Edward A. Wild facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Edward Augustus Wild
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Union Brigadier General Edward A. Wild
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| Born | November 25, 1825 Brookline, Massachusetts |
| Died | August 28, 1891 (aged 65) Medellin, Colombia |
| Place of burial |
Cementerio de San Pedro, Medellin, Colombia
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| Allegiance | Ottoman Empire United States of America Union |
| Service/ |
Ottoman Army United States Army Union Army |
| Years of service | 1855–1856 (Ottoman Empire) 1861–1866 (USA) |
| Rank |  Brigadier general |
| Commands held | 35th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry |
| Battles/wars | Crimean War, American Civil War |
| Alma mater | Harvard College |
Edward Augustus Wild (born November 25, 1825 – died August 28, 1891) was an American doctor who practiced homeopathy. He also became a brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
Contents
Early Life and Medical Training
Edward Wild was born in Brookline, Massachusetts. He was the second son of Dr. Charles Wild, who was also a homeopathic doctor.
Edward studied medicine at Harvard and Jefferson Medical College. He earned his medical degree in 1846. He also learned about homeopathy and joined the Massachusetts Society of Homeopathy. After his studies, Wild traveled to Paris, France, to learn even more about medicine.
Wild worked with his father as a doctor in Brookline until 1855. Then, he and his new wife traveled to Turkey. He joined the Ottoman Army as a medical officer and served in the Crimean War. After this, he returned to Massachusetts and continued his medical practice.
Serving in the Civil War
When the American Civil War began, Edward Wild joined the Union Army. He wanted to lead soldiers in battle instead of treating their injuries.
Early Battles and Injuries
Wild started as a captain in the 1st Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry in May 1861. He fought in the First Battle of Bull Run. He also fought in the Peninsula Campaign, where he was wounded at the Battle of Seven Pines.
In August 1862, he became a Colonel and led the 35th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. His regiment was part of the Army of the Potomac. During the Maryland Campaign, Wild was badly wounded again at the Battle of South Mountain. This injury was so severe that his left arm had to be removed. He went home to recover.
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Promoting Black Soldiers
By April 1863, Wild had recovered enough to return to duty. He was promoted to brigadier general. Wild was a strong supporter of abolitionism, which meant he wanted to end slavery. He worked hard to recruit black soldiers for the United States Colored Troops. He also helped find white officers to lead these new regiments.
Wild was friends with the famous author Harriet Beecher Stowe, who wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin. He even helped her half-brother, James C. Beecher, become an officer in one of the black regiments. When Wild returned to active duty, he helped free many enslaved people in North Carolina. He helped them settle safely on Roanoke Island. Many of these freed people then joined the military.
Wild's African Brigade
Wild took command of a group of black infantry soldiers. This group soon became known as "Wild's African Brigade." They were based in Norfolk. The brigade included the 55th Massachusetts Infantry and two North Carolina Colored Volunteer regiments. These regiments were later renamed the 36th and 37th U.S. Colored Troops.
Wild's men fought in many battles and skirmishes around Charleston, South Carolina. They also went on an expedition to South Mills and Camden Court House in December.
Petersburg Campaign and Richmond
In 1864, Wild and his black soldiers joined the Army of the Potomac. They took part in the Overland Campaign and the long Siege of Petersburg. Wild's men built and defended Fort Pocahontas. This was an earthen fort on the James River in Virginia. On May 24, during the Battle of Wilson's Wharf, the fort successfully defended against an attack by Confederate forces.
In early 1865, Wild's men guarded the Appomattox River. They were part of a large group of black troops who entered and held Richmond, Virginia, the former capital of the Confederacy. Wild's soldiers were among those who saw President Abraham Lincoln visit Richmond after the city fell to the Union forces.
After the War
After the Civil War, Edward Wild could no longer work as a doctor because of his war injuries. He then worked in silver mining in Nevada. He was a superintendent at the Diana Mine, which is now part of the Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park.
Wild traveled a lot in South America. He passed away in Medellín, Colombia, and was buried there in the Cementerio de San Pedro.
Wild is shown as a character in the 2022 historical novel Black Cloud Rising by David Wright Faladé. In the book, he commands Richard Etheridge, who was one of the first soldiers to join the African Brigade.
Images for kids
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Wild in later years
