★★★ Stuart, William Dabney

William Dabney Stuart​

Born: September 30, 1830

Birthplace: Staunton, Virginia

Father: Thomas Jefferson Stuart 1793 – 1856

Mother: Martha M. Dabney 1794 – 1850

Wife: Francis Harris 1833 – 1893

Children:

William Dabney Stuart Jr. 1856 – 1940​

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Martha Stuart 1857 –​

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Mary Bell Stuart Dabney 1859 – 1949​

Education:

Attended Staunton Academy in Staunton, Virginia​

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1850: Graduated from Virginia Military Institute – (3rd​ in class)​

Occupation before War:

Principal of Schools in Washington, D.C. and Richmond, Virginia​

Civil War Career:

1861: Lt. Colonel of 15th​ Virginia Infantry Regiment​

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1861 – 1862: Lt. Colonel of 56th​ Virginia Infantry Regiment​

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1862 – 1863: Colonel of 56th​ Virginia Infantry Regiment​

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1863: Commander of 56th​ Virginia Infantry Regiment at Gettysburg​

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1863: Quoted as saying: "See that wall there!" and, "It's full of Yankees. I want you to take it!"​

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1863: Mortally Wounded on the 3rd​ Day of Battle, during Pickett's Charge​

Died: July 29, 1863

Place of Death: Confederate Hospital, Staunton, Virginia

Age at time of Death: 32 years old

Burial Place: Thornrose Cemetery, Staunton, Virginia

Obituary: (Article appears in The Abingdon Virginian, of Abingdon, Virginia, printed Friday, August 7, 1863.)

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DEATH OF COL. STUART​

Died in Stannton on the 28th inst., Col. William D. Stuart, commanding 56th Reg't Va. Infantry, Garnett's Brigade, Pickett's Division. His death was mainly from the effects of a wound received in the battle of Gettysburg. He was a brave and gallant officer, and greatly distinguished himself at the battle of Great Bethel, receiving at that time a well merited compliment from his commanding officer. Lynchburg Virginian​

 

[Pollaco]

JEB Stuart was eight of eleven children, this colonel must have been a relative.

 

[Tom Elmore]

William Dabney Stuart had also been an assistant professor of math and tactics at VMI, and was reportedly a distant cousin of J.E.B. Stuart and a close friend of Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson. On the day he died, a letter arrived from the War Department in Richmond, advising his promotion to brigadier general. (The hard-fighting 56th Virginia's finest hour came at the "deadly dress parade" of Pickett's Charge, by William A. Young, Jr., America's Civil War, March 1993)

 

[jvarnell]

Rah, rah Virginia Mil! Another distinguished grad.

 

[gentlemanrob]

Remembering the Colonels at Gettysburg. Salutes Thanks Colonel William Dabney Stuart for your service in the Confederate Cause.

 

[Luke Freet]

Pickett's Division is an odd duck, in that many of its officers are descendants or relatives of more prominent or famous men. Really a unit of affluence, compared to say, A. R. Wright's Brigade.

 

[Pollaco]

A colonel was not appointed to the 56th Regiment. Governor Letcher left it up to the men to select it's own colonel. It is stated that Stuart was chosen with almost perfect unanimity as the man of their choice.

 

[Pollaco]

One biography of Stuart states that a letter arrived on the day he died offering him a promotion to brigadier general.

 

[Pollaco]

Right after the battle of Antietam, Stonewall Jackson tried to have Stuart promoted to brigadier general but a brigadier was needed urgently. Stuart was in poor health and needed time to recuperate . Before he could completely recover the post was filled.

 

[Luke Freet]

Right after the battle of Antietam, Stonewall Jackson tried to have Stuart promoted to brigadier general but a brigadier was needed urgently. Stuart was in poor health and needed time to recuperate . Before he could completely recover the post was filled.

Assume this was for his old division, where many of the brigade commanders were dead or incapacitated...or incompetent.