William Johnson WICKHAM ²

  General Notes:

PHOTO: submitted by Suzanne Krogh

AMERICAN CIVIL WAR SOLDIERS: William J Wickham
Residence: Kansas City, Missouri
Enlistment Date: 22 August 1861
Distinguished Service: DISTINGUISHED SERVICE
Side Served: Union
State Served: Kansas
Unit Numbers: 697 697 697
Service Record: Enlisted as a Corporal on 22 August 1861
Enlisted in Company F, 7th Cavalry Regiment Kansas on 25 September 1861.
Reenlisted in Company F, 7th Cavalry Regiment Kansas on 01 January 1864
Mustered out Company F, 7th Cavalry Regiment Kansas on 29 September 1865

AMERICAN CIVIL WAR REGIMENTS:
REGIMENT: 7th Cavalry Regiment Kansas
Date of Organization: 28 Oct 1861
Muster Date: 29 Sep 1865
Regiment State: Kansas
Regiment Type: Cavalry
Regiment Number: 7th
Enlisted Died of Disease or Accident: 3
Officers Died of Disease or Accident: 1
Enlisted Killed or Mortally Wounded: 55
Enlisted Died of Disease or Accident: 114
Regimental Soldiers and History: List of Soldiers

Regimental History
Seventh Cavalry KANSAS (3-YEARS)

Seventh Cavalry. -- Cols., Charles R. Jennison, Albert L. Lee, Thomas P. Herrick; Lieut.-Cols., Daniel R. Anthony, Thomas P. Herrick, David W. Houston, William S. Jenkins, Francis M. Malone; Majs., Daniel R. Anthony, Thomas P. Herrick, Albert L. Lee, John T. Snoddy, Clark S. Merriman, William S. Jenkins, Francis M. Malone, Charles H. Gregory, Levi H. Utt.

This regiment was recruited in the summer of 1861, and was mustered into the U. S. service, 902 strong, at Fort Leavenworth Oct. 28 1861, for three years. It was immediately ordered into the field and served during the fall and winter of 1861-62 in western Missouri.

Its first battle was on the Little Blue River, where Cos. A, B and H were engaged with a force commanded by the notorious Upton Hays and lost 9 killed and 32 wounded. On Jan. 31, 1862, it moved to Humboldt, Kan., and on March 25 was ordered to Lawrence where Col. Jennison resigned and was succeeded by Lieut.-Col. Anthony.

In May the regiment embarked on transports for Columbus, Ky., whence it shortly moved to Jacinto, Miss., and thence to Rienzi, Miss., where it remained until the evacuation of the post Sept. 30, 1862. It was assigned to Col. Philip H. Sheridan's cavalry brigade, Army of the Mississippi, and while stationed at Rienzi was constantly in the saddle, engaging in numerous severe cavalry skirmishes.

Cos. B and E participated in the battle of Iuka and received special notice from Gen. Rosecrans for bravery on the field and in the pursuit. The regiment was active during Van Dorn's raid upon Corinth, and was in the advance during the pursuit to Ripley, Miss. Returning to Corinth, it next engaged in an expedition into Alabama under command of Col. Lee, routed Roddey's cavalry at Buzzard Roost station and took a number of prisoners.

On its return to Corinth it was ordered to join Grant's army at Grand Junction, and had a sharp engagement with the Confederate cavalry under Gen. Jackson near Lamar, Miss. On Nov. 28 it made a raid to Holly Springs and routed the enemy's garrison when it charged into the town. As Grant's army moved into Mississippi the 7th held the extreme advance during the greater portion of the campaign.

It was the first to cross the Tallahatchie, led the advance into Oxford, was first into Water Valley and was heavily engaged with the advance at Coffeeville. It then fell back with the cavalry to Water Valley and formed part of the force sent to intercept Van Dorn, when that general captured Holly Springs and burnt Grant's stores.

After joining in the pursuit of Van Dorn, it moved to Moscow, Tenn., and was employed in guard duty along the line of the Memphis & Charleston railroad until the middle of April, 1863. Col. Lee was promoted to brigadier-general and the command of the regiment devolved upon Lieut.-Col. Herrick.

In the latter part of April, as a part of Gen. Dodge's cavalry, it was engaged with Roddey's and Forrest's cavalry at Tuscumbia, Leighton and Town Creek, and then moved south with the rest of the cavalry as a diversion in favor of Gen. Grierson, who was then engaged in his famous raid through Mississippi.

Attached to Col. Cornyn's brigade it had a sharp fight at Tupelo in May, where the enemy was driven from the field with heavy loss. The regiment was stationed at Corinth from May 9, 1863, to Jan. 8, 1864, during which time it was almost constantly in the saddle and participated in many severe battles and skirmishes, notably at Florence and Hamburg, Ala., Iuka, Swallow's bluff, Byhalia, Wyatt and Ripley, Miss., and Jack's Creek, Tenn.

In Jan., 1864, while bivouacked near La Grange, Tenn, 455 members of the 7th reenlisted as veterans and on the 18th the regiment was ordered to Memphis, where the veterans were remustered and then proceeded to Kansas on 30 days' furlough.

On June 6, 1864, the regiment was again in Memphis. On July 5 it moved south from La Grange in advance of Gen. A. J. Smith's infantry column, which moved against Forrest's cavalry, and it acted as rear-guard when Smith turned east toward Tupelo. In the battle of Tupelo, the 7th was on the right flank and was only lightly engaged.

It had a sharp skirmish at Ellistown, and in August, when Smith again moved against Gen. Forrest, it took a prominent part in the expedition, being engaged at the crossing of the Tallahatchie, Oxford and in the cavalry battle of Hurricane creek. Returning to Memphis after this campaign it was ordered to report to Gen. Rosecrans at St. Louis, where it arrived Sept. 17, 1864.

Commanded by Lieut.-Col. Malone, it was active during the Missouri campaign against Gen. Price, took part in all the principal engagements, routed a superior force and captured 2 pieces of artillery at Independence, Mo. After this campaign the regiment served by detachments in the St. Louis district where it was employed against guerrillas until July 18, 1865.

It was finally mustered out at Fort Leavenworth, Sept. 29, 1865, having served a term of 3 years and 11 months, during which it marched, exclusive of distance traveled on transports and by rail, 12,050 miles. The regiment lost by death during service 3 officers and 61 enlisted men killed in action or mortally wounded; 1 officer and 97 enlisted men died by disease and other causes.

Source: The Union Army, vol. 4, p. 208

Battles Fought by 7th KS Cav.:
Fought on 25 Sep 1861 at Leavenworth, KS.
Fought on 11 Nov 1861 at Little Blue, MO.
Fought on 20 Nov 1861 at Kansas City, MO.
Fought on 26 Nov 1861 at Independence, MO.
Fought on 8 Jan 1862 at Columbus, MO.
Fought on 9 Jan 1862 at Columbus, MO.
Fought on 27 Aug 1862 at Kossuth, MO.
Fought on 27 Aug 1862.
Fought on 9 Sep 1862.
Fought on 1 Oct 1862 at Baldwin, MS.
Fought on 4 Oct 1862 at Corinth, MO.
Fought on 12 Oct 1862 at Wyatt, MS.
Fought on 5 Nov 1862 at Jumpertown, MS.
Fought on 5 Dec 1862 at Coffeeville, MS
Fought on 18 Dec 1862 at Missouri.
Fought on 24 Dec 1862 at Middleburg, TN.
Fought on 28 Dec 1862 at Holly Springs, MS.
Fought on 3 Jan 1863 at Somerville, TN.
Fought on 27 Jan 1863 at Germantown, TN.
Fought on 1 Apr 1863 at Germantown, TN.
Fought on 16 Apr 1863 at Salisbury, TN.
Fought on 24 Apr 1863 at Leighton, AL.
Fought on 24 Apr 1863.
Fought on 6 May 1863 at Tupelo, MS.
Fought on 26 May 1863 at Florence, AL.
Fought on 28 May 1863 at Florence, AL.
Fought on 9 Jul 1863 at Clinton, MI.
Fought on 18 Aug 1863 at Jackson, TN.
Fought on 30 Sep 1863 at Swallow Bluff, TN.
Fought on 10 Oct 1863 at Wyatt, MS.
Fought on 13 Oct 1863 at Wyatt, MS.
Fought on 13 Oct 1863 at Alabama.
Fought on 3 Jan 1864 at Somerville, TN.
Fought on 8 Jan 1864 at Corinth, MS.
Fought on 2 May 1864 at Memphis, TN.
Fought on 9 Jun 1864 at Lafayette, TN.
Fought on 10 Jul 1864 at Ponotoc, MS.
Fought on 16 Jul 1864 at Ellistown, MS.
Fought on 19 Aug 1864.
Fought on 23 Aug 1864 at Hurricane Creek, MS.
Fought on 23 Oct 1864.
Fought on 6 Dec 1864 at Jefferson Barracks, MO.

MO, MARRIAGE RECORDS, 1805-2002:
Name: Mr William J Wickham
Marriage Date: 17 Oct 1865
Marriage Place: Jefferson, Missouri, USA
Spouse: Mary Ann Vineyard

CIVIL WAR PENSION FILES: William J. Wickham 7 KS invalid pension, filed Dec. 15, 1866

1870 MO CENSUS, Jackson Co., Kansas City, 4th Ward:
William Wickham, 30, b. OH, living in boarding house, laborer.
(NOTE: Is this the correct William?)

HISTORY OF POST OFFICES & COMMUNITIES - Cass Co, TX. (at Cass Co. TX GenWeb)
Forrest Home, Postmaster appointed: William J. Wickham Sep 16, 1879

1880 TX CENSUS, Cass Co.:
W. J. Wickham, 40, sawyer, b. OH, parents b. NY:
M. A., 35, wife, b. MO;
J. J. , 13, son, b. KS;
W. J., 8, son, b. MO;
Mabel, 3, dau, b. TX;
G., 4/12, dau, b. TX.
3 boarders were also living with them.

FIND A GRAVE:
Name: William Johnson Wickham
Birth Date: 23 Apr 1840
Birth Place: Ohio, United States of America
Death Date: 1 Aug 1886
Cemetery: Queen City Cemetery
Burial or Cremation Place: Queen City, Cass County (Cass), Texas, United States of America
Has Bio?: N
Spouse: Mary Ann Wickham
Children:
John Jacob Wickham
William Franklin Wickham
Mable Clements

OBIT - Born near Zanesville and emigrated to IA in 1848. He became a member of the ME church at the age of 16. At the age of 18 he went to KA and attached himself to the Baptist church to which he sustained a membership until his death. He served 4 yrs in the 7th Kansas Calvary during the Civil War. He married at the end of the war and was in the lumber business since then. He spent the last 15 years of his life in the lumber business in Cass Co, TX. He leaves an estate of $20,000. He died of sun stroke and was buried in Queen City Cemetery. His youngest child was only 18 mo. old when he died.

Sept. 27, 1940 LETTER FROM W. N. GRABILL, Yakima, WA: " William Wickham lived in Queen City, Texas and had five children John, William, Mabell, Gertrude, Roe. John died. William died Mabell married but has no children. Gertrude and Roe both married and moved to Arkansas and all track of them has been lost."

1940's LETTER FROM MRS. JOHN J. WICKHAM, Cleburne, Tex: "William Johnson Wickham was born in Zanesville Ohio (his father was Salathial and I think his mother's name was Drusilla - not sure) Mary Ann Vinyard was born Mar. 11th 1845- Victoria Mo. They were married Oct. 1865. The following children came into their home. John Jacob Wickham July 27 1866
Charlie W. Jan 1868 - died in infancy
Sarah July 27, 1869 " "
William Franklin March 17, 1872 -
Died April 2 (year cut off on letter)
Dora birth unknown but she died in infancy
Mabel Nov. 4, 1877 - Died July 1916
Gertrude March 19, 1880
Addison Roe Jan. 1885
John Married Sallie Bryan - one child, a daughter - Eula Pauline - born June 25, 1893. He died Nov. 4, 1913 - his widow & daughter live at 504 Prairie Ave. Cleburne, Texas. Mabel married Lee R. Clements - had no children and died in 1916. Gertrude married James A. Webster - had 3 children James Aubrey - lives in Texarkana, Tex. no children. William Wickham lives near Queen City Tex. Bernice Gertrude married A. E. Stephenson, Shreveport, La. They have one little girl - Madelyn Ann.

William married Mary Ann VINEYARD on 17 Oct 1865 in Jefferson Co, MO.¹ (Mary Ann VINEYARD was born on 11 Mar 1845 in Victoria, Jefferson Co, MO,⁴ died on 2 Jul 1909 in Cass Co, TX ⁴ and was buried in Queen City Cem, Queen City, Cass Co, TX ⁴.)