William Dwight

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William Dwight (July 14, 1831 – April 21, 1888) was a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

As commanding officer of 70th New York Volunteer Infantry, Lt. Col. Dwight led his regiment during the Battle of Williamsburg, where he was seriously wounded, along with losing half of his command. Left for dead on the battlefield, Dwight was found by Confederate forces and held as a prisoner of war until his eventual release in a prisoner exchange in late 1862.

In recognition of his gallantry on the field, Dwight was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers on November 29, 1862, and transferred to the Western Theater where, the following year, he would lead his brigade in the attack of Port Hudson.

After serving as chief-of-staff to Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks during the Red River Campaign in early 1864, Dwight was reassigned to the Eastern Theater and was attached to the 1st Division of the 19th Army Corps. Serving under Gen. Philip H. Sheridan, Dwight later participated in the Valley Campaigns of 1864 and saw action at the battles of Winchester, Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek before the end of the war.

Following the war, Dwight went into business in Cincinnati, Ohio.

[edit] References

• Linedecker, Clifford L., ed. Civil War, A-Z: The Complete Handbook of America's Bloodiest Conflict. New York: Ballentine Books, 2002. ISBN 0-9141-878-4