Pope, JOHN

Pope, JOHN, an American general, was born in Louisville, Kentucky, 16th March 1822, graduated at West Point in 1842, and entered the engineers. He served in Florida (1842-44) and in the Mexican war, and was brevetted captain for gallantry. He was afterwards employed in exploring and surveying in the west, until the outbreak of the civil war, when he was appointed brigadier-general of volunteers. In 1861 he drove the guerillas out of Missouri; in 1862 he captured New Madrid in March and was made major-general, commanded the Army of the Mississippi in the operations against Corinth, and was assigned to the command of the Army of Virginia, with the rank of brigadier in the regular army. For fifteen days in August he faced Lee, but was defeated at the second battle of Bull Run, on the 29th and 30th. He then requested to be relieved, and was transferred to Minnesota, where he kept the Indians in check. He held various commands until 1886, when he retired. In 1882 he became major-general. Pope attributed his defeat at Bull Run to the conduct of General Fitz-John Porter, who was tried by court-martial and cashiered; but this verdict occasioned much controversy, in which General Grant ultimately took Porter's side (American Review, December 1882), and in 1886 the latter was restored to the army with the rank of colonel.