John McArthur John McArthur ( November 17 , 1826 – May 15 , 1906 ) was a Union general during the American Civil War . McArthur became one of the ablest Federal commanders in the Western Theater . Early life . McArthur was born in Erskine , Scotland . He learned to be a blacksmith and emigrated to the United States at age 23 and settled in Chicago . He was the proprietor of the Excelsior Iron Works . He also served in the Chicago Highland Guards militia unit . Civil War . Following the outbreak of the Civil War , McArthur was appointed colonel of the 12th Illinois Volunteer Infantry . Shortly after , he was elevated to command the 1st Brigade in Brig . Gen . Charles F . Smith ' s division and saw action at the Battle of Fort Donelson . Even though Smith ' s division was deployed on the left flank of the Union line , McArthur ' s brigade was detached to John A . McClernand ' s division to extend the right flank toward the Cumberland River . McArthur ' s brigade was never positioned correctly and when the Confederates made their breakout attempt , McArthur and Richard J . Oglesby ' s neighboring brigade suffered heavily . Despite this both brigades withdrew in relative good order . Following Fort Donelson , McArthur was promoted to brigadier general on March 21 , 1862 , and led the 2nd Brigade , 2nd Division of the Army of the Tennessee at the Battle of Shiloh . Members of his brigade wore Scottish caps and were thus nicknamed the " Highland Brigade " . McArthur was wounded leading his brigade in a breakout of the Confederate encirclement on the first day of Shiloh . He led his brigade during the following Siege of Corinth . Following the capture of Corinth , McArthur took command of the 6th Division and was ordered to reinforce Maj . Gen . William S . Rosecrans ' s Army of Mississippi , stationed at Corinth . On the eve of the battle of Corinth , Brigadier General Thomas J . McKean arrived from St . Louis and due to his rank superseded McArthur in command of the division . Orders were given placing McKean in command of the division but no orders were given to reassign McArthur . Therefore , McArthur was without a command for a brief period but remained close at hand , even helping Colonel John M . Oliver position the pickets for his neighboring brigade . A staff officer at Rosecrans ' s headquarters remembered McArthur ' s predicament and a special order was immediately sent out returning McArthur to command of the 1st Brigade , 6th Division , which had recently been commanded by Colonel Benjamin Allen while McArthur was in divisional command . After Corinth , McArthur returned to command the 6th Division , now part of the XVII Corps . He led it during the Siege of Vicksburg and commanded the post at Vicksburg after the Confederate surrender . He was in command of the 1st Division , XVI Corps and was involved in the pursuit of Sterling Price ' s Missouri Raid . His division was transferred with the rest of the corps to Tennessee , where his troops played a significant role in breaking the Confederate lines the second day of the Battle of Nashville . He received a brevet promotion to major general of volunteers for his actions in that battle . He also led his division into action at the Battle of Fort Blakely . Postbellum life . After the war , he was involved in a number of occupations , including Commissioner of Chicago Public Works during the Chicago Fire , Postmaster General of Chicago , and general manager of the Chicago and Vert Island Stone Company . McArthur died in Chicago , Illinois .