FRANKLIN, William Buel, American military officer: b. York, Pa., 27 Feb. 1823; d. Hartford, Conn., 8 March 1903. He was grad uated at the United States Military Academy in 1843 at the head of his class, one of his classmates being U. S. Grant. In the Mexican War he served on the staff of General Taylor as a topographical engineer, and carried Tay lor's orders at the battle of Buena Vista. After the Mexican War he served in the Engineer Corps of the army and gradually reached the rank of colonel. At the outbreak of the Civil War he was assigned to the command of a brigade in Heintzelman's division. He took part in the battle of Bull Run, served with dis tinction in the Peninsular campaign and was promoted major-general of volunteers in 1862. Subsequently he served under McClellan in Maryland and under Burnside at Fredericks burg (q.v.) where he commanded the left wing, was adversely criticized for his part in this bat tle and resigned his command. However, he re turned to the army in July 1863 and was assigned to the department of the Gulf under Banks. A severe wound received in the battle of Sabine Cross Roads, 8 April 1864, incapacitated him for almost a year. In July 1864 he was captured by the Confederates, but escaped the same night.
In March 1865 he was brevetted major-general in the regular army, but resigned a year later to engage in manufacturing, becoming vice president of Colt's Automatic Firearms Manu facturing Company. He represented Connecti cut as State Commissioner at the Centennial Exposition (1876), was adjutant-general of his State 1877-78, and for many years president of the board of managers of the National Home for Disabled Soldiers. He was appointed United States Commissioner-General to the Paris Exposition in 1899 and was made a grand officer of the Legion of Honor. His various reports covering his commands and operations during the Civil War may be found in United States War Department, 'War of the Rebellion. Official Records' (Series I, II and III, Wash ington). Consult Franklin, W. B., 'A Reply to the Report of the Joint Committee of Con gress on the Conduct of the War' (New York 1863); Greene, J. L., 'General W. B. Franklin and the Operations of the Left Wing at the Battle of Fredericksburg' (Hartford 1900) ; Johnson, R. U., and Buel, C. C., editors, 'Battles and Leaders of the Civil War' (4 vols., New York 1884-88).