WADSWORTH, JAMES SA AI EEL ( 1807-64). An American soldier, born at Geneses, N. V. He was educated at Hamilton College, at Harvard, and at Vale, though he did not graduate at any of these institutions.; studied law under Daniel Webster in Boston and under McKeon and Deniston in Albany, and in 1833 was admitted to the bar, but never practiced his profession, and until the Civil War was occupied with the management of the family estates, comprising altogether about 15,000 acres, Ile took an active interest in agricultural affairs, and in 1842 was president of the New York State Agricultural In 1861 he was a member of the Peace Convention (q.v.), in which he opposed the granting of extreme concessions to the South. and in June, 1861. soon after the outbreak of the Civil War, he became a volunteer aide, with the rank of major. on the staff of General McDowell. He participated in the first battle of Bnll Run; was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general of volunteers in August, 1861: and from March to December, 1862, was military Governor of Wash ington. D. C. In 1862. also, he was the Republi
can candidate for Governor of New York. but was defeated by his Democratic opponent. Ho ratio Seymour. Ile led a division, with great gallantry, at Fredericksburg and Chancellors ville. and at Gettysburg took a conspicuous part in the first day's fighting and then occupied Culp's Hill, where he helped to repel the Con federate assaults on the second and third days of the battle. Early in 1864 lie made a tour of in spection through the Western and Southwestern States: and subsequently. while commanding a division in the battle of the Wilderness (q.v.), May 6th. was mortally wounded, dying two days later. He received the brevet of major-general of volunteers to date from May 6, 1S64.