William Henry Palmer (October 9, 1835 – July 14, 1926) was an officer in the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

, serving in the

Army of Northern Virginia The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was also the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most oft ...

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 ...

Early life

William H. Palmer was born on October 9, 1835, in the Monte Maria Convent on 22nd and Grace Streets in

Church Hill, Richmond, Virginia Church Hill, also known as the St. John's Church Historic District, is an Old and Historic District in Richmond, Virginia. This district encompasses the original land plat of the city of Richmond. Church Hill is the eastern terminus of Broad Stre ...

, to Elizabeth (née Enders) and William Palmer. His ancestors were settlers in Pennsylvania and his ancestor Jacob Ege built the Old Stone House in

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

. His father was a Richmond banker and vice president of the Richmond and Danville Railroad Company. At the age of 15, he worked for his father and later worked on the steamship ''Jamestown'' on its coastwise service for the Old Dominion Steamship Company.

Career

On April 21, 1861, Palmer enlisted as a private with Company F of the 1st Virginia Infantry Regiment in the Civil War. On May 24, 1861, he was promoted to first lieutenant and served in the

Battle of Blackburn's Ford The Battle of Blackburn's Ford (also known as the Skirmish at Blackburn's Ford) took place on July 18, 1861, in the Confederate state of Virginia, as part of the Manassas campaign of the American Civil War. Union general Irvin McDowell's A ...

in 1861. He was present at the

First Battle of Bull Run The First Battle of Bull Run (the name used by Union forces), also known as the Battle of First Manassas

and afterward, in August 1861, he became an adjutant of the regiment. In October 1861, he was named assistant adjutant general of the first brigade in Longstreet's Division, serving under then brigadier general A. P. Hill. After Lewis B. Williams Jr. was shot at the

Battle of Williamsburg The Battle of Williamsburg, also known as the Battle of Fort Magruder, took place on May 5, 1862, in York County, James City County, and Williamsburg, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. It was the first pi ...

in May 1862, he was given command of the First Virginia and promoted to major. He was wounded in his right arm at Williamsburg. General Robert E. Lee asked Palmer to reform the First Virginia in August 1862, and the regiment fought in the

Battle of Cedar Mountain The Battle of Cedar Mountain, also known as Slaughter's Mountain or Cedar Run, took place on August 9, 1862, in Culpeper County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. Union forces under Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks attacked Confederate ...

and the Second Battle of Bull Run. In October 1862, he detached from First Virginia and served as a staff officer during the Battle of Antietam and the Battle of Fredericksburg under General A. P. Hill. He spent the rest of the war with Hill, eventually rising to be the chief of staff for the Army of Northern Virginia's Third Corps. After Hill's death on April 2, 1865, Palmer served as an assistant adjutant general on General James Longstreet's staff. He was one of the officers unhorsed during the accidental shooting of Stonewall Jackson during the

Battle of Chancellorsville The Battle of Chancellorsville, April 30 – May 6, 1863, was a major battle of the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville campaign. Chancellorsville is known as Lee's "perfect battle" because h ...

and afterward he fell from a horse that was shot from under him, causing him to miss action for months due to an injured shoulder. In May and June 1864, he was present at the Battle of the Wilderness and the

Battle of Cold Harbor The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought during the American Civil War near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses ...

. He fought around Petersburg during the

Siege of Petersburg The Richmond–Petersburg campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War. Although it is more popularly known as the Siege of Petersburg, it was not a cla ...

in June of 1864. He was present at the Battle of Appomattox Court House and surrendered with General Lee. He was paroled at Appomattox. Palmer was senior member of the firm Palmer, Hartsook and Company. He later organized the Southern Fertilizer Company. In 1889, he left the fertilizer company to work as a banker with the old City Bank in Richmond. He was president of the City Bank from 1890 to 1910, when it was merged with the State Bank of Virginia to become the National State and City Bank. He was then president of the new bank until 1920, when it was reorganized as the State and City Bank and Trust Company. He became chairman of the board after the merger with Planters' Bank. He was president of the Virginia Fire and Mutual Insurance Company. He was a member of the executive committee of the Virginia Historical Society for 30 years. He became a charter member of the Richmond chamber of commerce in 1867. He was also president of the A. M. Lyons Tobacco Company and was director of the Richmond and Danville Railroad. Historian James Robertson, Hill's biographer, called Palmer "polished, highly organized, and indefatigable" as well as "Hill's most trusted aide."

Personal life

Palmer married Elizabeth Amiss of Blacksburg in November 1856. They had six children, Leila, Mrs. Frank Christian, Mrs. W. Ormond Young, Edwin A., William H. Jr. and Mrs. Robert Preston Means. He was senior warden of Grace Episcopal Church. Palmer died on July 14, 1926, at his home at 211 West Franklin Street in Richmond. He was buried in Richmond's Hollywood Cemetery.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Palmer, William Henry 1835 births 1926 deaths Military personnel from Richmond, Virginia People of Virginia in the American Civil War Confederate States Army officers American bank presidents 19th-century American businesspeople Burials at Hollywood Cemetery (Richmond, Virginia)