Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 10.djvu/394

 WHEELER

AV HEELER

the presiJency in ISIO on account of ill health. Tiie honorary degree of D.D. was conferred on liiiu by L'nion college in 1834. He is the author of several sermons and addresses, including The Nature (Did Function of Conscience {ISSi). He died in Hurliugton. Vt.. April 13. 1862.

WHEELER, John HIH, historian, was born in Mnrfreesboro, N.C.. Aug. 6. 1806; son of John Wheeler (1771-188','). a ship-merchant ; grandson of Dr. John (1744-1814), who was with Mont- gomery at Quelx'c, and with General Greene in his southern campaign, and great--grandson of Admiral Francis Wheeler, who emigrated from England, and settled near present site of Newark, N.J., on a grant of land given him by Charles H. He was graduated at Columbian university, Washington, D.C.. A.B., 1826 ; studied law with Chief-Justice Taylor, of North Carolina ; was a member of the North Carolina legislature, 1827 and 1852 ; admitted to the bar, 1828, and nom- inated for congress, 1830. He was superintend- ent of the U.S. mint at Charlotte, N.C., 1836-41 ; state treasurer, 1842. and U.S. minister to Nic- aragua. 18.j4-.'37. He made his liomein W^ashing- ton, D.C., in 1857 ; removed to North Carolina in 1861, declined any part in the civil war, and in 1863 was .sent by the North Carolina legislature to England to collect additional material for his his- tory of North Carolina. He received the hon- orary degree of A.M. from the University of North Carolina in 1828, and from Columbian university in 1835. He served as secretary of the board of commissioners under the treaty with France, " to abjudicate the French spoliation claims under the Berlin and Milan decrees" ; edited Col. David Fanning's "Autobiography" (1861), and is the author ol : History of North Carolina (1851) ; A Legislative Manual of North Carolina (1874); Reminiscences and Memoirs of North Carolina (\SS-i). He died in Washington, D.C.. Dec. 7. 1882.

WHEELER, Joseph, soldier, was born at Au- gusta, Ga., Sept. 10, 1836 ; son of Joseph and Julia Knox (Hull) Wheeler; grandson of Joseph and India (Hull) Wheeler, and of William and Sarah (Fuller) Hull, and a descendant of Moses Wheeler and of Richard Hull, both Puritan settlers in New England. When quite young, General Wheeler's father moved from Derby, Conn., to Augusta, Ga., and Joseph attended school in New England and New York ; was graduated at the U.S. Military academy in 1859 and was pro- moted brevet 2d lieutenant, 1st regiment of dragoons ; was at Cavalry school, Carlisle, Pa., in 1859 ; served in Kansas and New Mexico until April ; 1861 ; was promoted 2d lieutenant, regi- ment of mounted riflemen (.3d regiment of cavalry) Sept. 1. 1850, and resigned April 22 1861. He was immediately commissioneil 1st

lieutenant of artillery in the Confederate States army, and on Sept. 4, 1861, was promoted colonel in the infantry. At Siiiloh, April 6-7. 1862. he went into the battle in command of the 19th Alabama regiment, but was immediately placed in command of a brigade in the 2d division commanded by Gen. John M. Withers, 2d corps under Gen. Braxton Bragg. On the evening of the 7th he was with his brigade, selected to cover the withdrawal of the army from the field. Dur- ing April and May Colonel W^heeler commanded the troops in front of Corinth, having many en- gagements, and was given the command of the rear guard and warmly engaged bj' the advanc- ing Federal column during the retreat of the Confederate army from Corinth to Tupelo. Miss. AVhen in July, 1862, Bragg decided to transfer the Army of Mississippi to Chattanooga, Tenn. . to prevent the capture of that city, he sent Wheeler with a brigade of cavalry into Western Tennes- see to mislead the enem}- and prevent the ad- vance on Tupelo. W^heeler rode from Holly Springs, Miss., to Bolivar, Tenn., attacking the Union outposts there, fighting a number of skirmishes, and interrupting communications be- tween Bolivar and Jackson. In September, 1862, Bragg advanced into Tennessee, and Buell, then at Nashville, discovering his object to be Louis- ville, Ky., made all haste to reach that city first, but Colonel Wheeler, hastened to Bowling Green, with a brigade of cavalry, and there placing him- self across BuelFs path, delayed the Federal army enough to allow Bragg to reach Munfordville, Ky., the junction of the two routes, ahead of Buell, thus enabling Bragg to capture the Federal fort at that place together with its extensive ar- mament and over 4000 prisoners. W^heeler com- manded the cavalry at Perryville, Oct. 8. 1862, and October 13, was appointed chief of cavalry, and was charged with covering the rear of Bragg's army during its retreat to Morristown. Tenn. The retreat lasted until October 26. and Wheeler fought 26 engagements in those 13 days, and on October 30 was promoted brigadier-general. On November 26, Bragg's army advanced to Mur- freesboro, Tenn., Rosecrans's army began to ar- rive on December 29. and on that daj. AVheeler led his brigade aroimd the left flank to the rear of Rosecrans ; attacked a brigade at Jefferson, destroying 20 wagons ; captured a corps supply train at Laverque. and, making another capture at Nolensville, joined the Confederates, having in 24 hours captured 400 wagons and over 1000 prisoners, destroyed a million dollars, worth of proi>erty and supplied his cavalry with many fresh mounts. He commanded all of the Con- federate cavalry engaged at Stone's River and received the thanks of the Confederate congress for his services in that battle. He was promoted