William Kerley Strong facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Kerley Strong
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| Born | April 30, 1805 Duanesburg, New York |
| Died | March 16, 1867 (aged 61) New York |
| Allegiance | United States of America Union |
| Service/ |
United States Army, Union Army |
| Years of service | 1861–1863 |
| Rank |  Brigadier General |
| Spouse(s) | Helen Mary Hart |
| Children | John Lorimer |
| Other work | merchant |
William Kerley Strong (1805-1867) was a merchant and a brigadier general during the American Civil War. He was the commander of Benton Barracks and the districts of Cairo and St. Louis. Strong was also a prominent Democrat, noted his pro-Union speeches.
Biography
Strong was a wealthy wool merchant in New York. He was born on April 30, 1805 in Duanesburg, New York to Josiah Strong and Martha Green. Strong's father was a Revolutionary soldier who was part of the army noted for taking Trenton, New Jersey after crossing the Delaware River in a terrible storm. The army captured 1,000 Hessian soldiers defending the city .
Strong was married to Helen Mary Hart and they had one son, John Lorimer.
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In 1839, Strong was noted for constructing a sprawling grand mansion covering 11,634 feet of living space. The property called Rose Hill Mansion was given to Robert Swan in 1850. A contemporaneous newspaper report cited that the property, which was designated a national historic landmark, was sold to Swan's father, who gave it to him as a wedding present.
Strong died on March 16, 1867. He never recovered from his injuries after he was thrown out of his carriage.
Civil War
During the outbreak of the Civil War, Strong was travelling around Egypt. He helped the Union forces by securing weapons in France on his way home. An account cited that because of his pro-Union speeches, he gained the attention of Abraham Lincoln, who appointed him as brigadier general. He was not commissioned for field duty but he was assigned as a commander of the Benton Barracks in Missouri. In 1862, he was appointed commander of the district of Cairo, Illinois, replacing General Eleazar A. Paine, who was reassigned for violating orders. Strong was sent to New York for an unknown mission before he was appointed the commander of St. Louis from June to October 1863. He resigned his commission in October 20.
Strong was also appointed as the president of a commission that investigated the circumstances behind the evacuation of the Union forces in New Madrid, Missouri.
After the war, he settled in New York and started employing Black workers.
