James H. Wilson

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For other people named James Wilson, see James Wilson (disambiguation).
James Harrison Wilson
Portrait of James Wilson during the Civil War
Born(1837-09-02)September 2, 1837
Shawneetown, Illinois
DiedFebruary 23, 1925(1925-02-23) (aged 87)
Wilmington, Delaware
Place of burial
Old Swedes Churchyard, Wilmington, Delaware
AllegianceUnited States of America
Union
Service/branchUnited States Army
Union Army
Years of service1860–1870, 1898–1901
Rank Major General
Commands heldWestern Cavalry Corps
Battles/warsAmerican Civil War
Spanish–American War
Boxer Rebellion
RelationsJim Thompson (grandson)

James Harrison Wilson (September 2, 1837 – February 23, 1925) was a

Western Theater, where he was promoted to brigadier general. In 1864, he transferred from engineering to the cavalry, where he displayed notable leadership in many engagements of the Overland Campaign. However, his attempt to destroy Lee
’s supply lines failed when he was routed by a much smaller force of Confederate irregulars.

Returning to the Western Theater, Wilson became one of the few Union commanders to defeat Confederate cavalier

Andersonville Prison commandant Henry Wirz
in May 1865. At the time of his death in 1925, he was the fourth-to-last living Union Civil War general.

Early life and engineering

Wilson was born in

second lieutenant in the Topographical Engineers. His initial assignment was assistant topographical engineer of the Department of Oregon at Fort Vancouver
.

Civil War

Engineering assignments

After the start of the Civil War, Wilson received promotions to second and

Maryland Campaign and was present at the battles of South Mountain and Antietam
.

Wilson was transferred to the

William T. Sherman
.

Cavalry commands

Union Cavalry General James Harrison Wilson & staff

In 1864, Wilson switched from engineering to the

Valley Campaigns of 1864
.

General Wilson's ill-fated joint adventure with General Brigadier General

W. H. F. "Rooney" Lee pursued the Union raid, but was ineffective. The audacious raid seemed to be wildly successful, though not uncontested, and the Staunton River Bridge loomed as the great objective. The railroad bridge was over a small but deep river, the Staunton
. The Confederacy had sensed its strategic importance, putting a small fort there under Captain Benjamin Farinholt, and his 296 reserve troops. A valiant stand by local volunteers of old men and boys, with help from surrounding counties, gathered almost a force of nearly 1,000, which halted the 5,000 well-armed troops. Wilson’s cavalry fought the action dismounted. "Rooney" Lee's cavalry came up during the engagement's end, and routed Wilson's troops. There has been speculation that this damaged an otherwise brilliant career for Wilson.

However, just before Sheridan's decisive Battle of Cedar Creek in October 1864, Wilson was upgraded to brevet major general of volunteers and transferred back to the West to become chief of cavalry for the Military Division of the Mississippi under Sherman.

As cavalry chief, he trained Sherman's cavalry (under

Andersonville, as he fled through Georgia in May 1865. Wilson's administration of post-war Georgia was regarded, in some cases, as enlightened. In his History of the State of Georgia from 1850 to 1881, the historian I.W. Avery remarks:

In many particulars the Federal soldiers acted very cleverly. Gen. [James H.] Wilson turned over to Gen. Ira Foster the Confederate mules, horses, wagons, and harness, for distribution to the poor, and Col. J.H.R Washington of Macon, was associated with Gen. Foster to aid in the distribution.[2][3]

On June 24, 1865, in General Order #31, General Wilson expressed appreciation to Foster and Washington, and relieved them of their authority, placing the task with Capt. R. Carter, A.Q.M., Cavalry Corps Military Division of the Mississippi.[4]

At the end of the war, Wilson reverted to the rank of lieutenant colonel and was assigned to the newly created 35th U.S. Infantry, but his duty assignments continued to be in the Corps of Engineers until he resigned from the Army in December 1870.

Later life and wars

After he left the Army, Wilson worked as a railroad construction engineer and executive. He moved to Wilmington, Delaware, in 1883. For the next 15 years he devoted his time to business, travel, and public affairs, and wrote on a number of subjects.

Wilson returned to the Army in 1898 for the

Edward VII of the United Kingdom
.

He was a Veteran Companion of the District of Columbia Commander of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS) – a military society of Union officers and their descendants. He was assigned MOLLUS insignia number 12106.

Wilson died in Wilmington, Delaware, in 1925, with only three Union Civil War generals living longer.[5] He is buried in the Old Swedes Churchyard in Wilmington.

Works

Wikisource has original works by or about:
James H. Wilson
  • The Life of General U. S. Grant, General of the Armies of the United States (co-authored with Charles A. Dana, 1868)
  • China: Travels and Investigations in the Middle Kingdom—a Study of its Civilization and Possibilities, with a Glance at Japan (1887)
  • Life and Services of Brevet Brigadier-General Andrew Jonathan Alexander, United States Army (1887)
  • Heroes of the Great Conflict: Life and Services of William Farrar Smith, Major General, United States Volunteers in the Civil War (1904)
  • The Life of Charles A. Dana (1907)
  • The Campaign of Chancellorsville (1911)
  • Under the Old Flag: Recollections of Military Operations in the War for the Union, the Spanish War, the Boxer Rebellion, etc. (1912)
  • The Life of John A. Rawlins: Lawyer, Assistant Adjutant-General, Chief of Staff, Major General of Volunteers, and Secretary of War (1916)

See also

  • List of American Civil War Generals (Union)
  • Puerto Rican Campaign

Notes

  1. ^ Center, Jr., Clark E (2008). "University of Alabama". Encyclopedia of Alabama. Auburn University. Retrieved December 6, 2011.
  2. ^ United States. War Dept; Robert Nicholson Scott; Henry Martyn Lazelle; et al. (1897). The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. U.S. Government Printing Office. pp. 631–632.
  3. ISBN 978-1-153-49287-4
    .
  4. ^ New York Times (16 July 1865). "The Cotton in Georgia.; IMPORTANT ORDER BY GEN. WILSON". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
  5. ^ Warner, p. 568. Union Generals Nelson A. Miles, John R. Brooke, and Adelbert Ames lived longer.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to James Harrison Wilson.
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