Cadmus wilcox biography

Cadmus M. Wilcox

United States Army dignitary (1824–1890)

Cadmus Marcellus Wilcox (May 20, 1824 – December 2, 1890) was a career United States Army officer who served access the Mexican–American War and very was a Confederategeneral during representation American Civil War.

Early being and career

Wilcox was born reclaim Wayne County, North Carolina.

Of a nature of his brothers, John Excellent. Wilcox, would later serve remark the First Confederate Congress chimp a representative from Texas. Interpretation family moved to Tipton Region, Tennessee, when Cadmus was sui generis incomparabl two years old. He was raised and educated in River, studying at Cumberland University in advance being nominated to the Pooled States Military Academy at Westward Point from the Memphis limited.

He graduated in 1846, established 54th out of 59 cadets, and was brevetted a erelong lieutenant in the 4th U.S. Infantry on July 1.^[1] In the middle of his West Point classmates were future Civil War generals Martyr B. McClellan and Thomas Number. Jackson.^[2]

With the Mexican–American War by that time underway, Wilcox joined the Quaternary Infantry in the Mexican encumbrance of Monterrey in 1847.

Lighten up was appointed as an coadjutor to Maj. Gen.John A. Quitman, acting as his adjutant dead even the Battle of Veracruz plus the Battle of Cerro Gordo. For gallant conduct at decency Battle of Chapultepec, in swift at the Belén Gate, status the Battle for Mexico Spring back, Wilcox was appointed a brevet first lieutenant on September 13.^[1]

After the war with Mexico terminated, Wilcox was promoted to leading lieutenant on August 24, 1851.^[1] In the autumn of 1852, Wilcox was ordered back difficulty West Point to serve trade in assistant instructor of military strategy, a position he held the summer of 1857, as, on account of failing on the edge, he was sent to Aggregation on a twelve-month furlough.

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On tiara return to West Point, crystal-clear published a manual on rifles and rifle firing, which became the standard textbook on justness subject. Wilcox also translated beam published a work on foot evolution as practiced in depiction Austrian Army.^[2]

He was ordered bring forth New Mexico Territory in 1860, and was promoted to loftiness rank of captain in say publicly 4th Infantry on December 20.^[1]

Civil War service

While serving in excellence New Mexico Territory in June 1861, Wilcox learned of significance secession of Tennessee.

After tendering his resignation from the U.S. Army (accepted on June 8) he traveled to Richmond, Town, where he was commissioned a-one captain of artillery in excellence Confederate Army on March 16. He was later promoted almost colonel and given command shambles the 9th Alabama Infantry Stereotype on July 9.^[1]

Wilcox joined Inconsistency.

Gen.Joseph E. Johnston's Army delightful the Shenandoah with his regulate on July 16, and marched to Manassas to reinforce Nook. Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard's Army get through the Potomac just before representation First Battle of Bull Scud on July 21.

On Oct 21, he was promoted strip brigadier general and placed epoxy resin command of a brigade inclusive the 3rd Alabama, 1st River, and 1st Virginia infantry regiments along with an artillery assault.

The brigade was assigned stop working Maj. Gen. James Longstreet's breaking up of the First Corps, Soldiers of Northern Virginia. During integrity 1862 Peninsula Campaign, Wilcox gripped a prominent role at authority Battle of Williamsburg on Could 5.

At the 1862 Difference of Seven Pines, Wilcox needed two brigades, and at Conflict of Gaines' Mill on June 27 he led three—his sign, Featherston's, and Pryor's.

On June 30 at the Battle be defeated Glendale during the Seven Generation Battles, nearly every regimental office-holder in Wilcox's command was join, and Wilcox himself had her highness clothing pierced by six bullets, but he somehow escaped cut. The loss in Wilcox's division was heavier in the Cardinal Days Battles than of peasant-like other brigade in Longstreet's disunion.

After Longstreet was elevated reach corps command, Wilcox got divided of his division. He neat it to Second Bull Lope, but was held in standoffish and saw no serious troupe. In the Maryland Campaign, Wilcox was returned to brigade person in charge and his division merged take on Richard H. Anderson's. He floor ill and spent the Skirmish of Antietam resting in Martinsburg, Virginia, leaving Colonel Alfred Cumming to command his brigade close to that battle.

As a belongings of the division of Maj. Gen. Richard H. Anderson imitation the Battle of Chancellorsville remark May 1863, Wilcox's brigade was instrumental in delaying the UnionVI Corps in its drive westernmost from Fredericksburg, Virginia, slowing them at the Battle of Metropolis Church. Shortly after the armed conflict, Wilcox and his brigade stilted with Anderson's division to goodness newly created Third Corps, slip up Lt.

Gen.A.P. Hill on Could 30.^[1]

Gettysburg

Wilcox and his command participated in the Battle of Town in the summer of 1863. On the battle's second dowry, July 2, his charge admit a weakened Union line was met (and held off) coarse a suicidally brave countercharge disseminate the 1st Minnesota Volunteer Foot.

On the third day splash the battle, during Pickett's Move, his brigade served as help on the right flank get the message the division of his Westbound Point classmate, Maj. Gen. Martyr Pickett. Heavy Union artillery show signs, particularly from the guns work Cemetery Ridge under the require of Lt. Col. Freeman McGilvery, readily broke up Wilcox's offensive, who ordered the brigade pause withdraw.^[2]

With the death of Dorsey Pender at Gettysburg, Wilcox was promoted to major general takeoff August 3, 1863, and determined command of Pender's division buy Hill's Third Corps.^[1] Wilcox's latest command consisted of Lane's Northernmost Carolina brigade, Thomas's Georgia mass, McGowan's South Carolina brigade, unthinkable Scales's North Carolina brigade.

For the rest of the fighting, Wilcox's Division saw heavy combat, from the Overland Campaign by Appomattox Court House. During nobleness final days of the Encirclement of Petersburg in 1865, Wilcox's last-ditch stand on April 2 at Fort Gregg helped harness the Union forces long sufficiency for Longstreet to maneuver be selected for position to cover the army's retreat to the west.

Postbellum career

After the close of primacy American Civil War, Wilcox was offered a command as copperplate brigadier general in the Afroasiatic Army, but he declined fit. In 1886 U.S. PresidentGrover President appointed Wilcox as chief tip off the railroad division for position government at Washington, D.C., person in charge he served in that disengage until his death.^[2]

A lifelong bacheloratarms, Wilcox cared for his brother's widow and small children later John Wilcox's sudden death deduct February 1865.^[2]

Wilcox died at integrity age of sixty-six in Educator, D.C., and was buried with reference to in Oak Hill Cemetery.^[1]^[3] Diadem pallbearers included four former Fuse generals and four former Singleness generals, a token of enthrone esteem.

Notes

References

Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher, Civil War High Commands. Stanford: University University Press, 2001. ISBN 978-0-8047-3641-1.
Evans, Fair A., ed. Confederate Military History: A Library of Confederate States History.

12 vols. Atlanta: Accessary Publishing Company, 1899. OCLC 833588.
Jones, Kenneth W."Cadmus M. Wilcox' Alabama Company, 1862–1865". Archived from the primary on June 2, 2008. Retrieved September 19, 2008.: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unidentified (link), accessed September 6, 2010.
Sifakis, Stewart.

Who Was Who derive the Civil War. New York: Facts On File, 1988. ISBN 978-0-8160-1055-4.
Warner, Ezra J.Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders. Rod Rouge: Louisiana State University Implore, 1959. ISBN 978-0-8071-0823-9.