Julius White
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Julius White (September 23, 1816May 12, 1890) was an
American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...
businessman and brigadier general in the Union Army during 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 ...
. After the war, he served as U.S. Minister (ambassador) to
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.


Early life and career

Born September 23, 1816, in Cazenovia,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
, White left New York at the age of twenty for
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
,
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, where he took up various business pursuits. He later moved to
Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...
,
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, to pursue commercial business there, including as an
insurance agent Insurance is a means of protection from financial loss in which, in exchange for a fee, a party agrees to compensate another party in the event of a certain loss, damage, or injury. It is a form of risk management, primarily used to protect ...
. He was elected in 1848 to the 2nd Wisconsin Legislature as a Whig member of the
Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Assembly is controlled by the Republican ...
, serving a single one-year term. Soon after that, he returned to the Chicago area, where he became a prominent insurance agent and
underwriter Underwriting (UW) services are provided by some large financial institutions, such as banks, insurance companies and investment houses, whereby they guarantee payment in case of damage or financial loss and accept the financial risk for liability ...
, becoming president of the Chicago Board of Underwriters and a member of the
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. During the
Presidential election of 1860 United States presidential election, Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 6, 1860. The History of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party ticket of Abraham Lincoln and Hannibal Hamlin emerged victoriou ...
, White invited
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...
(a former fellow Whig and described in contemporary accounts as an "old friend" of Lincoln) to visit him in his newly-purchased home in Evanston in April, where he was entertained, feted and is described as enjoying himself before staying overnight. On March 30, 1861, now-President Lincoln appointed White customs collector for the
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.


Civil War

White resigned his post in Customs when he received a commission as
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of the 37th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment on September 19, 1861. He led the
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in the southwest
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campaign of
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in late 1861. At the
Battle of Pea Ridge The Battle of Pea Ridge (March 7–8, 1862), also known as the Battle of Elkhorn Tavern, took place during the American Civil War near Leetown, Arkansas, Leetown, northeast of Fayetteville, Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas. United States, Feder ...
on March 7, 1862, his brigade of two
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
regiments blunted the attack of Louis Hebert's Confederates. On March 8 his troops participated in the final attack that defeated the Southern army. White was promoted brigadier general on June 9, 1862, and led the "Railroad" Brigade,
VIII Corps 8th Corps, Eighth Corps, or VIII Corps may refer to: * VIII Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars * VIII Army Corps (German Confederation) * VIII Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Arm ...
. During the
Second Battle of Bull Run The Second Battle of Bull Run or Battle of Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, in Prince William County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of the Northern Virginia Campaign waged by Confederate ...
, this unit was posted in
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, on the
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. In the face of
Robert E. Lee Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a general officers in the Confederate States Army, Confederate general during the American Civil War, who was appointed the General in Chief of the Armies of the Confederate ...
's invasion of
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, White retreated into
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, and joined Colonel Dixon S. Miles and his large garrison there. "White outranked Miles, but he followed military protocol by putting himself under the officer commanding on the scene in a crisis." This was an unfortunate decision for White because Miles proved to be incapable of mounting an effective defense of the position. The
Battle of Harpers Ferry The Battle of Harpers Ferry was fought September 12–15, 1862, as part of the Maryland Campaign of the American Civil War. As Confederate Army General Robert E. Lee's Confederate States Army, Confederate army invaded Maryland, a portion of his ...
was fought September 12–15, 1862, from a highly disadvantageous position compounded by Miles's numerous strategic mistakes. After he ran up the white flag, one of the last shots mortally wounded Miles. Therefore, White had to carry out the formal surrender of the place. For surrendering, White was brought before a court of inquiry, but he was acquitted when the court "found that he acted with capability and courage."Boatner, p. 914. White was assigned to the XXIII Corps where he commanded the 2nd Division in the Knoxville Campaign in 1863. In July 1864 he was sent to the Eastern Theater to command a division in the IX Corps. He briefly served as
Ambrose Burnside Ambrose Everts Burnside (May 23, 1824 – September 13, 1881) was an American army officer and politician who became a senior Union general in the American Civil War and a three-time Governor of Rhode Island, as well as being a successfu ...
's chief of staff during the
battle of the Crater The Battle of the Crater took place during the American Civil War, part of the Siege of Petersburg. It occurred on Saturday, July 30, 1864, between the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by General Robert E. Lee, and the Union ...
. He commanded the 1st Division in the IX Corps at the
battle of Globe Tavern The Battle of Globe Tavern, also known as the Second Battle of the Weldon Railroad, fought August 18–21, 1864, south of Petersburg, Virginia, was the second attempt of the Union Army to sever the Weldon Railroad during the siege of Petersbur ...
. This division was discontinued late in the Summer of 1864 and White resigned on November 19, 1864. He was breveted major general for war service.


Postbellum career

White returned to the insurance industry after the war. In 1871, when
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adopted a new form of government by a
Cook County Board of Commissioners The Cook County Board of Commissioners is a legislative body made up of 17 commissioners who are elected by district, and a president who is elected county-wide, all for four-year terms. Cook County, Illinois, Cook County, which includes the City ...
, White was not only elected to the board from one of the non-Chicago districts, but was elected its first
chairman The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the gro ...
, even though ten of the fifteen commissioners were from Chicago. In 1872 White left the insurance business and went into real estate. He was one of the founding members of First Congregational Church of Evanston in 1869. White served as U.S. Minister to Argentina from November 1873 to March 1874. He died May 12, 1890, in Evanston, and is buried at
Rosehill Cemetery Rosehill Cemetery (founded 1859) is a historic rural cemetery on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois in the United States. At , it is the largest cemetery in the city of Chicago and its first private cemetery. The Entrance Gate and Administration ...
in Chicago. Locust Street in Chicago's Loop was formerly named White Street after White.Currey, Josiah Seymour. ''Chicago: Its History and Its Builders: A Century of Marvelous Growth'' Chicago: S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1912; vol. 3, p. 353


See also

*
List of American Civil War generals (Union) Union generals __NOTOC__ The following list shows the names of substantive, full grade general officers (Regular U.S. Army or U.S. Volunteers) effectively appointed, nominated, confirmed and commissioned (by signed and sealed document) who s ...


References

* ''Battles and Leaders of the Civil War,'' Volume 3. Secaucus, NJ: Castle. * Boatner, Mark M. III. ''The Civil War Dictionary.'' New York: David McKay, 1959. * Eicher, John H., and Eicher, David J., ''Civil War High Commands'', Stanford University Press, 2001, . * Sears, Stephen W. ''Landscape Turned Red: The Battle of Antietam.'' New Haven: Ticknor & Fields, 1983.


Footnotes

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:White, Julius 1816 births 1890 deaths Burials at Rosehill Cemetery People of Illinois in the American Civil War Union army generals Ambassadors of the United States to Argentina Members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Wisconsin Whigs United States Customs Service personnel Insurance agents Insurance underwriters Members of the Cook County Board of Commissioners 19th-century American diplomats 19th-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature Military personnel from Cook County, Illinois