Orlando B. Willcox
| Orlando Bolivar Willcox | |
|---|---|
Orlando B. Willcox
|
|
| Born |
April 16, 1823 Detroit, Michigan |
| Died | May 11, 1907 (aged 84) Cobourg, Ontario |
| Place of burial | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Allegiance |
United States of America Union |
| Service/branch |
United States Army Union Army |
| Years of service | 1847–1857 1861–1887 |
| Rank |
 Brevet Major General
|
| Commands held |
1st Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment (3 Months) IX Corps Department of the Missouri |
| Battles/wars |
Third Seminole War |
| Awards | Medal of Honor |
Orlando Bolivar Willcox (April 16, 1823 – May 11, 1907) was an American soldier who served as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
Willcox was born in Detroit, Michigan. He entered the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, in 1843. Following graduation in 1847, he was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the 4th U.S. Artillery. He would subsequently serve in the United States Army in various capacities over a period of forty years. Willcox served in the Mexican-American War, fought against the Indians on the frontier, and again in the Third Seminole War. Following the latter conflict, he resigned from the Army in 1857.
When the Civil War began, Willcox was practicing law in Detroit. He was appointed colonel of the 1st Michigan Volunteer Infantry. He was wounded and captured in the First Battle of Bull Run (First Manassas) while in command of a brigade in Maj. Gen. Samuel P. Heintzelman's division. He later received the Medal of Honor in 1895 for "most distinguished gallantry" during the battle.
After his release and exchange more than a year later, on August 19, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln appointed Willcox a brigadier general of volunteers, to rank from July 1, 1861. The President had to submit the nomination three times, the last on March 7, 1863, before the U.S. Senate finally confirmed the appointment on March 11, 1863. Willcox commanded the 1st Division of Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside's IX Corps in 1862. He led the division at the Battle of Antietam and the corps at the Battle of Fredericksburg.
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Wikipedia