Col. Cassius Fairchild

Dictionary of Wisconsin Biography ^ | 1965

[robowombat]

Fairchild, Col. Cassius (1829–1868)

Col. Cassius Fairchild b. Franklin Mills (now Kent), Ohio, December 16, 1829 d. Milwaukee, Wisconsin, October 24, 1868 Cassius Fairchild was a Wisconsin soldier and political figure best-remembered for his military service during the Civil War.

Businessman Cassius Fairchild was the brother of Wisconsin Governor Lucius Fairchild. He was born in Ohio in 1829 and came to Madison with his family as a teenager in 1846. He attended Waukesha Academy (Carroll College) and became active in politics. In 1859 Fairchild was chairman of the Wisconsin Democratic Party and he served as a state assemblyman in 1860. From 1859-1861 he also managed the Fairchild family business interests in lumbering and real estate.

Civil War Service When war broke out, Fairchild was a member of the Governor's Guard, a local militia. He was commissioned major in the 16th Wisconsin Infantry in October, 1861, and promoted that fall to lieutenant colonel. His regiment left for the South on March 18, 1862. Three weeks later, Fairchild was commanding new recruits at the Battle of Shiloh. On the first day of battle, April 6, 1862, he was shot in the thigh and had to leave the field. He spent the next year in Madison undergoing surgery and recovering slowly from the wound.

Fairchild returned to his regiment in May 1863 in time to participate in the Siege of Vicksburg, but his injury limited his role. He took part in the capture of Vicksburg in the summer of 1863 and the subsequent Union advance through the South.

He was made colonel of his regiment on March 17, 1864, and led it through the battles of Kennesaw Mountain and Atlanta, and Sherman's March to the Sea in 1864. He was brevetted a brigadier general on March 13, 1865, and was mustered out six weeks later.

Postwar Years Fairchild returned home to Wisconsin a broken man. In 1866 he was appointed U.S. Marshal for Wisconsin, headquartered in Milwaukee. He died at age 39, on October 24, 1868, of complications from the wound he had received at Shiloh.

Links to Learn More History of the 16th Infantry by E. B. Quiner in his book, "Military History of Wisconsin" (Chicago, 1866)

View original documents related to Col. Cassius Fairchild

[Source: Dictionary of Wisconsin Biography (Madison, 1965); Milwaukee Sentinel, Oct. 26, 1868; Wisconsin State Journal, October 24, 1868; Wisconsin Magazine of History 10: E.B.Quiner, The Military History of Wisconsin (Madison, 1866): 632-643.]

[robowombat]

An example of the probably tens of thousands of men who died as a result of wounds or sickness incurred in the Civil War but not counted among the war dead as they deceased after the end of service.

[wastedyears]

Are things counted the same way for the previous century’s wars?

[Foundahardheadedwoman]

Look up the original Cassius Clay he was I think Henry Clay’s brother, may have been uncle. Had a big farm close to Richmond, Ky. called White something. The story I like most is he had a swivel cannon mounted on a balcony and when the tax collectors came on his land he would shoot at em. He was a rough old bird and had a low tolerance for B5. We need a few men of that ilk not to mention a few cannons.

[managusta]

The concept of total warfare espoused by Sherman was utilized
first by the Kaiser then by Hitler.There were no heroics in Sherman’s march just destruction against women and children.

[Istoodthewatch]

I took a course on how to trace your Civil War relatives and ordered a few pension records. An uncle (with a few greats) served in the 3rd Wisconsin who was also with Sherman on March to the Sea. Wisconsin State Historical society has a lot of good info on soldiers who served in WI regiments.