author
George B. (George Baird) Hodge
1828–1892
A Kentucky lawyer, politician, and Civil War officer, he is best remembered today for writing a firsthand history of the famed First Kentucky Brigade. His life moved from the courtroom and legislature to the battlefield and, later, into print.
1 Audiobook
Sketch of the First Kentucky Brigade
by George B. (George Baird) Hodge
About the author
Born in Fleming County, Kentucky, in 1828, George Baird Hodge was educated in Kentucky and at the United States Naval Academy before turning to law. He built his career as an attorney in Newport, Kentucky, and also became active in public life as a state legislator.
During the American Civil War, he sided with the Confederacy and served as an officer from Kentucky, taking part in major campaigns and earning a reputation that led to later references to him as General George B. Hodge. After the war, he returned to civilian life and remained a notable figure in Kentucky politics and public affairs.
For readers, his lasting importance comes from his book Sketch of the First Kentucky Brigade, published in 1874. The work preserves a participant's view of one of the Confederacy's best-known Kentucky units, giving his name an enduring place in Civil War memoir and regimental history.