Portrait of James Wilson during the Civil War

James Harrison Wilson (September 2, 1837 – February 23, 1925) was a U.S. Army topographic engineer, a Union Army general in the American Civil War and later wars, a railroad executive, and author. Download high resolution version (650x1024, 71 KB)Portrait of Maj. ... Download high resolution version (650x1024, 71 KB)Portrait of Maj. ... September 2 is the 245th day of the year (246th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... | Queen Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom (1837 - 1901) 1837 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... February 23 is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... The 21st Michigan Infantry, a company of Shermans veterans. ... A General is an officer of high military rank. ... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert Edward Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total...

Early life and engineering

Wilson was born in Shawneetown, Illinois. He attended McKendree College for a year and graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1860, sixth in his class of 41, receiving a commission as a brevet second lieutenant in the Topographical Engineers. His initial assignment was assistant topographical engineer of the Department of Oregon at Fort Vancouver. Shawneetown is a city located in Gallatin County, Illinois. ... McKendree College is the oldest college in Illinois, founded in 1828. ... The United States Military Academy, also known as West Point, or simply USMA (or Army, for NCAA purposes), is a United States Army fort and military academy. ... 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. ... Second Lieutenant is the lowest commissioned rank in many armed forces. ... United States Army Corps of Engineers logo The United States Army Corps of Engineers, or USACE, is made up of some 34,600 civilian and 650 military men and women. ... Fort Vancouver Fort Vancouver was a 19th century fur trading outpost along the Columbia River that served as the headquarters of the Hudsons Bay Company in the Oregon Country. ...

Civil War

Engineering assignments

After the start of the Civil War, Wilson received promotions to second and first lieutenant and became the topographical engineer for the Port Royal Expeditionary Force, from September 1861 to March 1862. As the topographical engineer for the Department of the South, he took part in the Battle of Fort Pulaski at the mouth of the Savannah River and received a brevet promotion to major in the Regular Army for his service. He transferred to the Army of the Potomac in April 1862 and served as its topographic engineer, but also as an aide-de-camp to Major General George B. McClellan. He served under McClellan during the Maryland Campaign and was present at the battles of South Mountain and Antietam. First Lieutenant is a military rank. ... The Battle of Port Royal was one of the earliest amphibious operations of the American Civil War, in which a United States Navy fleet and United States Army expeditionary force captured Port Royal Sound, South Carolina, on November 7, 1861. ... The Battle of Fort Pulaski was fought on April 11, 1862, between Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. ... For the Department of Energy facility, see Savannah River Site The Savannah River is a major river in the southeastern United States, forming most of the border between the states of South Carolina and Georgia. ... The Regular Army is the permanent force of the United States Army that is maintained during peacetime, as opposed to those persons who may be part of a reserve or national guard outfit. ... Generals Burnside, Hancock, Couch, Ferro, Patrick, Wilcox, Cochrane, Buford and others. ... George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885) was a major general during the American Civil War. ... Confederate dead at Antietam The Maryland Campaign, or the Antietam Campaign, was a series of battles fought in September, 1862—Robert E. Lees first invasion of the North—during the American Civil War. ... Battle of South Mountain Conflict American Civil War Date September 14, 1862 Place Frederick County and Washington County Result Union victory The Battle of South Mountain was a battle of the American Civil War, considered by some to be prelude to the Battle of Antietam. ... Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders George B. McClellan Robert E. Lee Strength 87,000 45,000 Casualties 12,401 (2,108 killed, 9,540 wounded, 753 captured/missing) 10,316 (1,546 killed, 7,752 wounded, 1,018 captured/missing) The Battle of Antietam (also...

Wilson was transferred to the Western Theater and joined Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Army of the Tennessee as a lieutenant colonel and topographical engineer. During the Vicksburg Campaign, he was the Inspector General of Grant's army. On October 30, 1863, he was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers, the only officer ever promoted to troop command from Grant's regular staff. He continued on staff duty during the Battle of Chattanooga and was chief engineer of the force sent to relieve Knoxville under Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman. Western Theater Overview (1861 – 1865) This article presents an overview of major military and naval operations in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. ... Insignia of a United States Air Force Major General German Generalmajor Insignia Major General is a military rank used in many countries. ... Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant, April 27, 1822 – July 23, 1885) was an American general and politician who was elected as the 18th President of the United States (1869–1877). ... The Army of the Tennessee was a Union army in the American Civil War, named for the Tennessee River. ... In the U.S. Army, Air Force and Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a commissioned officer superior to a major and inferior to a colonel. ... Lithograph of the Mississippi River Squadron running the Confederate blockade at Vicksburg on April 16, 1863. ... October 30 is the 303rd day of the year (304th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 62 days remaining. ... 1863 (MDCCCLXIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar). ... 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 Ulysses S. Grant Braxton Bragg Strength Military Division of the Mississippi (~56,000) Army of Tennessee (~46,000) Casualties 5,824 (753 killed, 4,722 wounded, 349 missing) 6,667 (361 killed, 2,160 wounded, 4,146 missing/captured) The... Nickname: The Marble City, K-Town, Big Orange Country, Knox Vegas Location Location within the U.S. State of Tennessee Coordinates , Government Cities in Tennessee Tennessee Mayor Bill Haslam (R) Geographical characteristics Area     City 254. ... Portrait of William Tecumseh Sherman by Mathew Brady William Tecumseh Sherman (February 8, 1820 – February 14, 1891) was an American soldier, businessman, and author. ...

Cavalry commands

In 1864, Wilson switched from engineering to the cavalry. On February 17, 1864, he was assigned as chief of the Cavalry Bureau in Washington, D.C. He was an excellent administrator and organizer, but his true talents turned out to be as a combat leader. Grant promoted him to brevet major general on May 6, 1864, and had him assigned to command a division of cavalry under Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan, which he did with boldness and skill in numerous fights of the Overland Campaign and in the Valley Campaigns of 1864. However, just before Sheridan's decisive Battle of Cedar Creek in October 1864, Wilson was transferred back to the West to become chief of cavalry for the Military Division of the Mississippi under Sherman. Soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback in combat are commonly known as cavalry (from French cavalerie). ... February 17 is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1864 (MDCCCLXIV) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... Nickname: DC, The District Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location of Washington, D.C., in relation to the states Maryland and Virginia. ... May 6 is the 126th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (127th in leap years). ... 1864 (MDCCCLXIV) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... Philip Sheridan 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. ... Ulysses S. Grant Robert E. Lee The Overland Campaign, or Grants Overland Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June, 1864, in the American Civil War. ... Eastern Theater operations in 1864 The Valley Campaigns of 1864 were American Civil War operations and battles that took place in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia from May to October, 1864. ... Battle of Cedar Creek Conflict American Civil War Date October 19, 1864 Place Frederick County, Shenandoah County and Warren County Result Union victory The Battle of Cedar Creek, or The Battle of Belle Grove, October 19, 1864, was one of the last battles in the Shenandoah Valley Campaign (August-December... The Military Division of the Mississippi was an administrative division of the United States Army during the American Civil War that controlled all military operations in the Western Theater. ...

As cavalry chief, he trained Sherman's cavalry (under Brig. Gen. Judson Kilpatrick) for the March to the Sea. Rather than accompanying Sherman, however, he and 17,000 troopers were attached to Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas's Army of the Cumberland for the Franklin-Nashville Campaign in November and December 1864. His repulse of a flanking attack by Maj. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest was instrumental in saving the Union Army at the Battle of Franklin. He was promoted to brevet brigadier general in the Regular Army for his service in the Battle of Nashville. He led the successful Wilson's Raid through Alabama and Georgia, defeating the smaller force of Forrest and capturing Selma, Alabama, along with four other fortified cities. On Easter Day, 1865, his troops assaulted and captured the city of Columbus, Georgia, widely regarded as the final battle of the Civil War. His men did enormous damage to the military infrastructure of the South, but they did it with a sense of discipline that usually prevented looting and other collateral damage to civilian property. He was promoted to brevet major general in the Regular Army for his performance at Selma and received his full promotion to major general on May 6, 1865. The cavalrymen under Wilson's command captured Confederate President Jefferson Davis as he fled through Georgia in May 1865. 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. ... Hugh Judson Kilpatrick (1836-1881) Hugh Judson Kilpatrick (14 January 1836 near Deckertown, New Jersey – 4 December 1881 in Santiago, Chile) was a officer in the Union army during the American Civil War achieving the rank of Brevet Major General, the United States Minister to Chile, and a failed... Engraving by Alexander Hay Ritchie depicting Shermans March Shermans March to the Sea is the name commonly given to the Savannah Campaign, conducted in late 1864 by Major General William Tecumseh Sherman of the Union Army during the American Civil War. ... General George Henry Thomas (July 31, 1816 - March 28, 1870), Northern general during the American Civil War, was born in Southampton County, Virginia. ... Union army in the west during the American Civil War, commanded at various times by Generals Robert Anderson, Don Carlos Buell, William S. Rosecrans, and George Thomas. ... The Franklin-Nashville Campaign, also known as Hoods Tennessee Campaign, was a series of battles fought in the fall of 1864 in Alabama, Tennessee, and northwestern Georgia during the American Civil War. ... Nathan Bedford Forrest Nathan Bedford Forrest (July 13, 1821 – October 29, 1877), was a Confederate general and perhaps the American Civil Wars most highly regarded cavalry and partisan ranger (guerrilla leader). ... Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders John McAllister Schofield John Bell Hood Strength IV Corps and XXIII Army Corps (Army of the Ohio and Army of the Cumberland) Army of Tennessee Casualties 2,326 6,261 The Second Battle of Franklin (more popularly known simply as... Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders George H. Thomas John Bell Hood Strength IV Corps, XXIII Corps, detachment of Army of the Tennessee, provisional detachment, and Cavalry Corps Army of Tennessee Casualties 2,900 approximately 13,000 The Battle of Nashville was a two-day battle... Wilsons Raid was a cavalry operation through Alabama and Georgia in March-April 1865, late in the American Civil War. ... Selma is a city in Alabama located on the banks of the Alabama River in Dallas County, Alabama, of which it is the county seat. ... May 6 is the 126th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (127th in leap years). ... 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ... The President of the Confederate States was the Head of State of the short-lived republic of the Confederate States of America, which seceded from the United States. ... Jefferson Davis (June 3, 1808–December 6, 1889) was an American statesman and advocate for American slavery and for States Rights. ...

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. Flag Seal Motto: A Place To Be Somebody Location Coordinates , Government County New Castle County incorporated 1739 Mayor James M. Baker (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 44. ...

Wilson returned to the Army in 1898 for the Spanish-American War, and served as a major general in Cuba and Puerto Rico. He also saw service in China during the Boxer Rebellion in 1901. Retiring from the Army, in 1902 he represented President Theodore Roosevelt at the coronation of Edward VII of the United Kingdom. Combatants United States Republic of Cuba First Philippine Republic Spain Commanders Nelson A. Miles William R. Shafter George Dewey Máximo Gómez Emilio Aguinaldo Patricio Montojo Pascual Cervera Casualties 379 U.S. dead; considerably higher although undetermined Cuban and Filipino casualties Unknown[1] The Spanish-American War took place... Combatants Eight-Nation Alliance (ordered by contribution): Japan Russia United Kingdom France United States Germany Italy Austria-Hungary Righteous Harmony Society Qing China Commanders Edward Seymour Alfred Gaselee Ci Xi Strength 20,000 initially 49,000 total Over 100,000 Casualties 230 foreigners, thousands of civilians Unknown This article is... The presidential seal was used by President Hayes in 1880 and last modified in 1969 by adding the 50th star for Hawaii. ... Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. ... Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, King of the Commonwealth Realms, and the Emperor of India. ...

Wilson died in Wilmington in 1925, with only three Civil War generals living longer.^[1] He is buried in the Old Swedes Churchyard in Wilmington.

Wilson is not remembered as one of the great military leaders of the Civil War, and yet, some experts believe that oversight is because he was so ahead of his time. He developed a theory that, through superior firepower, cavalry, not infantry, could become the dominant force on the battlefield, something that flew in the face of two-thousand years of military convention. Up until Wilson, cavalry was used mainly for reconnaissance, to disrupt enemy communications and supply and to support the infantry. But with the advent of repeating rifles (particularly the Spencer) Wilson was able to create what was essentially "mounted infantry", meaning he could rush his troops to the point of battle faster than the enemy and then, with fewer men, hit the enemy with overwhelming firepower (able to fire 10-times faster than the Confederate muskets). Some military historians say if you take Wilson's doctrine of fast moving warfare and subsitute the words "tank" and "armored personnel carrier" for "cavalry" and "horse", it is essentially the exact same as today's modern doctrine of mechanized warfare. And Wilson targetted cities and industry for destruction. One historian says Wilson's idea to attack civilian targets with his fast moving mounted infantry was essentially "Blitzkrieg" some 80-years before World War II. Unfortunately, after the war, Wilson and his bold military doctrine were forgotten by the American Military. None of his works later became the basis for modern warfare. It all had to be reinvented during the 1930's and 1940's.

Works

• 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)

Charles Anderson Dana (August 8, 1819 – October 17, 1897) was an American journalist, author, and government official, best known for his association with Ulysses S. Grant during the American Civil War and his aggressive political advocacy after the war. ...

References

• Eicher, John H., and Eicher, David J., Civil War High Commands, Stanford University Press, 2001, ISBN 0-8047-3641-3.
• Warner, Ezra J., Generals in Blue: Lives of the Union Commanders, Louisiana State University Press, 1964, ISBN 0-8071-0822-7.
• Library of Congress biography of Wilson

Notes

1. ^ Warner, p. 568. Union Generals Nelson A. Miles, John R. Brooke, and Adelbert Ames lived longer.

Nelson Appleton Miles (August 8, 1839 – May 15, 1925) was an American soldier who served in the American Civil War, Indian Wars, and the Spanish-American War. ... John Rutter (or Ruller) Brooke was born in Pennsylvania in 1838. ... Adelbert Ames (October 31, 1835 – April 12, 1933) was a Union general in the American Civil War, a Mississippi politician, and a general in the Spanish-American War. ...

External links

• Works by James Harrison Wilson at Project Gutenberg