William S. Tilton
Encyclopedia
William Stowell Tilton was an American
businessman and soldier who led a regiment
, and occasionally a brigade
, in the Army of the Potomac
during the American Civil War
. He and his men were heavily engaged in the Battle of Gettysburg
, where Tilton's performance created controversy.
. He was educated in the local schools. He was a manufacturer and merchant in the years before the war.
on October 2 of that year. Tilton served in the Peninsula Campaign
in the army of Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan
, serving in the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, V Corps. He was wounded in the shoulder and captured on May 27, 1862, at the Battle of Gaines' Mill
. Tilton was exchanged on August 15 of that year. In the meantime, he had become lieutenant colonel
of the regiment on June 28. At that rank, he led the regiment in the 1st Brigade, which was led by Col. James Barnes at the Battle of Antietam
.
Tilton was made colonel
of the 22nd Massachusetts Infantry on October 17, leading the regiment at the Battle of Fredericksburg
. In 1863, Tilton continued leading the regiment in the First Brigade, First Division, under Barnes, who had recently become a brigadier general, including at the Battle of Chancellorsville
. When Brig. Gen. Charles Griffin went on leave following Chancellorsville, Barnes became acting division
commander. Tilton, by seniority, took charge of the First Brigade.
He led the brigade at the Battle of Gettysburg
. His command was deployed on the right flank of Col. Jacob B. Sweitzer
's 2nd Brigade in between the Peach Orchard and the Wheatfield on July 2, 1863. What followed has remained controversial. When Barnes's division was under attack, he told both brigade commanders they could retreat. Sweitzer saw this as a peremptory command, but Tilton described this in his report as discretionary. Whatever the truth of this, Tilton said he reconnoitered and discovered a large Confederate
force coming up on his left flank. This led him to order a retreat. This left a gap in the Federal line, and other veterans later criticized the actions of Tilton and Barnes.
On July 3, the 1st Brigade relieved Col. Strong Vincent
's 3rd Brigade, which had passed to Col. James C. Rice after Vincent had been killed in the defense of Little Round Top
. Tilton reported only 474 soldiers present for duty at Gettysburg and a loss of 109 from that number. Another estimate is that Tilton lost 125 of 655 men, a loss of 19.1%, a low percentage compared to Sweitzer's 30% reported by the same author.
After Gettysburg, Tilton retained brigade command until August 18, 1863. He returned to regimental command until November 19, when he again resumed brigade command. When the Army of the Potomac
was reorganized in 1864 for Lt. Gen.
Ulysses S. Grant
's Overland Campaign
, Tilton was assigned to lead his regiment in Jacob Sweitzer's brigade of Griffin's division. He served in that role in the Battle of the Wilderness
, the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
, and the Battle of Cold Harbor
, as well as in the early stages of the Siege of Petersburg
. Tilton remained in regimental command until June 18, 1864, when he again became acting brigade commander until August 22. During this time he was engaged in action at the battles of Jerusalem Plank Road
and Globe Tavern
.
Tilton was mustered out of volunteer service on October 17 of that year. On December 12, 1864, President
Abraham Lincoln
nominated Tilton for the award of the honorary grade of brevet
brigadier general
, United States Volunteers
, to rank from September 9, 1864, for distinguished services during the war. The U.S. Senate confirmed the award on February 20, 1865.
, from 1869 to 1883. He retired to a home in Boston, Massachusetts.
He died in Newtonville, Massachusetts
, and was buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery
in Cambridge, Massachusetts
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
businessman and soldier who led a 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...
, and occasionally a 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...
, in the Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
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 and his men were heavily engaged in the Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
, where Tilton's performance created controversy.
Early life
William Tilton was born in Newburyport, MassachusettsNewburyport, Massachusetts
Newburyport is a small coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, 35 miles northeast of Boston. The population was 21,189 at the 2000 census. A historic seaport with a vibrant tourism industry, Newburyport includes part of Plum Island...
. He was educated in the local schools. He was a manufacturer and merchant in the years before the war.
Civil War
Tilton enlisted in the army and became a first lieutenant in the 22nd Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry on September 12, 1861. He was promoted to the rank of majorMajor (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
on October 2 of that year. Tilton served in the Peninsula Campaign
Peninsula Campaign
The Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March through July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. The operation, commanded by Maj. Gen. George B...
in the army of Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan
George B. McClellan
George Brinton McClellan was a major general during the American Civil War. He organized the famous Army of the Potomac and served briefly as the general-in-chief of the Union Army. Early in the war, McClellan played an important role in raising a well-trained and organized army for the Union...
, serving in the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, V Corps. He was wounded in the shoulder and captured on May 27, 1862, at the Battle of Gaines' Mill
Battle of Gaines' Mill
The Battle of Gaines's Mill, sometimes known as the First Battle of Cold Harbor or the Battle of Chickahominy River, took place on June 27, 1862, in Hanover County, Virginia, as the third of the Seven Days Battles of the American Civil War...
. Tilton was exchanged on August 15 of that year. In the meantime, he had become lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
of the regiment on June 28. At that rank, he led the regiment in the 1st Brigade, which was led by Col. James Barnes at the Battle of Antietam
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with about 23,000...
.
Tilton was made 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 the 22nd Massachusetts Infantry on October 17, leading the regiment at the Battle of Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside...
. In 1863, Tilton continued leading the regiment in the First Brigade, First Division, under Barnes, who had recently become a brigadier general, including at the Battle of Chancellorsville
Battle of Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville Campaign. It was fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near the village of Chancellorsville. Two related battles were fought nearby on...
. When Brig. Gen. Charles Griffin went on leave following Chancellorsville, Barnes became acting division
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...
commander. Tilton, by seniority, took charge of the First Brigade.
He led the brigade at the Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
. His command was deployed on the right flank of Col. Jacob B. Sweitzer
Jacob B. Sweitzer
Jacob Bowman Sweitzer was a Pennsylvania lawyer and soldier who commanded a regiment and then a brigade in the Army of the Potomac in the American Civil War...
's 2nd Brigade in between the Peach Orchard and the Wheatfield on July 2, 1863. What followed has remained controversial. When Barnes's division was under attack, he told both brigade commanders they could retreat. Sweitzer saw this as a peremptory command, but Tilton described this in his report as discretionary. Whatever the truth of this, Tilton said he reconnoitered and discovered a large Confederate
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...
force coming up on his left flank. This led him to order a retreat. This left a gap in the Federal line, and other veterans later criticized the actions of Tilton and Barnes.
On July 3, the 1st Brigade relieved Col. Strong Vincent
Strong Vincent
Strong Vincent was a lawyer who became famous as a U.S. Army officer during the fighting on Little Round Top at the American Civil War Battle of Gettysburg, where he was mortally wounded.-Early life:...
's 3rd Brigade, which had passed to Col. James C. Rice after Vincent had been killed in the defense of Little Round Top
Little Round Top
Little Round Top is the smaller of two rocky hills south of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It was the site of an unsuccessful assault by Confederate troops against the Union left flank on July 2, 1863, the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg....
. Tilton reported only 474 soldiers present for duty at Gettysburg and a loss of 109 from that number. Another estimate is that Tilton lost 125 of 655 men, a loss of 19.1%, a low percentage compared to Sweitzer's 30% reported by the same author.
After Gettysburg, Tilton retained brigade command until August 18, 1863. He returned to regimental command until November 19, when he again resumed brigade command. When the Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
was reorganized in 1864 for Lt. Gen.
Lieutenant General (United States)
In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
's Overland Campaign
Overland Campaign
The Overland Campaign, also known as Grant's Overland Campaign and the Wilderness Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June 1864, in the American Civil War. Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, general-in-chief of all Union armies, directed the actions of the Army of the...
, Tilton was assigned to lead his regiment in Jacob Sweitzer's brigade of Griffin's division. He served in that role in the Battle of the Wilderness
Battle of the Wilderness
The Battle of the Wilderness, fought May 5–7, 1864, was the first battle of Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against Gen. Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. Both armies suffered heavy casualties, a harbinger of a bloody war of attrition by...
, the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania , was the second major battle in Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Overland Campaign of the American Civil War. Following the bloody but inconclusive Battle of the Wilderness, Grant's army disengaged...
, and the Battle of Cold Harbor
Battle of Cold Harbor
The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought from May 31 to June 12, 1864 . It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign during the American Civil War, and is remembered as one of American history's bloodiest, most lopsided battles...
, as well as in the early stages of the Siege of Petersburg
Siege of Petersburg
The Richmond–Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War...
. Tilton remained in regimental command until June 18, 1864, when he again became acting brigade commander until August 22. During this time he was engaged in action at the battles of Jerusalem Plank Road
Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road
The Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road, also known as the First Battle of the Weldon Railroad, was fought June 21–23, 1864, near Petersburg, Virginia. It was the first of a series of battles during the Siege of Petersburg aimed at extending the Union siege lines to the west and cutting the rail...
and Globe Tavern
Battle of Globe Tavern
The Battle of Globe Tavern, also known as the Second Battle of the Weldon Railroad, fought August 18–21, 1864, south of Petersburg, Virginia, was the second attempt of the Union Army to sever the Weldon Railroad during the Siege of Petersburg of the American Civil War. A Union force under...
.
Tilton was mustered out of volunteer service on October 17 of that year. On December 12, 1864, President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
nominated Tilton for the award of the honorary grade of 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...
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...
, United States Volunteers
United States Volunteers
United States Volunteers also known as U.S. Volunteers, U. S. Vol., or U.S.V.Starting as early as 1861 these regiments were often referred to as the "volunteer army" of the United States but not officially named that until 1898.During the nineteenth century this was the United States federal...
, to rank from September 9, 1864, for distinguished services during the war. The U.S. Senate confirmed the award on February 20, 1865.
Postbellum activities
Tilton served as governor of the National Soldiers' Home in Togus, MaineTogus, Maine
Togus is a facility operated by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs in Chelsea, Maine. The facility was built as a resort hotel, and housed Union veterans of the American Civil War prior to being converted to a veterans hospital....
, from 1869 to 1883. He retired to a home in Boston, Massachusetts.
He died in Newtonville, Massachusetts
Newtonville, Massachusetts
Newtonville is a village of Newton, Massachusetts.Located in Newtonville is Newton North High School, one of the city's two high schools. Also located in Newtonville is the MBTA Commuter Rail train station, which is serviced by the buses 59, 553, 554, and 556....
, and was buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery
Mount Auburn Cemetery
Mount Auburn Cemetery was founded in 1831 as "America's first garden cemetery", or the first "rural cemetery", with classical monuments set in a rolling landscaped terrain...
in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
.