What Happened to Confederate Leaders After the Civil War

The Confederate States of America was a breakaway state led by many powerful and skilled leaders and generals. After the war, some leaders faced legal prosecution, some faced public scrutiny, and others flourished with successful careers after the war. Here are some of the most notable Confederate leaders and generals, and what they did after the Civil War.

Timestamps:
Intro - 0:00
Jefferson Davis - 0:26
Alexander H. Stephens - 3:17
Robert E. Lee - 4:28
P.G.T Beauregard - 5:55
Joseph E. Johnston - 7:01
Nathan Bedford Forrest - 7:41
Stonewall Jackson - 8:42
George Pickett - 9:22
Outro - 9:51

[RayLabs]

Part 2 would be great. Thanks for pulling this together.

[yonimediamaven]

You should have included Judah P. Benjamin, who served as the CSA's Secretary of War, , and then Secretary of State .Evading capture after the war, He fled to Britain, where he resumed his legal career, and became one of the country's top barristers.

[nelsoncolon]

Waiting for part two! Of course, I can just read about it on my own, but I think this is a great venue for the next generation who would like to learn about the USCW.

[bujmoose]

Joseph Johnston also became a pallbearer for Ulysses S. Grant at Grant's request. That is some major respect.

[davedruid]

At 7:23, what you show is General Armistead at Gettysburg as he was about to put his Hand on a Union Gun which was when almost simultaneously when he was Shot.

[aleksandarperucica]

Thomas Stonewall Jackson didn't survive the war and he is killed by friendly fire. BIG difference.

[nickelstew]

Yes.
I enjoyed this.
Please make a part two.

[TheseusTitan]

Thank you for compiling this and making the video. I would very much like to see what happened to the next set of Confederate leaders’ lives post Civil War

[harlanginsberg]

Missed Longstreet. He's got to be one of the more interesting of the group I would think. Hopefully next time. Loved the clip.

[TheHuntress]

Make a part two and three. Wonderful work and loved the factual content.If we don’t know or remember history we are doomed to repeat it. 🎉

[raycope]

Thank you for your work in bringing this to us all, my friend.
Concise and informative.
Much appreciated from Belfast, Northern Ireland. ( still British )

[dpheitz]

Great video. Please do videos of the other Generals. There is so much information out there you could do multiple episodes on each individually. Glad you talked about Nathan Bedford Forrest's reformation and his work following the war with Civil Rights. It's amazing how many of these Civil War Generals served together at posts like Jefferson Barrack just south of St. Louis Missouri. There is a mural in an old Powder Magazine Museum in JB with a number of these folks' pictures including Grant, Jefferson Davis, Robert E Lee, etc. James Longstreet was Julia Dent's (Grant) cousin and was in Grant's wedding.

[TheEmpressPalpatine]

Don't forget Albert Pike. He was a Confederate general who later became the Sovereign Grand Commander of the Scottish Rite Freemasons and wrote a book called "Morals and Dogma." He lived at the Masonic Temple in Washington DC. If you visit there, you will see all sorts of memorabilia of Albert Pike.

[robertt]

Great video. Yes, thank you for keeping it short, but have a Part 2 about the other Generals.

[StacyThornhill]

This is very much appreciated since its not taught in schools.

[PrinceOfMadness]

I quite enjoyed it! I'd love to see a part 2 if you ever make one

[jeffbryan]

YES, PLEASE MAKE ANOTHER VIDEO ABOUT THE OTHER CONFEDERATE GENERALS THAT YOU COULD NOT GET TO IN THIS VIDEO, PLUS, IF YOU HAVE NOT DONE IT, PLEASE MAKE A VIDEO OF THE PROMINENT NORTHERN GENERALS AS WELL.

[malibu]

It was a strange time, brother against brother. But in the end, most of them reconciled their differences and tried to rebuild our nation. I, for one, would like you to continue this series and addionaly do one on the Union Leaders.

[SouthernGentleman]

What? Forrest didn’t found the Kkk, 6 other men did. Forrest became its leader because he thought its purpose was to be a militia to protect civilians during federal occupation, when he found out what was really going on, he left and disbanded it. Forrest also offered his service to hunt down the remnants and kill them for their crimes. He also became a very famous civil rights activist in the 1870s.

[jayham]

It should be noted that Nathan B Forrest started a group that was overtaken by extremists. The original group (based upon the old college fraternity, KA) was a gentlemen’s club for former Confederate soldiers. They did not do “night riding.” When the night riding started, Forrest and the rest of the original group disbanded the KA. They were horrified by the atrocities being inflicted upon black Americans.

Next: Forrest was put on trial (Union Military Tribunal) for Fort Pillow; Union Generals and other officers of the Union Army came forward and gave testimony on behalf of Forrest. Those members of the Union testified that Forrest gave every opportunity for the Fort Pillow soldiers to surrender, they did not, and the fort and its inhabitants were pretty much destroyed. The U.S. Military Tribunal absolved him of any massacre or carnage.

I do appreciate the fact that (after the war) that it is mentioned that Forrest helped work for equality among the races. The fact that he and his families remains were removed from Memphis is a crappy testimony to Forrest’s ultimate legacy.