The Fighting General: W.H.L. Wallace, USA

[Battleline]

Brig. Gen. William H.L. Wallace (b. 1821, d. 1862) William Harvey Lamb Wallace earned acclaim and a brigadier general’s star as a fighting officer. Unfortunately, it was the same approach which led to his death, April 10, 1862, due to wounds suffered at the Battle of Shiloh. Wallace was born in Urbana, Ohio, July 8, 1821. As a boy, his family relocated to La Salle County, Illinois. In 1846, Wallace was admitted to the Illinois bar, but within a year, he enlisted in the 1st Illinois Volunteers for the Mexican War. Initially a private, he rose to first lieutenant and regimental adjutant while fighting under the army of Zachary Taylor. After the war, he returned home and resumed his law practice. He was an elected district attorney for a time. With a call for troops at the start of the Civil War, Wallace returned to the military as colonel of the 11th Illinois (enlisted May 1, 1861), a 90-day unit which extended its enlistment for three years. Based at Bird’s Point, Missouri, Wallace led his men on a chase of Missouri State Guard Brig. Gen. Jeff Thompson “The Swamp Rat” holding Bloomfield, Missouri. That was part of the campaign with ended with the Battle of Belmont, Missouri, Nov. 7, 1861. First contact with the enemy came in skirmishes against Thompson’s forces. If the 11th Illinois missed out on the main fighting at Belmont, it made up for it at Fort Donelson, Feb. 13-16, 1862. In the campaign to take the river forts in northern Tennessee, Wallace commanded the Second Brigade of Brig. Gen. John McClernard’s First Division, Wallace’s men had an easy time at Fort Henry. But in the siege of Fort Donelson, Wallace and his brigade were in the thick of the fighting. The brigade suffered with a change in weather and then suffered heavily from Brig. Gen. Pillow’s attack out of the fort Feb. 15, 1862. Representative of the carnage was the 11th Illinois. According to the adjutant general’s report, in five hours, the 11th Illinois, part of Wallace’s 2nd Brigade, lost 329 of its 509 men who were killed, wounded or missing. Of that number, 72 were killed and 182 wounded. In reorganization of the army, Wallace was promoted to brigadier general March 21, 1862, and assigned to command of the 2nd Division of the six concentrating around Savannah and Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee. The morning of April 6, 1862, found Wallace’s division on the Federal right, in advance of the main lines. Suffering heavy casualties during the Confederate attacks, Wallace brought his command back to form up on the right of Brig. Gen. Benjamin Prentiss’ 6th Division at what later became known as the “Hornet’s Nest.” Defending the sunken road in heavy woods, the Federals were ordered to hold out. Late in the day, April 6, the position began to break. Just after conferring with Prentiss to hold out to the last man, Wallace was hit in the head with a piece of shell. Prentiss surrendered soon after that. Wallace was left on the field, undisturbed among the many casualties. It’s likely he was left for dead in the dark. Federal troops found him about 10 a.m. April 7, somehow still alive. He was removed to Pittsburg Landing, where his wife had arrived the day before. Wallace lingered until April 10, when he died at the Federal command post at Savannah, Tennessee. Wallace was buried near Ottawa, Illinois.

[jkBluesman]

Great bio, I really like the new labels you give the Union commanders.

[Battleline]

jkBluesman,
Thanks!
I'm trying to "market" them better so they will receive more hits. I think people tend to open a thread if they think it looks interesting.
Battleline

[Gil R.]

Copied, thanks.

[Gil R.]

Here's Wallace. Not sure if I short-changed him in terms of ratings.

Brig. Gen. William Harvey Lamb Wallace (b. 1821, d. 1862). Wallace earned acclaim and a brigadier general’s star as a fighting officer. Unfortunately, it was this same approach which led to his mortal wounding in the Battle of Shiloh and death four days later, on April 10, 1862. Wallace was born in Urbana, Ohio, on July 8, 1821. When he was a boy his family relocated to La Salle County, Illinois. In 1846, Wallace was admitted to the Illinois bar, but within a year, he enlisted in the 1st Illinois Volunteers for the Mexican War, rising from private to 1st lieutenant and regimental adjutant while fighting in the army of Zachary Taylor. After the war, he returned home and resumed his law practice, also being elected district attorney for a time. With the call for troops at the start of the Civil War, Wallace returned to the military as Colonel of the 11th Illinois (enlisted May 1, 1861), a 90-day unit which later extended its enlistment for three more years. Based at Bird’s Point, Missouri, Wallace led his men on a chase of the Missouri State Guard’s Gen. Jeff Thompson, known as “The Swamp Rat,” then holding Bloomfield, Missouri. This was part of the campaign that ended with the Battle of Belmont (Missouri) on November 7, during which first contact with the enemy came in skirmishes against Thompson’s forces. If the 11th Illinois missed out on the main fighting at Belmont, it made up for this during at Fort Donelson, on February 13-16, 1862. In the campaign to take the Confederate river forts in northern Tennessee, Wallace commanded the 2nd Brigade of Brig. Gen. John McClernard’s 1st Division, having an easy time at the poorly prepared Fort Henry. But in the Siege of Fort Donelson, Wallace and his brigade were engaged in heated fighting, after having been badly afflicted by a sudden change to cold weather. The brigade suffered heavily from Gen. Gideon Pillow’s attack out of the fort on February 15, during which the Confederates unsuccessfully attempted to break out and escape. Representative of the carnage was the 11th Illinois: according to the adjutant general’s report, in five hours this regiment lost 329 of its 509 men, of whom 72 were killed and 182 wounded, and the rest missing. When the army was reorganized, Wallace was promoted to brigadier general on March 21, 1862, and assigned to command of the 2nd Division, one of the six concentrating around Savannah and Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee. The morning of April 6, 1862, the first of the two-day Battle of Shiloh, found Wallace’s division on the Union right, in advance of the main lines. Suffering heavy casualties during the Confederate attacks, Wallace brought his command back to form up on the right of Gen. Benjamin Prentiss’ 6th Division at the stretch of woods that later became known as the “Hornet’s Nest.” Defending a sunken road in heavy woods, the Union soldiers were ordered to hold out – which they did until late in the day, when the position began to break. Just after conferring with Prentiss about holding out to the last man, Wallace was hit in the head by a shell fragment; Prentiss surrendered soon thereafter. Wallace was left on the field, undisturbed among the many casualties. It is likely that he was left for dead in the dark. Union troops found him about 10 a.m. the next morning, somehow still alive. He was removed to Pittsburg Landing, where his wife had arrived the day before. Wallace lingered until April 10, when he died at an army command post at Savannah, Tennessee. Wallace was buried near Ottawa, Illinois. (Bio by Bill Battle)

Leadership: 4
Tactics: 4
Initiative: 3
Command: 4
Cavalry:

Teaches: Polar Bears (18), Steady (14), Aggressive (30)

Start date: 29
Death date: 31