William Wilson

As printed in 1905

CAPTAIN WILLIAM WILSON.

Capt. William Wilson, an honored veteraii of the Civil 'ar. who for more than half a century has been a resident of Keokuk, arrived in Lee county, February 22. 1852. He was born in Gallia county, Ohio, on llie loth of May, 1829. His father. Robert G. Wilson, was born in Washington, Pennsylvania, and was a representative of an old Pennsylvania Dutch family. He died at Point Pleasant, Virginia, and his widow, who bore the maiden name of Laura Barnes, afterward came to the West, and passed away in Iowa, in 1880. They were the parents of five sons and four daughters: James L., who served in the Civil War in the Second Iowa Infantiy. and is now l)ridge engineer with the Keokuk & Hamilton Company; Matilda, now Mrs. Mason, who has been three times a widow, and lives in Keokuk; Maria, who is the widow of John Douglas and resides with her brother. Ca'plain Wilson; Lucretia, the widow of John Richart. of Montana, and Mary, the wife of Robert Harrington, and a resident of Boone, Iowa; Charles, Henry Clay are both deceased as is also George \V., who was a private in the Regular Army and died in Omaha and is buried at Keokuk, Iowa.

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

In that year he put aside all business and personal considerations and responded to his country's call for aid, his patriotic spirit prompting his enlistment with the boys in blue, of Company C. Third Iowa Cavalry. He enlisted as a private, was made orderly sergeant when the regiment was organized and successively became second and first lieutenant, while at Helena. Arkansas, on the resignation of Captain Anderson, He was promoted to the command of the company. He continued in that rank until No- Aember. 1864. when he was mustered out through special order issued by General Grant, that all officers who had served for three years should be released from duty, if they so desired. Captain Wilson was offered the position of major, if he would remain, hut lie decided to return home, hax'ing already served for three years and four months. He participated in the battle of Pea Ridge, and went on the march from the mouth of the Black river to Helena, Arkansas, which was known as the "lost army." They fora'ged through the country, obtaining all their provisions in that way, and were upon the march for about five weeks, during which time the regiment was lost from the department, in fact being cut off from all communication with the outside world. They celebrated the 4th of July, 1862, at

Augusta, Arkansas. Following the engagement at Helena the regiment went to Vicksburg, and following the capitulation of that city, to Jackson, Mississippi. Later they returned to Vicksburg and destroyed all the stock on the railroad from Yazoo to Memphis. At length the regiment was reunited at Little Rock, Arkansas, and was stationed at the Benton outpost until December, when it was ordered back to Little Rock. Captain Wilson returned home on a veteran furUiugh, in February, 1864. and at thi- time the regiment was recruited to its full strength in Keokuk. Captain Wilson afterward went to St. Louis and thence by steamboat to Memphis, Tennessee. Only on one occasion did the regiment suffer defeat, and that was at the first battle of Guntown. They met reinforcements, however, at Collirsville, then entered Memphis and went out under Gen. A. J. Smith, again meeting the Rebels under Forrest, at Guntown, and this time scoring a splendid victory. Later the troops returned to Memphis and Captain Wilson was detailed to bring the non-veterans home. This closed his military service, he arriving in Keokuk, November 1, 1864, after more than three years of active duty in defending the stars and stripes. He was never wounded, but was twice seriously ill and on one occasion he was ordered home, it was thought to die, but he refused to leave the front and ultimately recovered his health.

After his return from the war Captain Wilson filled several civic offices. He was police judge for four years, city collector two years, clerk of the district court two years, and in his election to the last office he overcome a usual Democratic majority of between 800 and 900, being elected by a majority of twenty-seven. For a second term, however, he was defeated. In 1875 " turned his attention to the grocery business, in which he engaged for twenty-five years. Later he served as justice of the peace for two years, and is now living retired.

In Keokuk, Iowa, in 1852, Captain Wilson was united in marriage to Miss Lydia Barrett, who was born in Ohio, and died February 9, 1903, her remains being interred in Oakland cemetery. They had but one child, James R., who was born in April, 1854, and died in infancy, age two months and nine days. However, they reared Mrs. Wilson's niece, who lived with them twelve years, and then became the wife of Joseph Tanner, a cousin of the late Governor of Illinois. She died in Evansville, Indiana. Mrs. W'wilson was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and he contributes to the support of the church, although he is not a member. His political support has always been given to the Republican party, and in matters of citizenship he is as true and loyal to his country as when he followed the old flag upon Southern battlefields.

As printed in Biographical review of Lee County, Iowa; (1905). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.