Military engineer; born near
Shawneetown, Ill., Sept. 2, 1837; graduated at
West Point in 1860; entered the topographical engineer corps, and became first lieutenant in September, 1861.
He served in the
Port Royal expedition, and was at the capture of
Fort Pulaski, for which he was brevetted major.
He was aide to
General McClellan at
South Mountain and
Antietam.
In the
Vicksburg campaign in 1863 he was assistant engineer and inspector-general of the Army of the Tennessee.
He was active in the events near
Chattanooga, and from May till August, 1864, commanded the 3d Division of cavalry in the Army of the Potomac.
In August and September he was in the
Shenandoah campaign, and from October, 1864, till July, 1865, he was in command of a division of cavalry in the West and Southwest, being with
Thomas in his campaign against
Hood, driving the cavalry of the latter across the
Harpeth River during the
battle of Franklin.
He was also distinguished at
Nashville in defeating
Hood and driving him across the
Tennessee River.
At the close of
Thomas's active campaign in
middle Tennessee, the cavalry of
the district, numbering about 20,000 men and horses, were encamped in
Lauderdale county, in
northern Alabama.
Well disciplined, they prepared, in March, 1865, for an expedition into
Alabama to co-operate with the army in the capture of
Mobile; also for the capture of
Selma and other places.
General Wilson was in command of this cavalry.
He left
Chickasaw Landing, on the
Tennessee River, March 22, with about 13,000 men and six batteries.
His men were all mounted excepting 1,500, who were used as an escort for baggage and supply-trains of 250 wagons.
There was also a pontoon-train of thirty boats, conveyed by fifty-six mule wagons.
This force moved on diverging routes, to perplex the
Confederates.
Their general course was a little east of south until they reached the
Black Warrior River.
In the fertile region of the
Tombigbee River, the columns simultaneously menaced
Columbus, in Mississippi, and
Tuscaloosa and
Selma, in Alabama.
General Forrest, with his cavalry, was then on the Mobile and Ohio Railway, west of
Columbus.
But so rapid was
Wilson's march that the guerilla chief could not reach him until he was far on his way
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towards
Selma, on the
Alabama River.
Forrest pursued, but the movements of
Wilson's troops were erratic, striking a Confederate force here and there, destroying property, and spreading great alarm.
At
Montevallo they destroyed iron-works, rolling-mills, and five important collieries.
Near these the Nationals were attacked by
Roddy and
Crossland, but the
Confederates, after a sharp fight, were routed.
Onward the Nationals went.
On April 8 they destroyed a bridge over the
Cahawba at
Centreville.
Not far from
Plantersville Wilson encountered
Forrest, partially intrenched.
He was straining every nerve to defend
Selma, as it was one of the most important places in the
Confederacy, because of its immense foundries of cannon and projectiles.
In a fight that ensued the
Confederates were routed and fled towards
Selma, leaving behind them twenty-nine guns and 200 prisoners.
Forrest was driven by his pursuers 24 miles, when the chase ended.
19 miles from
Selma.
The latter place had been strongly fortified.
The race was hot, and
Forrest won it,
Wilson closely pursuing.
The latter came in sight of the city 0 late in the afternoon and immediately assaulted its defences, carrying them without much difficulty.
Although
Forrest was in it with 7,000 troops, it was in possession of the Nationals before sunset.
Forrest was not disposed to attempt its defence, but
General Taylor, who was there, ordered him to hold it at all hazards.
He did his best, but in the evening he and one-half his followers fled eastward, leaving in flames 25,000 bales of cotton stored in the city.
Wilson destroyed the great foundries and other public property, and left
Selma (April 10) a ghastly ruin.
From
Selma Wilson pushed to
Montgomery, then under the military command of
Gen. Wirt Adams.
This officer did not wait for
Wilson's arrival, but, setting on fire 90,000 bales of cotton stored there, he fled.
The
Nationals entered the town unopposed.
Major Weston marched northward (April 12), and, near
Wetumpka, on the
Coosa, he destroyed five heavily laden steamboats.
Montgomery was surrendered to
Wilson by the civil authorities, and after two days he crossed the
Alabama and pushed on eastward to
Columbus, Ga., on the east side of the
Chattahoochee.
He captured that city, with 1,200 men, fifty-two fieldpieces, and a large quantity of small-arms and stores, losing only twenty of his own men. There the Nationals destroyed the Confederate ram
Jackson and burned 115,000 bales of cotton, fifteen locomotives, and 250 cars; also a large quantity of public property—a manufactory of small-arms, an arsenal, four cotton factories, three paper-mills, gun-foundries, a rolling-mill, and a vast amount of stores.
The Confederates burned their gunboat
Chattahoochee, lying 12 miles below
Columbus.
Croxton had been raiding in another portion of
Alabama while
Wilson and the rest of his command were in the vicinity of the
Alabama River and
Chattahoochee.
In the course of thirty days he had marched, skirmished, and destroyed along a line of 650 miles in extent, not once hearing of
Wilson.
He joined
Wilson at
Macon, Ga. (April 30), where the great raid ended.
It had been useful in keeping
Forrest and others from assisting the defenders of
Mobile.
During the raid
Wilson's troops captured five fortified cities, 288 cannon, twenty-three colors, and 6,82 prisoners; and they destroyed a vast amount of public property of the
Confederates of every kind.
They lost 725 men, of whom ninety were killed.
On May 10, 1865, he crowned his military achievements by capturing
Jefferson Davis (
q. v.). He had been brevetted major-general, United States army, in the preceding March.
After retiring from the army he was engaged in civil engineering till May, 1898, when he was commissioned a major-general of volunteers for the war with
Spain.
In the
Porto Rico campaign he commanded the 1st Division of the 1st Army Corps.
