.
Mexican War
Major, 1st Virginia Volunteers, but saw no combat in Mexico.
Other military career highlights
Served briefly in the Second Seminole War but resigned from the U.S. Army after one year
Civilian career highlights
Attorney and Virginia legislator. At first, opposed secession.
Civil War
Colonel, 24th Virginia; Brigade commander at First Manassas; In 1862, a brigade commander in Maj. Gen. Ewell’s division. Fought in Seven Days and Second Manassas Campaigns. Took temporary command of Lawton’s division at Antietam when Lawton was wounded; commanded a division under Generals Stonewall Jackson and Richard Ewell, later commanded a corps. Key Confederate defender of the Shenandoah Valley during the Valley Campaigns of 1864, Early made daring raids to the outskirts of Washington D.C., and as far as York Pennsylvania, but was crushed by Union forces under General Philip Sheridan. Lee told Early to go home and wait for orders, then relieved Early of his command on March 30.
Postwar
Fled to Mexico and Canada; Returned to Virginia in 1869. Practiced law. Leading proponent of the Lost Cause. Founder and president of the Southern Historical Society and a frequent contributor to the Southern Historical Society Papers, Early exaggerated Lee’s virtues and focused on the supposed shortcomings of his subordinates—especially James Longstreet, whom he accused of losing the Battle of Gettysburg.
Death
March 2, 1894, after falling down the stairs at the Lynchburg Post Office; age 77.
Quotes
“My bad old man.” Robert E. Lee
“A snarling, rasping disposition.” Moxley Sorrel
“A plain farmer-looking man…but with all, every inch a soldier.” A Confederate in 1861
“As preternaturally solemn as a country coroner going to his first inquest.” Confederate soldier describing Early “I had seen him at times and places that tried men’s souls, and he was always in the thickest of the battle.” Captain Samuel Breck, 13th Virginia
“One of the coolest and most imperturbable of men under fire and in extremity.” John Gordon
“Early behaved with great coolness and good judgement, particularly after he came in command of his division. JEB Stuart, speaking of Early’s performance at Sharpsburg
“At Sharpsburg, Early and his brigade…dove straight into the morning’s carnage. It was Early who once more seized the initiative and plugged the defensive line north of the little whitewashed church. It was Early who brought another old West Point comrade, Union general John Sedgwick’s attack to a standstill in the West Woods.” Benjamin F. Cooling, Jubal Early, Robert E. Lee’s Bad Old Man”
“Early being now directed in consequence of the disability of General Lawton to take command of Ewell’s division…attacked with great vigor and gallantry.” Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson reporting on Early at Sharpsburg
“General Lawton was severely wounded; Colonel Douglas, commanding his brigade, killed; Colonel Walker, commanding Trimble’s brigade, had had his horse killed under him, and himself been disabled by a contusion from a piece of shell; all the regimental commanders in the three brigades except two had been killed or wounded; and Lawton’s brigade had sustained a loss of very nearly one-half, Hays’ of more than one-half, and Trimble’s of more than a third.” Jubal Early describing the situation when he assumed command of Lawton’s division at Antietam. Autobiographical Sketch, page 14