author
James Harrison Wilson
1837–1925
A hard-driving Union general and engineer, he rose quickly during the Civil War and became known for bold cavalry operations in the war’s final campaigns. His long career also stretched beyond the Civil War, with later service in the Indian Wars, the Spanish-American War, and the Boxer Rebellion.
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About the author
Graduating near the top of his West Point class in 1860, James Harrison Wilson began his military career as a topographical engineer. Early in the Civil War he served in engineering and staff roles, including work with George B. McClellan, before moving into the western armies under Ulysses S. Grant.
Wilson is best remembered as one of the Union Army’s strongest cavalry commanders. In 1864 and 1865 he led major mounted operations, including raids that damaged Confederate railroads, factories, and supply lines, and his troops captured Confederate President Jefferson Davis after the fall of Richmond.
His military life did not end with the Civil War. He later served in conflicts on the western frontier, returned to duty during the Spanish-American War, and took part in the international campaign during the Boxer Rebellion in China. He also wrote about military history, leaving behind a career that connected several major chapters of American and world events.