William R. Boggs
Encyclopedia
William Robertson Boggs was a general in the Confederate States Army
during the American Civil War
. He was noted as a civil engineer
who constructed the military fortifications that protected some of the Confederacy's most important seaports.
. Comparatively little is known of his early youth, but it is known he studied at the Augusta Academy. Two of his brothers would also serve in the Confederate Army. They spent their summers at the Sand Hills
near what is now Summerville, South Carolina
, a popular tourist resort. At the age of twenty in July 1849, he entered the United States Military Academy
at West Point
as a cadet from Georgia. He graduated four years later among the first five in his class. Among Boggs' classmates were James B. McPherson
, Philip H. Sheridan, and John M. Schofield, later Union
generals, and John B. Hood of the Confederate service.
On graduation he was brevetted
as a second lieutenant and assigned to the Topographical Bureau. He spent some time in the office of the Pacific Railroad Surveys. In 1854 he was transferred to the Ordnance Corps and was made assistant at the Watervliet Arsenal
in Troy, New York
. In December of the same year he became second lieutenant and in 1856 he was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant. While at Watervliet Arsenal, on December 19, 1855, he married Mary Sophia, daughter of Col. John Symington, the commandant. To them were born five children–William R., Jr., a mining engineer who was murdered in Mexico in 1907; Elizabeth McCaw, John Symington, Edith Allston,and Henry Patterson Boggs. (For some unknown reason a sixth child, Archibald Boggs (1860–1881) was omitted from the biographical data published for General Boggs.)
In 1857 Boggs was transferred to the Louisiana Arsenal at Baton Rouge, Louisiana
. In 1859 he became inspector of ordnance at Point Isobel, Texas. On December 14, 1859, he took part in an engagement with Cortino's Mexican marauders near Fort Brown
, for which he was given honorable mention by General Winfield Scott
. Soon after, he was transferred to the Alleghany Arsenal at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
, to which his father-in-law Colonel Symington had also been assigned.
. However, his father-in-law stayed in the Federal service. Early in the war, Boggs was appointed by Governor Joseph E. Brown
as the purchasing agent to procure arms, ammunition, and supplies for Georgia's state troops. Later, in the Provisional Confederate Army, Boggs' duties were again as an engineer and ordnance officer, given primarily to staff duty for such officers as Braxton Bragg
. He was never given the command of troops in combat, although he commanded all engineers and artillery in Pensacola, Florida
. His major accomplishments were to perfect and complete fortifications and supply depots in 1861 (including the defenses of Charleston, South Carolina
, and Pensacola); to engineer Kirby Smith's invasion of Kentucky in 1862; and to assist Smith's military administration west of the Mississippi River
from 1863 to 1865.
In 1862, he was appointed Colonel, Chief Engineer of the State of Georgia. In recognition of his efforts in constructing the fortifications that defended Savannah, Georgia
, one of the earthworks was named Fort Boggs. During the Kentucky campaign, Colonel Boggs, by then back in the Confederate national service, won the confidence of his superiors. On General Kirby Smith's recommendation, he was promoted to the rank of brigadier general and became Chief of Staff under him in the Trans-Mississippi Department
in the spring of 1863. Late in the war, Boggs resigned after a quarrel with Smith. For a short time thereafter, he commanded the District of Louisiana, but was soon superseded by Brig. Gen. Harry T. Hays
and he subsequently awaited orders at Shreveport, Louisiana
.
Early in 1865 he enlisted in an expedition to enter military service in Mexico
. Finding that the purpose of its leaders was to fight for Maximilian, rather than Juarez, he withdrew his name and returned to the Confederate army. With the collapse of the Confederate armies in the East, Kirby Smith moved his headquarters to Houston, Texas
. The surrender of his army was made by Smith's subordinates, in which General Boggs participated, the parole of Boggs being dated June 9, 1865.
. In 1875 he was appointed Professor of Mechanics in the Virginia Polytechnic Institute at Blacksburg
, a position he held until a reorganization of the faculty in 1881. One of his colleagues wrote, "He was highly valued by his associates as a man of force and culture; was esteemed by the student body as an attractive and honest teacher; by the people of the community as an upright, genial, agreeable gentleman. Politics was alone responsible for his removal."
The later years of his life were spent in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
, where he died at the age of eighty-two. He was buried in Salem Cemetery.
One of his nephews, Major Archibald Butt
, perished in the sinking of the British cruise liner, RMS Titanic.
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...
. He was noted as a civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
who constructed the military fortifications that protected some of the Confederacy's most important seaports.
Early life and career
Boggs was born in Augusta, GeorgiaAugusta, Georgia
Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...
. Comparatively little is known of his early youth, but it is known he studied at the Augusta Academy. Two of his brothers would also serve in the Confederate Army. They spent their summers at the Sand Hills
Sandhills (Carolina)
The Sandhills is a region in the interior of the U.S. states of North Carolina and South Carolina. It is a strip of ancient beach dunes which generally divides the Piedmont from the coastal plain, and is the evidence of a former coastline when the ocean level was higher, or the land lower. The...
near what is now Summerville, South Carolina
Summerville, South Carolina
Summerville is a town in the U.S. state of South Carolina situated mostly in Dorchester County with small portions in Berkeley, and Charleston counties. It is part of the Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville Metropolitan Statistical Area as designated for statistical purposes by the U.S. Office...
, a popular tourist resort. At the age of twenty in July 1849, he entered 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...
at West Point
West Point, New York
West Point is a federal military reservation established by President of the United States Thomas Jefferson in 1802. It is a census-designated place located in Town of Highlands in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 7,138 at the 2000 census...
as a cadet from Georgia. He graduated four years later among the first five in his class. Among Boggs' classmates were James B. McPherson
James B. McPherson
James Birdseye McPherson was a career United States Army officer who served as a General in the Union Army during the American Civil War...
, Philip H. Sheridan, and John M. Schofield, later 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...
generals, and John B. Hood of the Confederate service.
On graduation he was brevetted
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...
as a second lieutenant and assigned to the Topographical Bureau. He spent some time in the office of the Pacific Railroad Surveys. In 1854 he was transferred to the Ordnance Corps and was made assistant at the Watervliet Arsenal
Watervliet Arsenal
The Watervliet Arsenal is an arsenal of the United States Army located in Watervliet, New York, on the west bank of the Hudson River. It is the oldest continuously active arsenal in the United States, and today produces much of the artillery for the army, as well as gun tubes for cannons, mortars,...
in Troy, New York
Troy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
. In December of the same year he became second lieutenant and in 1856 he was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant. While at Watervliet Arsenal, on December 19, 1855, he married Mary Sophia, daughter of Col. John Symington, the commandant. To them were born five children–William R., Jr., a mining engineer who was murdered in Mexico in 1907; Elizabeth McCaw, John Symington, Edith Allston,and Henry Patterson Boggs. (For some unknown reason a sixth child, Archibald Boggs (1860–1881) was omitted from the biographical data published for General Boggs.)
In 1857 Boggs was transferred to the Louisiana Arsenal at Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
. In 1859 he became inspector of ordnance at Point Isobel, Texas. On December 14, 1859, he took part in an engagement with Cortino's Mexican marauders near Fort Brown
Fort Brown
Fort Brown was a military post of the United States Army in Texas during the later half of 19th century and the early part of the 20th century.-Early years:...
, for which he was given honorable mention by General Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott was a United States Army general, and unsuccessful presidential candidate of the Whig Party in 1852....
. Soon after, he was transferred to the Alleghany Arsenal at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, to which his father-in-law Colonel Symington had also been assigned.
Civil War service
Boggs resigned from the U.S. Army the very day that the Georgia Convention adopted its ordinance of secessionOrdinance of Secession
The Ordinance of Secession was the document drafted and ratified in 1860 and 1861 by the states officially seceding from the United States of America...
. However, his father-in-law stayed in the Federal service. Early in the war, Boggs was appointed by Governor Joseph E. Brown
Joseph E. Brown
Joseph Emerson Brown , often referred to as Joe Brown, was the 42nd Governor of Georgia from 1857 to 1865, and a U.S. Senator from 1880 to 1891...
as the purchasing agent to procure arms, ammunition, and supplies for Georgia's state troops. Later, in the Provisional Confederate Army, Boggs' duties were again as an engineer and ordnance officer, given primarily to staff duty for such officers as Braxton Bragg
Braxton Bragg
Braxton Bragg was a career United States Army officer, and then a general in the Confederate States Army—a principal commander in the Western Theater of the American Civil War and later the military adviser to Confederate President Jefferson Davis.Bragg, a native of North Carolina, was...
. He was never given the command of troops in combat, although he commanded all engineers and artillery in Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
. His major accomplishments were to perfect and complete fortifications and supply depots in 1861 (including the defenses of Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, and Pensacola); to engineer Kirby Smith's invasion of Kentucky in 1862; and to assist Smith's military administration west of 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...
from 1863 to 1865.
In 1862, he was appointed Colonel, Chief Engineer of the State of Georgia. In recognition of his efforts in constructing the fortifications that defended Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
, one of the earthworks was named Fort Boggs. During the Kentucky campaign, Colonel Boggs, by then back in the Confederate national service, won the confidence of his superiors. On General Kirby Smith's recommendation, he was promoted to the rank of brigadier general and became Chief of Staff under him 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...
in the spring of 1863. Late in the war, Boggs resigned after a quarrel with Smith. For a short time thereafter, he commanded the District of Louisiana, but was soon superseded by Brig. Gen. Harry T. Hays
Harry T. Hays
Harry Thompson Hays was an American Army officer serving in the Mexican-American War and a general who served in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War....
and he subsequently awaited orders at Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
.
Early in 1865 he enlisted in an expedition to enter military service in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. Finding that the purpose of its leaders was to fight for Maximilian, rather than Juarez, he withdrew his name and returned to the Confederate army. With the collapse of the Confederate armies in the East, Kirby Smith moved his headquarters to Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
. The surrender of his army was made by Smith's subordinates, in which General Boggs participated, the parole of Boggs being dated June 9, 1865.
Postbellum career
After the war, Boggs engaged in the profession of engineering, participating to a great extent in railroad construction in the WestAmerican Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
. In 1875 he was appointed Professor of Mechanics in the Virginia Polytechnic Institute at Blacksburg
Blacksburg, Virginia
Blacksburg is an incorporated town located in Montgomery County, Virginia, United States, with a population of 42,620 at the 2010 census. Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and Radford are the three principal jurisdictions of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area which...
, a position he held until a reorganization of the faculty in 1881. One of his colleagues wrote, "He was highly valued by his associates as a man of force and culture; was esteemed by the student body as an attractive and honest teacher; by the people of the community as an upright, genial, agreeable gentleman. Politics was alone responsible for his removal."
The later years of his life were spent in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, with a 2010 population of 229,617. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest city in the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to...
, where he died at the age of eighty-two. He was buried in Salem Cemetery.
One of his nephews, Major Archibald Butt
Archibald Butt
Major Archibald Willingham Butt was an influential military aide to U.S. presidents Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft. Before becoming an aide to Roosevelt, Butt had pursued a career in journalism and served in the Spanish-American War...
, perished in the sinking of the British cruise liner, RMS Titanic.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals
External links
- Military Reminiscences of Gen. Wm. R. Boggs, C.S.A. Durham, N.C.: The Seeman Printery, 1913.