CSA bios: Wise, Winder, Winder, Wilson, Williams Wilcox
Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 10:28 pm
Henry A. Wise, CSA (b. 1806 d. 1876) Born in Drumondtown, Va., Henry Alexander Wise graduated from Washington (Penn.) College in 1825. For two years, he was a Nashville, Tenn. lawyer, before returning to Virginia. An aggressive supporter of states’ rights, he was elected to Congress in 1833 as a Jacksonian Democrat, but later became a Whig. He was offered a Navy portfolio by President Tyler and was rejected by the Senate as minister to France. He was made minister to Brazil from 1844-47. He changed back to the Democrat party, supporting Pierce and Buchanan for president. He was elected governor of Virginia from 1856-60. Despite the lack of military training, at the outbreak of hostilities, Wise was appointed brigadier general June 5, 1861. The Wise Legion and other troops fought under his command in the West Virginia Campaign (led by Robert E. Lee) and in North Carolina (under P.G.T. Beauregard). The Legion defended Charleston, S.C., and fought in Florida. From May 1864, Wise and his troops were on the Petersburg lines, at Drewry’s Bluff and in the command of Richard H. Anderson while defending Richmond. After the Battle of Sayler’s Creek, two days before the surrender, Gen. Lee gave Wise division command, though he was never formally appointed major general. After the war, the brother-in-law of Union Maj. Gen. George G. Meade wrote Seven Decades of the Union, which was published in 872. He died in Richmond Sept. 12, 1876.
John H. Winder, CSA (b. 1800 d. 1865) John Henry Winder was born Feb. 21, 1800 and graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point with the Class of 1820. He served as a instructor of tactics there and one of his students was Jefferson Davis. He resigned his commission in 1823, but was reappointed to the army in 1827. During the Mexican War, he received brevets to major and lieutenant colonel for gallant and meritorious conduct. He resigned his commission as major, 3rd Artillery, April 27, 1861. He was commissioned a brigadier general in the Provisional Confederate Army June 21, 1861, and made provost marshal of Richmond. His responsibilities includes overseeing prison camps, rounding up deserters and the maintenance and order of the city. He also fixed commodity prices within Richmond. He was made commissary general of prisoners east of the Mississippi Nov. 21, 1864. His job was made more difficult by the refusal of Federal officials to exchange prisoners. Burdened with his difficult duties, Winder died in Florence, S.C., Feb. 7, 1865.
Charles S. Winder, CSA (b. 1829 d. 1862) Winder was an 1850 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Hailing from Talbot County, Md., Winder faced his first real test against Mother Nature. On the way to Panama on a troop ship in 1854, Winder showed heroism in the midst of a hurricane and received a promotion to captain March 3, 1855. At 25, he was then said to be the youngest in his grade in the army. He remained in the army until April 1, 1861, and was appointed major of artillery in the Regular Confederate Army with the date made March 16, 1861. He participated in the siege of Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor and after that was made colonel of the Sixth South Carolina Infantry (July 8, 1861). His regiment was in the area during First Manassas, but reached the battleground too late to see an active role. He was promoted brigadier general in the Provisional Confederate Army March 1, 1862 and assigned to what later became the “Stonewall Brigade” in T.J. Jackson’s division. He led the Virginia regiments through Jackson’s Valley Campaign of 1862. At the Seven Days Campaign, Winder played a major role in the attack at Gaines’ Mill. Prior to Second Manassas, Winder was commanding Jackson’s Division (while Stonewall was handling a corps) and was fatally wounded by a shell during the Battle of Cedar Mountain Aug. 9, 1862, finally passing a few hours later. In official reports, both Jackson and Robert E. Lee lamented his passing.
Claudius C. Wilson, CSA (b. 1831 d. 1863) Claudius Charles Wilson was born in Effingham County, Ga., Oct. 1, 1831. He graduated from Emory College in Oxford, Ga., in 1851 and read law. He was admitted to the Savannah bar in 1852 and elected solicitor-general for the eastern circuit of Georgia. He resigned in 1860 and joined the Confederate Army as captain of Company I, 25th Georgia Infantry at the outbreak of war. He was elected lieutenant colonel of the regiment Sept. 2, 1861. After serving at locations along the Georgia and South Carolina coasts, the 25th Georgia was attached to Gen. Joseph E. Johnston’s forces in the Vicksburg Campaign. Sent to Georgia, Wilson commanded a brigade at the Battle of Chickamauga in the reserve corps of W.H.T. Walker. He was recommended for promotion to brigadier general, but died of camp fever at Ringgold, Ga., Nov. 27, 1863. He was confirmed as a brigadier general posthumously by the Confederate Senate Feb. 17, 1864.
John S. Williams, CSA (b. 1818 d. 1898) “Cerro Gordo” Wiliams was born near Mount Sterling, Ky., July 10, 1818 and graduated from Miami (Ohio) University with the Class of 1839. He earned bar admission and opened practice in Paris, Ky. During the Mexican War, Williams joined the army and was a captain of an independent company attached to the 6th U.S. Infantry. Later, he became a colonel of Kentucky volunteers.. His earned his nickname for his conduct at the Battle of Cerro Gordo. After the war, he became a member of the Kentucky legislature in 1851. Originally against secession, Williams changed his stance due to his feelings of an overbearing Federal government. He joined the Confederate Army as a colonel with the Fifth Kentucky Infantry Nov. 16, 1861. He was advanced to brigadier general April 16, 1862. His unit served in eastern Kentucky and southwestern Virginia under Humphery Marshall. When Marshall resigned, Williams advanced to command the Department of East Tennessee in 1863, opposing Burnside’s advance on Knoxville. Relieved at his own request, he continued to command units in the area and played a key role in defeating a Federal attack on the Abingdon, Va., salt works. In 1864, his unit joined the command of Gen. Joseph Wheeler, but became separated from the main unit during a raid into Tennessee in August 1864. He again moved to southwestern Virginia, fighting there until the end of the war. He became a Kentucky farmer after the war but was elected to the state legislature again in 1873 and 1875. He ran an unsuccessful campaign for governor in 1875, but won election to the U.S. Senate in 1878. His bid for a second term ended in defeat and he returned to farming. Williams died July 17, 1898 at Mount Sterling, Kentucky.
Cadmus M. Wilcox, CSA (b. 1824 d. 1890) Cadmus Marcellus Wilcox was born May 29, 1824, in Wayne County, N.C. Growing up in Tennessee, Wilcox received an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1842. He graduated with the Class of 1846 and received his commission. In the Mexican War, Wilcox was breveted first lieutenant for his conduct at Chapultepec. He published “Rifles and Rifle Practice” in 1859. He resigned his U.S. commission June 8, 1861, joining the Ninth Alabama Infantry as its colonel. After fighting at First Manassas, Wilcox was elevated to brigadier general Oct. 21, 1861. From that time forward, Wilcox was at just about every major battle of the Army of Northern Virginia. After the Battle of Gettysburg, he was promoted to major general (Aug. 3, 1863) and took command of the division previously under Pender. He led the defense of Fort Gregg at the Petersburg lines, holding long enough to allow Longstreet’s command to cover the retreat. After the war, Wilcox settled in Washington, D.C. President Grover Cleveland appointed him chief of the railroad division of the Land Office. He held that post until his death Dec. 2, 1890. He was so esteemed by those of the North as well as the South that four pallbearers at his funeral were former U.S. Army generals and the other four were former Confederate Army generals.
John H. Winder, CSA (b. 1800 d. 1865) John Henry Winder was born Feb. 21, 1800 and graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point with the Class of 1820. He served as a instructor of tactics there and one of his students was Jefferson Davis. He resigned his commission in 1823, but was reappointed to the army in 1827. During the Mexican War, he received brevets to major and lieutenant colonel for gallant and meritorious conduct. He resigned his commission as major, 3rd Artillery, April 27, 1861. He was commissioned a brigadier general in the Provisional Confederate Army June 21, 1861, and made provost marshal of Richmond. His responsibilities includes overseeing prison camps, rounding up deserters and the maintenance and order of the city. He also fixed commodity prices within Richmond. He was made commissary general of prisoners east of the Mississippi Nov. 21, 1864. His job was made more difficult by the refusal of Federal officials to exchange prisoners. Burdened with his difficult duties, Winder died in Florence, S.C., Feb. 7, 1865.
Charles S. Winder, CSA (b. 1829 d. 1862) Winder was an 1850 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Hailing from Talbot County, Md., Winder faced his first real test against Mother Nature. On the way to Panama on a troop ship in 1854, Winder showed heroism in the midst of a hurricane and received a promotion to captain March 3, 1855. At 25, he was then said to be the youngest in his grade in the army. He remained in the army until April 1, 1861, and was appointed major of artillery in the Regular Confederate Army with the date made March 16, 1861. He participated in the siege of Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor and after that was made colonel of the Sixth South Carolina Infantry (July 8, 1861). His regiment was in the area during First Manassas, but reached the battleground too late to see an active role. He was promoted brigadier general in the Provisional Confederate Army March 1, 1862 and assigned to what later became the “Stonewall Brigade” in T.J. Jackson’s division. He led the Virginia regiments through Jackson’s Valley Campaign of 1862. At the Seven Days Campaign, Winder played a major role in the attack at Gaines’ Mill. Prior to Second Manassas, Winder was commanding Jackson’s Division (while Stonewall was handling a corps) and was fatally wounded by a shell during the Battle of Cedar Mountain Aug. 9, 1862, finally passing a few hours later. In official reports, both Jackson and Robert E. Lee lamented his passing.
Claudius C. Wilson, CSA (b. 1831 d. 1863) Claudius Charles Wilson was born in Effingham County, Ga., Oct. 1, 1831. He graduated from Emory College in Oxford, Ga., in 1851 and read law. He was admitted to the Savannah bar in 1852 and elected solicitor-general for the eastern circuit of Georgia. He resigned in 1860 and joined the Confederate Army as captain of Company I, 25th Georgia Infantry at the outbreak of war. He was elected lieutenant colonel of the regiment Sept. 2, 1861. After serving at locations along the Georgia and South Carolina coasts, the 25th Georgia was attached to Gen. Joseph E. Johnston’s forces in the Vicksburg Campaign. Sent to Georgia, Wilson commanded a brigade at the Battle of Chickamauga in the reserve corps of W.H.T. Walker. He was recommended for promotion to brigadier general, but died of camp fever at Ringgold, Ga., Nov. 27, 1863. He was confirmed as a brigadier general posthumously by the Confederate Senate Feb. 17, 1864.
John S. Williams, CSA (b. 1818 d. 1898) “Cerro Gordo” Wiliams was born near Mount Sterling, Ky., July 10, 1818 and graduated from Miami (Ohio) University with the Class of 1839. He earned bar admission and opened practice in Paris, Ky. During the Mexican War, Williams joined the army and was a captain of an independent company attached to the 6th U.S. Infantry. Later, he became a colonel of Kentucky volunteers.. His earned his nickname for his conduct at the Battle of Cerro Gordo. After the war, he became a member of the Kentucky legislature in 1851. Originally against secession, Williams changed his stance due to his feelings of an overbearing Federal government. He joined the Confederate Army as a colonel with the Fifth Kentucky Infantry Nov. 16, 1861. He was advanced to brigadier general April 16, 1862. His unit served in eastern Kentucky and southwestern Virginia under Humphery Marshall. When Marshall resigned, Williams advanced to command the Department of East Tennessee in 1863, opposing Burnside’s advance on Knoxville. Relieved at his own request, he continued to command units in the area and played a key role in defeating a Federal attack on the Abingdon, Va., salt works. In 1864, his unit joined the command of Gen. Joseph Wheeler, but became separated from the main unit during a raid into Tennessee in August 1864. He again moved to southwestern Virginia, fighting there until the end of the war. He became a Kentucky farmer after the war but was elected to the state legislature again in 1873 and 1875. He ran an unsuccessful campaign for governor in 1875, but won election to the U.S. Senate in 1878. His bid for a second term ended in defeat and he returned to farming. Williams died July 17, 1898 at Mount Sterling, Kentucky.
Cadmus M. Wilcox, CSA (b. 1824 d. 1890) Cadmus Marcellus Wilcox was born May 29, 1824, in Wayne County, N.C. Growing up in Tennessee, Wilcox received an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1842. He graduated with the Class of 1846 and received his commission. In the Mexican War, Wilcox was breveted first lieutenant for his conduct at Chapultepec. He published “Rifles and Rifle Practice” in 1859. He resigned his U.S. commission June 8, 1861, joining the Ninth Alabama Infantry as its colonel. After fighting at First Manassas, Wilcox was elevated to brigadier general Oct. 21, 1861. From that time forward, Wilcox was at just about every major battle of the Army of Northern Virginia. After the Battle of Gettysburg, he was promoted to major general (Aug. 3, 1863) and took command of the division previously under Pender. He led the defense of Fort Gregg at the Petersburg lines, holding long enough to allow Longstreet’s command to cover the retreat. After the war, Wilcox settled in Washington, D.C. President Grover Cleveland appointed him chief of the railroad division of the Land Office. He held that post until his death Dec. 2, 1890. He was so esteemed by those of the North as well as the South that four pallbearers at his funeral were former U.S. Army generals and the other four were former Confederate Army generals.