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Civil War Soldiers - Willich
| Willich, August, brigadier-general,
U.S. Army, was born near Konigsberg, Prussia, in 1810, and at the age
of twelve years entered the military academy at Potsdam. Three years
later, in 1825, he entered the military academy at Berlin, completed
his education in 1828, in 1841 passed the requisite examination, was
commissioned second lieutenant of the royal artillery and received a
commission as captain. In 1846 he tendered his resignation, but it was
not accepted and he was assigned to duty at a distant point in
Pomerania. He refused to act under the king's order, renewed his
application for a discharge every month, and at the end of a year sent
an open letter to the king, for which he was court-martialed and
discharged from the service. He at once entered into active
cooperation with the revolutionists and commanded the forces at the
battle of Candarn, where he was defeated. In 1849 he commanded a corps
in the German revolution, but the campaign of fourteen weeks proving
unsuccessful, he fled to Switzerland and afterward to England. In 1853
he came to the United States and began work as a carpenter, at which
trade he wrought about a year in eastern New York. He finally procured
a position on the U. S. coast survey, and in 1858 became the editor of
the "Republikana," a working-men's paper in Cincinnati. On May 8,
1861, he was commissioned first lieutenant and adjutant of the 9th
Ohio infantry and was commissioned major when the regiment was
mustered into the service June 13. With this regiment he served in
West Virginia, being in the engagement at Rich mountain. He was then
called to Indiana, where he organized the 32nd Ind. infantry, of which
he was appointed colonel, moved with his regiment to Munfordville,
Ky., in December, as part of R. W. Johnson's brigade, McCook's
division, and was engaged in picket duty on the south side of Green
river. He was stationed at Bowling Green and Nashville in Feb., 1862,
and participated in the battle of Shiloh, for gallantry in which
engagement he was commissioned brigadier-general of volunteers July
17, 1862. He continued to serve in that capacity until the close of
the war, being mustered out Jan. 15, 1866, and then resumed his
residence in Cincinnati, where he died Jan. 23, 1878. Source: The Union Army: A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal
States 1861-1865, Volume 8 Biographical, 1908
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