Pvt John J. Williams, the last KIA of the ACW

NFB22

Sergeant Major
Joined
Jun 21, 2012
Location
Louisville, KY
Private John J. Williams enlisted in the Union Army in 1863 in Indiana and served with 34th Indiana Infantry. On May 13, 1865 in Texas Union troops under the command of Colonel Theodore Barrett found themselves caught in a trap as Confederate troops tried to cut off the Union troops in a deep bend of the Rio Grande River. Colonel Barrett upon seeing the Confederate troop movement ordered a retreat to save his command. As his main element retreated to escape the trap a skirmish line was formed by troops from the 34th Indiana to meet attacking Confederate cavalry. Among these soldiers was John J. Williams. During this action, which would come to be known as the Battle of Palmetto Ranch, Private Williams was killed and in doing so became the last soldier to die in battle during the American Civil War. Williams is buried in the Alexandria National Cemetery in Pineville, Louisiana

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Battle of Palmetto Ranch
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Williams' grave in Pineville, Louisiana
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Private John J. Williams
 
I believe that distinction goes to Corporal John W. Skinner, of the 1st Florida U.S. Cavalry. He was killed in action during a skirmish called Hobdy's Bridge on May 19th, 1865. When Confederate guerrillas ambushed troopers from the 1st Florida U.S. Cavalry.
 
John W. DuBose wrote of a cavalry skirmish in North Carolina in which he named the last Confederate to die in the war. His last name was also DuBose, so maybe a brother. His book is online, so I'll have to check it for the name and details.
 
John W. DuBose wrote of a cavalry skirmish in North Carolina in which he named the last Confederate to die in the war. His last name was also DuBose, so maybe a brother. His book is online, so I'll have to check it for the name and details.

I suppose it really just depends on who you ask. It just like the Battle of Columbus, GA on April 16, 1865 is widely regarded as the last battle of the Civil War however there were various skirmishes after this battle. Although the Confederacy had already dissolved by the time of the Battle of Palmetto Ranch it would still be another week after that battle that E. Kirby Smith surrendered his command.

It sort of reminds me of the last "casualty" of WWII. Although the Japanese surrendered on August 15th of 1945 and the official surrender was signed September 2nd PFC Patrick Bates of the 3rd Bn, 3rd Marines was shot and killed by a Japanese sniper on the island of Guam on December 14th. He is reguarded as the last KIA of WWII even though it was months after the formal surrender of the Axis powers.
 
Then there's Beanie Short, a Confederate guerrilla who was hunted down and killed in Kentucky in May, 1865.
 
I'm thinking that with the numerous vendettas and personal/family animosities where the flames were fanned by the Civil War, there were probably quite a few killings which occured over the next decade or so - especially in areas where there had been mixed sympathies (Missouri, Kentucky, East Tennessee, etc.). These were not recorded as death in war - although the war may have been a major contributing factor.
 
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