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The General Torbert Society
Honoring Delaware's own Civil War Hero

General Alfred Torbert

Major General Alfred T. A. Torbert
Delaware's own Civil War Hero
 

        Born in Georgetown, Delaware, 1 July, 1833, the son of Jonathan R. Torbert, a farmer, bank official, and Methodist preacher, and Catherine Milby, Alfred Torbert received a local education, followed by an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy in 1851. He graduated West Point in 1855, and was assigned to the 5th United States Infantry.  He served on frontier duty during the next five years in Texas and Florida, on the Utah expedition against the Mormons, and in New Mexico, being promoted 1st Lieutenant, 25 February, 1861.

As a native of a slave state, when the war broke out some of his southern friends secured for him a commission as a first lieutenant of artillery in the Provisional Confederate Army, to rank from 16 March 1861. But, Torbert remained true to the country that had given him his education and rejected the offer, embarking on a round of mustering duty in the State of New Jersey. His professionalism so impressed the state authorities that in September 1861he was named to command the 1st New Jersey Volunteer Infantry. Torbert was, in the words of his second in command, "the best drill officer that I have yet seen."

Torbert distinguished himself during George B. McClellan's mid-1862 offensive on the Virginia Peninsula. Sickened by "Chickahominy fever" during the early stages of the campaign, he left his sickbed to help prevent the rout of his regiment at Gaines's Mill on 27 June. His heroics helped him win the command of the First New Jersey Brigade, one of the most effective components of the VI Corps, Army of the Potomac.

Torbert again saved the day on 30 August during the chaotic retreat of John Pope's army at Second Manassas. At a critical point he helped restore order in the Union rear and saved a supply train from "Jeb" Stuart's cavalry. On this occasion his corps commander lauded him for helping avert "another great disaster."

One of his finest combat performances occurred on 14 September during the formative period of the Antietam campaign. Attacking a rebel force that held a commanding position atop Crampton's Gap in South Mountain, his four regiments advanced steadily under a torrent of artillery- and rifle-fire. Cowed by the bravery of Torbert’s men, most of the defenders fled up the mountainside and across the valley beyond. For this feat, on 29 November he received the star of a Brigadier General of Volunteers.

At Fredericksburg, on 13 December, Torbert's brigade was initially successful, driving a rebel force from a railroad cut along the Union left, until forced to withdraw in the face of heavy reinforcements. Illness prevented him from participating in the Chancellorsville campaign, and his brigade was relegated to a reserve role at Gettysburg, along with the 6^th Army Corps.

In the early spring of 1864, Torbert was appointed by Major General Philip H. Sheridan to the command of the 1^st Cavalry Division, the forbear of today's 1st Cavalry Division, Airmobile.  Despite his lack of experience in mounted warfare, much was expected of the new commander. "Torbert was brought over from the infantry," one of his subordinates noted, "with a reputation for courage, steadiness, and dash."

At the outset Torbert’s performance justified this almost unprecedented appointment. Although a spinal abscess forced him to miss the early operations of Ulysses S. Grant's Overland campaign, he returned to the army in time to render good service at Haw's Shop on 28 May 1864, for which he was brevetted Lieutenant-Colonel, United States Army. He repelled the enemy at Matadequin Creek on 30 May, and drove them close to Cold Harbor, taking that crucially strategic place on the 31st before the arrival of the infantry with cavalry alone after a severe fight, and held it the next day against repeated assaults. He was then ordered by General Sheridan to make a raid to Charlottesville with another division, had the advance, and commanded at Trevilian Station on 11 June.

On 8 August, 1864, General Torbert was made Chief of Cavalry of the Middle Military Division, and given command of three divisions when General Sheridan took command of the Army of the Shenandoah. When Sheridan was closely pressed at Winchester, Torbert was especially active with the cavalry and aided in putting the enemy to flight, for which he was brevetted Colonel, United States Army, on 19 September, 1864, and Major-General of Volunteers on the previous 9 September. Returning through the Shenandoah Valley, he thoroughly thrashed Confederate forces at Tom's River on 9 October, completely routing General Thomas L. Rosser's command, and pursuing it many miles.

On 19 October, at Cedar Creek, General Torbert assisted the 6th corps in holding the pike to Winchester against desperate assaults. He commanded at Liberty Mills and Gordonsville in late December, 1864.  He then took an extended leave.

After his return on 27 February, 1865, he commanded the Army of the Shenandoah, 22 April till 12 July, 1865, the district of Winchester till 1 September, and southeastern Virginia till 31 December. On 13 March, 1865, Torbert was brevetted Brigadier-General, United States Army, for his success at Cedar Creek, and Major-General for gallant and meritorious services during the war. He was mustered out of the volunteer service, 15 January, 1866, and resigned from the regular army, 31 October, 1866.

Mary Elizabeth Currey Torbert

He married Miss Mary Elizabeth Currey at Christ Church in Milford, Delaware on January 17, 1866.  In attendance were Generals George Meade, James Wilson and Alexander Webb, classmate at West Point and Medal of Honor winner at Gettysburg.

Two years later, he became City Council President of Milford, the second to hold that position, until 1869.  In 1869, General Torbert again answered his country's call as he was appointed minister to San Salvador.  He transferred to Havana to become Consul-General two years later and filled the same post in Paris from 1873 till his resignation in 1878. During that time the Torbert's hosted and accompanied President Ulysses S. Grant and his wife on their famous European tour.

He was a member of Temple Chapter, #2, Royal Arch Masons, Milford, Delaware and in 1869 was the first Grand Secretary of the Grand Chapter, of Delaware’s Royal Arch Masons.

Torbert as a General of Cavalry

Torbert a Hero in Life and Death

Even in death this gentleman Delawarean was a hero.  Departing Jersey City, on August, 25, 1880, the General, now the President of a mining company was on his way to Mexico on the steamer "Vera Cruz," when a hurricane struck.  As the ship foundered off the coast of Florida on August 29, Torbert saved a young boy from drowning, but lost his own in the process.  The General's body was found washed up on shore at Cape Canaveral, Florida, several days later. 

His funeral, held in late September of 1880, remains the largest held in Delaware history.  Torbert's body was initially brought to New York City arriving on September 29, 1880.  He lay in state at City Hall for one day. The pallbearers included Generals George McClellan, William F. "Baldy" Smith, Alexander Smith, and Dan Sickles.  Many Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York veterans' organizations were present in New York and then traveled to Milford for the burial on September 30.  Special trains brought hundreds more friends from New York City and Philadelphia.  His mother was also in attendance at the funeral in Milford.  The hearse was escorted from the train station in Milford by The Torbert Guards (Company B, 1^st Delaware Militia) to the Methodist Church and on to the graveside.  The  Rev. Leighton McKim, Headmaster of St. Mary's Hall in Burlington, NJ, officiated.  He had married the Torbert's in 1866.  It was a distressing funeral, especially for Mary Torbert, who threw herself upon the grave two different times during the graveside ceremony.