Lewis B. Williams Jr. (September 13, 1833 – July 3, 1863) was a

Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), 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 colon ...

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 ...

. He was killed during

Pickett's Charge Pickett's Charge was an infantry assault on July 3, 1863, during the Battle of Gettysburg. It was ordered by Confederate General Robert E. Lee as part of his plan to break through Union lines and achieve a decisive victory in the North. T ...

during the third day of 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, ...

Early life

Born in

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...

, he was the son of Lewis B. Williams Sr, a Virginian legislator who opposed secession. He graduated from the

Virginia Military Institute The Virginia Military Institute (VMI) is a public senior military college in Lexington, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1839 as America's first state military college and is the oldest public senior military college in the U.S. In k ...

in 1855.

Civil War

At the outbreak of the Civil War, he was elected a Captain in the

13th Virginia Regiment The 13th Virginia Regiment was a United States infantry regiment during the American Revolutionary War. Summary The 13th Virginia Regiment was authorized on 16 September 1776 by the Continental Congress for service with the Continental Army d ...

. he rose to the rank of colonel and commanded the 1st Virginia Infantry Regiment, also known as "The Old First". On May 5, 1862, at the Battle of Williamsburg, he was wounded and captured. After being exchanged a month later, he resumed command of the 1st Virginia, which was part of Brig. General James Kemper's Brigade of Pickett's Division in the

Army of Northern Virginia The Army of Northern Virginia was a field army of the Confederate States Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was also the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most often arrayed agains ...

Gettysburg

Williams led the 1st Virginia on the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg against the Union position on

Cemetery Hill Cemetery Hill is a landform on the Gettysburg Battlefield that was the scene of fighting each day of the Battle of Gettysburg (July 1–3, 1863). The northernmost part of the Army of the Potomac defensive " fish-hook" line, the hill is gent ...

in what is called "Pickett's Charge". Pickett had ordered that officers were to walk. Being ill, he was given permission to ride his horse in the attack. As the Confederate army marched into the open field they came under Federal cannon fire. A shot exploded near Colonel Williams, which threw him from his saddle. He landed on his sword and was mortally wounded. His regiment, now under the command of Lt. Colonel Franklin G. Skinner, continued on toward the Union lines, suffering 80% casualties, before being forced to retreat.

Burial

He was originally buried in

Greenmount Cemetery Green Mount Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Established on March 15, 1838, and dedicated on July 13, 1839, it is noted for the large number of historical figures interred in its grounds as well as m ...

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

before being reinterred in Hollywood Cemetery in 1896.

Notes

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Lewis B. Jr. 1833 births 1863 deaths Confederate States Army officers People of Virginia in the American Civil War Confederate States of America military personnel killed in the American Civil War Military personnel from Richmond, Virginia Burials at Hollywood Cemetery (Richmond, Virginia)