Aquila Wiley

Aquila Wiley (February 20, 1835 June 5, 1910) was a Union Army officer in the American Civil War.

Aquila Wiley
Member of the Ohio House of Representatives
from the Wayne County district
In office
January 6, 1896  December 31, 1899
Preceded byCharles A. Weiser
Succeeded byUrias F. Wells
Personal details
Born(1835-02-20)February 20, 1835
Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
DiedJune 5, 1910(1910-06-05) (aged 75)
Wooster, Ohio
Resting placeWooster Cemetery
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)Emma Pawer
Childrentwo
Military service
AllegianceUnited States
Branch/serviceUnion Army
Years of service1861 1864
RankColonel
Brevet Brigadier General
Unit41st Ohio Infantry
Battles/warsAmerican Civil War

Aquila Wiley was born in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania on February 20, 1835.[1] He was a lawyer.[1]

Wiley entered Union Army service as a first lieutenant of the 16th Ohio Infantry Regiment.[1] He was promoted to captain on May 4, 1861.[1] He was mustered out of the volunteers on August 18, 1861.[1] On September 19, 1861, Wiley re-enlisted as a captain in the 41st Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment.[1] Wiley was promoted to major, June 22, 1861, to lieutenant colonel on December 6, 1862 and to colonel on April 15, 1863.[1]

Wiley was wounded in the Battle of Shiloh, April 6–7, 1862.[2] He was much more seriously wounded at the Battle of Missionary Ridge, November 25, 1863, resulting in his left leg being amputated.[1][2] He was discharged from the volunteers on June 7, 1864.[1] Wiley returned to the volunteer service as a captain in the Veteran Reserve Corps, March 25, 1865.[1] He was promoted to major on April 27, 1865.[1] He was mustered out of the volunteers on March 28, 1866.[1]

On May 31, 1866, President Andrew Johnson nominated Wiley for appointment to the grade of brevet brigadier general of volunteers, to rank from March 13, 1865, and the United States Senate confirmed the appointment on July 23, 1866.[3]

After the war, Wiley was a Democratic politician. Congressman and future president William McKinley defeated him in 1878 by a vote count of 15,489 to 14,255.[4] Republican Allen T. Wikoff defeated him for the office of Secretary of State in 1872.

Aquila Wiley died June 5, 1912 at Wooster, Ohio.[1] He was buried at Wooster Cemetery, Wooster, Ohio.[1]

See also

References

  1. Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher, Civil War High Commands. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. ISBN 978-0-8047-3641-1. p. 569.
  2. Dennis Segelquist. "Sunday, September 18, 2011: Colonel Aquila Wiley". Retrieved 2012-04-21.
  3. Eicher, 2001, p. 761.
  4. Quentin R. Skrabec (2008). William McKinley, Apostle of Protectionism. Algora Publishing. p. 73.


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