Joseph "Fightin Joe" Wheeler
N 38° 52.820 W 077° 04.320
18S E 320271 N 4305537
Joe Wheeler was an 1859 graduate of the U. S. Military and was one of the best cavalry officers to serve under General Robert E. Lee during the Civil War.
Waymark Code: WMBXA0
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 06/30/2011
Views: 14
Joseph Wheeler was born on September 10, 1836 in Augusta, Georgia. He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1859, but resigned his commission in 1861 to join the Confederate States Army. Nicknamed “Fighting Joe” he quickly rose to the rank of Lieutenant General. “Fighting Joe” was considered to be one of the best cavalry leaders under the command of General Robert E. Lee. Wheeler served the in the Confederate Army throughout the War, seeing action at Shiloh, Stones River, Chattanooga, and in the Carolina Campaign. After the war he became a lawyer and served in the United States House of Representatives, where he helped heal the divide between the North and South. Wheeler was appointed major general of the volunteers by President William McKinley and served during the Spanish-American War and later as brigadier general during the Philippine Insurrection. Following retirement from military service he authored several books dealing with military history and strategy. “Fighting Joe” Wheeler died on January 25, 1906 and is resting in Section 2 of Arlington National Cemetery. Source/Credit: ( visit link)
Description: Joseph Wheeler was born near Augusta, Georgia, on September 10, 1836. An 1859 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, he resigned from the Army to join the Confederate forces in 1861 and rose rapidly to the rank of lieutenant general. Nicknamed "Fighting Joe," Wheeler was considered by General Robert E. Lee to be one of the two most outstanding Confederate cavalry leaders and saw action in many campaigns, including the opposition to Sherman's advance on Atlanta.
After the war he became a planter and a lawyer. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives during 1881-1882, 1883, and 1885-1900; there he strove to heal the breach between the North and the South and championed economic policies that would help the South. In 1898 Wheeler volunteered for the Spanish-American war. He was appointed major general of volunteers by President McKinley, saw action as a cavalry commander in Cuba, and was a senior member of the peace commission. He later commanded a brigade in the Philippine Insurrection in 1899-1900, where he was commissioned a brigadier general in the U.S. Regular Army.
Wheeler was also the author of several books on military history and strategy and civil subjects. He died on January 25, 1906, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Date of birth: 09/10/1936
Date of death: 01/25/1906
Area of notoriety: Military
Marker Type: Monument
Setting: Outdoor
Visiting Hours/Restrictions: Daily - 8 a.m to 5 p.m.
Fee required?: No
Web site: [Web Link]
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