James Alexander Williamson

James A. Williamson
4th Iowa Volunteer Infantry Regiment
Battles/wars	American Civil War Battle of Pea Ridge Battle of Chickasaw Bayou Battle of Arkansas Post Vicksburg Campaign Siege of Vicksburg Battle of Lookout Mountain Battle of Ringgold Gap Atlanta Campaign Battle of Jonesborough
Other work	lawyer, politician, President of the Atlantic & Pacific R.R.

James A. Williamson (February 8, 1829 – September 7, 1902) was a politician and lawyer who served in the

.

Biography

Williamson was born in Columbia, Kentucky[1] in 1829. When he was fifteen years old his family moved to Iowa, where he worked as a farmer, before studying law and being admitted to the bar. In the years prior to the Civil War he served as the chairman of the Iowa State Democratic Committee.

When the Civil War began Williamson volunteered in the

. Williamson was again wounded and for his services here was eventually awarded the Medal of Honor in 1895.

Williamson recovered in time to take part in the

, on January 13, 1865, a full promotion to brigadier general and on March 13, 1865, a brevet promotion to major general of volunteers. Briefly during the summer of 1865 he commanded the District of St. Louis and was mustered out of the volunteer service on August 24, 1865, but was on an inspection tour of army posts in the West and did not find out until he returned in October 1865.

In 1864 Williamson had been elected chairman of the Iowa delegation to the National Republican Convention in Baltimore, but did not attend due to duty to the army. After the War he resumed his law practice in Iowa. He served as Commissioner of the United States General Land Office from 1876 to 1881. During this time he served as chairman of the Public Land Commission, which was created by Congress in 1879. He later became President of the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad.

He was a companion of the New York Commandery of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States.

He was in Jamestown, Rhode Island when he died on September 7, 1902.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and Organization: Colonel, 4th Iowa Infantry.

Place and Date: At Chickasaw Bayou, Miss., 29 December 1862.

Entered service at: Des Moines, Iowa.

Born: 8 February 1829, Columbia, Adair County, Ky.

Date of issue: 17 January 1895.

Citation

Led his regiment against a superior force, strongly entrenched, and held his ground when all support had been withdrawn.^[2][3]

See also

• List of Medal of Honor recipients
• List of American Civil War Medal of Honor recipients: T–Z
• List of American Civil War generals (Union)

Notes

References

• Eicher, John H., and
  ISBN 0-8047-3641-3
  .
• A Civil War Biography
• History of General James A. Williamson

External links

• "James Alexander Williamson". Claim to Fame: Medal of Honor recipients. Find a Grave. Retrieved 2009-04-17.

Political offices
Preceded by Samuel S. Burdett	Commissioner of the General Land Office 1876–1881	Succeeded by Noah C. McFarland