August Willich

August von Willich (November 19, 1810 – January 22, 1878) was a military officer in the German-Prussian army and a leading early proponent of Communism in Germany. He later emigrated to the United States and became a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 300 × 354 pixelsFull resolution (300 × 354 pixel, file size: 18 KB, MIME type: image/gif)source: http://www. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 300 × 354 pixelsFull resolution (300 × 354 pixel, file size: 18 KB, MIME type: image/gif)source: http://www. ... November 19 is the 323rd day of the year (324th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1810 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... January 22 is the 22nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1878 (MDCCCLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Motto: Suum cuique Latin: To each his own Prussia at its peak, as leading state of the German Empire Capital Königsberg, later Berlin Political structure Duchy, Kingdom, Republic Duke1  - 1525–68 Albert I  - 1688–1701 Frederick III King1  - 1701–13 Frederick I  - 1888–1918 William II Prime Minister1,2... Communism is an ideology that seeks to establish a classless, stateless social organization based on common ownership of the means of production. ... The 21st Michigan Infantry, a company of Shermans veterans. ... This article is becoming very long. ...

Early life and career

Willich was born in Braunsberg, Prussia. His father was a captain in the hussars.^[1] Initially an artillery officer in the Prussian military, he resigned from the army in 1846 as a convinced republican. A member of the Communist League, he took an active part in the revolution of 1848–49. After the suppression of the uprising he emigrated to London. Braniewo is a city in northeastern Poland: Warmia - Mazury voivodship). ... Motto: Suum cuique Latin: To each his own Prussia at its peak, as leading state of the German Empire Capital Königsberg, later Berlin Political structure Duchy, Kingdom, Republic Duke1  - 1525–68 Albert I  - 1688–1701 Frederick III King1  - 1701–13 Frederick I  - 1888–1918 William II Prime Minister1,2... Please see Captain for other uses of the term Captain is a military rank used in nearly every army and navy of the world. ... Polish (Winged) Hussar Hussar (original Hungarian spelling: huszár, plural huszárok, Polish: Husaria) refers to a number of types of cavalry used throughout Europe since the 15th century. ... See Communist League (disambiguation) for other groups of the same name. ... // Preliminaries Germany at the time of the Revolutions of 1848 was a collection of over 30 states loosely bound together in the German Confederation after the Congress of Vienna in 1815. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...

With Schapper, he was the leader of the Left fraction of the Communist League. In 1849, he was leader of a Free Corps in the Baden-Palatinate uprising. Revolutionary thinker Friedrich Engels served as his aide-de-camp. In 1850, when the League of Communists split, he (together with Schapper) was leader of the anti-Karl Marx grouping. A Forty-Eighter along with Franz Sigel and other prominent future Civil war generals, he moved to the state of Ohio in the United States and became a carpenter, working in this role from 1853, and then as a journalist from 1858. He also edited a German-language free labor newspaper. Friedrich Engels (November 28, 1820, Wuppertal – August 5, 1895, London), a 19th-century German political philosopher, developed communist theory alongside his better-known collaborator, Karl Marx, co-authoring The Communist Manifesto (1848). ... An aide-de-camp (French: camp assistant) is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state. ... Karl Heinrich Marx (May 5, 1818, Trier, Germany – March 14, 1883, London) was a German philosopher, political economist, and revolutionary. ... The Forty-Eighters were Germans who traveled to the United States and Australia after the Revolutions of 1848. ... Franz Sigel Franz Sigel (November 18, 1824 – August 21, 1902) was a German military officer and immigrant to the United States who was a teacher, newspaperman, politician, and served as a Union general in the American Civil War. ... Official language(s) None Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus Largest metro area Cleveland Area  Ranked 34th  - Total 44,825 sq mi (116,096 km²)  - Width 220 miles (355 km)  - Length 220 miles (355 km)  - % water 8. ...

Willich became known as one of the "Ohio Hegelians" (followers of German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel), along with John Bernhard Stallo, Moncure Daniel Conway and Peter Kaufmann. Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel [] (August 27, 1770 – November 14, 1831) was a German philosopher born in Stuttgart, Württemberg, in present-day southwest Germany. ... John (Johann) Bernhard Stallo (1823-1900) was a German-American academic, jurist, philosopher, and ambassador. ... Moncure Daniel Conway Moncure Daniel Conway (March 17, 1832 - November 5, 1907), was an American clergyman and author. ... Peter Kaufmann is known as one of the Ohio Hegelians, along with John Bernhard Stallo, Moncure Daniel Conway and August Willich. ...

Civil War

With the outbreak of the Civil War, in early 1861 Willich actively recruited German immigrants in the southwestern Ohio region. He joined the 9th Ohio Infantry ("Die Neuner") as the regimental adjutant with the rank of first lieutenant, and was promoted to major in August of that year. He served in western Virginia, seeing action at the Battle of Rich Mountain, as well as at Carnifex Ferry. Willich then returned to the Ohio River valley over the winter and resumed his recruiting activities. Governor Oliver P. Morton commissioned Willich as Colonel of the 32nd Indiana, also called the First German, (an all-German regiment). The 9th Ohio Infantry (Die Neuner) was an infantry regiment that was a part of the Union Army during the American Civil War. ... First Lieutenant is a military rank. ... Major is a military rank the use of which varies according to country. ... Official language(s) English Capital Charleston Largest city Charleston Area  Ranked 41st  - Total 24,244 sq mi (62,809 km²)  - Width 130 miles (210 km)  - Length 240 miles (385 km)  - % water 0. ... Battle of Rich Mountain Conflict American Civil War Date July 11, 1861 Place Randolph County, West Virginia Result Union victory The Battle of Rich Mountain took place on July 11, 1861 in Randolph County, West Virginia as part of the operations in West Virginia during the American Civil War. ... Battle of Carnifex Ferry Conflict American Civil War Date September 10, 1861 Place Nicholas County, West Virginia Result Union victory The Battle of Carnifex Ferry took place on September 10, 1861 in Nicholas County, West Virginia as part of the operations in West Virginia during the American Civil War. ... Oliver Hazard Perry Throck Morton (August 4, 1823–November 1, 1877) was a U.S. politician of the Republican Party. ... Colonel (IPA: or ) is a military rank of a commissioned officer, with the corresponding ranks existing in nearly every country in the world. ... During the American Civil War, over 200,000 native Germans served in the Union Army. ...

At the request of Governor Oliver P. Morton, he assumed command of the Thirty-second Indiana. Willich drilled his regiment, in German, to a high degree. It made a favorable impression wherever it served. An innovative officer, he suggested construction of special wagons convertible to pontoon boats by removing of wheels. To speed up troop movement and assure combat condition of troops upon arrival at the battle-field, he recommended wagon transport of troops. His superiors rejected both ideas. Yet, Willich's concern for his men's well-being earned him the nickname "Papa". When possible, he ordered bakery ovens constructed that troops would have fresh bread. Oliver Hazard Perry Throck Morton (August 4, 1823–November 1, 1877) was a U.S. politician of the Republican Party. ...

The Thirty-second gained nationwide recognition for its stand against Confederate forces at Rowlett's Station, Ky. A detachment of 500 men under Lt. Col. Henry von Trebra fought off 1300 men of Terry's Texas Rangers and infantry under General Hindman. The 32nd formed the "hollow square", and drove the attackers back, losing 10 and 22 wounded, but killing thirty-three of the enemy, including Col. Terry and wounding fifty others. Combatants Confederate States of America United States of America Commanders Thomas Carmichael Hindman Alexander McDowell McCook, August Willich Strength 1350 500 Casualties 91 40 The Battle of Rowletts Station (also known as Battle of Woodsonville or of Green River) was a land battle in the American Civil War, fought... ... Thomas Carmichael Hindman (28 January 1828 - 27 September 1868) was a United States Representative from the 1st Congressional District of Arkansas and a Major General in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. ...

The 32nd saw action at Shiloh on the second day, during which Col. Willich displayed great leadership. When his troops became unsteady under fire, he stood before them, his back to the enemy, and conducted the regiment through the manual of arms. He had the regimental band play "La Marsaillaise', regarding it as a stirring, inspirational tune, even though it was, and is, the French National Anthem. Recovering its stability, the 32nd launched a bayonet attack. Willich was promoted to brigade command. The 32nd remained in his brigade, under command of von Trebra and, later, Frank Erdelmeyer. Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders Ulysses S. Grant, Don Carlos Buell Albert Sidney Johnston â€ , P.G.T. Beauregard Strength Army of West Tennessee (48,894), Army of the Ohio (17,918) Army of Mississippi (44,699) Casualties 13,047: 1,754 killed, 8,408 wounded...

At Stone's River, the regiment, roughly handled, was forced to retreat. Willich was captured and sent to Libby Prison, Richmond, Va. Eventually he was paroled, returned to brigade. The regiment fought resolutely at Chickamauga and, after Snodgrass Hill, under General Thomas, helped cover the retreat of Federal forces. Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders William S. Rosecrans Braxton Bragg Strength 43,400 37,712 Casualties 13,249 (1,730 killed, 7,802 wounded, 3,717 captured/missing) 10,266 (1,294 killed, 7,945 wounded, 1,027 captured/missing) The Battle of Stones River... Libby Prison, located in Richmond, Virginia, was a former tobacco warehouse located on Tobacco Row, converted into prison used by the Confederacy to house captured Union officers during the American Civil War. ... Chickamauga is several things: Chikamaka Cherokees of the Old South a People in Transition by Henry Thompson Malone, The University of Georgia Press Athens Chickamauga (people), a Native American nation Chickamauga, Georgia The American Civil War Battle of Chickamauga The Rock of Chickamauga a nickname for Gen. ...

During the Siege of Chattanooga, the 32nd played a conspicuous part, as Willich's Brigade captured Orchard Knob. Willich ordered the assault up Missionary Ridge. The 32nd Indiana and the 6th Ohio were the first to reach the top. The 32nd participated in the Atlanta Campaign with General William Tecumseh Sherman. Before the fall of Atlanta, the 32nd was pulled back and sent via Nashville, Tn. to Indianapolis. Enroute, the 32nd was assigned to counter Confederate guerrilla forces in Kentucky. After three days fighting, the 32nd returned to Indianapolis. Willich who had been wounded at Resaca, Ga., was promoted to brevet major general and put in command of Cincinnati. Chattanooga is a city located in United States of America. ... Missionary Ridge is a geographic feature in Chattanooga, Tennessee, site of the Battle of Missionary Ridge, a battle in the American Civil War, fought on November 25, 1863. ... William Tecumseh Sherman (February 8, 1820 – February 14, 1891) was an American soldier, businessman, educator, and author. ... This article is about the state capital of Georgia. ... Cincinnati, Ohio viewed from the SW, across the Ohio River from Kentucky. ...

Rewarded by a promotion to brigadier general in July 1862, Willich fought at the Battle of Perryville under Maj. Gen. Don Carlos Buell in Kentucky. He commanded the 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, XIV Corps in December at the Battle of Stones River. He was captured by the Confederates when his horse was shot out from under him. He was sent to Libby Prison for four months, but was paroled and exchanged in May 1863.^[2] Returning to the Federal army later that year, he was assigned to command of the 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, XX Corps and served with distinction during the Tullahoma Campaign. He led a division at the Battle of Chickamauga and saw additional action during the Chattanooga Campaign. A Brigadier General, or one-star general, is the lowest rank of general officer in the United States and some other countries, ranking just above Colonel and just below Major General. ... Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders Don Carlos Buell Braxton Bragg Strength Army of the Ohio Army of Mississippi Casualties 4,211 3,196 The Battle of Perryville, also known as Battle at Perryville and Battle of Chaplin Hills, was an important but largely neglected encounter... Don Carlos Buell Don Carlos Buell (March 23, 1818 – November 19, 1898) was a career U.S. Army officer who fought in the Seminole War, the Mexican-American War, and the Civil War. ... Official language(s) English[1] Capital Frankfort Largest city Louisville Area  Ranked 37th  - Total 40,444 sq mi (104,749 km²)  - Width 140 miles (225 km)  - Length 379 miles (610 km)  - % water 1. ... XIV Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War. ... Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders William S. Rosecrans Braxton Bragg Strength 43,400 37,712 Casualties 13,249 (1,730 killed, 7,802 wounded, 3,717 captured/missing) 10,266 (1,294 killed, 7,945 wounded, 1,027 captured/missing) The Battle of Stones River... Some Confederate soldiers The Confederate States Army (CSA) was formed in February 1861 to defend the Confederate States of America, which had itself been formed that same year when seven Southern states seceded from the United States (four more states soon followed). ... Libby Prison, located in Richmond, Virginia, was a former tobacco warehouse located on Tobacco Row, converted into prison used by the Confederacy to house captured Union officers during the American Civil War. ... Two corps of the Union Army were called XX Corps during the American Civil War. ... Battle of Hoovers Gap Conflict American Civil War Date June 24– 26, 1862 Place Bedford County, Tennessee and Rutherford County, Tennessee Result Union victory The Battle of Hoovers Gap was the principal battle fought in the Tullahoma Campaign of the American Civil War. ... Symbol of the Polish 1st Legions Infantry Division in NATO code A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of around ten to twenty thousand soldiers. ... Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders William S. Rosecrans George H. Thomas Braxton Bragg James Longstreet Strength Army of the Cumberland (56,965) Army of Tennessee (66,000) Casualties 16,170 (1,657 killed, 9,756 wounded, 4,757 captured/missing) 18,454 (2,312 killed... Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders Ulysses S. Grant Braxton Bragg Strength Military Division of the Mississippi (56,359 effectives)[1] Army of Tennessee (44,010)[1] Casualties 5,824 (753 killed, 4,722 wounded, 349 missing)[1] 6,667 (361 killed, 2,160 wounded, 4...

Due to the anti-German sentiment in the nation, and the army in particular, veterans of the 32nd did not re-enlist. Nor did most other all-German regiments. It rankled the German-American soldier that General Joseph Hooker had blamed German troops of the 11th Corps for his defeat at Chancellorsville. The New York Times labeled the 11th Corps "Dutch Cowards." Actually, of the Corps's 12,000 men, 7,000 were American. Of the remaining 5,000, only one-third were German, these having been the units offering the stiffest resistance to the Confederate attack made by "Stonewall" Jackson. Chancellorsville is an unicorporated village in Virginia, about twenty miles west of Fredericksburg. ... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... For other uses of Stonewall Jackson, see Stonewall Jackson (disambiguation). ...

The three-year veterans were mustered out on Sept. 7, 1864. The remaining 200 replacements whose terms had not expired were organized into a battalion of four companies under Hans Blume. At war's end they were stationed with General Sheridan's occupation forces in central Texas. They returned to Indianapolis and were mustered out on Dec. 4, 1865. Philip Henry Sheridan (March 6, 1831 – August 5, 1888) was a career U.S. Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. ...

In 1864, Willich led his brigade through Tennessee and Georgia during the Atlanta Campaign. He suffered a severe wound during the Battle of Resaca that forced him to leave the field. For the rest of the war, he served in various administrative roles, commanding Union posts in Cincinnati, Covington, Kentucky, and Newport, Kentucky. He received a brevet promotion to major general of U.S. Volunteers on October 21, 1865, then resigned from the army to return to civilian life. Official language(s) English Capital Nashville Largest city Memphis Largest metro area Nashville Area  Ranked 36th  - Total 42,169 sq mi (109,247 km²)  - Width 120 miles (195 km)  - Length 440 miles (710 km)  - % water 2. ... Palisades and chevaux-de-frise in front of the Potter House, Atlanta, Georgia, 1864. ... Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders William T. Sherman Joseph E. Johnston Strength Military Division of the Mississippi Army of Tennessee Casualties 2,747 2,800 The Battle of Resaca was part of the Atlanta Campaign of the American Civil War. ... Downtown Covington has many wooded streets and historic buildings Covington is a city in Kenton County, Kentucky, United States. ... The Campbell County Courthouse in Newport, Kentucky Newport is a city in Campbell County, Kentucky, USA, at the confluence of the Ohio and Licking Rivers. ... In the US military, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank. ... Insignia of a United States Air Force Major General German Generalmajor Insignia Major General is a military rank used in many countries. ... October 21 is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 71 days remaining. ... 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ...

Postbellum career

After the war, Willich returned to Cincinnati and went into government service. He held a series of responsible positions, including auditor of Hamilton County. His home at 1419 Main Street still stands in Cincinnati.[1] Hamilton County is a county in the located in the southwest corner of the state of Ohio, United States. ...

In 1870, he returned to Germany for awhile, offering his services to the German army during the Franco-Prussian War. His age, health and communist views caused him to be refused, however. He stayed in Germany long enough to receive a college degree in philosophy, graduating from the University of Berlin at the age of sixty.^[3] Returning to the United States, he died in St. Marys, Ohio, and was buried there in Elmwood Cemetery. Combatants Second French Empire North German Confederation allied with south German states (later German Empire) Commanders Napoleon III Otto Von Bismarck, Helmuth von Moltke the Elder Strength 400,000 at the beginning of the war 1,200,000 Casualties 150,000 dead or wounded 284,000 captured 350,000 civilian... There is no institution called the University of Berlin, but there are four universities in Berlin, Germany: Humboldt University of Berlin (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin) Technical University of Berlin (Technische Universität Berlin) Free University of Berlin (Freie Universität Berlin) Berlin University of the Arts (Universität der... Nickname: Ridertown Location in Ohio Coordinates: Country United States State Ohio County Auglaize incorporated 1834 Government  - Type Mayor-Administrator  - Mayor Greg Freewalt  - Director of Public Service and Safety Thomas J. Hitchcock Population (2000)  - City 8,342  - Density  1,926. ...

In his concluding note to the Revelations Concerning the Communist Trial in Cologne Marx writes: In the Civil War in North America, Willich showed that he is more than a visionary.

References

• Encyclopedia of Marxism available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.[2]
• Easton, Loyd David, Hegel's first American followers: The Ohio Hegelians: John B. Stallo, Peter Kaufmann, Moncure Conway, and August Willich, with key writings. Athens, Ohio: University Press, 1966.
• Faust, Albert Bernhardt, The German Element in the United States. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1909.

The Marxists Internet Archive (also known as MIA or Marxists. ... GNU logo (similar in appearance to a gnu) The GNU Free Documentation License (GNU FDL or simply GFDL) is a copyleft license for free content, designed by the Free Software Foundation (FSF) for the GNU project. ...

Notes

1. ^ Faust, page 555.
2. ^ Faust, page 555.
3. ^ Faust, page 556.

External links

• The Campaign for the German Imperial Constitution, an account of the Baden-Palatinate uprising by Frederick Engels.
• Heroes of the Exile, unpublished critique of Willich’s (and his associates') conduct after the revolution by Karl Marx.
• The Knight of Noble Consciousness Marx's reply to an article by August Willich.
• August Willich, entry in an Internet database of American Civil War generals.
• Civil War Interactive
• Find-a-grave.com August Willich