★  MOH Powell, William Henry

William Henry Powell

:us34stars:
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Born: May 10, 1825

Birthplace: Pontypool, Wales

Father: William Powell 1797 – 1864

Mother: Sarah Griffith 1797 – 1866

1st Wife: Sarah Elizabeth Gilchrist 1824 – 1878
(Buried: Graceland Cemetery, Chicago, Illinois)​

2nd Wife: Emma P. West 1843 – 1928
(Buried: Green Mount Protestant Cemetery, Belleville, Illinois)​

Children:

Lucy E. Powell Allen 1850 – 1949​
(Buried: Graceland Cemetery, Chicago, Illinois)​

William G. Powell 1853 – 1873​
(Buried: Graceland Cemetery, Chicago, Illinois)​
Alice Mary Powell 1855 – 1919​
(Buried: Graceland Cemetery, Chicago, Illinois)​
Harry Lawrence Powell 1857 – 1947​
(Buried: Mountain View Cemetery, Attadena, California)​

Education:

Learned the Iron Making Trade​

Occupation before War:

Builder of Benwood Nail Works​
Superintendent of Benwood Nail Works​
1846: Lost sight of his right eye in accident at Nail Works​
Builder of Bellfonte Nail Works​
General Superintendent and Financial Agent for Iron Works​

Civil War Career:

1861: Captain of regiment intended to be 4th Ohio Cavalry​
1861: Governor of Ohio refused to accept any more Cavalry​
1861 – 1862: Captain of Co. B 2nd Loyal Virginia Volunteer Cavalry​
1862: Served in Louisa Kentucky under General Garfield​
Confronted Bushwhackers in the Kanawha Valley​
1862: Ambushed Henry Heth at Lewisburg, West Virginia​
1862: Confronted Jenkins in the Kanawha Valley Campaign​
1862: Led the Advance Guard in the Kanawha Valley​
1862 – 1863: Major of 2nd Loyal Virginia Cavalry Regiment
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1862: Led attack on Jenkins camp outside of Barboursville​
1862: Leader in the Sinking Spring Raid in Western Virginia
1863: Offered his resignation but it was not accepted​
1863 – 1864: Colonel of 2nd West Virginia Cavalry Regiment​
1863: Second in command during the Wytheville, Virginia Raid​
1863: Captured and Wounded during the Wytheville, Virginia Raid​
1863: His wound was to the right side of his chest with no exit​
1863: Citizens of Wytheville, Virginia wanted to hang him​
1863: Charged by Confederates waging war contrary to usages of war
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First Kept in Dungeon without bed and received only bread and water​
Later he was sent to Libby Prison in Richmond, Virginia​
1863 – 1864: Prisoner of War held by the Confederate Army​
1864: Exchanged for Colonel Richard H. Lee (Robert E. Lee’s Cousin)​
1864: Presented in Ohio with a gold watch and money​
1864: Served in the Battle of Cove Mountain, Virginia​
1864: Brigade Commander during Battle of Lynchburg, Virginia​
1864: Brigade Commander in the Battle of Rutherford’s Farm, Virginia​
1864: Brigade Commander in the Second Battle of Kernstown, Virginia​
1864: Served in the Battle of Moorefield, West Virginia​
1864: Served in Third Battle of Winchester, Virginia, Captured 80 Prisoners
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1864: Led the Pursuit of Early’s Army in the Shenandoah Valley​
1864: Cavalry Division Commander in the Pursuit of Early’s Army​
1864: Patrolled the region of Harrisonburg, Virginia​
1864: Destroyed all grain and burning mills in Luray, Virginia​
1864: Destroyed the tannery that supplied the Confederate Army​
1864: Hung one of Mosby’s men because of Mosby doing same​
1864 – 1865: Brigadier General of Union Army Volunteers​
1864: Prevented Union Army from getting flanked at Cedar Creek​
1864: Fought against Lomax, Rosser’s and McCausland’s Cavalry​
1865: Resigned from the Union Army on January 5th
1865: Issued a farewell address to his soldiers on January 10th
1865: Official Resignation was accepted on January 14th
1866: Brevetted Major General for his service in the War​

Occupation after War:

General Manager of Ironton Rolling Mill in Ironton, Ohio
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Declined Republican Nomination for U.S. Congressman​
Builder of Clifton Nail Works in Clifton, West Virginia​
General Manager of Clifton Nail Works in Clifton, West Virginia​
1870: Almost killed in horse and buggy accident​
1870: Unable to work he sold his interest in the Nail Business​
Employee of Standard Oil Company in Kansas City, Missouri​
Insurance Agent with American Central Insurance in St. Louis, Missouri
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1876 – 1882: Manager of Waugh Company Nail Works​
1877: Suffered from occasional cough and dyspnea​
1882: Organizer of Western Nail Works​
1882 – 1892: Superintendent and Manager of Western Nail Works​
1895 – 1904: Collector of Internal Revenue in Illinois​
1895 – 1896: Illinois Commander of Grand Army of the Republic​

Died: December 26, 1904

Place of Death: Belleville, Illinois

Cause of Death: La grippe and chronic bronchitis

Age at time of Death:
79 years old

Burial Place: Graceland Cemetery, Chicago, Illinois
 
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He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1890 for his action at Sinking Creek Valley on November 26, 1862. He led a detachment of only 20 men and captured 500.
 
I am most curious about a sentence in in the preceeding news article.It state that "he had the distinction of being exchanged by the confederates during the lively Shennandoah campaign in 1864 for the person of Robert E. Lee."
 
This biography states that he hung one of Mosby's men. Another states that Powell "became notorious for promptly hanging suspected guerrillas." Plural. Sounds like he did it more than once.
 
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I am most curious about a sentence in in the preceeding news article.It state that "he had the distinction of being exchanged by the confederates during the lively Shennandoah campaign in 1864 for the person of Robert E. Lee."
Newspaper screw-up, I think. The exchange was for Colonel Richard H. Lee, first cousin of Robert E. Lee.
 
Seemed to be one bad hombre.

“Lost sight of his right eye in accident at Nail Works”.
I reckon most jobs carry some hazard of losing an eye, but a nail factory is really flirting with disaster.
 
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