Samuel Read Anderson (June 23 1805 – October 26 1865) was an American lawyer, planter, and Confederate States Army officer who attained the rank of brigadier general during the American Civil War.
Early life and education
Anderson was born in Davidson County, Tennessee. Details of his family background and early education are limited, but he pursued legal studies and was admitted to the bar, establishing a practice in Nashville. He also managed agricultural interests on a plantation in the region.
Political and pre‑war career
Prior to the outbreak of the Civil War, Anderson was active in local politics, aligning with the Democratic Party and supporting states’ rights positions that were prevalent in Tennessee. He held several minor public offices, though specific titles and dates are not extensively documented.
Civil War service
At the start of the conflict, Anderson volunteered for the Confederate cause. He was commissioned as a colonel of the 1st Tennessee Infantry, a unit raised in the state’s western region. On March 9 1862, he received a promotion to brigadier general.
As a brigadier general, Anderson commanded a brigade that operated primarily in the Department of East Tennessee. His forces participated in a number of engagements, including defensive operations around Knoxville and actions during the Knoxville Campaign of late 1863. In 1864, citing deteriorating health, Anderson requested relief from active command and was subsequently placed on inactive status.
Later life and death
Following the cessation of hostilities, Anderson returned to Nashville, where he resumed his legal practice and managed his plantation. He died on October 26 1865 in Nashville and was interred in the family plot at Mount Olivet Cemetery.
Legacy
Anderson’s military service is recorded in Confederate army rosters and official war records. While not a prominent figure in major battles, his role in organizing and leading Tennessee troops contributed to the Confederate war effort in the western theater. Contemporary histories of the Civil War reference his brigade’s participation in the East Tennessee operations, and his name appears on commemorative lists of Confederate generals from Tennessee.
References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Vol. XXVIII.
- Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher. Civil War High Commands. Stanford University Press, 2001.
- Warner, Ezra J. Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders. LSU Press, 1959.
Note: While the core biographical details of Samuel Read Anderson are documented in historical military records, some aspects of his early life and pre‑war political activities remain sparsely detailed in the available literature.