William Edwin Baldwin
William Edwin Baldwin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | July 28, 1827 Mississippi, United States |
| Died | February 19, 1864 (aged 36) Mobile County, Alabama |
| Allegiance |  Confederate States of America |
| Service |  Confederate States Army |
| Years of service | 1861–64 |
| Rank |  Brigadier General |
| Commands |  14th Mississippi Infantry |
| Battles / wars | American Civil War - Battle of Fort Donelson - Battle of Coffeeville - Battle of Port Gibson - Battle of Champion's Hill - Vicksburg Campaign |
William Edwin Baldwin (July 28, 1827 – February 19, 1864) was a Confederate Army officer during the American Civil War.
A bookstore owner and member of the local militia in Columbus, Mississippi, Baldwin enlisted in the Confederate Army soon after Mississippi announced its secession from the Union, accepting a commission as Colonel of the 14th Mississippi Infantry Regiment. Stationed briefly in Pensacola, Florida, he was transferred with his unit to East Tennessee and later central Kentucky, where he fought and was later captured at the Battle of Fort Donelson.
After being released in a prisoner exchange, he was promoted to the rank of brigadier general and sent to West Tennessee, where he assumed command of a mixed brigade of Mississippi and Tennessee soldiers. Winning distinction at the Battle of Coffeeville, Baldwin would later participate in the battles of Port Gibson and Champion's Hill, as well as taking part in the Vicksburg Campaign. Captured once again, Baldwin was able to secure his release and assigned to the District of Mobile where he was killed in an accident when a broken stirrup caused him to fall off his horse, near the Dog River in Alabama.
See also
References
- Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher, Civil War High Commands. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. ISBN 978-0-8047-3641-1.
- Sifakis, Stewart. Who Was Who in the Civil War. New York: Facts On File, 1988. ISBN 978-0-8160-1055-4.
- Warner, Ezra J. Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1959. ISBN 978-0-8071-0823-9.