Furious, Insatiable Fighter

Isaac Ridgeway Trimble, 1802-1888, was a West Point graduate, engineer, railroader, inventor, international traveler, leader in the Episcopal Church, and, most famously, a soldier. Trimble distinguished himself as a field commander in the fiercest fighting of the Civil War, including the battles at Cross Keys in the Valley Campaign, Second Manassas, and Gettysburg. He earned high praise from the enigmatic Stonewall Jackson, who described Trimble's battlefield leadership as the 'most brilliant' he had witnessed. His actions in the early days of the War led the Federal government to brand Trimble as 'the most dangerous rebel' in captivity after his wounding and capture at Gettysburg. Following the Civil War, General Trimble remained active as an engineer, writer, speaker, and served many years as Vice-President of the Southern Historical Society.