Walter C. Whitaker
Encyclopedia
Walter Chiles Whitaker was an American
farmer, attorney, and soldier. He served as an officer in the United States Army
during the Mexican–American War
, and also was a Union
general during the American Civil War
. After the war he returned to his profession as an attorney.
, located in Shelby County, Kentucky
. He attended Bethany College
in modern day West Virginia
. Whitaker was working as a lawyer when the Mexican–American War began. In 1847 Whitaker volunteered for service during the war with Mexico, and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the 6th Kentucky Infantry
Regiment
beginning on October 1. He served until July 21, 1848, when he was mustered out of the volunteers.
After Mexico, Whitaker returned to home to Kentucky
, where he began running a large farm. He then became a criminal law attorney in Shelbyville. Later he was elected as a legislator to the Kentucky General Assembly
, serving until the American Civil War was well underway. While in the state senate, Whitaker proposed the resolution that set Kentucky on the side of the Union, ending the state's brief period of neutrality in the war.
and re-entered the U.S. Army. He was appointed the colonel
of his old regiment, the 6th Kentucky
, on December 24. The 6th fought at the Battle of Stones River
in 1862, and Whitaker was wounded in his left elbow during the battle's first day on December 31. During the first day of the battle, his regiment defended the Round Forest as part of Col. William B. Hazen
's brigade.
On June 25, 1863, Whitaker was promoted to brigadier general
, and given brigade
command in the Army of the Cumberland
that August. He fought at the Union defense at the Battle of Chickamauga
that fall as part of Brig. Gen. Gordon Granger
's Reserve Corps, and was again wounded, hit in his abdomen on September 20. He continued to serve in Army of the Cumberland, fighting at Lookout Mountain and Rossville Gap during the Third Battle of Chattanooga on November 23 and was once more wounded in action during the fight. He was reportedly so drunk at Chickamauga that his regimental commanders had to fend for themselves. At Lookout Mountain he was also "deep in his cups" though he was sober enough to order a charge that contributed to the Union success.
Whitaker and his brigade then fought during the Atlanta Campaign
of 1864. He participated in the inconclusive Battle of Resaca
that spring, and received his last Civil War wound there on May 15 when he was injured by the concussion of an artillery shell which exploded nearby. He recovered by that fall and was given divisional
command in the Army of the Cumberland beginning on September 19. Whitaker participated in the Battle of Franklin on November 30, 1864, and then at the Battle of Nashville
on December 15 and 16, serving under Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas
.
On March 13, 1865, Whitaker was appointed a brevet
major general
for his actions near Atlanta, Georgia
, on that date. He was then mustered out of the Union Army on August 24, after the end of the American Civil War.
, again in criminal cases. He also reportedly drank to excess most of his life, and spent some years in a mental asylum
after the war. Whitaker died at the age of 63 in Lyndon, Kentucky
, supposedly in full mental health, and was buried in Shelbyville's Grove Hill Cemetery.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
farmer, attorney, and soldier. He served as an officer in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
during the Mexican–American War
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known as the First American Intervention, the Mexican War, or the U.S.–Mexican War, was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 in the wake of the 1845 U.S...
, and also was a Union
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
general during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. After the war he returned to his profession as an attorney.
Early life and career
Whitaker was born in the city of ShelbyvilleShelbyville, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 10,085 people, 3,822 households, and 2,549 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,333.5 people per square mile . There were 4,117 housing units at an average density of 544.4 per square mile...
, located in Shelby County, Kentucky
Shelby County, Kentucky
Shelby County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2010, the population was 42,074. Its name is in honor of Isaac Shelby, the first Governor of Kentucky. Its county seat is Shelbyville...
. He attended Bethany College
Bethany College (West Virginia)
Bethany College is a private liberal arts college located in Bethany, West Virginia, United States. Founded in 1840, Bethany is the oldest institution of Higher Education in West Virginia.-Location:...
in modern day West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. Whitaker was working as a lawyer when the Mexican–American War began. In 1847 Whitaker volunteered for service during the war with Mexico, and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the 6th Kentucky Infantry
6th Kentucky Infantry
The 6th Kentucky Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It was part of the First Kentucky Brigade.-Service:...
Regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
beginning on October 1. He served until July 21, 1848, when he was mustered out of the volunteers.
After Mexico, Whitaker returned to home to Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, where he began running a large farm. He then became a criminal law attorney in Shelbyville. Later he was elected as a legislator to the Kentucky General Assembly
Kentucky General Assembly
The Kentucky General Assembly, also called the Kentucky Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kentucky.The General Assembly meets annually in the state capitol building in Frankfort, Kentucky, convening on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January...
, serving until the American Civil War was well underway. While in the state senate, Whitaker proposed the resolution that set Kentucky on the side of the Union, ending the state's brief period of neutrality in the war.
Civil War service
In late 1861 Whitaker chose to follow the Union causeUnion (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
and re-entered the U.S. Army. He was appointed the colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
of his old regiment, the 6th Kentucky
6th Regiment Kentucky Volunteer Infantry
The 6th Kentucky Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 6th Kentucky Infantry was organized at Camp Muldraugh's Hill and Shepherdsville, Kentucky and mustered in for a three year enlistment on December 24, 1861...
, on December 24. The 6th fought at the Battle of Stones River
Battle of Stones River
The Battle of Stones River or Second Battle of Murfreesboro , was fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863, in Middle Tennessee, as the culmination of the Stones River Campaign in the Western Theater of the American Civil War...
in 1862, and Whitaker was wounded in his left elbow during the battle's first day on December 31. During the first day of the battle, his regiment defended the Round Forest as part of Col. William B. Hazen
William Babcock Hazen
William Babcock Hazen was a career United States Army officer who served in the Indian Wars, as a Union general in the American Civil War, and as Chief Signal Officer of the U.S. Army...
's brigade.
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
, and given brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
command in the Army of the Cumberland
Army of the Cumberland
The Army of the Cumberland was one of the principal Union armies in the Western Theater during the American Civil War. It was originally known as the Army of the Ohio.-History:...
that August. He fought at the Union defense at the Battle of Chickamauga
Battle of Chickamauga
The Battle of Chickamauga, fought September 19–20, 1863, marked the end of a Union offensive in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia called the Chickamauga Campaign...
that fall as part of Brig. Gen. Gordon Granger
Gordon Granger
Gordon Granger was a career U.S. army officer and a Union general during the American Civil War. He distinguished himself at the Battle of Chickamauga.-Early life & Mexico:...
's Reserve Corps, and was again wounded, hit in his abdomen on September 20. He continued to serve in Army of the Cumberland, fighting at Lookout Mountain and Rossville Gap during the Third Battle of Chattanooga on November 23 and was once more wounded in action during the fight. He was reportedly so drunk at Chickamauga that his regimental commanders had to fend for themselves. At Lookout Mountain he was also "deep in his cups" though he was sober enough to order a charge that contributed to the Union success.
Whitaker and his brigade then fought during the Atlanta Campaign
Atlanta Campaign
The Atlanta Campaign was a series of battles fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta during the summer of 1864. Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman invaded Georgia from the vicinity of Chattanooga, Tennessee, beginning in May...
of 1864. He participated in the inconclusive Battle of Resaca
Battle of Resaca
The Battle of Resaca was part of the Atlanta Campaign of the American Civil War. The battle was waged in both Gordon and Whitfield counties, Georgia, from May 13 - 15, 1864. It ended inconclusively with the Confederate Army retreating. The engagement was fought between the Military Division of the...
that spring, and received his last Civil War wound there on May 15 when he was injured by the concussion of an artillery shell which exploded nearby. He recovered by that fall and was given divisional
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
command in the Army of the Cumberland beginning on September 19. Whitaker participated in the Battle of Franklin on November 30, 1864, and then at the Battle of Nashville
Battle of Nashville
The Battle of Nashville was a two-day battle in the Franklin-Nashville Campaign that represented the end of large-scale fighting in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. It was fought at Nashville, Tennessee, on December 15–16, 1864, between the Confederate Army of Tennessee under...
on December 15 and 16, serving under Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas
George Henry Thomas
George Henry Thomas was a career United States Army officer and a Union General during the American Civil War, one of the principal commanders in the Western Theater....
.
On March 13, 1865, Whitaker was appointed a brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
major general
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
for his actions near Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, on that date. He was then mustered out of the Union Army on August 24, after the end of the American Civil War.
Postbellum
After leaving the U.S. Army, Whitaker was a lawyer in Louisville, KentuckyLouisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, again in criminal cases. He also reportedly drank to excess most of his life, and spent some years in a mental asylum
Psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...
after the war. Whitaker died at the age of 63 in Lyndon, Kentucky
Lyndon, Kentucky
There were 4,520 households out of which 21.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.5% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.3% were non-families. 40.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone...
, supposedly in full mental health, and was buried in Shelbyville's Grove Hill Cemetery.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals