William McKee Dunn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William McKee Dunn
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William M. Dunn
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| Born | December 12, 1814 Hanover, Indiana |
| Died | July 24, 1887 (aged 72) Dunn Loring, Virginia |
| Buried |
Oak Hill Cemetery, Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
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| Allegiance | United States of America Union |
| Service/ |
United States Army Union Army |
| Years of service | 1863–1881 |
| Rank |  Brigadier General |
| Commands held | Judge Advocate General of the Army |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War Indian Wars |
| Other work | U.S. Representative |
William McKee Dunn (born December 12, 1814 – died July 24, 1887) was an important American politician and military lawyer. He served as a U.S. Representative for Indiana. Later, he became the top lawyer for the United States Army, known as the Judge Advocate General.
William Dunn: Early Life and Career
William McKee Dunn was born on December 12, 1814, in Hanover, Indiana. His father, Williamson Dunn, helped start Hanover College. William went to the first school in Hanover.
He graduated from Indiana College in 1832. After that, he taught math at Hanover College. In 1835, he earned a Master of Arts degree from Yale University. He then studied law and became a lawyer in 1837. He started his own law practice in Madison, Indiana.
In 1848, Dunn was elected to the Indiana House of Representatives. He also helped write the state's new constitution in 1850. He joined the Republican Party. He was elected to the U.S. Congress twice, serving from 1859 to 1863.
During his time in Congress, he supported Abraham Lincoln. In 1860, he compared Lincoln to President Andrew Jackson. This made Lincoln happy. Dunn also led the Committee on Patents. He tried to get re-elected in 1862 but did not win.
William Dunn During the Civil War
When the American Civil War began, Dunn helped the Union Army. While still in Congress, he worked as an assistant to General George B. McClellan. This was in 1861, during a campaign in western Virginia.
After leaving Congress, Dunn joined the army full-time. The Governor of Indiana, Oliver P. Morton, gave him a military job. From 1863 to 1864, he was a major and a judge advocate general in the Department of the Missouri. This meant he was a military lawyer.
In 1864, he became a lieutenant colonel. He was the Assistant Judge Advocate General of the U.S. Army. This made him the second-highest lawyer in the Army's legal department. By the end of the war, he was recognized as a brigadier general.
After the Civil War
After the Civil War ended, William Dunn stayed in the Regular Army. He continued to work as a military lawyer. On December 1, 1875, he was promoted to brigadier general. He became the Judge Advocate General, the top lawyer for the entire U.S. Army.
He retired from the army on January 22, 1881.
William McKee Dunn passed away on July 24, 1887. He died at his summer home in Dunn Loring, Virginia. He was buried in Oak Hill Cemetery in Washington, D.C.
