Joseph Andrew Jackson Lightburn Joseph Andrew Jackson Lightburn ( September 21 , 1824 – May 17 , 1901 ) was a farmer , soldier and Baptist Minister , most famous for his service as a Union general during the American Civil War . Early life . Lightburn was born in Pennsylvania , the oldest of 5 children . His family moved to Lewis County , Virginia ( later West Virginia ) and worked on his family ' s farm prior to the Mexican War . He enlisted and served in the U . S . Army until 1851 when he was discharged . In 1859 he became a licensed minister in the Baptist church . Civil War . When the Civil War began Lightburn was appointed colonel of the 4th ( West ) Virginia Infantry Regiment on August 14 , 1861 . Two of his brothers , Martin Van Buren Lightburn and Calvin Luther Lightburn , also joined this regiment and served with their older brother throughout the war . Another brother , John Fell Lightburn , joined the Confederate Army instead . Joseph Lightburn ' s regiment served under Maj . Gen . George B . McClellan during the West Virginia Campaign early in the war . For much of 1862 he commanded the 4th Brigade in the District of Kanawha . He was forced to evacuate the Kanawha Valley in the face of Confederate General William W . Loring , but helped drive these same Confederates out of the valley during Jacob D . Cox ' s operations in West Virginia . On March 14 , 1863 , Lightburn was appointed brigadier general of volunteers and ordered to report to the Army of the Tennessee . He arrived in January 1863 but shortly after went on a leave of absence and returned to his home in West Virginia . During this time Confederate generals William E . " Grumble " Jones and John D . Imboden conducted a raid through the area and Lightburn was enlisted to raise troops to fend off the raid . Returning to the Army of the Tennessee he assumed command of the 2nd Brigade , 2nd Division , XV Corps on May 23 just after the siege of Vicksburg had begun and led the brigade throughout the rest of the siege and following expedition against Jackson , Mississippi . Afterward he was temporarily in command of the 2nd Division of the XV Corps . In November 1863 the XV Corps was transferred from Vicksburg to Chattanooga . Returning to command of his brigade , Lightburn fought under Maj . Gen . William T . Sherman in the battle of Missionary Ridge . When Sherman ' s attacks against Tunnel Hill failed , he sent in 200 men commanded by Lightburn to attack the position . This attack fared no better than Sherman ' s earlier attacks . Lightburn led his brigade during the Atlanta Campaign , seeing action at the battles of Resaca , Dallas and Kennesaw Mountain . During the Battle of Atlanta Lightburn rose to command the 2nd Division after the death of army commander James B . McPherson and all of Lightburn ' s superior officers rose in command also . When Oliver O . Howard was chosen as permanent commander of the Army of the Tennessee , Lightburn returned to command of the 2nd Brigade and fought at the battle of Ezra Church . During the following siege of Atlanta , he was engaged in light skirmishing and was shot in the head . The bullet merely grazed his skull but knocked him from his horse falling into the arms of his brother , Calvin Luther . The wound ended his career with the Army of the Tennessee and he was sent home to recover . Upon recovery he first commanded a brigade then the 2nd Division in the Department of West Virginia until he resigned from the army on June 22 , 1865 . Postbellum life . General Lightburn spent the rest of his life serving as a minister , most significantly at the Broad Run Baptist Church . He died in Broad Run , West Virginia , and is buried there in the churchyard .