William High Keim
Encyclopedia
William High Keim was a Republican
member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
, as well as a general in the Union Army
during the American Civil War
.
) was born near Reading, Pennsylvania
. He attended Mount Airy Military School and attained the rank of major general
in the state militia
.
Keim served as Mayor of Reading in 1848. Keim was elected as a Republican to the Thirty-fifth Congress
to fill a short term vacancy caused by the resignation of J. Glancy Jones after Jones's defeat in the election of 1858
. He was surveyor general of Pennsylvania from 1860 to 1862.
As the war lengthened and it became evident that a quick victory was not in sight, Keim decided to re-enlist, this time for a term of 3 years. Governor Curtin commissioned him as a brigadier general
of volunteers on December 20, 1861. However, Keim died of typhus
while in the military service at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
, in 1862. Interment was in the Charles Evans Cemetery in Reading.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, as well as a general in the Union Army
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...
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...
.
Early life and career
William High Keim (a nephew of George May KeimGeorge May Keim
George May Keim was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.George May Keim , was born in Reading, Pennsylvania. He attended Princeton College, studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1826 and commenced practice in Reading. He was a major general of militia...
) was born near Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading is a city in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, and seat of Berks County. Reading is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area and had a population of 88,082 as of the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie,...
. He attended Mount Airy Military School and attained the rank of 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...
in the state militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
.
Keim served as Mayor of Reading in 1848. Keim was elected as a Republican to the Thirty-fifth Congress
35th United States Congress
The 35th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1857 to March 3, 1859, during the first two years of James...
to fill a short term vacancy caused by the resignation of J. Glancy Jones after Jones's defeat in the election of 1858
United States House election, 1858
Following the U.S. House election of 1858, the Republicans gained control of the House for the first time, benefiting from the continued breakdown in the anti-immigration and anti-Catholic American Party of the Know Nothing Movement, and from strife within the Democratic Party.The Republicans were...
. He was surveyor general of Pennsylvania from 1860 to 1862.
Civil War
During the Civil War, Keim enlisted in the Union Army for a term of 3 months and, due primarily to his political ties to Governor Andrew Curtin, he was commissioned as a major general of Pennsylvania Volunteers on April 20, 1861. His original term of enlistment having expired, he was honorably mustered out on July 21, 1861, and returned to Reading.As the war lengthened and it became evident that a quick victory was not in sight, Keim decided to re-enlist, this time for a term of 3 years. Governor Curtin commissioned him as a brigadier general
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...
of volunteers on December 20, 1861. However, Keim died of typhus
Typhus
Epidemic typhus is a form of typhus so named because the disease often causes epidemics following wars and natural disasters...
while in the military service at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
, in 1862. Interment was in the Charles Evans Cemetery in Reading.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals