General Earl Van Dorn’s Adjutant: Major Manning M. Kimmel
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Major Manning Kimmel was a significant figure in the career of famous Confederate General Earl Van Dorn during the American Civil War. As Van Dorn’s adjutant, Kimmel played a crucial role in many of the general’s campaigns and battles, and his contributions helped to shape the course of the conflict in the Western Theater.
An adjunctant is a military officer who serves as an administrative assistant to a senior officer.
Kimmel was born in Kentucky in 1833, and he graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1854. He served in various assignments throughout his career, including stints in the Indian Wars and the Utah War, before resigning from the army in 1861 to join the Confederate cause.
When the Civil War broke out, Kimmel joined the Confederate Army and was commissioned as a captain. He quickly established himself as a capable officer and was assigned as General Earl Van Dorn’s adjutant in early 1862. Van Dorn, who had recently been promoted to command the Confederate Army of the West, recognized Kimmel’s talent and placed him in charge of his headquarters staff.
Kimmel played a crucial role in many of Van Dorn’s most important campaigns and became one of his best friends. He was present at the Battle of Pea Ridge in March 1862, where Van Dorn’s army suffered a costly defeat, mainly because of the troops being poorly trained before Van Dorn took over, and he helped to organize the retreat and subsequent reorganization of Confederate forces in Arkansas. Kimmel also played a key role in the Battle of Corinth later that year.
In addition to his administrative duties, Kimmel was also instrumental in alerting Van Dorn to the threat posed by Van Dorn’s affair with Jessie Peters. Almost prophetically, Kimmel warned Van Dorn that his affair with the young, married Jessie could be what gets him killed instead of the actal war. Kimmel proved to be correct.
Despite setbacks, Kimmel remained a trusted and respected member of Van Dorn’s staff, and he continued to serve as the general’s adjutant throughout 1863. However, in May of that year, Van Dorn was assasinated by Dr. George Peters, the husband of Jessie. He continued to serve in the Confederate Army until the end of the war, and he was paroled with the rest of his unit in 1865.
After the war, Kimmel returned to his home state of Kentucky and became a farmer. He died in 1916 and was buried in the Kimmel Family Cemetery in Hopkins County, Kentucky.
Although he is not as well-known as some of the other figures of the Civil War, Colonel Manning Kimmel played a vital role in the career of General Earl Van Dorn, and his contributions helped to shape the course of the conflict in the Western Theater. His dedication and service to the Confederate cause will always be remembered by those who study this important period of American history.