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Brig William Wirt Adams (b.1819 d.1888) was born in Frankfurt, Kentucky March 22, 1819. He was the brother of CSA Gen. Daniel Weisiger Adams. In 1825 his family moved to Natchez, Mississippi. He served for a short time in Texas, acting as an adjutant in the fight against the Indians, but returned to Mississippi following the death of his father. Adams moved to Louisiana in the 1840's and began growing sugar and then later moved on to Jackson, Mississippi where he married Sallie Huger Mayrant . He was offered the Postmaster Generals office by Jefferson Davis for the newly formed Confederate States of America but turned the job down. When war broke out, he formed the 1st Mississippi Cavalry, renamed Dec. 24, 1861 as the Wirt Adams Regiment. His unit fought bravely at the Battle of Shiloh and performed many rearguard and forward attachment duties on the withdrawal from Kentucky to Corinth, Mississippi. Throughout 1862 Wirt Adams, a Colonel at this time, lead his cavalry regiment on many raids against Federal forces operating in Tennessee and Mississippi. In October of 1862, Maj. Gen. Earl van Dorn’s Army of West Tennessee was in full retreat from Corinth, being pursued by Maj. Gen. Edward Ord and a part of the Union Army of West Tennessee. During the mayhem, the Wirt Adams Regiment charged and held the Hatchie (Davis) bridge long enough to allow Van Dorn and his men to escape and avoid certain annihilation or capture. On another raid his regiment captured a train loaded with Union troops leaving Corinth. He was soon to be given overall command of all cavalry units south of Jackson, leading many daring raids. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant reported that Adams and his men "infest the country from Rodney [Mississippi] to Port Hudson [Louisiana]." .On Sep. 28, 1863, William Wirt Adams was commissioned Brigadier General. After the fall of Vicksburg his forces were involved in continually harassing and skirmishing Gen. William Tecumsah Shermans destructive advance. His command is credited with helping thwart Shermans drive towards Meridian, Mississippi. In April of 1864 his troops engaged the Federal gunship the 'Petrel', capturing it and its eight 24 pounders before burning it. This event resulted in the 3,000 man Union advance to retreat back to Vicksburg. Late in the war Adams and his men would come under the command of Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest and would remain so through the end. He surrendered his command near Ramsey Station, Alabama on May 4, 1865 and received his parole on the 12th of the same month at Gainesville. After the war, Adams settled in Vicksburg where he was appointed as a state revenue agent. In 1885 President Grover Cleveland appointed him Postmaster. Tragically, on May 1, 1888, William Wirt Adams lost his in a street fight against John Martin, a local newspaper editor who had criticized him in publication. Martin was also killed in the incident. He is buried in Greenwood cemetery in Jackson, Mississippi near his brother, CSA Gen. Daniel Weisiger Adams.

Thanks. I've been too busy to edit generals' bios, but plan to get back to it in the next day or two, and will give feedback on both Adams' bios.

Nice job with this one, in terms of getting in interesting details from before and after his military career.


Brig. Gen. William Wirt Adams (b. 1819, d. 1888). Adams was born in Frankfurt You say his brother is from Frankfort – am I correct in assuming that that’s correct?, Kentucky on March 22, 1819. He was the brother of CSA Gen. Daniel Weisiger Adams. In 1825 his family moved to Natchez, Mississippi. He served for a short time in Texas, acting as an adjutant in the fight against the Indians, but returned to Mississippi following the death of his father. Adams moved to Louisiana in the 1840's and began growing sugar, and then later moved on to Jackson, Mississippi, where he married Sallie Huger Mayrant. When the Confederacy was formed, Adams was offered the Postmaster General’s office by Pres. Jefferson Davis but turned the job down. Instead, when war broke out, he formed the 1st Mississippi Cavalry, which was renamed as the Wirt Adams Regiment on Dec. 24, 1861. His unit fought bravely at the Battle of Shiloh and performed many rearguard and forward attachment duties during the withdrawal from Kentucky to Corinth, Mississippi. Throughout 1862 Adams, a Colonel at this time, led his cavalry regiment on many raids against Federal forces operating in Tennessee and Mississippi. In October of 1862, Maj. Gen. Earl van Dorn’s Army of West Tennessee was in full retreat from Corinth, being pursued by Maj. Gen. Edward Ord and a part of the Union Army of West Tennessee. During the mayhem, the Wirt Adams Regiment charged and held the Hatchie (Davis) bridge long enough to allow Van Dorn and his men to escape and avoid certain annihilation or capture. On another raid his regiment captured a train loaded with Union troops leaving Corinth. He was soon to be given overall command of all cavalry units south of Jackson, leading many daring raids. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant reported that Adams and his men "infest the country from Rodney [Mississippi] to Port Hudson [Louisiana]." On Sep. 28, 1863, Adams was commissioned Brigadier General. After the fall of Vicksburg his forces were involved in continually harassing and skirmishing Gen. William Tecumsah Sherman’s destructive advance. His command is credited with helping thwart Sherman’s drive towards Meridian, Mississippi. In April of 1864. his troops engaged the Federal gunship the “Petrel,” capturing it and its eight 24-pounders before burning the vessel. This event resulted in the 3,000-man Union advance having to retreat back to Vicksburg. Late in the war Adams and his men would come under the command of Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest and remain so through the end. He surrendered his command near Ramsey Station, Alabama on May 4, 1865 and received his parole on the 12th of the same month at Gainesville. After the war, Adams settled in Vicksburg, where he was appointed as a state revenue agent. In 1885 President Grover Cleveland appointed him Postmaster. Tragically, on May 1, 1888, Adams lost his life in a street fight against John Martin, a local newspaper editor who had criticized him in publication, and who was also killed in the incident. He is buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Jackson, Mississippi near his brother, Gen. D.W. Adams.


Leadership: 5
Tactics: 4
Initiative: 6
Command: 5
Cavalry: 6

Teaches: Wild (3), Organized (24)

Doh! Yes, it was Frankfort.