John P . McCown John Porter McCown ( August 19 , 1815 – January 22 , 1879 ) was a career officer in the United States Army , fighting in the Mexican – American War and in the Seminole Wars . He also served as a general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War . Early life and career . John Porter McCown was born near the town of Sevierville , located in Sevier County , Tennessee . In September 1835 he entered the United States Military Academy at West Point , and graduated in July 1840 standing tenth out of 42 cadets . McCown was commissioned a second lieutenant and assigned to the 4th U . S . Artillery . He was promoted to first lieutenant on September 30 , 1843 . McCown then participated in the U . S . Army ' s military occupation of Texas in 1845 and 1846 . McCown fought during the Mexican – American War and participated in the Battle of Cerro Gordo near Xalapa , Veracruz . He was brevetted to captain on April 18 , 1847 , for his conduct in that battle . He served as the 4th Artillery ' s Regiment al Quartermaster from March 29 , 1847 to January 12 , 1849 . After the war McCown served along the Rio Grande on frontier duty , and he was promoted to captain on January 9 , 1851 . In 1856 and 1857 McCown fought during the Seminole Wars in Florida , and in 1858 he was part of the Utah War . He then was on garrison duty in the Nebraska Territory as well as in the Dakota Territory from 1858 into 1861 . Civil War service . McCown chose to follow the Confederate cause and resigned his U . S . Army commission on May 17 , 1861 . He was appointed a captain in the artillery of the Confederate Army on March 16 , and then promoted to lieutenant colonel on May 9 . Also in 1861 he was in charge of a Confederate infantry brigade under the command of Gideon J . Pillow . He was sent to the western theater and appointed a colonel in the Tennessee artillery on May 17 . He was promoted to brigadier general on October 12 , and he marched his brigade to Columbus , Kentucky , and on to the Battle of Belmont on November 7 . Starting on March 3 , garrison commander Brig . Gen . McCown , defended New Madrid and Island No . 10 from a siege by the Union ' s Army of the Mississippi under command of Brig . Gen John Pope . McCown was promoted to Major General on March 10 , 1862 , and ordered the evacuation of positions at New Madrid to Island No 10 . on the evening of March 13 after several days of siege . McCown was criticized for abandoning arms and supplies in a hasty withdraw from positions at New Madrid . Amid the criticism , McCown was accused of drunkenness and was replaced by William W . Mackall during the Battle of Island Number Ten . However , McCown was later vindicated by an April 4 letter from Henry S . Foote ' s son Henry S . Foote Jr . that attributed the rumors circulated because of McCown ' s brother " " who I ' m told drinks freely " " and because of jealousy at McCown ' s recent promotion . Foote called his son ' s letter a " " patriotic act " " in " " these days of general fault finding and vulgar crimination " " . < ref name = " Crist / Dix / Williams " > < / ref > Following the surrender of the Confederate garrisons after the battle , he commanded the 2nd Division of the Army of the West from April until June 20 , when he assumed overall command of the Army of the West . On June 27 , McCown ' s command was added to the Second Corps of the Army of Mississippi . General Bragg consolidated the Army of Kentucky and the Army of Mississippi into one force known as the Confederate Army of Tennessee , and McCown ' s division was made part of Lt . Gen . William J . Hardee ' s Corps . The Army of Tennessee fought at the Battle of Stones River at Murfreesboro near the end of 1862 . McCown and other senior generals petitioned Jefferson Davis to relieve General Braxton Bragg in favor of Gen . Joseph E . Johnston . Davis refused to relieve either Bragg or the rebellious generals . McCown ran afoul of Braxton Bragg , who blamed McCown for the loss of New Madrid and labeled him " " his worst division commander " " . In March 1863 Bragg had McCown court - martial ed , ostensibly for disobeying orders at Murfreesboro , but more likely for criticism of Bragg and Confederate officials , including Davis . McCown was relieved of his command as the commanding general of the Army and was tried and found guilty of disobedience of orders on March 16 , and sentenced to suspension from duty for a period of six months . McCown declared the Confederacy was nothing more than " " a damned stinking cotton oligarchy . . . gotten up for the benefit of Isham G . Harris and Jefferson Davis and their damned corrupt clique s . " " That May , most of his command was sent for service in Mississippi . By 1865 McCown was in North Carolina . In April he defended a Catawba River crossing near Morganton . McCown held the crossing against the Union cavalry division of Brig . Gen . Alvan C . Gillem with about 300 soldiers and one artillery piece . After the war he was paroled from Salisbury on May 12 . Postbellum . Following the war McCown became a teacher in Knoxville , Tennessee . Later he moved to Magnolia , Arkansas , and took up farming . In 1870 he moved to Little Rock , again engaged in farming . McCown died in Little Rock in 1879 and was buried in City Cemetery in Magnolia .