Burnside, Ambrose Everett (1824-1881), was a Union general in the Civil War (1861-1865). His name has become a part of the language because he popularized a style of beard. His habit of allowing whiskers to grow on the sides of his face gave rise to the term burnsides, which later became sideburns.
When the Civil War broke out, Burnside became a colonel of a Rhode Island volunteer regiment. He commanded the brigade that opened the first Battle of Bull Run (also called Manassas). Later, Burnside led an expedition that seized points along the North Carolina coast. As a major general, Burnside commanded a corps in the Army of the Potomac at the Battle of Antietam. He later succeeded General George B. McClellan as commander of that army. He met defeat in Fredericksburg in 1862. Relieved of command, he served in Ohio and Tennessee. In 1864, Burnside became a corps commander in Virginia. But he was forced to resign in 1865 for poor performance during the Siege of Petersburg.
Burnside was born on May 23, 1824, in Liberty, Indiana. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy. In 1853, he began to manufacture a breech-loading rifle he had invented. After the war, he engaged in railroad activities. Burnside was governor of Rhode Island from 1866 to 1869, and a U.S. senator from 1875 to 1881. He died on Sept. 13, 1881.
