William Lewis Cabell
Encyclopedia
William Lewis Cabell was a brigadier general
in the Confederate States Army
during the American Civil War
and later served as Mayor
of Dallas, Texas
.
. Six of Cabell's brothers also held prominent positions in the Confederate Army. One other brother died just prior to the Civil War from an arrow wound received in Florida
. Cabell graduated from the United States Military Academy
in 1850 and joined the United States Army
as a second lieutenant
with the 7th U.S. Infantry. In June 1855, he was promoted to first lieutenant and appointed as regimental quartermaster on the staff of General Persifor F. Smith.
At the outbreak of the Civil War, Cabell returned to Little Rock, Arkansas
, and offered his services to Governor Henry Massey Rector
. In April 1861, he received a telegram from the Confederate States government and went to Richmond, Virginia
, to assist in the establishment of the commissary, quartermaster, and ordnance departments for the Confederate military.
He was sent to Manassas, Virginia
, to take the position of Quartermaster for the Confederate Army of the Potomac
under General P.G.T. Beauregard. He served on Beauregard's staff and then on the staff of General Joseph E. Johnston
until reassigned in January 1862.
After leaving Virginia, Cabell was assigned by General Albert Sidney Johnston
to serve under General Earl Van Dorn
, who was commander of the Trans-Mississippi Department
. Cabell was promoted to brigadier general and placed in command of all Confederate troops on the White River
, with his headquarters at Jacksonport, Arkansas
. Soon after the Battle of Pea Ridge
, Confederate forces were withdrawn from Arkansas and moved across the Mississippi River
. Upon his arrival at Corinth, Mississippi
, Cabell was given command of a Texas
brigade with an Arkansas regiment attached. Cabell led this brigade in several engagements around Corinth.
Cabell was transferred to an Arkansas brigade, which he led in the Battle of Iuka
and the Battle of Corinth. He was wounded leading a charge against the Union
entrenchments at Corinth and again at the Battle of Hatchie's Bridge
, which left him temporarily disabled and unfit for field command.
In February 1863, he was placed in command of northwestern Arkansas
and successfully recruited and outfitted one of the largest cavalry brigades west of the Mississippi. Cabell led this brigade in over 20 engagements in the Trans-Mississippi Department
including prominent roles at the Battle of Poison Spring
and the Battle of Marks' Mills
where he commanded two brigades under General James Fleming Fagan
. Cabell was captured in Missouri
(by Sergeant Cavalry M. Young of the 3rd Iowa Cavalry) during Price's Raid
on October 25, 1864, and was held as a prisoner of war
at the Johnson's Island prison camp
on Lake Erie
and then at Fort Warren
in Boston, Massachusetts.
After the war, Cabell returned to Fort Smith, Arkansas
, where he worked as a civil engineer
and studied law at night. He was admitted to the Arkansas bar in 1868 and practiced law for a few years. In 1872, Cabell and his family moved to Dallas, Texas
. In 1874, he was elected mayor of that city and served four terms at various times. During his tenure, he expanded rail access to the city, established sewer and electrical services, started a program of paving streets, and presided over a period of massive growth.
After leaving office, Cabell became Vice President of the Texas Trunk Railroad Company. In 1885, he was appointed U.S. Marshal
and served in that capacity until 1889. During the Spanish-American War
, at age 71, he offered his military services to the U.S. government.
Cabell also remained active in Confederate veterans affairs. He oversaw several large veterans reunions, assisted in establishing pensions, veterans homes, and Confederate cemeteries in Texas. He served as commander of the Trans-Mississippi Department of the United Confederate Veterans
.
William Lewis Cabell died in Dallas and was buried there five days later after a heavily attended military parade. Before his death, Cabell had converted to Catholicism.
Cabell's wife was the daughter of Major Elias Rector of Arkansas and served as a nurse during the Civil War. Grandson Charles P. Cabell
became a four-star general in the United States Air Force
as Deputy Director of Central Intelligence during the 1950s. Another grandson, Earle Cabell, was also mayor of Dallas, serving at the time of the Kennedy assassination.
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...
in the Confederate States Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
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...
and later served as Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
.
Biography
William L. Cabell was born in Danville, VirginiaDanville, Virginia
Danville is an independent city in Virginia, United States, bounded by Pittsylvania County, Virginia and Caswell County, North Carolina. It was the last capital of the Confederate States of America. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Danville with Pittsylvania county for...
. Six of Cabell's brothers also held prominent positions in the Confederate Army. One other brother died just prior to the Civil War from an arrow wound received in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. Cabell graduated from the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
in 1850 and joined 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...
as a second lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
with the 7th U.S. Infantry. In June 1855, he was promoted to first lieutenant and appointed as regimental quartermaster on the staff of General Persifor F. Smith.
At the outbreak of the Civil War, Cabell returned to Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
, and offered his services to Governor Henry Massey Rector
Henry Massey Rector
Henry Massey Rector was the sixth Governor of the state of Arkansas.Henry Massey Rector was born near Louisville, Kentucky. Rector was educated by his mother and attended one year of school at Louisville. He moved to Arkansas in 1835. Rector served as U.S...
. In April 1861, he received a telegram from the Confederate States government and went to Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, to assist in the establishment of the commissary, quartermaster, and ordnance departments for the Confederate military.
He was sent to Manassas, Virginia
Manassas, Virginia
The City of Manassas is an independent city surrounded by Prince William County and the independent city of Manassas Park in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Its population was 37,821 as of 2010. Manassas also surrounds the county seat for Prince William County but that county...
, to take the position of Quartermaster for the Confederate Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac (Confederate)
The Confederate Army of the Potomac, whose name was short-lived, was the command under Brig. Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard in the early days of the American Civil War. Its only major combat action was the First Battle of Bull Run. Afterwards, the Army of the Shenandoah was merged into the Army of the...
under General P.G.T. Beauregard. He served on Beauregard's staff and then on the staff of General Joseph E. Johnston
Joseph E. Johnston
Joseph Eggleston Johnston was a career U.S. Army officer, serving with distinction in the Mexican-American War and Seminole Wars, and was also one of the most senior general officers in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...
until reassigned in January 1862.
After leaving Virginia, Cabell was assigned by General Albert Sidney Johnston
Albert Sidney Johnston
Albert Sidney Johnston served as a general in three different armies: the Texas Army, the United States Army, and the Confederate States Army...
to serve under General Earl Van Dorn
Earl Van Dorn
Earl Van Dorn was a career United States Army officer, fighting with distinction during the Mexican-American War and against several tribes of Native Americans...
, who was commander of the Trans-Mississippi Department
Trans-Mississippi Department
The Trans-Mississippi Department was an administrative subdivision of the Confederate States of America west of the Mississippi, consisting of Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Indian Territories recognized by the CSA, and parts of Western Louisiana...
. Cabell was promoted to brigadier general and placed in command of all Confederate troops on the White River
White River (Arkansas)
The White River is a 722-mile long river that flows through the U.S. states of Arkansas and Missouri.-Course:The source of the White River is in the Boston Mountains of northwest Arkansas, in the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest southeast of Fayetteville...
, with his headquarters at Jacksonport, Arkansas
Jacksonport, Arkansas
Jacksonport is a town in Jackson County, Arkansas, United States, along the White River at its confluence with the Black River. The population was 235 at the 2000 census.- History :Jacksonport was once an important steamboat stop on the White River...
. Soon after the Battle of Pea Ridge
Battle of Pea Ridge
The Battle of Pea Ridge was a land battle of the American Civil War, fought on March 6–8, 1862, at Pea Ridge in northwest Arkansas, near Garfield. In the battle, Union forces led by Brig. Gen. Samuel R. Curtis defeated Confederate troops under Maj. Gen. Earl Van Dorn. The outcome of the...
, Confederate forces were withdrawn from Arkansas and moved across the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. Upon his arrival at Corinth, Mississippi
Corinth, Mississippi
Corinth is a city in Alcorn County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 14,054 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Alcorn County. Its ZIP codes are 38834 and 38835.- History :...
, Cabell was given command of a Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
brigade with an Arkansas regiment attached. Cabell led this brigade in several engagements around Corinth.
Cabell was transferred to an Arkansas brigade, which he led in the Battle of Iuka
Battle of Iuka
The Battle of Iuka was fought on September 19, 1862, in Iuka, Mississippi, during the American Civil War. In the opening battle of the Iuka-Corinth Campaign, Union Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans stopped the advance of the army of Confederate Maj. Gen. Sterling Price.Maj. Gen. Ulysses S...
and the Battle of Corinth. He was wounded leading a charge against the 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...
entrenchments at Corinth and again at the Battle of Hatchie's Bridge
Battle of Hatchie's Bridge
The Battle of Hatchie's Bridge, also known as Davis's Bridge or Matamora, was fought on October 5, 1862, in Hardeman County and McNairy County, Tennessee, as the final engagement of the Iuka–Corinth Campaign of the American Civil War...
, which left him temporarily disabled and unfit for field command.
In February 1863, he was placed in command of northwestern Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
and successfully recruited and outfitted one of the largest cavalry brigades west of the Mississippi. Cabell led this brigade in over 20 engagements in the Trans-Mississippi Department
Trans-Mississippi Department
The Trans-Mississippi Department was an administrative subdivision of the Confederate States of America west of the Mississippi, consisting of Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Indian Territories recognized by the CSA, and parts of Western Louisiana...
including prominent roles at the Battle of Poison Spring
Battle of Poison Spring
The Battle of Poison Spring was fought during the American Civil War on April 18, 1864, in Ouachita County, Arkansas as part of the Camden Expedition.-Opposing forces:Dwindling supplies for his army at Camden, Arkansas forced Union Army Maj. Gen...
and the Battle of Marks' Mills
Battle of Marks' Mills
The Battle of Marks' Mills occurred on April 25, 1864, in Cleveland County, Arkansas as part of the Camden Expedition of the American Civil War. Confederate troops under Maj. Gen. James F. Fagan overwhelmed a small Union detachment commanded by Lt. Col. Francis M...
where he commanded two brigades under General James Fleming Fagan
James Fleming Fagan
James Fleming Fagan was a planter, public official, and a major general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...
. Cabell was captured in Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
(by Sergeant Cavalry M. Young of the 3rd Iowa Cavalry) during Price's Raid
Price's Raid
Price's Missouri Expedition, also known as Price's Raid, was an 1864 Confederate cavalry raid through the states of Missouri and Kansas during the American Civil War. While Confederate Major General Sterling Price enjoyed some successes during this campaign, he was decisively beaten at the Battle...
on October 25, 1864, and was held as a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
at the Johnson's Island prison camp
Johnson's Island
Johnson's Island is a island in Sandusky Bay, located on the coast of Lake Erie, 3 miles from the city of Sandusky, Ohio. It was the site of a prisoner-of-war camp for Confederate officers captured during the American Civil War. Johnson's Island was the only Union prison exclusively for Southern...
on Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
and then at Fort Warren
Fort Warren (Massachusetts)
Fort Warren is a historic fort on the Georges Island at the entrance to Boston Harbor. The fort is pentagonal, made with stone and granite, and was constructed from 1833–1861, completed shortly after the beginning of the American Civil War...
in Boston, Massachusetts.
After the war, Cabell returned to Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 86,209 in 2010, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 298,592 residents which encompasses the Arkansas...
, where he worked as a civil engineer
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
and studied law at night. He was admitted to the Arkansas bar in 1868 and practiced law for a few years. In 1872, Cabell and his family moved to Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
. In 1874, he was elected mayor of that city and served four terms at various times. During his tenure, he expanded rail access to the city, established sewer and electrical services, started a program of paving streets, and presided over a period of massive growth.
After leaving office, Cabell became Vice President of the Texas Trunk Railroad Company. In 1885, he was appointed U.S. Marshal
United States Marshals Service
The United States Marshals Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice . The office of U.S. Marshal is the oldest federal law enforcement office in the United States; it was created by the Judiciary Act of 1789...
and served in that capacity until 1889. During the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
, at age 71, he offered his military services to the U.S. government.
Cabell also remained active in Confederate veterans affairs. He oversaw several large veterans reunions, assisted in establishing pensions, veterans homes, and Confederate cemeteries in Texas. He served as commander of the Trans-Mississippi Department of the United Confederate Veterans
United Confederate Veterans
The United Confederate Veterans, also known as the UCV, was a veteran's organization for former Confederate soldiers of the American Civil War, and was equivalent to the Grand Army of the Republic which was the organization for Union veterans....
.
William Lewis Cabell died in Dallas and was buried there five days later after a heavily attended military parade. Before his death, Cabell had converted to Catholicism.
Cabell's wife was the daughter of Major Elias Rector of Arkansas and served as a nurse during the Civil War. Grandson Charles P. Cabell
Charles P. Cabell
Charles Pearre Cabell was an United States Air Force General and deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency.-Early life:...
became a four-star general in the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
as Deputy Director of Central Intelligence during the 1950s. Another grandson, Earle Cabell, was also mayor of Dallas, serving at the time of the Kennedy assassination.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals
External links
- Entry for Gen. William Lewis Cabell from the Biographical Encyclopedia of Texas published 1880, hosted by the Portal to Texas History.