William Jennings Landram (February 11, 1828October 11, 1895) was a lawyer, publisher, and

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 ...

officer 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 served in many of the campaigns associated with the XIII Corps often in command of a

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 ...

and occasionally in

division Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...

command. His name is alternately spelled ''Landrum''.

Biography

Early life and education

Landram was born February 11, 1828, in

Lancaster, Kentucky Lancaster is a home rule-class city in Garrard County, Kentucky, in the United States. It is the seat of its county. As of the year 2010 U.S. census, the city population was 3,442. Located south of Lexington, Lancaster is the site of the Kenne ...

, to Louis Landram and Martha A. George, the first of many children. Landram's father, a native of

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

was an attorney who relocated to

Scott County, Kentucky Scott County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 57,155. Scott County is part of the Lexington–Fayette, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Native Amer ...

, in the early 19th century. Landram's mother was a native of

Garrard County, Kentucky Garrard County ( ;) is a county located in the Bluegrass Region of Kentucky. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the county's population was 16,953. Its county seat is Lancaster. The county was formed in 1796 and was named for James Garrard, Governor o ...

, and niece of George Robertson, a prominent Kentucky politician and jurist. Landram was educated in local private schools and in 1845 was appointed Clerk of the Circuit and County Courts for Garrard County. In 1849, he married Sarah A. Walker, with whom he had nine children.

Mexican War

On June 9, 1846, Landram enlisted as a private in Company A, 1st Kentucky Cavalry 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 ...

. He was soon promoted to orderly sergeant. Landram fought in the

Battle of Buena Vista The Battle of Buena Vista (February 22–23, 1847), known as the Battle of La Angostura in Mexico, and sometimes as Battle of Buena Vista/La Angostura, was a battle of the Mexican–American War. It was fought between the US invading forces, l ...

February 22–23, 1847, where he received a saber wound in a shoulder.Speed p.69 He mustered out of service June 8, 1847, and returned to his previous position in Lancaster.

Politics

From 1850 to 1851, Landram read law and published the ''Garrard Banner'', a local Whig newspaper. Landram was elected Clerk of the Circuit Court for Garrard County, and was admitted to the bar in 1854. He was continually reelected to the position until the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861. Landram was a staunch supporter of John Bell and

Edward Everett Edward Everett (April 11, 1794 – January 15, 1865) was an American politician, Unitarian pastor, educator, diplomat, and orator from Massachusetts. Everett, as a Whig, served as U.S. representative, U.S. senator, the 15th governor of Massa ...

in the

election of 1860 The following elections occurred in the year 1860. Most notably, the 1860 United States presidential election was one of the events that precipitated the American Civil War. North America United States * California's at-large congressional distr ...

. A supporter of

emancipation Emancipation generally means to free a person from a previous restraint or legal disability. More broadly, it is also used for efforts to procure economic and social rights, political rights or equality, often for a specifically disenfranchis ...

, he voted in 1849 to abolish slavery in Kentucky. With the demise of the Whig party, Landram became a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

Civil War

On July 15, 1861, the

War Department War Department may refer to: * War Department (United Kingdom) * United States Department of War (1789–1947) See also * War Office, a former department of the British Government * Ministry of defence * Ministry of War * Ministry of Defence * Dep ...

authorized General

William "Bull" Nelson William "Bull" Nelson (September 27, 1824 – September 29, 1862) was a United States naval officer who became a Union general during the American Civil War. As a Kentuckian, Nelson could have sympathized with the Confederates but, like his st ...

to establish a training camp and organize a brigade of infantry. At

Camp Dick Robinson In mid-May 1861, U. S. Navy lieutenant William "Bull" Nelson armed Kentuckians loyal to the Union and that soon became the foundation for his receiving authority to enlist 10,000 troops for a campaign into East Tennessee. On August 6, 1861, those r ...

, Nelson commissioned Landram,

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 the 1st Kentucky Cavalry, but he resigned after a few days, preferring instead a commission in the infantry. Camp Dick Robinson figures importantly in the western theatre of the war at this point as the first Union recruiting and training center south of the Ohio River. Landram was subsequently ordered by

Brig. Gen. 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 ...

William T. Sherman William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...

, then in command of Kentucky, to

Harrodsburg, Kentucky Harrodsburg is a home rule-class city in Mercer County, Kentucky, United States. It is the seat of its county. The population was 9,064 at the 2020 census. Although Harrodsburg was formally established by the House of Burgesses after Boonesbo ...

, where he recruited the 19th Kentucky Infantry, and was elected its colonel December 12, 1861. Landram proved to be a capable officer and he participated in the battles of

Chickasaw Bayou Chickasaw Bayou is a stream in the U.S. state of Mississippi. It is a tributary to the Yazoo River. Chickasaw Bayou derives its name from the Chickasaw tribe. The Battle of Chickasaw Bayou The Battle of Chickasaw Bayou, also called the Battle ...

Arkansas Post The Arkansas Post (french: Poste de Arkansea) (Spanish: ''Puesto de Arkansas''), formally the Arkansas Post National Memorial, was the first European settlement in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain and present-day U.S. state of Arkansas. In 168 ...

Champion Hill Champion Hill is a football stadium in East Dulwich in the London Borough of Southwark. It is the home ground of Dulwich Hamlet. History Dulwich Hamlet began playing at the ground in 1912. 'The Hill' was formerly one of the largest amateur gro ...

, Black River Bridge, the

siege of Vicksburg The siege of Vicksburg (May 18 – July 4, 1863) was the final major military action in the Vicksburg campaign of the American Civil War. In a series of maneuvers, Union Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and his Army of the Tennessee crossed the Missis ...

, the

siege of Jackson The Jackson Expedition, also known as the Siege of Jackson, occurred in the aftermath of the surrender of Vicksburg, Mississippi, in July 1863. Union Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman led the expedition to clear General Joseph E. Johnston ...

, and finally the Red River Campaign. While in command of a division at the

Battle of Sabine Crossroads A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

, Landram was captured on April 8, 1864, immediately paroled, and later exchanged July 22, 1864. On October 8, 1864, Landram was given command of the District of Baton Rouge. As a reward for meritorious service, Landram was promoted to

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 ...

brigadier general of volunteers on March 13, 1865. When the war ended, he returned to his home in Lancaster.

Later life

Landram was appointed Collector of Internal Revenue for the Eighth Kentucky District by President

Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. He assumed the presidency as he was vice president at the time of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a Dem ...

in 1867, and was subsequently reappointed 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 ...

, holding the post until 1885. He was an elder in the Presbyterian Church for 42 years and a prominent member of the

Freemasons Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

. Landram applied for a disability pension in 1890. In a candid letter to

U.S. Representative 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 chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

James B. McCreary dated October 27, 1890, Landram noted that he had contracted dysentery while on duty at

Alexandria, Louisiana Alexandria is the ninth-largest city in the state of Louisiana and is the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. It is the prin ...

, on April 25, 1864, which led to chronic hemorrhoids. He wrote, "I own but little property of any kind, and am dependent upon a meagre iclaw practice in a small town for the support of myself and family, six in number." Landram died on October 11, 1895, and was buried in Lancaster Cemetery.Report p.204-205

Notes

References

* ''The Bibliographic Encyclopedia of Kentucky of the Dead and Living Men of the Nineteenth Century'' (Cincinnati, OH: J. M. Armstrong & Company), 1878. * Eicher, John H., and

David J. Eicher David John Eicher (born August 7, 1961) is an American editor, writer, and popularizer of astronomy and space. He has been editor-in-chief of ''Astronomy'' magazine since 2002. He is author, coauthor, or editor of 23 books on science and American ...

. ''Civil War High Commands'' (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press), 2001. . * ''Report of the Proceedings of the Society of the Army of the Tennessee at the Twenty Eighth Meeting Held at St. Louis, Mo., November 18–19, 1896'' (Cincinnati, OH: Press of F. W. Freeman), 1897. * Speed, Thomas. ''The Union Regiments of Kentucky'' (Louisville, KY: Courier-Journal Job Printing Company), 1897.* Smith Timothy B. Champion Hill Decisive Battle for Vicksburg 2006 Savas Beatie LLC

External links

Landram's monument at Vicksburg
{{DEFAULTSORT:Landram, William J. Union Army colonels 1828 births 1895 deaths People from Lancaster, Kentucky