Daniel Woodall (June 1, 1841 – August 2, 1880) was an American Union army officer during the period of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. He served in the

1st Delaware Infantry Regiment The 1st Delaware Infantry Regiment, later known as the 1st Delaware Veteran Infantry Regiment was a United States volunteer infantry regiment raised for Union Army service in the American Civil War. Part of the II Corps it served in the Eastern ...

, and fought in the Eastern Theater. Daniel Woodall was born on June 1, 1841, in

Dover, Delaware Dover ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and the List of municipalities in Delaware, second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is also the county seat of Kent County, Delaware, Kent County and the princ ...

. Woodall worked as a civil engineer when the

erupted. Volunteering for the

, a volunteer unit mustered for 3 months of service in early 1861, he was commissioned a second lieutenant of Company H. When the regiment's enlistment term ended in August it was rebuilt in Wilmington for a service time of 3 years. As the regimental officers were to be appointed again Woodall was named Captain of Company F on September 28, 1861.Eicher, p. 580 The regiment was assigned to the II Corps of the

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the primary field army of the Union army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the Battle of ...

; for service in the Eastern Theater. Leading his men into the

Battle of Antietam The Battle of Antietam ( ), also called the Battle of Sharpsburg, particularly in the Southern United States, took place during the American Civil War on September 17, 1862, between Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virgi ...

on September 17, 1862, Woodall was shot in the arm. After the

Battle of Fredericksburg The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. The combat between the Union Army, Union Army of the Potomac commanded by Major general ( ...

Woodall was promoted to major on December 30, 1862. In the

Battle of Chancellorsville The Battle of Chancellorsville, April 30 – May 6, 1863, was a major battle of the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville campaign. Confederate General Robert E. Lee's risky decision to divide h ...

on May 3, 1863, Woodall was wounded again, this time by an artillery shell hitting his left leg calf. Being on convalescence leave until late July he missed the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was a three-day battle in the American Civil War, which was fought between the Union and Confederate armies between July 1 and July 3, 1863, in and around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle, won by the Union, ...

. On July 30, 1863 Woodall was detached from the regiment and temporarily took command of the 39th New York Infantry Regiment that was attached to the same brigade. At the

Battle of Bristoe Station The Battle of Bristoe Station was fought on October 14, 1863, at Bristow, Virginia, Bristoe Station, Virginia, between Union Army, Union forces under Major general (United States), Maj. Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren and Confederate States Army, Confe ...

Major Woodall, serving with his Delawarians again, led half of the regiment as brigade skirmishers and was praised by his brigade (and regiment) commander, Colonel Thomas Alfred Smyth. Woodall was promoted to lieutenant colonel on November 5, 1863 and led the regiment into the

Mine Run Campaign The Battle of Mine Run, also known as Payne's Farm, or New Hope Church, or the Mine Run campaign (November 27 – December 2, 1863), was conducted in Orange County, Virginia, in the American Civil War. An unsuccessful attempt of the Union ...

. On court martial duty in February 1864, he returned to fight in the

Battle of the Wilderness The Battle of the Wilderness was fought on May 5–7, 1864, during the American Civil War. It was the first battle of Lieutenant general (United States), Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against General (C ...

and the

Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes more simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania (or the 19th-century spelling Spottsylvania), was the second major battle in Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's 18 ...

. He was shot through the foot at Spotsylvania but returned to command his regiment during the

Battle of Cold Harbor The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought during the American Civil War near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses ...

and the

Siege of Petersburg The Richmond–Petersburg campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War. Although it is more popularly known as the siege of Petersburg, it was not a c ...

. When Smyth was promoted to brigadier general Woodall became colonel of the 1st Delaware, which he actually commanded for nearly a year already; and he was promoted on December 23, 1864. He was in brigade command during parts of the Appomattox Campaign. He was mustered out of the volunteers with his regiment on July 12. At this time Woodall was one of the only four original officers from 1861 still serving with the regiment. On January 13, 1866,

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. The 16th vice president, he assumed the presidency following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a South ...

nominated Wildrick for appointment to the grade of brevet brigadier general of volunteers ''for gallant and meritorious service in the War'', to rank from June 15, 1865, and the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

confirmed the appointment on March 12, 1866. After the war Woodall moved to

Williamsburg, Virginia Williamsburg is an Independent city (United States), independent city in Virginia, United States. It had a population of 15,425 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located on the Virginia Peninsula, Williamsburg is in the northern par ...

, where he was appointed as district assessor for the

Internal Revenue Service The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting Taxation in the United States, U.S. federal taxes and administerin ...

. When the office was abolished in 1872 he became a farmer. On August 2, 1880, aged just 39, he died unexpectedly on his farm. Woodall was buried on Old Drawyers Presbyterian Churchyard at

Odessa, Delaware Odessa is a town in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. The population was 364 at the 2010 census. Founded as Cantwell's Bridge in the 18th century, the name was changed in the 19th century, after the Ukrainian port city of the same name ...

Notes

Sources & References

* * *U.S. War Department; ''The War of the Rebellion : a compilation of the official records of the Union and Confederate armies.''; Series I, Washington, D.C.; 1880-1898

Notes

Sources & References

See also