General Joseph Wheeler

Confederate Veteran
Volume 6, Number 8, Page 361
August, 1898

Gen. Joseph Wheeler is one of the most remarkable military men of history. As a major general in the United States army down in Cuba his character was illustrated by him being on the skirmish line with fifty soldiers and climbing a tree to inspect the situation about Santiago.

He is associated with some of the most thrilling events of the Confederacy. In February, 1865, it became necessary to know about the movements of Sherman's army across Pedee River, in South Carolina, so he selected Mr. J. B. Nance, and the two, a lieutenant general and his bugler, swam the stream to the side of the enemy, going on a regular scout. The river was swollen and very swift, and it took a three mile swim for them to land where desired. The General was dressed as a private, and was to be called "Sam Johnson" in the event of capture. This thrilling story deserves place in the VETERAN.

Dr. J. A. Wyeth, of New York, has written recently for Harper's Weekly a thrilling story of how Gen. Wheeler kept the Federal army at bay in Shelbyville with a few men until it became necessary to leap their horses from an embankment on Duck River to escape.

Maj.-Gen. Joseph Wheeler was born in Augusta. Ga., September 10, 1836, and graduated at the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1859. He was a lieutenant of cavalry in New Mexico in 1861 when he resigned to enter the Confederate service. He became a lieutenant of artillery in the Confederate army, then a colonel of infantry, a brigadier-general, and a major-general, and finally a lieutenant-general of cavalry. He commanded the cavalry corps of the Western army in 1862, and was made senior cavalry general of the Confederate armies May 11, 1864. He declined a professorship of philosophy in the Louisiana Seminary in 1866, and in 1869 became a lawyer in Alabama. He was a Representative in Congress from Alabama almost from early after the war.

As a cavalry officer, at twenty-six years of age he received the thanks of the Confederate Congress for his magnificent service, and of South Carolina for defending Aiken. He was both a strategist and a fighter---audacious, tireless, aggressive. He was present at Pensacola, and captured Prentiss' Division at Shiloh, covering the retreats from Shildo, Corinth, and Perryville, and winning commendation from the Confederate generals. He turned Rosecrans' flank at Murfreesboro, capturing troops and wagons, and destroyed much of value to the enemy. He distinguis'hed himself at Chickamauga, and after the battle made his famous raid around Rosecrans' rear, destroying twelve hundred loaded wagons. In the East Tennessee campaign the retreat from Mission Ridge, and the struggle from Chattanooga to Atlanta, he performed prodigies of valor, capturing great wagon trains and thousands of beef cattle, and thwarting Cook's great raid.

During Sherman's march to the sea Gen. Wheeler defended Macon and Augusta, and hung on Sherman's course through Georgia and the Carolinas, thereby evoking President Davis' commendation. Gen. Wheeler was wounded three times, and had his horse shot under him, and seven of his staff-officers were killed and three were wounded.