publications

Death of Col. William McCord, First Nebraska Volunteer Infantry


April 6-7 marks the 150th anniversary of the 1862 Battle of Shiloh (aka Pittsburg Landing) in Tennessee, one of two major Civil War battles in which the First Nebraska Regiment participated. Commanding the regiment at Shiloh, as he had done at the previous Battle of Fort Donelson, was Lt. Col. William D. McCord of Plattsmouth, Cass County. If McCord had known he was soon to die, no doubt he would have preferred doing so while leading his men into battle. Instead, he lost his life far less gloriously in a tragic accident back home in Nebraska.



McCord, an Illinois native, moved to Nebraska Territory with his family from Burlington, Iowa, in 1857. He was soon elected Cass County sheriff. He also farmed and was an active Mason. When the fledgling Nebraska Republican Party was organized in 1859, McCord chaired the convention. He won appointment as one of the First Nebraska’s majors when the regiment was organized in June 1861 and was promoted to lieutenant colonel in January 1862. Just before the February 1862 Battle of Fort Donelson, McCord took over the regimental command after Col. John M. Thayer was assigned to lead a four-regiment brigade that included the First Nebraska. 



By all accounts, the twenty-six-year-old McCord was a good officer. One of the First Nebraska’s captains wrote that “Colonel McCord was brave to a fault” at Fort Donelson. When the regiment engaged the Confederates during the second day’s fighting at Shiloh on April 7, he led his men through a series of firefights and artillery duels until the Rebel army finally withdrew. The First Nebraska suffered few casualties because the men had been ordered to lie down when not directly engaged and to fire from kneeling or prone positions. McCord and other officers, however, “stood up themselves to receive the shells and grape and bullets of the enemy.” Despite such exposure, the colonel escaped unscathed. 



Two weeks later McCord resigned his commission, which officers were allowed to do. He cited “necessity arising from circumstances connected with my family affairs and a valuable estate in Nebraska Territory.” Exactly what those circumstances were is unknown, but awaiting his return was his wife, Minerva, two infant daughters, and his elderly mother. Indications are that McCord intended to rejoin the army after taking care of his personal affairs. Meanwhile, he re-entered territorial politics.



Both the Nebraska Republicans and Democrats set their 1862 conventions for August 20 in Omaha. One delegate was W. W. Cox of Lancaster County, who went to Nebraska City to take a steamboat to Omaha. On board, he found a “mixed company made up of prominent democrats and leading republicans of the South Platte country.” Both parties’ delegates spent the evening caucusing with “great political animation.” Around midnight the boat stopped at Plattsmouth, where more delegates came aboard, including William McCord. Cox recalled that “Some were overflowing with democratic zeal, many were full of old-time republican enthusiasm, and many were well filled up with ‘tangle-foot.'”



Not long afterwards, McCord left the hot and stuffy cabin to sit outside near the rail. One account said he had then fallen asleep and his hat dropped off. While leaning over to retrieve it, he fell overboard. Another report said he had become sick and fell into the river while vomiting over the side. As soon as the other men missed McCord they rushed outside but, as Cox put it, “We were as helpless as new-born babes while one of our number was swallowed up by the great, mad river.” Whether McCord simply slipped or whether too much “tangle-foot” helped lead to his death remains unknown. His body was soon found and returned to his grieving family. Today he lies buried in Pleasant Ridge Cemetery near Plattsmouth. The marker on his grave makes no reference either to his military service or to his untimely demise.


 



Plattsmouth, 1872

Plattsmouth, Cass County, in 1872. NSHS RG3384.PH10-24



 



 




pittsburg landing

“Map of the Battle of Pittsburg Landing,” John S. C. Abbott, History of the Civil War in America, 2 vols. (New York, 1863-66), 2:204.

Become a Member!

Our members make history happen.

Join Now

Other Publications

The Bachelors’ Protective Union of Kearney

When the Bachelors' Protective Union gave a gala reception for two of its newly married, former members and their brides in March of 1890, the social club for young, ...

U.S. Weather Bureau in 1890s Nebraska

The U.S. Weather Bureau was established by an act of Congress on October 1, 1890. It took over the weather service that had been established in the office of the Chief ...

Canning the Way to Victory

During American participation in World War I the U.S. Food Administration, under the direction of Herbert Hoover, launched a massive campaign to persuade Americans to ...

The Shoemaker’s Ashes

"Edward Kuehl, one of the most peculiar characters that ever lived in Omaha, or anywhere else, was found dead in his bed last night in the back room of his place of ...

Crazy Horse Surrender Ledger Foreward

Red Dog, an Oglala Lakota who lived at the Red Cloud Agency, Nebraska, 1876-77 (Nebraska State Historical Society RG2955.ph).   In the summer of 1876, following the ...

Darryl F. Zanuck

Darryl F. Zanuck Darryl F. Zanuck (1902-1979), a native Nebraskan, produced some of Hollywood's most important and controversial films. He helped found 20th Century Fox ...

The Burlington’s Profitable Pork Special

Nebraska railroads were much concerned with developing an adequate economy in the areas they served. The Burlington, for example, had a long history of caring for the ...

Bungalow Filling Stations

After the giant Standard Oil Company was broken into thirty-four separate companies in 1911, the newly independent Standard Oil of Nebraska dominated the state's market ...

The Bull Fight

This is the perfect time of year for a visit to the old fishin' hole. But a group of fisherfolk from Plainview discovered that this bucolic pastime sometimes has ...

Buffalo Soldiers West

African-American soldiers on the western frontier are the focus of an exhibit at the Nebraska History Museum in Lincoln. Buffalo Soldiers West, on loan from the Colorado ...

Protection for Buffalo

The extermination of the buffalo on the Plains occurred largely between 1870 and 1885. The Nebraska State Journal of Lincoln on February 1, 1874, editorialized in vain ...

Buffalo Hunting

In late October 1877 young Rolf Johnson and three friends left their homes in Phelps County, Nebraska, for a buffalo hunt in northeastern Colorado. The hunt was not very ...
About History Nebraska
History Nebraska was founded in 1878 as the Nebraska State Historical Society by citizens who recognized Nebraska was going through great changes and they sought to record the stories of both indigenous and immigrant peoples. It was designated a state institution and began receiving funds from the legislature in 1883. Legislation in 1994 changed History Nebraska from a state institution to a state agency. The division is headed by Interim Director and CEO Jill Dolberg. They are assisted by an administrative staff responsible for financial and personnel functions, museum store services, security, and facilities maintenance for History Nebraska.
Explore Nebraska
Discover the real places and people of our past at these History Nebraska sites.

Upcoming Events

View our new and upcoming events to see how you can get involved.

Become a Member

The work we do to discover, preserve, and share Nebraska's history wouldn't be possible without the support of History Nebraska members.

Latest Hall of Fame Inductee

The Nebraska Hall of Fame was established in 1961 to officially recognize prominent Nebraskans.

Listen to our Podcast

Listen to the articles and authors published in the Nebraska History Magazine with our new Nebraska History Podcast.

Nebraska Collections

History Nebraska's mission is to collect, preserve, and open our shared history to all Nebraskans.

Our YouTube Video Collection

Get a closer look at Nebraska's history through your own eyes, with our extensive video collections.

Additional Research Resources

History Nebraska Research and Reference Services help connect you to the material we collect and preserve.

Support History Nebraska
Make a cash donation to help us acquire, preserve, and interpret Nebraska’s history. Gifts to History Nebraska help leave a legacy and may help your taxes, too! Support the work of History Nebraska by donating to the History Nebraska Foundation today.

Volunteers are the heroes of History Nebraska. So much history, so little time! Your work helps us share access to Nebraska’s stories at our museums and sites, the reference room, and online.