William J. Landram
Encyclopedia
William Jennings Landram (February 11, 1828 October 11, 1895) was a lawyer, publisher, and Union
officer during the American Civil War
. He served in many of the campaigns associated with the XIII Corps often in command of a brigade
and occasionally in division
command. His name is alternately spelled Landrum.
to Louis Landram and Martha A. George, the first of many children. Landram's father, a native of Virginia
was an attorney who relocated to Scott County, Kentucky
in the early 19th century. Landram's mother was a native of Garrard County, Kentucky
and niece of George Robertson
, a prominent Kentucky politician and jurist.
Landram was educated in local private schools and in 1845 was appointed Clerk of the Circuit and County Courts for Garrard County. In 1849, he married Sarah A. Walker, with whom he had nine children.
. He was soon promoted to orderly sergeant. Landram fought in the Battle of Buena Vista
February 22–23, 1847, where he received a saber wound in a shoulder. He mustered out of service June 8, 1847 and returned to his previous position in Lancaster.
newspaper. Landram was elected Clerk of the Circuit Court for Garrard County, and was admitted to the bar in 1854. He was continually reelected to the position until the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861. Landram was a staunch supporter of John Bell
and Edward Everett
in the election of 1860
. A supporter of emancipation
, he voted in 1849 to abolish slavery in Kentucky. With the demise of the Whig party, Landram became a Republican
.
authorized General William "Bull" Nelson to establish a training camp and organize a brigade of infantry. At Camp Dick Robinson
, Nelson commissioned Landram, colonel
of the 1st Kentucky Cavalry
, but he resigned after a few days, preferring instead a commission in the infantry.
Landram was subsequently ordered by Brig. Gen.
William T. Sherman, then in command of Kentucky, to Harrodsburg, Kentucky
, where he recruited the 19th Kentucky Infantry
, and was elected its colonel December 12, 1861.
Landram proved to be a capable officer and he participated in the battles of Chickasaw Bayou
, Arkansas Post
, Champion Hill
, Black River Bridge
, the siege of Vicksburg, the siege of Jackson, and finally the Red River Campaign
. While in command of a division at the Battle of Sabine Crossroads, Landram was captured on April 8, 1864, immediately paroled, and later exchanged July 22, 1864.
On October 8, 1864, Landram was given command of the District of Baton Rouge. As a reward for meritorious service, Landram was promoted to brevet
brigadier general of volunteers on March 13, 1865. When the war ended, he returned to his home in Lancaster.
in 1867, and was subsequently reappointed by President Ulysses S. Grant
, holding the post until 1885. He was an elder in the Presbyterian Church for 42 years and a prominent member of the Freemasons
. Landram applied for a disability pension in 1890. In a candid letter to U.S. Representative
James B. McCreary
dated October 27, 1890, Landram noted that he had contracted dysentery while on duty at Alexandria, Louisiana
on April 25, 1864, which led to chronic hemorrhoids. He wrote, "I own but little property of any kind, and am dependent upon a meagre [sic] law practice in a small town for the support of myself and family, six in number." Landram died on October 11, 1895 and was buried in Lancaster Cemetery.
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
officer during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. He served in many of the campaigns associated with the XIII Corps often in command of a brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
and occasionally in division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
command. His name is alternately spelled Landrum.
Early life and education
Landrum was born February 11, 1828 in Lancaster, KentuckyLancaster, Kentucky
Lancaster is a city in Garrard County, Kentucky, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 3,734. It is the county seat of Garrard County. Located south of Lexington, it is the site of the Kennedy House, said to have been used in Uncle Tom's Cabin. The controversial...
to Louis Landram and Martha A. George, the first of many children. Landram's father, a native of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
was an attorney who relocated to Scott County, Kentucky
Scott County, Kentucky
Scott County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The population was 47,173 in the 2010 Census. Its county seat is Georgetown.Scott County is part of the Lexington–Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
in the early 19th century. Landram's mother was a native of Garrard County, Kentucky
Garrard County, Kentucky
Garrard County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is pronounced 'Gair-ad' with the third "r" silent. It was formed in 1797 and was named for James Garrard, Governor of Kentucky from 1796 to 1804. Its county seat is Lancaster. The population was 16,912 in the 2010 Census...
and niece of George Robertson
George Robertson (congressman)
George Robertson was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky.-Early life:Born near Harrodsburg, Kentucky, Robertson pursued preparatory studies and attended Transylvania University, Lexington, Kentucky, until 1806...
, a prominent Kentucky politician and jurist.
Landram was educated in local private schools and in 1845 was appointed Clerk of the Circuit and County Courts for Garrard County. In 1849, he married Sarah A. Walker, with whom he had nine children.
Mexican War
On June 9, 1846, Landram enlisted as a private in Company A, 1st Kentucky Cavalry during the Mexican–American WarMexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known as the First American Intervention, the Mexican War, or the U.S.–Mexican War, was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 in the wake of the 1845 U.S...
. He was soon promoted to orderly sergeant. Landram fought in the Battle of Buena Vista
Battle of Buena Vista
The Battle of Buena Vista , also known as the Battle of Angostura, saw the United States Army use artillery to repulse the much larger Mexican army in the Mexican-American War...
February 22–23, 1847, where he received a saber wound in a shoulder. He mustered out of service June 8, 1847 and returned to his previous position in Lancaster.
Politics
From 1850 to 1851, Landram read law and published the Garrard Banner, a local WhigWhig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
newspaper. Landram was elected Clerk of the Circuit Court for Garrard County, and was admitted to the bar in 1854. He was continually reelected to the position until the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861. Landram was a staunch supporter of John Bell
John Bell (Tennessee politician)
John Bell was a U.S. politician, attorney, and plantation owner. A wealthy slaveholder from Tennessee, Bell served in the United States Congress in both the House of Representatives and Senate. He began his career as a Democrat, he eventually fell out with Andrew Jackson and became a Whig...
and Edward Everett
Edward Everett
Edward Everett was an American politician and educator from Massachusetts. Everett, a Whig, served as U.S. Representative, and U.S. Senator, the 15th Governor of Massachusetts, Minister to Great Britain, and United States Secretary of State...
in the election of 1860
United States presidential election, 1860
The United States presidential election of 1860 was a quadrennial election, held on November 6, 1860, for the office of President of the United States and the immediate impetus for the outbreak of the American Civil War. The nation had been divided throughout the 1850s on questions surrounding the...
. A supporter of emancipation
Abolitionism
Abolitionism is a movement to end slavery.In western Europe and the Americas abolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and set slaves free. At the behest of Dominican priest Bartolomé de las Casas who was shocked at the treatment of natives in the New World, Spain enacted the first...
, he voted in 1849 to abolish slavery in Kentucky. With the demise of the Whig party, Landram became a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
.
Civil War
On July 15, 1861, the War DepartmentUnited States Department of War
The United States Department of War, also called the War Department , was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army...
authorized General William "Bull" Nelson to establish a training camp and organize a brigade of infantry. At Camp Dick Robinson
Camp Dick Robinson
Camp Dick Robinson was a large Union Army organizational and training center located near Lancaster in rural Garrard County, Kentucky, during the American Civil War...
, Nelson commissioned Landram, colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
of the 1st Kentucky Cavalry
1st Regiment Kentucky Volunteer Cavalry
The 1st Kentucky Volunteer Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 1st Kentucky Cavalry was organized at Liberty, Burkesville, and Monticello, Kentucky and mustered in for a three year enlistment on October 28, 1861...
, but he resigned after a few days, preferring instead a commission in the infantry.
Landram was subsequently ordered by Brig. Gen.
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
William T. Sherman, then in command of Kentucky, to Harrodsburg, Kentucky
Harrodsburg, Kentucky
Harrodsburg is a city in and the county seat of Mercer County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 8,014 at the 2000 census. It is the oldest city in Kentucky.-History:...
, where he recruited the 19th Kentucky Infantry
19th Regiment Kentucky Volunteer Infantry
The 19th Kentucky Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 19th Kentucky Infantry was organized at Camp Harwood in Harrodsburg, Kentucky and mustered in for a three-year enlistment on January 2, 1862 under the...
, and was elected its colonel December 12, 1861.
Landram proved to be a capable officer and he participated in the battles of Chickasaw Bayou
Battle of Chickasaw Bayou
The Battle of Chickasaw Bayou, also called Walnut Hills, fought December 26–29, 1862, was the opening engagement of the Vicksburg Campaign during the American Civil War. Confederate forces under Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton repulsed an advance by Union Maj. Gen. William T...
, Arkansas Post
Battle of Fort Hindman
The Battle of Fort Hindman, or the Battle of Arkansas Post, was fought January 9–11, 1863, near the mouth of the Arkansas River at Arkansas Post, Arkansas, as part of the Vicksburg Campaign of the American Civil War.-Background:...
, Champion Hill
Battle of Champion Hill
The Battle of Champion Hill, or Bakers Creek, fought May 16, 1863, was the pivotal battle in the Vicksburg Campaign of the American Civil War. Union commander Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and the Army of the Tennessee pursued the retreating Confederate Lt. Gen. John C...
, Black River Bridge
Battle of Big Black River Bridge
The Battle of Big Black River Bridge, or Big Black, fought May 17, 1863, was part of the Vicksburg Campaign of the American Civil War. Union commander Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and the Army of the Tennessee pursued the retreating Confederate Lt. Gen. John C...
, the siege of Vicksburg, the siege of Jackson, and finally the Red River Campaign
Red River Campaign
The Red River Campaign or Red River Expedition consisted of a series of battles fought along the Red River in Louisiana during the American Civil War from March 10 to May 22, 1864. The campaign was a Union initiative, fought between approximately 30,000 Union troops under the command of Maj. Gen....
. While in command of a division at the Battle of Sabine Crossroads, Landram was captured on April 8, 1864, immediately paroled, and later exchanged July 22, 1864.
On October 8, 1864, Landram was given command of the District of Baton Rouge. As a reward for meritorious service, Landram was promoted to brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
brigadier general of volunteers on March 13, 1865. When the war ended, he returned to his home in Lancaster.
Later life
Landram was appointed Collector of Internal Revenue for the Eighth Kentucky District by President Andrew JohnsonAndrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson was the 17th President of the United States . As Vice-President of the United States in 1865, he succeeded Abraham Lincoln following the latter's assassination. Johnson then presided over the initial and contentious Reconstruction era of the United States following the American...
in 1867, and was subsequently reappointed by President Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
, holding the post until 1885. He was an elder in the Presbyterian Church for 42 years and a prominent member of the Freemasons
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
. Landram applied for a disability pension in 1890. In a candid letter to U.S. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
James B. McCreary
James B. McCreary
James Bennett McCreary was a lawyer and politician from the US state of Kentucky. He represented the state in both houses of the U.S. Congress and served as its 27th and 37th governor...
dated October 27, 1890, Landram noted that he had contracted dysentery while on duty at Alexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria is a city in and the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. It is the principal city of the Alexandria metropolitan area which encompasses all of Rapides and Grant parishes....
on April 25, 1864, which led to chronic hemorrhoids. He wrote, "I own but little property of any kind, and am dependent upon a meagre [sic] law practice in a small town for the support of myself and family, six in number." Landram died on October 11, 1895 and was buried in Lancaster Cemetery.