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William Wilson (1823 – November 13, 1874) was a native of England who emigrated to New York and was a
''The history of a volunteer regiment : being a succinct account of the organization, services and adventures of the Sixth Regiment New York Volunteers Infantry known as Wilson Zouaves: where they went, what they did, and what they saw in the War of the Rebellion, 1861 to 1865''. New York, 1891
1823 births 1874 deaths Union Army colonels People of New York (state) in the American Civil War {{AmericanCivilWar-bio-stub
William Wilson (1823 – November 13, 1874) was a native of England who emigrated to New York and was a 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 of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...
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 ...
.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: Stanford University Press, 2001. . p. 574.
Biography
Wilson had been a prize fighter and was associated with New York City Democratic political machine being a member of the so-called ''Mozart Hall Democracy'' faction headed byFernando Wood
Fernando Wood (February 14, 1812 – February 13, 1881) was an American Democratic Party politician, merchant, and real estate investor who served as the 73rd and 75th Mayor of New York City. He also represented the city for several terms in ...
. In 1856, Wilson was elected as an alderman with the backing of the Democratic Party. He was also a real estate agent.
On May 25, 1861, Wilson was appointed 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 ...
of the 6th New York Volunteer Infantry
The 6th New York Infantry Regiment, also called "Wilson's Zouaves", was a unit of the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was organized at New York City on May 25, 1861. The Regiment was composed of 5 initial companies of A, B, C, and D. ...
, known as Billy Wilson's Zouaves.
On May 11, 1861, he was featured on the cover of the ''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, ...
'' illustrated by Winslow Homer
Winslow Homer (February 24, 1836 – September 29, 1910) was an American landscape painter and illustrator, best known for his marine subjects. He is considered one of the foremost painters in 19th-century America and a preeminent figure in ...
after Mathew Brady's photograph.
Wilson served in Florida and Louisiana in 1862 and early 1863. He was mustered out of the U.S. Volunteers on June 25, 1863.
In 1864, Wilson was placed in command of a militia regiment, the 69th New York Regiment, by Governor Seymour.
On July 20, 1866, President
President most commonly refers to:
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Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
Andrew Johnson nominated Wilson for appointment to the grade of brevet 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, to rank from March 13, 1865, and the United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
confirmed the appointment on July 26, 1866.Eicher, 2001, p. 761.
William Wilson died on November 13, 1874 in New York City. He was buried at Calvary Cemetery (Queens, New York).
See also
*Fort Jefferson, Florida
Fort Jefferson is a massive but unfinished coastal fortress. It is the largest brick masonry structure in the Americas, and is composed of over 16 million bricks. The building covers . Among United States forts, only Fort Monroe in Virginia a ...
*Battle of Santa Rosa Island
The Battle of Santa Rosa Island (October 9, 1861) was an unsuccessful Confederate attempt to take Union-held Fort Pickens on Santa Rosa Island, Florida.
Background
Santa Rosa Island is a 40-mile barrier island in the U.S. state of Florida, t ...
*List of American Civil War brevet generals (Union)
__NOTOC__
This is a list of American Civil War brevet generals that served the Union Army. This list of brevet major generals or brevet brigadier generals currently contains a section which gives the names of officers who held lower actual or ...
References
Further reading
* Morris, Gouverneur''The history of a volunteer regiment : being a succinct account of the organization, services and adventures of the Sixth Regiment New York Volunteers Infantry known as Wilson Zouaves: where they went, what they did, and what they saw in the War of the Rebellion, 1861 to 1865''. New York, 1891
External links
1823 births 1874 deaths Union Army colonels People of New York (state) in the American Civil War {{AmericanCivilWar-bio-stub