A.P. Hill
Ambrose Powell Hill was born November 9, 1825
in Culpeper , Virginia . Known as “Little Powell,” A.P.
Hill graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in
1847. He served in the Seminole Wars and Mexican
Wars and was made 1st Lieutenant in 1851.
In 1861, Hill resigned his commission
in the U.S. Army and was appointed colonel of
the 13th Virginia Infantry Regiment when
Virginia seceded. Hill quickly distinguished himself
and was promoted to brigadier
general and command of a brigade in the
(Confederate) Army
of the Potomac. Hill was known as an effective
and highly emotional leader. He was said to get
so "worked up," before a battle that he would often
become sick. During the war, Hill was often stricken
with various illnesses that reduced his effectiveness.
Nevertheless, Hill quickly
became one of the highest ranked Confederate generals
and performed admirably in the Peninsula Campaign
(1862) and Battle of Williamsburg. Hill’s
unit, known as “The Light Division” participated
in several decisive battles including Cedar Mountain,
Fredericksburg , Antietam,
and Chancellorsville – where Hill himself
was wounded. After Stonewall Jackson was killed
at Chancellorsville , Hill was promoted to lieutenant
general and placed in command of the
newly created Third Corps of Lee's Army, which
he led in the Gettysburg
Campaign of 1863, and at the Siege
of Petersburg (1864-1865). Just days before
the Confederate surrender at Appomattox Courthouse,
however, Hill was killed by a Union soldier at
Petersburg, Virginia.
Today, Fort A.P. Hill in Caroline County, Virginia
is named in his honor. A World War II U.S. Naval
ship was also named in his honor.
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