Walter Chiles Whitaker (August 8, 1823 – July 9, 1887) was an American farmer, attorney, and soldier. He served as an officer in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

during the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

, and also was a

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. After the war he returned to his profession as an attorney.

Early life and career

Whitaker was born in the Shelbyville,

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

. He attended Bethany College in modern-day

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...

.Eicher, p. 565. Whitaker was working as a lawyer when the Mexican–American War began.Warner, p. 555. In 1847 Whitaker volunteered for service during the war with Mexico, and was commissioned a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

in the

6th Kentucky Infantry The 6th Kentucky Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It was formed from Nelson, Barren, and surrounding counties. It was also part of the First Kentucky Brigade. ...

Regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

beginning on October 1. He served until July 21, 1848, when he was mustered out of the volunteers. After Mexico, Whitaker returned to home to

, where he began running a large farm. He then became a criminal law attorney in Shelbyville. Later he was elected as a legislator to the

Kentucky General Assembly The Kentucky General Assembly, also called the Kentucky Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kentucky. It comprises the Kentucky Senate and the Kentucky House of Representatives. The General Assembly meets annually in the ...

, serving until the American Civil War was well underway. While in the state senate, Whitaker proposed the resolution that set Kentucky on the side of the Union, ending the state's brief period of neutrality in the war.Warner, p. 556.

Civil War service

In late 1861 Whitaker chose to follow the Union cause and re-entered the U.S. Army. He was appointed the

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

of his old regiment, the 6th Kentucky, on December 24. The 6th fought at the

Battle of Stones River The Battle of Stones River, also known as the Second Battle of Murfreesboro, was a battle fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863, in Middle Tennessee, as the culmination of the Stones River Campaign in the Western Theater of the Ame ...

in 1862, and Whitaker was wounded in his left elbow during the battle's first day on December 31. During the first day of the battle, his regiment defended the Round Forest as part of Col. William B. Hazen's brigade. On June 25, 1863, Whitaker was promoted to

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

, and given

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. Br ...

command in the

Army of the Cumberland The Army of the Cumberland was one of the principal Union armies in the Western Theater during the American Civil War. It was originally known as the Army of the Ohio. History The origin of the Army of the Cumberland dates back to the creation ...

that August. He fought at the Union defense at the

Battle of Chickamauga The Battle of Chickamauga, fought on September 19–20, 1863, between United States, U.S. and Confederate States of America, Confederate forces in the American Civil War, marked the end of a Union Army, Union offensive, the Chickamauga Campaign ...

that fall as part of Brig. Gen.

Gordon Granger Gordon Granger (November 6, 1821 – January 10, 1876) was a career U.S. Army officer and a Union general during the American Civil War, where he distinguished himself at the Battle of Chickamauga. Granger is best remembered for his part in the ...

's Reserve Corps, and was again wounded, hit in his abdomen on September 20. He continued to serve in the Army of the Cumberland, fighting at Lookout Mountain and Rossville Gap during the Third Battle of Chattanooga on November 23 and was once more wounded in action during the fight. Furthermore, he was reportedly so drunk at Chickamauga that his regimental commanders had to fend for themselves. At Lookout Mountain he was also "deep in his cups" though he was sober enough to order a charge that contributed to the Union success.Cozzens, Shipwreck, pp. 183-6. Whitaker and his brigade then fought during the Atlanta Campaign of 1864. He participated in the inconclusive

Battle of Resaca The Battle of Resaca, from May 13 to 15, 1864, formed part of the Atlanta Campaign during the American Civil War, when a Union force under William Tecumseh Sherman engaged the Confederate Army of Tennessee led by Joseph E. Johnston. The battle ...

that spring, and received his last Civil War wound there on May 15 when he was injured by the concussion of an artillery shell which exploded nearby. He recovered by that fall and was given divisional command in the Army of the Cumberland beginning on September 19. Whitaker participated in the Battle of Franklin on November 30, 1864, and then at the

Battle of Nashville The Battle of Nashville was a two-day battle in the Franklin-Nashville Campaign that represented the end of large-scale fighting west of the coastal states in the American Civil War. It was fought at Nashville, Tennessee, on December 15–16, 1 ...

on December 15 and 16, serving under Maj. Gen.

George H. Thomas George Henry Thomas (July 31, 1816March 28, 1870) was an American general in the Union Army during the American Civil War and one of the principal commanders in the Western Theater. Thomas served in the Mexican–American War and later chose ...

. On March 13, 1865, Whitaker was appointed a

brevet Brevet may refer to: Military * Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay * Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college * Aircre ...

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

for his actions near

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, on that date. He was then mustered out of the Union Army on August 24, after the end of the American Civil War.

Postbellum

After leaving the U.S. Army, Whitaker was a lawyer in

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...

, again in criminal cases. He also reportedly drank to excess most of his life, and spent some years in a

mental asylum The lunatic asylum (or insane asylum) was an early precursor of the modern psychiatric hospital. The fall of the lunatic asylum and its eventual replacement by modern psychiatric hospitals explains the rise of organized, institutional psychiatry ...

after the war. Whitaker died at the age of 63 in

Lyndon, Kentucky Lyndon is a home rule-class city in Jefferson County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 11,002 at the 2010 census, up from 9,369 at the 2000 census. Incorporated on May 10, 1965, Lyndon became part of the new Louisville Metro govern ...

, supposedly in full mental health, and was buried in Shelbyville's Grove Hill Cemetery.

References

* Cozzens, Peter. ''No Better Place to Die: The Battle of Stones River.'' Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1991. . * Cozzens, Peter. ''The Shipwreck of Their Hopes: The Battles for Chattanooga.'' Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1994. . * Cozzens, Peter. ''This Terrible Sound: The Battle of Chickamauga.'' Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1996. . * Eicher, John H., and Eicher, David J., ''Civil War High Commands'', Stanford University Press, 2001, . * Warner, Ezra J., ''Generals in Blue: The Lives of the Union Commanders'', Louisiana State University Press, 1964, .

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Whitaker, Walter C. 1823 births 1887 deaths People of Kentucky in the American Civil War Union Army generals United States Army officers People from Shelbyville, Kentucky Bethany College (West Virginia) alumni

Early life and career

Civil War service

Postbellum

See also

References

Notes