Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 10.djvu/490

 WRIGHT

WRIGHT

Evidences (18S0) ; Hie Relation of Death to Proba- tion {\SS2) \ The Dirine Authority of the Bible (1884); Glacial Boundary of Ohio, Indiana and Kentuclq/ (1884); Ice Age of Xorth America (1889); Charles Grandison Finney (1891); Man and the Glacial Period (1893) ; Greenland Icefields and Life in Xorth America (ISQG); Scientific Asjjects of Christian Evidences (1898) ; Asiatic Russia (2 vols.. 1902).

WRIGHT, George Grover, senator, was born in Bloom ington, Ind.. March 24, 1820. He was graduated from Indiana university, A.B., 1839, A.M., 1842 ; studied law with his brother, Joseph Albright Wright (q.v.). at Rockville, Ind., and removed to Kesauqua, Iowa, and was admitted to tlie bar iu 1840. He was married, Oct. 19, 1843, to Hannah M. Dibble ; was prosecuting attorney of Van Bureu county, 1847-48 ; was elected state senator in 1848, and was defeated for U.S. sena- tor on the Whig ticket in 1852. He was elected chief justice of the state supreme court in 1855 ; resigned in 1860, but was appointed to fill a va- cancy on the same bench in 1860, and was elected for the unexpired term that fall ; removed to Des Moines in 1865, and was re-elected, serving, 1855- 71. He was U.S. senator from Iowa, 1871-77; de- clined re-election in 1877. He was president of the Iowa Agricultural society, 1860-65. The honorary degree of LL.D. was conferred on him by Iowa college in 1863 ; by Iowa State iiniver- sity in 1864 and by Indiana university in 1866. He died in Des Moines. Iowa, Jan. 9, 1896.

WRIGHT, Horatio Governeur, soldier, was born in Clinton, Conn., March 6, 1820. He was graduated second in his class from the U.S. Mili- tary academy in 1481 ; was commissioned 2d lieutenant, corps of engineers, July 1, 1841 ; taught at the Military academy, 1842-44 ; was promoted 1st lieutenant, Feb. 28, 1848 ; and was superintending engineer at the building of Fort Jefferson, at Tortugas, Fla., 1846-56. He was promoted captain. July 1, 1855 ; participated in the expedition to destroy the Norfolk navy yard in April, 1861 ; declined a commission as major of infantry. May 14, 1861, and accompanied Heintzelman in occupying the heights opposite Washington. He was employed on the fortifica- tions about Wrusliington : fought at Bull Run as chief engineer of Heintzelman's division, and assisted in the organization of T. W. Sherman's Port Royal expedition. He was promoted major, Aug. 6, 1861, and on Sept. 14 was commissioned brigadier-general of volunteers, commanding the 3d brigade under T. W. Sherman at Port Royal. He led an exppdition into Florida, capturing Fer- nandina, Jacksonville and St. Augustine ; was temporarily promoted major-general of volun- t^^rs. July 18, 1862. and commanded the Depart- ment of the Ohio during Bragg's raid. He was

relieved by Burnside in March, 1863 : was again a brigadier-general, and assumed command of the 1st division, 6th corps, under Sedgwick. He reached Gettysburg after a long forced march, July 2, and joined in tlie pursuit of the enemy to Warrenton, Va. At Rappahannock station, and at Mine Run, Wright commanded the 6th corps ; was brevetted lieutenant-colonel, Nov. 8, 1863, for Rappahannock, Va.. and served on a board of engineers during tiie winter of 1863-64. In April, 1864, lie returned to the front, commanded his division at the Wilderness, May 5-6, 1864, and after the deatli of General Sedgwick, was ap- pointed by Meade to command the 6th corps. He was wounded at Spottsylvania, his corps losing heavily, especially at the " bloody angle." He was brevetted colonel, U.S.A., for Spottsylvania, May 12, 1864, and the same day promoted major- general of volunteers. He fought at North Anna, Tolopotamy, Cold Harbor and Petersburg, and when Washington was threatened by Early, Wright despatched Ricketts's division to the aid of the capital and followed immediately with the rest of the 6th corps, arriving at Washington just as Early was driving the Union troops back upon the city. He defeated Early in front of Fort Stevens, pursuing him through Snicker's Gap into the Shenandoah Valley to Winchester ; com- manded the 6th corps under Sheridan in the Army of the Shenandoah : fought at Opequan, Sept. 19, at Fisher's Hill, Sept. 22, and was in supreme command at Cedar Creek from the time of the attack until the arrival of Sheridan. He was be- fore Petersburg in December, 1864 ; was brevetted brigadier-general and major-general, U.S.A., March 13, 1865, and on April 2 made the assault that forced the evacuation of Petersburg. He joined in the pursuit to Appomattox, marched to North Carolina after the surrender of Lee. and after Johnston's surrender, led the 6th corps to Wa.shington, where it was mustered out. He or- ganized the provisional army corps ; commanded the Department of Texas ; was promoted lieu- tenant-colonel, corps of engineers, Nov. 23. 1865 ; mustered out of the volunteer service. Sept. 1, 1866 ; promoted colonel, corps of engineers, March 4. 1879 ; brigadier-general, June 30, 1879. and was retired, March 6, 1884. He died in Washington, D.C., July 2. 1899.

WRIGHT, John Vines, representative, was born in Purdy, McNairy county, Tenn.. June 28, 1828; son of Col. Benjamin (1784-1860) and Martha Ann (Hicks) Harwell Wright, and grand- son of Capt. John (of the Georgia line in the Revolution) and Elizabetli (Tarver) Wright. His father (of Scotch-Irish descent) served under Gen- eral Jackson in the war of 1812 in the 39th regi- ment, U.S.A. His mother was a native of Din- widdie county, Va., and of Huguenot descent.