William Rufus Terrill (April 21, 1834 – October 8, 1862) was a

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

soldier and general who was killed in action at the

Battle of Perryville The Battle of Perryville, also known as the Battle of Chaplin Hills, was fought on October 8, 1862, in the Chaplin Hills west of Perryville, Kentucky, as the culmination of the Confederate Heartland Offensive (Kentucky Campaign) during the ...

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 ...

. His Confederate brother James was also killed during the same war, making the Terrills one of the few sets of American brothers killed in action while commanding

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. B ...

Early life

Terrill was born in

Covington, Virginia Covington is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,737, making it the second-least populous city in Virginia. It is surrounded by Alleghany County, of which it is also the county seat ...

, and grew up at Warm Springs, in Bath County, Virginia. His father,

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 o ...

William Henry Terrill, was a Virginia lawyer and member of the Virginia Legislature prior to the war. He became a cadet at

U.S. Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

in 1849 and graduated in 1853. While a cadet, he was involved in a fist-fight with classmate

Philip H. Sheridan Philip, also Phillip, is a male given name, derived from the Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominent Philips who popularize ...

. The encounter caused a one-year suspension for Sheridan from the academy, though the two renewed their acquaintance while serving under Don Carlos Buell in the Civil War. Terrill graduated 16th in his class of 1853. After graduation, he was assigned to the 3rd U.S.

Artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

and 4th U. S.

, serving in various garrisons. He returned to West Point as an assistant professor of mathematics during 1853–54; served in Florida during the 3rd

Seminole War The Seminole Wars (also known as the Florida Wars) were three related military conflicts in Florida between the United States and the Seminole, citizens of a Native American nation which formed in the region during the early 1700s. Hostilities ...

; and the U. S. Coast Survey from 1858 - 1861. In 1856 he was promoted to first lieutenant. On May 14, 1861, he was appointed captain of the 5th Regular Artillery in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

Civil War

Even though many regular army officers from the south had been opposed to secession, the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter and Lincoln's subsequent call for volunteers caused many southern-born officers to resign their commissions. Terrill, however, left no doubt about where his loyalties lay, telegraphing the War Department and General Winfield Scott from Poughkeepsie, New York, on April 29, 1861 that "I am now and ever will be true to my oath and my country. No one has any authority to tender my resignation. I will be in Washington as soon as possible." Terrill was commissioned a captain in the

5th Regiment of Artillery The 5th Air Defense Artillery Regiment is an Air Defense Artillery regiment of the United States Army, first formed in 1861 in the Regular Army as the 5th Regiment of Artillery. Lineage On 4 May 1861, in conformity with the proclamation of the Pr ...

in August 1861. He was one of sixteen Virginia-born officers in the regular army to tender his services to the Union. His younger brother James B. Terrill was commissioned a major 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 ...

Infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

and served 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 ...

. Their father served the Confederate States as the provost marshal of Bath County, Virginia. The elder Terrill wrote his son a scathing letter of disapproval saying "Can you be so recreant and unnatural as to aid in the mad attempt to impose tyranny upon your kith and kin? Do so and your name shall be stricken from the family records." William Terrill served as assistant inspector general in

, and then commanded a battery of artillery in the

Army of the Ohio The Army of the Ohio was the name of two Union armies in the American Civil War. The first army became the Army of the Cumberland and the second army was created in 1863. History 1st Army of the Ohio General Orders No. 97 appointed Maj. Gen. ...

at the Battle of Shiloh. On September 9, 1862 he 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 ...

of volunteers and took command of the 33rd Brigade in the

. Terrill was not popular with all of the men in his brigade due to his Virginia background and for being a strict disciplinarian. One soldier of the 105th Ohio wrote "He is a drunken old tyrant and deserves to be shot by his own men, and if it doesn't come to that, it will be because the oaths of hundreds of men in the 105th were good for nothing." However, fellow officers thought highly of Terrill. He led his green troops into their first combat action at the Battle of Perryville. Around 4:00 PM, a Confederate artillery shell exploded near Terrill, driving a piece of shrapnel into his upper chest and ripping through his left lung. Taken to the rear, he died that night. The previous night, Generals Terrill and

James S. Jackson James Streshly Jackson (September 27, 1823 – October 8, 1862) was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky and a brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Biography Born in Fayette County, Kentucky, Jackson pursued c ...

and

George Webster were discussing the improbability of being killed in action. All three would be killed in the following battle. In 1864 during the

Overland Campaign The Overland Campaign, also known as Grant's Overland Campaign and the Wilderness Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June 1864, in the American Civil War. Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, general-in-chief of all Union ...

, Terrill's brother James, by then commanding a brigade, was killed in action at the Battle of Bethesda Church and buried on the battlefield. He was posthumously promoted to brigadier general. Another younger brother, Philip Mallory Terrill of the 12th Virginia Cavalry, was killed near

Winchester, Virginia Winchester is the most north western independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the county seat of Frederick County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Winchester wit ...

, in November 1864. The fourth brother, Dr. George P. Terrill, a Confederate

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

commander, survived the Civil War. An unscrupulous war correspondent from ''

Harper's Weekly ''Harper's Weekly, A Journal of Civilization'' was an American political magazine based in New York City. Published by Harper & Brothers from 1857 until 1916, it featured foreign and domestic news, fiction, essays on many subjects, and humor, ...

'' manufactured a fitting legend that their grieving father later erected a memorial stone for both brothers, which reads "This monument erected by their father. God alone knows which was right." William R. Terrill was interred at West Point National Cemetery.

References

''The battle of Perryville, Ky. 8 October 62'' - www.aotc.net

External links

William R. Terrill in ''Encyclopedia Virginia''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Terrill, William 1834 births 1862 deaths United States Military Academy alumni Union Army generals People of Virginia in the American Civil War Union military personnel killed in the American Civil War People from Covington, Virginia People from Warm Springs, Virginia Burials at West Point Cemetery

Early life

Civil War

See also

References

Further reading

External links