History of Tippah County Mississippi United States of America

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Thomas Carmichael Hindman, soldier, was born in Tippah county, Miss., about 1826; son of Thomas Carmichael Hindman, an officer in the war of 1812, who removed from near Knoxville, Tenn., to Talladega, Ala., and subsequently to near Ripley, Tippah county, Miss., where Thomas, Jr., was born, and received a common school education. He went to Mexico as lieutenant in the 2d Mississippi regiment, Colonel Clark, 1846, and served till the close of the war. He studied law, 1847-49, and was admitted to the bar. He was a representative in the state legislature in 1851 or 1852; was a friend of Jefferson Davis, and advocated the right of the states to secede as early as 1851, when he canvassed the state in opposition to Henry S. Foote, Unionist. He removed to Helena, Ark., in 1853, and practised law with Maj. John C. Palmer. He represented the Helena district of the state in the 36th congress, 1859-61; supported Henry M. Rector for governor of Arkansas in 1859, and was re-elected to the 37th congress in 1860. When the state seceded, he raised a regiment for the Confederate States army, which he commanded, and which was increased to a legion by the addition of a battalion and battery of artillery. He was at Pittman's Ferry, Ark., 1861, and in August was sent to Cave City, Ky., and thence to Corinth, Miss. He was commissioned brigadier-general while in Kentucky, and commanded a division at Corinth, April 6-7, 1862, where he was thrown from his horse and injured. He was commissioned major-general the day before the battle, and afterward commanded the trans-Mississippi district, with headquarters at Little Rock, Ark., where he had organized a new army of 18,000 armed and 8000 unarmed men, when superseded by Gen. Theophilus H. Holmes. He commanded the Confederate force at the battle of Prairie Grove, Dec. 7, 1862, where he was driven back by the Federal army under Gen. James G. Blunt, and he retreated to Little Rock. He reported to General Bragg, at Chattanooga, Sept. 1, 1863, and commanded a division of Polk's corps of the left wing of Bragg's army under Longstreet at the battle of Chickamauga, Sept. 19-20, 1863, where he was wounded and superseded by Gen. J.P. Anderson. He quarrelled with the commanding general and was relieved of his command for a time, but again commanded his division in Hardee's corps, Johnston's Army of Tennessee, in the battle of Resaca, Ga., May 14, 1864. He drove back the Federal line at Kenesaw Mountain, June 27, 1864, but being exposed to the fire of the Confederate artillery, was obliged to fall back, and this movement subjected his division to the loss of about 1000 men. After the war he removed to the city of Mexico, but returned in 1867 and settled in Helena, Ark., where he resumed the practice of the law. He was married to a daughter of Henry S. Biscoe, of Arkansas, and they had one son, Prof. Biscoe Hindman. General Hindman was assassinated at his home, it is supposed, by one of his former soldiers in revenge of an act of discipline. He died at Helena, Ark., Sept. 28, 1868.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Tippah County Mississippi

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