Charles Augustus Wikoff (March 3, 1837 – July 1, 1898) was a

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

officer serving from

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...

until he became the most senior ranking American Army officer killed in the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (cl ...

.Col. Charles A. Wikoff profile at 1-22infantry.org
Retrieved January 11, 2007

Early life and education

Wikoff was born in

Easton, Pennsylvania Easton is a city in, and the county seat of, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city's population was 28,127 as of the 2020 census. Easton is located at the confluence of the Lehigh River, a river that joins the Delaware Ri ...

, and graduated from

Lafayette College Lafayette College is a private liberal arts college in Easton, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter and other citizens in Easton, the college first held classes in 1832. The founders voted to name the college after General La ...

with bachelor's and master's degrees. He worked as a

civil engineer A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering – the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructure while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing i ...

under George B. McClellan on the

Illinois Central Railroad The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, was a railroad in the Central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois, with New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama. A line also ...

from 1855 to 1857.

Military career

American Civil War

In April 1861, at the outbreak of the

, Wikoff enlisted as a private in the 1st Pennsylvania Infantry Division. The following month, he was commissioned

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a ...

in the

15th U.S. Infantry The 15th United States Infantry Regiment is a parent regiment in the United States Army. It has a lineage tracing back to the American Civil War, having participated in many battles. It is part of 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team and 3rd Infa ...

. He was shot in the left eye at the Battle of Shiloh and wore an eye patch throughout the rest of his life. He also participated in the

Battle of Chickamauga The Battle of Chickamauga, fought on September 19–20, 1863, between U.S. and Confederate forces in the American Civil War, marked the end of a Union offensive, the Chickamauga Campaign, in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia. ...

and the

Battle of Missionary Ridge The Battle of Missionary Ridge was fought on November 25, 1863, as part of the Chattanooga Campaign of the American Civil War. Following the Union victory in the Battle of Lookout Mountain on November 24, Union forces in the Military Division ...

, for which he was a brevetted major. He was promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

in August 1864.

Postbellum

After the war, Wikoff was transferred to the 24th U.S. Infantry, and later to the 11th Infantry, serving in

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

and

The Dakotas The Dakotas is a collective term for the U.S. states of North Dakota and South Dakota. It has been used historically to describe the Dakota Territory, and is still used for the collective heritage, culture, geography, fauna, sociology, econo ...

. He was promoted to major of the 14th Infantry stationed at

Vancouver Barracks Established in 1849, the Vancouver Barracks was the first U.S. Army base located in the Pacific Northwest. Built on a rise 20 feet (6 m) above the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) trading station Fort Vancouver. Its buildings were formed in a line a ...

in December 1886. In November 1891, he was made lieutenant colonel of the 19th Infantry, and served at Forts Wayne and Brady in

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

. In January 1897, he became

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

of the 22nd Infantry at Fort Crook, Nebraska.

Death in Battle of San Juan Hill

In 1898, in the

, Wikoff led the 22nd Infantry from Fort Crook to

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

, where he was transferred to lead the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division under the command of Major General William Rufus Shafter's V Corps. On July 1, 1898, he was shot during a charge across an open field in the

Battle of San Juan Hill The Battle of San Juan Hill, also known as the Battle for the San Juan Heights, was a major battle of the Spanish–American War fought between an American force under the command of William Rufus Shafter and Joseph Wheeler against a Spanish ...

Santiago de Cuba Santiago de Cuba is the second-largest city in Cuba and the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province. It lies in the southeastern area of the island, some southeast of the Cuban capital of Havana. The municipality extends over , and contains ...

. Within 15 minutes, he succumbed to his wound. His two successors, William S. Worth and Emerson H. Liscum, were also shot before

Ezra P. Ewers Lt. Colonel Ezra P. Ewers was born in Wayneport, New York. Early life and education Ewers was born in Wayneport, New York and educated in public schools. He was a practical machinist by trade. Military career On January 18, 1862, he enlisted in ...

, the fourth in command, assumed control.

Legacy

Wikoff was buried in

Easton Cemetery Easton Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery located in Easton, Pennsylvania and the burial site of many notable individuals. ''Note:'' This includes The cemetery was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. Easton Cemetery's ...

.Findagrave Profile
Retrieved January 11, 2007 Camp Wikoff in

Montauk, New York Montauk ( ) is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of East Hampton in Suffolk County, New York, on the eastern end of the South Shore of Long Island. As of the 2020 United States census, the CDP's population was 4,318. Th ...

, through which American troops including

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

returned after the conflict, was named in Wikoff's honor.

References

External links

Charles Augustus Wikoff
at

Charles A. Wikoff
at Historical Marker Database {{DEFAULTSORT:Wikoff, Charles 1837 births 1898 deaths American military personnel killed in the Spanish–American War American military personnel of the Spanish–American War Lafayette College alumni People from Easton, Pennsylvania People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War Union Army officers United States Army colonels