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U.S. Army and Confederate Army officer (1812-1880)

George B. Crittenden

Born	(1812-03-20)March 20, 1812 Russellville, Kentucky, U.S.
Died	November 27, 1880(1880-11-27) (aged 68) Danville, Kentucky, U.S.
Place of burial	Frankfort Cemetery, Frankfort, Kentucky
Allegiance	United States of America Republic of Texas Confederate States of America
Service / branch	United States Army Army of the Republic of Texas Confederate States Army
Years of service	1832–1833; 1846–1861 (USA) 1842–1843 (Republic of Texas) 1861–1865 (CSA)
Rank	Lieutenant Colonel (USA) 2nd Lieutenant (Republic of Texas) Major General (CSA)
Commands	2nd Division of the Army of Central Kentucky
Battles / wars	Black Hawk War Mexican–American War Battle of Contreras Battle of Churubusco American Civil War Battle of Mill Springs
Other work	State Librarian of Kentucky

George Bibb Crittenden (March 20, 1812 – November 27, 1880) was a soldier in the United States Army and the Confederate States Army during the mid-19th century. The son of influential Kentucky politician John J. Crittenden, George Crittenden enrolled in the United States Military Academy in 1828, graduating four years later. He served in the Black Hawk War in 1832 before resigning from the military in 1833. Crittenden spent the rest of the decade practicing law and became an alcoholic. In 1842, he traveled to the Republic of Texas and joined the Army of the Republic of Texas. He took part in the Mier expedition, an unathorized Texian military incursion into Mexico that was forced to surrender. His father used his influence to push for his release, and upon returning to Kentucky resumed the practice of law. In 1846, Crittenden rejoined the military for service in the Mexican–American War, and received a brevet promotion for his actions at the Battle of Contreras and the Battle of Churubusco. He had been arrested for drunkenness once before his regiment saw service in the war, and had two more arrests for drunkenness in 1848, but his father's influence allowed him to continue his military career.

Crittenden continued in the United States military until the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861, having risen to the rank of lieutenant colonel. He resigned from the military in June, and by November was a Major General in the Confederate States Army. Initially assigned to command east Tennessee and as much of Kentucky as he could hold, his command was later reduced to the brigades of Brigadier Generals Felix Zollicoffer and William Carroll. In December, Zollicoffer made a tactically questionable decision to move his troops north of the Cumberland River; by the time Crittenden arrived in Kentucky from his headquarters at Knoxville, Tennessee, it was too late to move the troops back across the river. On January 19, 1863, Crittenden ordered an attack while his Union opponents were divided by a flooded creek. The resulting Battle of Mill Springs was a Confederate defeat, and Zollicoffer was killed.

Retreating back into Tennessee, Crittenden faced allegations of drunkenness during the battle and of disloyalty. Assigned to command a corps under General Albert Sidney Johnston, Crittenden was arrested on April 1 for being drunk on duty. After a series of legal proceedings, Crittenden resigned in October. Re-entering the Confederate service as a colonel in April 1863, he served in a variety of staff roles in a backwater region, and for a time in 1864, held a departmental command. After the war ended in 1865, Crittenden returned to Kentucky. Indicted for treason upon his return, he was pardoned in 1867. From 1867 to 1874, he was the state librarian of Kentucky. Crittenden died in 1880. His brother Thomas L. Crittenden was a Union major general during the war.

Early life, education, and move to Texas

Crittenden was born in Russellville, Kentucky, on March 20, 1812. He was brother to Thomas L. Crittenden, and his father was John J. Crittenden, who was an influential politician, governor of Kentucky in the late 1840s and early 1850s, was the United States Attorney General in the administrations of Presidents William Henry Harrison and Zachary Taylor, and a United States Senator. The younger Crittenden spent his youth in Frankfort, Kentucky, and was sent to a boarding school in Lexington, Kentucky, in 1824. The American National Biography describes him as "an apt pupil". His mother had died in 1824. Crittenden was admitted to the United States Military Academy in 1828, and graduated four years later, the 26th-ranked out of 45 cadets. His appointment was secured by his father. He was assigned to the 4th Infantry Regiment with a brevet rank of second lieutenant. The regiment was initially slated for garrison duty, but saw active service when the Black Hawk War broke out later that year. After the end of the Black Hawk War, the 4th Infantry returned to building military infrastructure in the Southern United States, including being stationed for a time in the Arkansas Territory. On April 30, 1833, he resigned from the military and enrolled in Transylvania University, to study law. After receiving a Bachelor of Laws, he started a law practice that same year. In 1836, he commanded a company in the Kentucky militia. By the end of the decade, Crittenden had developed a serious drinking problem.

Crittenden later moved to the Republic of Texas, without informing his father. Joining the Army of the Republic of Texas, Crittenden participated as a second lieutenant in the 1842 Mier expedition, an incursion by Texian troops into Mexico that had been made without orders. The Texians were forced to surrender after being defeated in battle at Mier in December 1842. By January 1843, Crittenden had become too ill to travel and entered a Mexican hospital. In March, the Texian prisoners were informed that one out of every ten of them would be executed, after an escape attempt had been in made. In what is known as the Black Bean Episode, on March 25, Mexican Colonel Domingo Huerta had a jar filled with 176 beans - one for each prisoner. Of the beans, seventeen were black, and the others white. Those who drew a black bean were to be executed. A story later spread that he had originally drawn a white bean, had given it to another Texian who had a family back home, and had then drawn a white bean again on the second try. Biographer James M. Pritchard considers this to be doubtful, as tale is not found in survivor accounts of the incident and that the prisoners were blindfolded while drawing the beans, along with Crittenden's previous transfer to the hospital. Crittenden's father used his influence to produce pressure for his son's release, and Andrew Jackson provided critical assistance, by writing a letter to Santa Anna. On March 15, Santa Anna announced intentions to free Crittenden. Having been released in April 1843, Crittenden was returned to New Orleans, Louisiana, via Vera Cruz and Havana, arriving back in the United States on May 7.

United States military service

Crittenden made his way back to Kentucky; Pritchard speculates that he resumed his legal career. When the Mexican–American War began, Crittenden rejoined the army. He was appointed a captain on May 27, 1846, and served under Major William W. Loring in the Regiment of Mounted Riflemen. Crittenden was arrested for drunkenness, and after traveling to Washington, D.C. to plead with the United States Secretary of War after tendering a resignation. Having been restored for duty, Crittenden fought in Winfield Scott's army in 1847, during its campaign against Mexico City. Due to his actions at the Battle of Contreras and the Battle of Churubusco, Crittenden was awarded a brevet promotion to major on August 20. In early 1848, he was arrested for drunkenness again, but his father was influential enough that Crittenden was able to continue his military career. A full promotion followed on March 15, 1848, but this was followed by another arrest for drunkenness. Following a court martial, Crittenden was cashiered from the military on August 19.

Crittenden's father used his influence on behalf of his son, interceding with the Secretary of War, family friend Jefferson Davis (who believed Crittenden to be innocent), and Thomas Hart Benton (who had served in the Senate with the elder Crittenden). The younger Crittenden was restored to duty on March 15, 1849. Additional personality problems had surfaced during the Mexican War; Crittenden nearly participated in a duel, although the confrontation was defused by others. After a stay at St. Louis, Missouri's Jefferson Barracks, Crittenden traveled across the country to the Oregon Territory in 1849 with the Regiment of Mounted Riflemen. The regiment was stationed at the Columbia Barracks for awhile before returning to Jefferson Barracks in 1851. Rumors of excessive drinking surfaced again, and his father suggested that he should resign from the military. The younger Crittenden promised to improve his behavior, and after an 1852 transfer to the frontier, he served honorably.

In 1856, David Meriwether, the Territorial Governor of New Mexico, gave Crittenden a bottle of alcohol, but was told by Crittenden that he no longer drank. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel on December 30, 1856. Due to his influential connections, Crittenden received a leave of absence in 1859, which he used to travel in Europe. Crittenden was the post commander at Fort Union from late 1860 to early 1861. While serving on the frontier, Crittenden fought against Native Americans, including an action against Comanches on January 2, 1861, that brought him national newspaper attention. Damon R. Eubank, the writer of a work about the Crittenden family, writes that John J. Crittenden's frequest interventions in his son's career prevented the younger Crittenden from learning from the issues that created the problems. According to Eubank, George Crittenden "did not have a strong sense of duty", had a tendency to make bad decisions about who to befriend, and could be easily convinced to make bad decisions. Eubank suggests that some of these personality issues could have stemmed from the death of his mother during his adolescence, and from pressure from his father to fulfill his role as the family's firstborn son.

American Civil War

War begins

In the 1860 United States presidential election, a split in the Democratic Party assisted the victory of Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party. Southern political leaders known as Fire-Eaters expressed fears that the incoming Republican administration would restrict slavery. Support for secession grew in the South. John J. Crittenden, who had developed a reputation during his decades of public service for assisting in compromises, submitted a group of constitutional amended in December 1860 known as the Crittenden Compromise. This compromise would have added constitutional protection for slavery south of the parallel 36°30′ north, protected slavery in states where it currently existed, prohibited slavery in territories north of the 36°30′ parallel, prevented the United States Congress from interfering with the interstate slave trade, and provided compensation for slaveowners who had been prevented from recovering fugitive slaves, among other provisions. The United States Senate did not approve the compromise. The state of South Carolina seceded in December, with six other southern states following in early 1861. The seceding states formed the Confederate States of America in February.

On the morning of April 12, Confederate military forces opened fire on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor; the American Civil War had begun. Four more states soon joined the Confederacy; Kentucky remained on the fence. George had incorrectly expected his father to support the Confederacy. John J. Crittenden asked George to "be true to the government that has trusted in you. And stand fast by your national Flag", but George resigned from the United States Army on June 10. Pritchard notes that some sources claim that Crittenden was part of a conspiracy to establish Confederate control over the southwestern United States and that he tried to get the men of his regiments to join the Confederacy. He was appointed a colonel in the Confederate service, and was promoted to brigadier general on August 15. Six days later, he was assigned to the Confederate Army of the Potomac in Virginia, where he led a brigade. Davis, a friend of the Crittenden family, was now the Confederate president. In late October, Davis sent a letter to Crittenden stating that he was considering appointing him to command a Confederate force to claim Kentucky for the Confederacy.

Eastern Tennessee and Kentucky

On November 9, Crittenden was promoted to Major General and was assigned to command the Eastern District of Kentucky. Crittenden's command was the eastern end of the region commanded by Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston, which extended west to Missouri and the Indian Territory. Crittenden superseded Brigadier General Felix Zollicoffer, a Tennessee politician and newspaper editor who had been originally made a general with political considerations in mind. Davis appointed Crittenden, expecting that the Kentuckian would be popular with the residents of his home state and wanting a more experienced officer than Zollicoffer in command. Johnston defined Crittenden's command as encompassing eastern Tennessee and the portions of Kentucky that Crittenden's army could occupy. The population of east Tennessee was largely opposed to the Confederacy, creating a volatile political situation. Davis was not comfortable with Crittenden's ability to handle the political situation, or Crittenden's early efforts to resolve the matter. One of his political missteps involved Unionist newspaper editor William G. Brownlow. Crittenden attempted to encourage Brownlow to leave the Confederacy, offering him a pass through the lines. When Brownlow did not appear at the appointed time, he was arrested.

Crittenden set up his headquarters at Knoxville, Tennessee, on December 1, but was ordered to Richmond, Virginia, on December 8, for a conference with the Confederate government. He did not return to Knoxville until December 15. This meeting resulted in orders for Crittenden to command Zollicoffer's troops, but not to exercise command in east Tennessee except explicitly ordered to do so by Johnston. Northeastern Kentucky was also clawed from Crittenden's command in favor of Brigadier General Humphrey Marshall. Crittenden's command now consisted of Zollicoffer's troops and another brigade commanded by William Carroll. Meanwhile, Zollicoffer had advanced his troops from the Cumberland Gap to Mill Springs, Kentucky, a position on the south side of the Cumberland River with defensive advantages. However, the Tennessean soon decided to move across the river with his men, wanting to take aggressive offensive action. The inexperienced Zollicoffer also thought that having his troops in a bend of a river with the river to his back would protect the flanks and rear of his command, but instead the position was a trap. While the Cumberland River could not be forded at Zollicoffer's position, it could be elsewhere. This created a situation where Union troops could cross the river and get around the Confederate position, and retreat over the river would be difficult and likely to result in a disastrous situation where his men were attacked in the process of the crossing. Zollicoffer hoped to take offensive action, but his plan was dependent upon reinforcements and swift action, with delaying increase the riskiness of his position across the river. Carroll's brigade had been ordered to leave to join Zollicoffer on December 10, but this was not feasible at the time as the brigade had insufficient weapons. On December 16, Crittenden informed Johnston that he planned to leave with Carroll to join Zollicoffer two days later, but this was delayed by the need to prepare the troops for active service. The movement began on December 24.

Zollicoffer had informed Johnston that he intended to cross the river by sending a letter on November 30; Johnston received this message on December 4. Zollicoffer did not learn that Crittenden had been made his superior officer until December 10, by which time Crittenden had left for Richmond. By the time Zollicoffer learned that Crittenden had gone to Richmond, Crittenden was back in Knoxville. After Crittenden's return from Richmond, he ordered Zollicoffer back across the river, but the latter officer considered this impossible and did not comply with the order. Communication between the two officers was hampered by Crittenden remaining in Knoxville; the historian Steven E. Woodworth writes that Crittenden "could and should" have traveled to Zollicoffer's position to observe the situation in person. Woodworth attributes part of the failure to get Zollicoffer's troops back to a more tenable position to Crittenden's recall to Richmond, but criticizes Crittenden's handling of the situation, writing that Crittenden "ought to have known of the movement in advance and prevented it", stating that results were "a severe indictment of Crittenden's generalship". Johnston's command style gave both Crittenden and Zollicoffer discretion. Eubank believes that the situation could possibly have been salvaged if Crittenden had journeyed to Kentucky in mid-December. Pritchard disagrees with this conclusion, pointing to the fact that Crittenden only remaining in Knoxville for eight days after his return from Richmond, the lack of specific guidance given to Crittenden, the distance between Knoxville and Zollicoffer, and the difficulties encountered when moving Carroll's force from Knoxville to Mill Springs.

Mill Springs and retreat

Crittenden joined Zollicoffer in person in on January 3 and several days later issued a statement to the civilian population of Kentucky which included the appeal "Will you join in the moving columns of the South or is the spirit of Kentucky dead?". He was surprised to find Zollicoffer still north of the Cumberland River. By January 18, Union forces commanded by Brigadier General George Thomas were at Logan's Cross Roads, nearing the Confederate camp. Another Union column, under the command of Brigadier General Albin Schoepf, was intending to join Thomas's troops, but was several miles away at Somerset and was separated from Thomas by a flooded creek. Outnumbered by the combined Union force, Crittenden decided to attack while his opponents were still separated and sent his troops on a night march to attack Thomas on the morning of January 19. There is some evidence that Zollicoffer opposed the action. The historian Thomas L. Connelly writes that Crittenden "did not understand the weakness of Zollicoffer's force". Crittenden's men were poorly trained and badly armed; the weather during the march and battle was rainy and the antiquated flintlock muskets many of the Confederates were armed with were unreliable when wet. Zollicoffer was killed early in the battle when he mistakenly rode up to the Union line. The battle was a Confederate defeat, and Crittenden's men fled from the field. The battle broke the right flank of Johnston's defensive line. While a Confederate force remained at Cumberland Gap, the area between Bowling Green, Kentucky, and Cumberland Gap was left undefended. The weather, the terrain, and the wishes of his commanding officer prevented Thomas from pushing further into Kentucky after the battle.

Crittenden anticipated a follow-up attack from the combined forces of Thomas and Schoepf, and ordered a retreat across the river. The panicked Confederate troops abandoned their wounded comrades and all of their artillery during the crossing. Crittenden's retreat continued all the way to Gainsboro, Tennessee, at which point his army was, in the words of Pritchard, "nothing more than an armed mob". Rumors spread that Crittenden had been drunk during the battle, and Woodworth considers them to possibly have been true. Eubank believes that it is very likely that Crittenden had been drinking to some extent before the battle, although the extent of his insobriety is unclear, while stating that he "clearly was drunk" during the retreat. Further charges of treason and "constant inebriation" spread. Woodworth summarizes the character traits shown by Crittenden during the campaign as "irresponsible, lazy, alcoholic". The deceased Zollicoffer was not blamed for the defeat, while even Union newspapers ridiculed Crittenden. Crittenden's father believed that his son had been "deluded" by those around him. Davis believed Crittenden to be innocent of the charges against him, but authorized Johnston to conduct an investigation. His troops did not want to remain under his command.

On February 1, Crittenden requested that a court of inquiry be opened about his conduct. A week later, communication arrived from the Confederate States Secretary of War that east Tennessee would be transferred to the command of Brigadier General Simon Bolivar Buckner, freeing up Crittenden to serve with the main Confederate force. Davis advocated disbanded Crittenden's demoralized division, but this did not happen. After a Confederate defeat at the Battle of Fort Donelson and the Union capture of Nashville, Tennessee, Crittenden was ordered to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, to command a division, but Johnston then concentrated his forces at Corinth, Mississippi. Crittenden was placed in command of the reserve corps of Johnston's army, but while stationed with his corps at Iuka, Mississippi, was caught with Carroll in a state of inebriation. At the time, Crittenden's troops were reported to have been "in a wretched state of discipline".

Crittenden was arrested on April 1, and was removed from command. Ten days later, he submitted a resignation and requested to be placed on leave, but his resignation tabled until his conduct could be investigated. On July 24, a court of inquiry was opened into Crittenden's conduct, but it did not reach a decision. Another court of inquiry was opened on September 22, focusing specifically on a charge associated with an anti-drunkenness act passed after Crittenden's arrest. Crittenden objected to being tried under a law that was not in effect when the event in question had occurred. When he learned that this second trial was also expected to dissolve, he wrote to Confederate Adjutant General Samuel Cooper, questioning why he was being tried in accordance with a law not in effect at the time of the violation. Cooper decided that since Crittenden was not chosing to actively defend himself against the charges, but was instead basing his defense on a legal technicality, he should be allowed to resign. Crittenden believed that this finding would appear to be an admission of guilt on his part, and he protested to Davis. Davis ordered the offending phrases removed from the report, and Crittenden was allowed to resign. Crittenden resigned on October 23.

Late career and postbellum

On April 7, 1863, Crittenden re-entered active military service, now with the rank of colonel. He served in the backwater Department of Western Virginia, as a staff officer to Brigadier General John S. Williams. While the region was not militarily important, it did contain strategic salt works and lead mines. In July, he played an active role in the Confederate defense against the Wytheville Raid. The next month, Confederate forces abandoned east Tennessee, and Union Major General Ambrose Burnside moved into the region. In September, he led a small force in a series of delaying actions against a Union cavalry advance, which enabled Williams to form a successful defensive line. In one of these actions, he fought against his brother Eugene, a Union colonel. The two met under a flag of truce on September 20. Crittenden's performance earned him praise from Confederate departmental commander Major General Samuel Jones. Crittenden continued as a staff officer in the region into early 1864. John Hunt Morgan took over departmental command in early 1864, and on May 10, Crittenden commanded a small force in a delaying action, buying enough time for Morgan to arrive and disperse the Union force.

Crittenden was elevated to command of the reorganized Department of Western Virginia and East Tennesee on May 31, as Morgan was commanding a raid in Kentucky and Brigadier General William Jones had been transferred out of the department. The majority of the troops in the department were reservists, and Crittenden requested to be relieved of the departmental command on June 4. Eubank believes that after the Mill Springs debacle, Crittenden wanted to remain out of the limelight and pressure of leadership. Despite his request, he was retained in command. As departmental commander, his primary task was to coordinate troops movements with neighboring departments. On July 30, Crittenden was placed in command of a cavalry force in east Tennessee, operating in the Bulls Gap area. Morgan moved with his troops into the area in September, causing Crittenden to request to be relived of command, but Morgan was killed on September 4. Crittenden was tasked with coordinating Morgan's public funeral. The next day, Crittenden was reassigned to be the regional inspector general. On October 12, Crittenden was assigned to the staff of Major General John C. Breckinridge. In mid-November, Crittenden commanded a 300-man force that made a diversionary attack during the Battle of Bull's Gap. On Deceber 17 and 18, Crittenden was present at the Battle of Marion.

Spending much of the rest of the war performing administrative tasks, most of the time while stationed at Wytheville, Virginia. By April 1865, Brigadier General John Echols was in command of the department. Learning of the Union capture of Richmond, and the surrender of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, Echols led his command to join Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston in North Carolina. Crittenden surrendered along with Johnston's army, and was paroled on May 5. He returned to Kentucky, was indicted for treason, and was granted a pardon on November 9, 1867. In the words of Pritchard, Crittenden spent the rest of his life in "relative obscurity". In 1870, he received a pension from the state of Texas related to his service in the Mier campiagn. Eubank believes that Crittenden could have attempted a political career in postwar Kentucky, given his family connections and the pro-Confederate developments in Kentucky culture after the war, but Crittenden did not have such ambitions. From 1867 to 1874, he was the state librarian of Kentucky. He died at the home of a sister in Danville on November 27, 1880. He had never married. He was buried in the Frankfort Cemetery. His brother Thomas had been a Union major general during the war.

Notes

References

Warner 2006, p. 65.
^ Cutrer, Thomas W. (December 1, 1994). "Crittenden, George Bibb (1812–1880)". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
^ Pritchard 2008, p. 69.
^ Nelson 1999, p. 739.
Eubank 2009, p. 2.
^ Eubank 2009, p. 9.
"George Bibb Crittenden and the Battle of Mill Springs". National Park Service. October 17, 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
Pritchard 2010, pp. 1–2.
^ Pritchard 2008, p. 70.
"Black Bean Episode". Texas State Historical Association. November 15, 2024. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
^ Pritchard 2010, p. 2.
^ Friend 1965, p. 372.
Eubank 2009, p. 11.
Eubank 2009, p. 12.
Eubank 2009, pp. 12–13.
Eubank 2009, p. 13.
Pritchard 2008, pp. 70–71.
Eubank 2009, pp. 13–14.
Bearss 2007, p. 22.
"The Crittenden Compromise". United States Senate. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
McPherson 1988, pp. 252–254.
Bearss 2007, pp. 22–23.
Bearss 2007, pp. 28–29.
Bearss 2007, pp. 33–34.
Eubank 2009, p. 35.
^ Pritchard 2008, p. 71.
Pritchard 2010, p. 4.
Woodworth 1990, pp. 51, 61.
Woodworth 1990, pp. 61–63.
Woodworth 1990, pp. 63–65.
^ Eubank 2009, p. 60.
Woodworth 1990, p. 64, 66.
^ Pritchard 2010, p. 7.
Woodworth 1990, p. 64–65.
Pritchard 2008, pp. 71–72.
Woodworth 1990, pp. 65–66.
Connelly 1993, pp. 90–91.
Woodworth 1990, pp. 66–67.
Eubank 2009, p. 59.
Pritchard 2010, p. 17.
Pritchard 2010, pp. 7–8.
Eubank 2009, p. 61.
^ Pritchard 2008, p. 72.
Woodworth 1990, p. 67.
Connelly 1993, p. 97.
Woodworth 1990, pp. 67–68.
Woodworth 1990, p. 125.
Connelly 1993, p. 99.
^ Pritchard 2010, p. 11.
Connelly 1993, pp. 98–99.
^ Woodworth 1990, p. 68.
Eubank 2009, p. 69.
Eubank 2009, pp. 64–65.
Woodworth 1990, pp. 68–69.
Pritchard 2010, pp. 11–12.
^ Pritchard 2010, p. 12.
Pritchard 2008, pp. 72–73.
Eubank 2009, p. 67.
^ Pritchard 2008, p. 73.
Woodworth 1990, p. 69.
Pritchard 2010, p. 13.
Pritchard 2008, pp. 73–74.
^ Pritchard 2008, p. 74.
^ Eubank 2009, p. 68.
Pritchard 2008, pp. 74–75.
^ Pritchard 2008, p. 75.
Pritchard 2010, p. 15.
Eubank 2009, p. 163.

Sources

Bearss, Edwin C. (2007) . Fields of Honor. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic. ISBN 978-1-4262-0093-9.
Connelly, Thomas Lawrence (1993) . Army of the Heartland: The Army of Tennessee, 1861–1862. Baton Rouge, Louisiana: Louisiana State University Press. ISBN 0-8071-0404-3.
Eubank, Damon R. (2009). In the Shadow of the Patriarch: The John J. Crittenden Family in War and Peace. Macon, Georgia: Mercer University Press. ISBN 978-0-88146-151-0.
Friend, Llerena B., ed. (1965). "Sidelights and Supplements on the Perote Prisoners". The Southwestern Historical Quarterly. 68 (3): 366–374.
McPherson, James M. (1988). Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-503863-0.
Nelson, Paul David (1999). "Crittenden, George Bibb". In Garraty, John A.; Carnes, Mark C. (eds.). American National Biography. Vol. 5. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 739–740. ISBN 0-19-512784-6.
Pritchard, James M. (2008). "Maj. Gen. George Bibb Crittenden". In Allardice, Bruce S.; Hewitt, Lawrence Lee (eds.). Kentuckians in Gray: Confederate Generals and Field Officers of the Bluegrass State. Lexington, Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky. pp. 69–75. ISBN 978-0-8131-2475-9.
Pritchard, James M. (2010). "Glory Denied: The Hard Fate of George B. Crittenden". In Hewitt, Lawrence Lee; Bergeron Jr., Arthur W. (eds.). Confederate Generals in the Western Theater. Vol. 2. Knoxville, Tennessee: University of Tennessee Press. pp. 1–24. ISBN 978-1-57233-699-5.
Warner, Ezra J. (2006) . Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders (Louisiana Paperback ed.). Baton Rouge, Louisiana: Louisiana State University Press. ISBN 978-0-8071-3150-3.
Woodworth, Steven E. (1990). Jefferson Davis and His Generals: The Failure of Confederate Command in the West. Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas. ISBN 0-7006-0567-3.

External links

George B. Crittenden at Find a Grave

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