Carr B. White

Who was Carr B. White?

Carr Baily White was a physician, officer during the Mexican War and general during the American Civil War. His Civil War service is greatly associated with operations in western Virginia and Maryland.

White was born in Kentucky but moved to Ohio at a young age where he attended Jefferson Medical College. During the Mexican was he joined U.S. volunteer army as a private in the 1st Ohio Infantry. On February 1, 1847 he was promoted to captain in his regiment and mustered out of the volunteer service on June 14, 1847. When White received his promotion to captain, it outraged another officer, Lt. James P. Fyffe, for being passed over that Fyffe sent White a challenge to a duel. It was well known that General Zachary Taylor frowned upon dueling so the two waited until the regiment was mustered out. Captain White chose, Ferdinand Van Derveer as his second. White and Fyffe met on an island while their transport refueled and exchanged shots. Both missed and the matter was setter peacefully. White returned to Ohio to serve as a physician between wars.

When the Civil War began, White enlisted in the 12th Ohio Infantry becoming its lieutenant colonel. The regiment first saw action at the battle of Carnifex Ferry in West Virginia. During the engagement the regiment's colonel, John W. Lowe, was killed and on June 28, 1861 White was appointed colonel. Colonel White and the 12th Ohio where attached to Jacob D. Cox's Kanawha Division at the Second Battle of Bull Run and during the Maryland Campaign. White's command saw heavy fighting at Fox's Gap and fought in the vicinity of Burnside's Bridge at Antietam.