Name/Title
Joseph Benjamin PalmerEntry/Object ID
Palmer, Joseph BenjaminDescription
Waist-length seated frontal view of middle-aged man with prominent moustache in business attire. Both his hands are visible, pointing down. He ha a gold stickpin in the center of his white starched shirt.Collection
Private CollectionGeneral Notes
Note Type
Historical NoteNote
Civil War Confederate Brigadier General. Born in Rutherford County, Tennessee, on November 1, 1825, to William Howard Palmer and Mildred Johns Palmer. he was practicing as a lawyer when appointed Colonel of the 18th Tennessee Regiment at the start of the Civil War. He was part of the garrison surrendered at Fort Donelson in February 1862 and after being prisoner exchanged was given command of a brigade in the Army of Mississippi. He fought in the battles of Stones River, Chickamauga and was appointed to district command in the Department of Tennessee in November 1863. He participated in the Atlanta Campaign and was promoted Brigadier General in November 1864. He led the Tennessee regiments in actions through the Carolinas until he surrendered to Union forces on May 1, 1865. After the war, he resumed legal practice in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He married Ophelia Burrus in 1854, but she died in 1856. He then married Margaret Ballentine. His son, Judge Horaced Edward Palmer is in this collection. Joseph Palmer died in 1890 and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery.Create Date
September 24, 2026Update Date
September 24, 2026