Campaigns · Belmont, Fort Donelson, and Stone's River
HistoryCentral · Primary Source & History GENERAL GIDEON JOHNSON PILLOW, CSA VITAL STATISTICS BORN: 1806 in Williamson County, TN. DIED: 1878 in Helena, ARK. CAMPAIGNS: Belmont, Fort Donelson, and Stone's River. HIGHEST RANK ACHIEVED: Major General BIOGRAPHY Gideon Johnson Pillow was born in Williamson County, Tennessee, on June 8, 1806. He graduated from the University of Nashville in 1827; and became a successful lawyer in Columbia, Tennessee, with future President James K.
Polk. Pillow helped get Polk nominated, and received an appointment as brigadier general of volunteers, and later major general, from Polk. Serving in the Mexican War, Pillow led a division in Gen. Winfield Scott's army, and was wounded twice. Pillow later took part in the conventions that nominated Franklin Pierce for President, and ran unsuccessfully for Vice President in 1852 and 1856. Although he opposed secession, he joined the Confederacy when Tennessee seceded.
A brigadier general in the Confederate service as of July 9, 1861, he led a division at Belmont, Missouri in November of 1861 and took part in the fighting at Fort Donelson in February of 1862. At Fort Donelson, he and Brig. Gen. John B. Floyd passed on command to Brig. Gen. Simon B. Buckner, then escaped before the fort was surrendered. Suspended from command in the spring and summer of 1862, he returned to the field, and led a brigade at Stone's River.
After that, most of his assignments were administrative. Once the Civil War ended, Pillow joined former Tennessee governor, Isham G. Harris, to establish a thriving law practice. Pillow died on October 8, 1878, in Helena, Arkansas.