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:
“... there was the first Balkan war and the second Balkan war and then there was the first world war. It is extraordinary how having done a thing once you have to do it again, there is the pleasure of coincidence and there is the pleasure of repetition, and so there is the second world war, and in between there was the Abyssinian war and the Spanish civil war.”
—Gertrude Stein (1874–1946)
“Now for civil service reform. Legislation must be prepared and executive rules and maxims. We must limit and narrow the area of patronage. We must diminish the evils of office-seeking. We must stop interference of federal officers with elections. We must be relieved of congressional dictation as to appointments.”
—Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822–1893)
“Those who dare to interpret God’s will must never claim Him as an asset for one nation or group rather than another. War springs from the love and loyalty which should be offered to God being applied to some God substitute, one of the most dangerous being nationalism.”
—Robert Runcie (b. 1921)
“The masochist: “I send my tormentor hurrying hither and thither in the service of my suffering and desire.””
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)