Civil War Service
At the start of the American Civil War in 1861, Wharton chose to follow his home state of Virginia and the Confederate cause, and entered the Confederate Army. He was appointed a major in the 45th Virginia Infantry on July 1, and soon afterward was given command of the 51st Virginia Infantry on July 17, with the rank of colonel.
The 51st Virginia was part of Maj. Gen. John B. Floyd's operations in western Virginia, and escaped with Floyd on February 14, 1862, during the Battle of Fort Donelson. Wharton was then sent to the Western Theater, and commanded several brigades in various Confederate departments from February to September 1864. During this time Wharton was promoted to brigadier general, effective July 8, 1863.
Also during 1863 he married Nannie Radford, and they would have one child together, a son named William. In the winter of 1863, Wharton served in Lt. Gen. James Longstreet's operations against Knoxville, Tennessee, which were ultimately unsuccessful and ended in the spring of 1864.
Wharton then returned to the Eastern Theater and was given divisional command in the Second Corps, Army of Northern Virginia. Wharton also took part in the Battle of New Market on May 15. His brigade was part of Maj. Gen. John C. Breckinridge's force, fighting on the left during the Confederate victory at New Market.
In 1864 Wharton participated in the Overland Campaign, fighting in Breckinridge's division during the Confederate victory at Battle of Cold Harbor from May 31 – June 12. His brigade also participated in the Battle of Monocacy on July 9. Wharton was part of Lt. Gen. Jubal Early's operations in his Valley Campaigns, and he participated in the Confederate defeat at the Battle of Cedar Creek on October 9. He also fought in the Battle of Waynesboro, Virginia on March 2, 1865, at the end of which his command was largely dispersed and Early's army virtually destroyed. Wharton led what was left of his division until May 2. He was paroled at the end of the war from Lynchburg, Virginia, on June 4.
Read more about this topic: Gabriel C. Wharton
Famous quotes containing the words civil war, civil, war and/or service:
“One of the greatest difficulties in civil war is, that more art is required to know what should be concealed from our friends, than what ought to be done against our enemies.”
—Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl Chesterfield (1694–1773)
“To the cry of “follow Mormons and prairie dogs and find good land,” Civil War veterans flocked into Nebraska, joining a vast stampede of unemployed workers, tenant farmers, and European immigrants.”
—For the State of Nebraska, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)
“This is a war universe. War all the time. That is its nature. There may be other universes based on all sorts of other principles, but ours seems to be based on war and games.”
—William Burroughs (b. 1914)
“Service ... is love in action, love “made flesh”; service is the body, the incarnation of love. Love is the impetus, service the act, and creativity the result with many by-products.”
—Sarah Patton Boyle, U.S. civil rights activist and author. The Desegregated Heart, part 3, ch. 3 (1962)