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Civil War Soldiers - Franklin
| Franklin, William B., major-general,
U.S. Army, was born in York, Pa., Feb. 27, 1823, and was graduated at
the United States military academy at West Point, first in his class,
in 1843. He served in the Mexican war as topographical engineer under
Gen. Taylor, and so distinguished himself at the battle of Buena Vista
as to win promotion to the brevet rank of 1st lieutenant. In the years
between the Mexican war and the Civil war he was employed on
topographical duty on the frontier, as engineer-secretary of the
light-house board, assistant professor of engineering at West Point,
and supervising engineer in the construction of additions to the
national capitol and in the erection of the treasury and postoffice
buildings in Washington, D. C, rising in this interval also to the
rank of captain, July 1, 1857. When the Civil war broke out he was
promoted colonel of the 12th infantry, May 14, 1861, brigadier-
general of volunteers, May 17, 1861, and major-general of volunteers,
July 4, 1862. Gen. Franklin's first service in the volunteer army was
at Bull Run, July 21, 1861, when he commanded a brigade and engaged in
the heaviest fighting of the day around the Henry house. He received a
division on the organization of the Army of the Potomac, and when the
6th army corps was formed, became its commander, continuing as such
throughout the year 1862. He was in almost all the battles of the
Peninsula, engaging at Yorktown, West Point, White Oak bridge, Savage
Station, Malvern hill and Harrison's landing, and, after his return to
Maryland with the army, commanded the left of the army at Crampton's
gap, South mountain, Sept. 14, 1862, and engaged in the battle of
Antietam three days later. At the battle of Fredericksburg he
commanded the left grand division under Burnside. Gen. Burnside, by
complaining that Franklin did not obey orders in this battle caused
the latter to be sharply censured by the Congressional committee on
the conduct of the war, and he was also removed from his command for
insubordination. The failure of the president to approve the order of
removal led to Burnside's resignation of his command. After several
months on waiting orders Gen. Franklin returned to duty in July, 1863,
and on Aug. 15, was assigned to command the 19th army corps, which he
directed under Banks in the Red River expedition of 1864. He was
wounded at the battle of Sabine cross- roads, April 8, 1864, and was
on sick leave until Dec. 2, 1864, when he was placed on duty as
president of the retiring board at Wilmington, Del., in which capacity
he served until Nov. 9, 1865. During his leave, while still an
invalid, he was captured by Confederate raiders while riding on a
train of the Baltimore & Philadelphia road, but made his escape the
same night. He was given the brevet rank of brigadier-general, June
30, 1862, for gallant and meritorious service in the battles before
Richmond, and brevet major-general U. S. A. March 13, 1865, for
gallant and meritorious services in the field during the war. He
resigned from the regular army, March 15, 1866, as colonel of the 12th
infantry. He was adjutant- general of Connecticut 1877-78, was for
several years president of the board of managers for the National home
for disabled soldiers, and was interested in the manufacture of fire
arms and a director of three insurance companies. Gen. Franklin died
March 8, 1903. Source: The Union Army: A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal
States 1861-1865, Volume 8 Biographical, 1908
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