William Anderson Pile (February 11, 1829July 7, 1889) was a nineteenth-century politician and minister from
Missouri
Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
, as well as a general in the
Union Army
During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...
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 ...
. 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
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
, Pile completed preparatory studies, studied theology, became a minister in the
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself on a national basis. In ...
and was a member of the
Missouri
Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
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
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 ...
December 23, 1862,
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 ...
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
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 ...
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
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
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
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
by
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
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
Monrovia is a city in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 37,931 at the 2020 census. Monrovia has been used for filming TV shows, movies and co ...
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)
See also
*
List of American Civil War generals (Union)
Union generals
__NOTOC__
The following lists show the names, substantive ranks, and brevet ranks (if applicable) of all general officers who served in the United States Army during the Civil War, in addition to a small selection of lower-ranke ...
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