Theodore O'Hara
| Theodore O'Hara | |
|---|---|
Theodore O'Hara's portrait in The Century magazine (1890)
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| Born |
February 11, 1820 Danville, Kentucky |
| Died |
June 6, 1867 Guerrytown, Alabama |
| Allegiance | United States of America, Confederate States of America |
| Service/branch | Army |
| Years of service | 1846-1848, 1861-1865 |
| Rank | Brevet-Major, Colonel |
Theodore O'Hara (February 11, 1820 – June 6, 1867) was a poet and an officer for the United States Army in the Mexican-American War, and a Confederate colonel in the American Civil War. He is best known for the poems "Bivouac of the Dead", which is quoted in many cemeteries, and "The Old Pioneer".
Theodore O'Hara was born to notable educator Kane O'Hara and his wife in Danville, Kentucky on February 11, 1820. Afterwards, the family moved to Frankfort, Kentucky. He returned to Danville to go to Centre College and then continued his education at St. Joseph Academy in Bardstown, Kentucky, where he also served as a Greek professor during his senior year. He later studied law with future United States Vice President and Confederate Secretary of War John C. Breckinridge, and he was admitted to the bar in 1842. He decided to forgo law and went to journalism in 1845, just before being appointed for a position in the United States Treasury Department in 1845.
As the Mexican-American War was beginning, O'Hara signed up for the U.S. Army on June 26, 1846. He held the positions of captain and quartermaster of volunteers under General Gideon J. Pillow as they advanced upon Mexico City, Mexico. For excellent conduct in the Battle of Contreras and the Battle of Churubusco, O'Hara was honored with the rank of brevet-major on August 20, 1847. He was honorably discharged on October 15, 1848. After the war ended in 1848, O'Hara returned to Washington, D.C. to continue his law practices until 1851.
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