★ Williams, Thomas

Thomas Williams
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Born: January 16 or January 10, 1815

Birthplace: Albany, New York

Father: Mayor of Detroit General John R. Williams 1782 – 1854

(Buried: Elmwood Cemetery, Detroit, Michigan)​

Mother: Mary Mott 1782 – 1832

(Buried: Elmwood Cemetery, Detroit, Michigan)​

Wife: Mary Neosho Bailey 1835 – 1914

(Buried: Elmwood Cemetery, Detroit, Michigan)​

Children:

Colonel John R. Williams 1855 – 1919​

(Buried: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia)​

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Rev. Gershom Mott Williams 1857 – 1923​

(Buried: Elmwood Cemetery, Detroit, Michigan)​

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Dr. Josepha Williams Douglas 1860 – 1938​

(Buried: Fairmount Cemetery, Denver, Colorado)​

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Thomas Neosho Williams 1862 – 1863​

(Buried: Elmwood Cemetery, Detroit, Michigan)​

Education:

1837: Graduated from West Point Military Academy – (12th​ in class)​

Occupation before War:

1832: Trumpeter in the Black Hawk War​

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1837 – 1840: 2nd​ Lt. United States Army, 4th​ Artillery​

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1837 – 1838: Served in the Seminole War in Florida​

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1838: Garrison Duty at Fort Columbus New York​

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1838 – 1839: Served in the Seminole War in Florida​

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1839: Garrison Duty at Fort Columbus, New York​

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1839: Served at camp of instruction near Trenton, New Jersey​

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1839 – 1840: Served on Northern Frontier at Detroit, Michigan​

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1840 – 1841: Assistant Math Professor at West Point​

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1840 – 1850: 1st​ Lt. United States Army, 4th​ Artillery​

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1841: Served at Dearbornville, Michigan

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1841 – 1842: Served at Oswego, New York​

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1842 – 1844: Garrison Duty at Fort Monroe, Virginia​

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1844 – 1850: Aide to Major General Winfield Scott​

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1847: Served in the Siege of Vera Cruz, Mexico​

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1847: Served in the Battle of Cerro Gordo, Mexico​

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1847: Served in the Battle of Churubusco, Mexico​

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1847: Brevetted Captain for Gallantry at Battle of Contreras​

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1847: Served in the Capture of Mexico City, Mexico​

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1847: Brevetted Major for Gallantry at Battle of Chapultepec​

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1850 – 1861: Captain United States Army 4th​ Artillery​

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1850 – 1852: Garrison Duty at Fort Columbus, New York​

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1852 – 1856: Garrison Duty at Fort Mackinac, Michigan​

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1856 – 1857: Served in the Fighting against the Seminole Indians​

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1858: Frontier Duty at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas​

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1858: Served in the Utah Expedition​

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1855 – 1859: Frontier Duty at Cheyenne Pass, Nebraska​

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1859: Frontier Duty at Fort Laramie, Dakota Territory​

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1859: Frontier Duty at Fort Randall, Dakota Territory​

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1859 – 1860: On Leave of Absence from United States Army​

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1860 – 1861: Garrison Duty at Fort Monroe (Artillery School)​

Civil War Career:

1861 – 1862: Major of 5th​ United States Army, Artillery​

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1861: Acting Inspector General Department of Virginia​

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1861 – 1862: Brigadier General Union Army Volunteers​

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1861: Brigade Commander at Harrisonburg, Pennsylvania​

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1861: Served in the North Carolina Expedition​

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1861 – 1862: Commander of Fort Hatteras, North Carolina​

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1862: Commander in the Union Army Department of the Gulf​

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1862: Served at Ship Island​

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1862: Commander in the opening of the Lower Mississippi River​

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1862: Leader in the Expedition to Vicksburg, Mississippi​

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1862: Killed at the Battle of Baton Rouge, Louisiana​

Died: August 5, 1862

Place of Death: Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Cause of Death: Rifle ball shot to the chest

Age at time of Death: 47 years old

Burial Place: Elmwood Cemetery, Detroit, Michigan

 

[gentlemanrob]

Happy Birthday Brig. General Thomas Williams! Salutes remembering General Williams on his birthday.

 

[Pollaco]

That thing known as Grant's Canal near Vicksburg was actually started by Williams wasn't it?

 

[Pollaco]

According to at least one story Williams wasn't decapitated by enemy fire but held in front of one of his own cannon by his own men.According to some he was a very strict disciplinarian, perhaps too strict.

 

[bankerpapaw]

He has quite an impressive resume' before the war.

 

[ErnieMac]

Sarah Morgan, a resident of Baton Rouge during the early days of its occupation, mentioned Williams on a number of occasions in her diary. He seems to have been courteous and helpful to her family. She related three stories she had heard concerning his death, one that he had been shot by his own men, another that he had been held in front of a cannon by some of his soldiers as it was discharged and, lastly, that he had been shot from the window of a home by a Baton Rouge resident.

 

[Pollaco]

Martinet, big time!

 

[Pollaco]

The ship taking his body to New Orleans was sank in a collision near Baton Rouge, I think.When the coffin was retrieved all counts against him were dropped. There were some counts by him against several of his officers for refusing to return fugitive slaves. So in return some of his officers charged him with several counts for his behavior and his failure to react to enemy fire on his trsnsports.

 

[Pollaco]

Sarah Morgan, a resident of Baton Rouge during the early days of its occupation, mentioned Williams on a number of occasions in her diary. He seems to have been courteous and helpful to her family. She related three stories she had heard concerning his death, one that he had been shot by his own men, another that he had been held in front of a cannon by some of his soldiers as it was discharged and, lastly, that he had been shot from the window of a home by a Baton Rouge resident.

The official account states that Williams was killed by a rifle shot in the heart. General Butler stated that Williams was decapitated by a cannonball.

 

[USS ALASKA]

JOURNAL ARTICLE
Letters of General Thomas Williams, 1862
The American Historical Review, Vol. 14, No. 2 (Jan., 1909), pp. 304-328 (25 pages)
Oxford University Press

https://www.jstor.org/stable/1832660

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Cheers,
USS ALASKA