★  Pile, William A.

William Anderson Pile

Born: February 11, 1829
Pile 1.jpg


Birthplace: Indianapolis, Indiana

Father: Jacob Pile 1785 – 1864
(Buried: Sargent Cemetery, Clayton, Illinois)​

Mother: Comfort Evangeline Williams 1788 – 1859
(Buried: Sargent Cemetery, Clayton, Illinois)​

Wife: Hannah Elizabeth Cain 1833 – 1913
(Buried: Live Oak Memorial Park, Monrovia, California)​

Children:

Louisa P. Pile Little 1852 – 1909​
(Buried: Cremated)​
Albert Hatten Pile 1854 – 1896​
(Buried: Cremated remains in possession of Theosophical Society)​

Alice C. Pile Ludlam 1856 – 1901​
(Buried: Live Oak Memorial Park, Monrovia, California)​
William Emmet Pile 1860 – 1929​
(Buried: Live Oak Memorial Park, Monrovia, California)​

Occupation before War:

Methodist Minister in Missouri​

Civil War Career:

1861 – 1862: Chaplain of 1st Missouri Light Artillery Regiment
Pile.jpg
1862: Captain Company I, 1st Missouri Light Artillery​
1862: Three of his batteries were at Battle of Fort Donelson, Tennessee​
1862: Served in the Siege of Corinth, Mississippi​
1862: Lt. Colonel of 33rd Missouri Volunteers Infantry Regiment​
1862 – 1863: Colonel of 33rd Missouri Volunteers Infantry Regiment​
1863: Served in the Yazoo River Expedition in Mississippi​
1863 – 1865: Brigadier General of Union Army Volunteers​
Post Commander of Port Hudson​
Commander of the District of Baton Rogue and Port Hudson​
1864 – 1865: Commander of Department of the Gulf​
1865: Brevetted to the rank of Major General of Union Volunteers​
1865: Mustered out of the Union Army on August 24th

Occupation after War:

1867 – 1869: United States Congressman from Missouri​
1867 – 1869: Congressional Chairman on Post Office Dept. Expenses​
1869 – 1870: Territory Governor of New Mexico Territory​
1871 – 1874: United States Minister to Venezuela​
1886 – 1889: Grape Grower on 50 Acres of land in Monrovia, California​
1889: Applied to be Counsel General in Melbourne, Australia​

Died: July 7, 1889

Place of Death: Monrovia, California

Cause of Death: Pneumonia

Age at time of Death: 60 years old

Burial Place: Live Oak Cemetery, Monrovia, California
 
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One of the first assignments as brigadier was recruiting duty in St.Louis. It seems Pile was recruiting ex-slaves. Later he was garrison commander at Port Hudson then led a brigade of Colored Troops against Fort Blakely. The brigade he led was the 1st brigade, 1st Division of the United States Colored Troops, District of West Florida, Department of the Gulf. It was that attack on Fort Blakely that got him the Brevet to Major General.
 
The attached link shows an American Battlefield Trust map of the assault on Fort Blakely on April 9, 1865. Pile's Brigade (73rd, 82nd & 86th USCT) is shown near the top of the Federal line.
 
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