William Anderson Pile (February 11, 1829July 7, 1889) was a nineteenth-century politician and minister from Missouri, as well as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was Governor of

New Mexico Territory The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912. It was created from the U.S. provisional government of New Mexico, as a result of ''Santa Fe de Nuevo México ...

from 1869 to 1871. His father's name was Jacob Pile and his mother's name was Comfort Williams.

Biography

Born near

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

, Indiana, Pile completed preparatory studies, studied theology, became a minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church and was a member of the Missouri conference. At the outbreak of the Civil War, he entered the Union Army as

chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a Minister (Christianity), minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a laity, lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secularity, secular institution (such as a hosp ...

of the

1st Missouri Light Artillery Regiment 1st Missouri Light Artillery Regiment was a artillery unit from Missouri that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The unit began its service as the 1st Missouri Infantry Regiment, but converted to an artillery regiment in Sept ...

in 1861, serving under Colonel Clinton B. Fisk. He was made

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

, Battery I, 1st Missouri Light Artillery, March 1, 1862 and promoted to

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

of the 33rd Missouri Volunteer Infantry September 5, 1862, and colonel December 23, 1862, brigadier general of volunteers in 1863, commanding Post of Port Hudson, District of Baton Rouge and Port Hudson, Department of the Gulf (December 26, 1864 - February 13, 1865; and commanding 1st Brigade, 1st Division, United States Colored Troops, District of West Florida, Department of the Gulf (February 19 - April 25, 1865, and

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 in 1865. Three of the regiment's batteries were at Fort Donelson and apparently Pile was too. Made a battery commander, it is stated that he was at Shiloh; however, the records indicate that it was under the command of Lieutenant Charles H. Thurber. He was, however, in the Corinth, Mississippi operations which followed. As an infantry commander he fought at Devall's Bluff and took part in the Yazoo River expedition. Named a brigadier general, he took up recruiting duties in St. Louis and was not particularly concerned to whom-loyal or secessionist-the slaves he inducted belonged. After serving in a post command, he led a black brigade at Mobile. For the attack on Fort Blakely he was brevetted major general and was mustered out on August 24, 1865. His later career included one term as a radical Republican congressman; he was also territorial governor of New Mexico and a diplomat to Venezuela. Pile was elected a Republican to the United States House of Representatives from Missouri in 1866, serving from 1867 to 1869, being unsuccessful for reelection in 1868. There, he served as chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in the Post Office Department from 1867 to 1869. Afterward, he was appointed Ambassador to Venezuela and Brazil by President

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

in 1869, but his nomination was withdrawn and was instead appointed Territorial Governor of New Mexico which he served as from 1869 to 1871. Pile was again appointed Ambassador to Venezuela by President Grant in 1871, which he served as until 1874. He moved to Monrovia, California in 1886, and purchased a 50-acre property, where he grew wine grapes. The following year, he commissioned the renowned Northern California architects Samuel and Joseph Cather Newsom to design a house for him, the stately "Idlewild" house at 255 N. Mayflower Avenue. After serving for one year as mayor, he applied to be consul general in Melbourne, Australia, but contracted pneumonia that same year and died in Monrovia on July 7, 1889. He is buried, along with his son, William E. Pile, in Live Oak Cemetery, at 200 E. Duarte Road.

Gallery

File:Hon. James A. Garfield, Gen. John T. Ketchum., Gen. Green B. Raum., Ill - NARA - 525652.tif, Courtesy of National Archives "James A Pyle" is William A Pile File:Gen. John H. Ketchum, N.Y., Gen. James A. Garfield., Gen. Grenville M. Dodge., Hon. Thomas H. Boyd, Pa., Hon. James... - NARA - 525711.tif, Courtesy of National Archives "James A Pyle" is William A Pile File:Gen. Wm. A. Pile LCCN2017657456.tif, Gen. Wm. A. Pile (Brady Copy Negative at LOC - mirrored)

References

External links

Retrieved on 2008-08-16 * * http://newmexicohistory.org/people/william-a-pile * http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=p000350 {{DEFAULTSORT:Pile, William A. 1829 births 1889 deaths 19th-century American diplomats 19th-century American politicians Methodists from New Mexico California Republicans Methodists from Indiana 19th-century American Methodist ministers Methodists from California Governors of New Mexico Territory Methodists from Missouri New Mexico Republicans People from Monrovia, California People of Missouri in the American Civil War Politicians from Indianapolis Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri Union Army chaplains Union Army generals Mayors of places in California 19th-century American clergy

Biography

Gallery

See also

References

External links