William Lawrence Utley(July 10, 1814 – March 4, 1887)[1]was an Americanportraitartist, hotel keeper, politician, newspaper editor, andUnion ArmyColonel fromRacine, Wisconsin.He served in theWisconsin State Assemblyas a Free Soiler, and in theWisconsin State Senateas a Republican.[2]In later years, he was a nominee of theGreenback PartyforCongressand for Governor of Wisconsin.
William L. Utley | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theWisconsin Senate from the7thdistrict | |
| In office January 9, 1861 – January 4, 1863 | |
| Preceded by | Nicholas D. Fratt |
| Succeeded by | Timothy D. Morris |
| Member of theWisconsin State Assembly from theRacine1st district | |
| In office January 8, 1851 – January 12, 1853 | |
| Preceded by | Horace N. Chapman |
| Succeeded by | Horace T. Sanders |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Lawrence Utley July 10, 1814 Monson, Massachusetts,US |
| Died | March 4, 1887(aged 72) Racine, Wisconsin,US |
| Resting place | Mound Cemetery Racine, Wisconsin |
| Political party |
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| Spouses |
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| Children | 4 |
| Parents |
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| Signature |  |
| Nickname | "The Abolition Colonel" |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States ArmyUnion Army |
| Years of service | 1862–1864 |
| Rank |  Colonel,USV |
| Commands | |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
Early life
editUtley was born inMonson, Massachusetts,to Hamilton and Polly Utley. At age four, his father moved the family toNewbury Center, Ohio,about twenty miles east ofCleveland.He was educated by his father and then moved toNew Yorkto further his studies as a portrait painter.[3]Utley was also an amateurviolinistand played music for his uncle's dance classes while in New York.[2]
Early career in Wisconsin
editUtley moved toRacine,in theWisconsin Territory,in 1844.[4]He was employed as a portrait artist in Racine and also taught dancing lessons. He also became proprietor of the Racine House—the first large hotel in the area.[2]
He became associated with the newly organizedFree Soil Partyin 1848, along with a large portion of the population ofRacine County.In 1850, was elected on the Free Soil ticket to theWisconsin State Assemblyfrom Racine's 1st district. He was re-elected in 1851.[2][5]
In 1852, he was appointed Adjutant General of the Wisconsin Militia by GovernorLeonard J. Farwell.When theRepublican Party of Wisconsinbecame organized in 1854, Utley became a member.[2]
He was elected to a two-year term in theWisconsin State Senatefrom the 7th District (Racine County) in 1860, where he served on the Committee for the Militia.
Civil War service
editAfter the outbreak of theAmerican Civil War,in 1861, Utley was again appointed Adjutant General of the Wisconsin Militia, this time by GovernorAlexander Randall.Utley took the lead in organizing Wisconsin's volunteer regiments for theUnioncause. Over the course of six months, he had helped raise nearly 30,000 soldiers and received a complimentary letter fromPresidentAbraham Lincolnfor his efforts.[2]
In January 1862,Louis P. Harveytook over as Governor and Utley resumed his work in the Senate. But before the end of the year, Governor Harvey was dead and GovernorEdward Salomoncommissioned Utley as a Colonel and ordered him to raise a regiment for service in theUnion Army.[2]
Camp Utleywas created out of a 75-acre lot between 16th Street and College Avenue in Racine, Wisconsin, and Utley recruited and trained men from Racine, Rock, Green, and Walworth counties.[6]The22nd Wisconsin Volunteer Infantrymustered into service September 2, 1862, under Colonel Utley and Lt. Colonel Edward Bloodgood. On September 22, they marched out with orders to proceed toCincinnatiand join theArmy of Kentuckyin blunting theConfederate Heartland Offensive.[2]
Fugitive slave incident
editThe 22nd encountered a number of escaped slaves in Kentucky. Kentucky was aslave statebut still fought on the side of the Union in the Civil War, thus Union forces were ordered to return escaped slaves to their owners. Utley refused the order and sheltered escaped slaves among his regiment, earning him the nickname the "Abolition Colonel" and the regiment the nickname the "Abolition Regiment".[2]
The case of one particular fugitive, a boy named "Adam", was well documented. Adam was claimed by JudgeGeorge Robertson,who had been Chief Justice of theKentucky Court of Appeals.At the insistence of Judge Robertson, Utley was prosecuted in the local courts for theft. Utley wrote to former Governor Alexander Randall and President Lincoln requesting their assistance in resolving the matter. On November 26, 1862, President Lincoln wrote to Judge Robertson and offered him compensation up to $500 for the loss of his slave.[2][7]
At the end of the war, an $800 judgement was rendered against Colonel Utley for having assisted the escape of Adam and other fugitive slaves. Utley paid the fine, but was later reimbursed by the U.S. government.[2][6]
Prisoner of war
editOn March 3, 1863, the 22nd was ordered toNashville, Tennessee.They were one of four regiments under the command of ColonelJohn Coburnordered to perform reconnaissance towardColumbia, Tennessee,when they encountered a Confederate force nearSpring Hill.Coburn engaged the Confederates in what would become theBattle of Thompson's Station.The Union forces were surrounded and a large number werecaptured,including Colonel Utley and Colonel Coburn. Lt. Colonel Bloodgood escaped the encirclement with about 150 men of the 22nd Wisconsin.[2]
Utley was sent toLibby Prisonwith most his captured regiment and remained there for two months until they were released in a prisoner exchange. The 22nd was re-organized atSt. Louisand Colonel Utley led them back into the field on June 12, 1863.[2]
Return
editColonel Utley led the regiment for another year in Tennessee, and then into Georgia on theAtlanta campaignunder GeneralWilliam Tecumseh Sherman.They participated in the Battles ofResaca,Adairsville (Cassville),New Hope Church,andKennesaw Mountain.[2]
In July 1864, Utley resigned due to poor health and returned to Wisconsin.[2]
Postbellum years
editIn public office, Utley was appointed Postmaster of Racine in 1869, and re-appointed in 1878.[2]
Utley and his son, Hamilton, purchased theRacineJournalin 1865, which they published for nine years. In 1874, the Utleys sold theJournaland started the RacineTimesand the UtleyDollar Weekly.
In the 1870s, Utley became associated with the newGreenback Party,and, in 1878, he began publishing theNew Deal,a Greenback paper.[2]Utley was the Greenback Party's nominee for Governor of Wisconsin in the 1884 election. Utley came in a distant fourth asJeremiah McLain Ruskwon re-election.[8]
Utley's health never fully recovered from his time in captivity. He died of diabetes at his home in Racine in 1887.[4][2]
Personal life and family
editUtley married his first wife, Louisa Wing, January 14, 1839, while living in New York. They had three children together, but only their son, Hamilton, survived to adulthood. Louisa died in 1864, a few months before Colonel Utley resigned from the Army.[2]
Utley met his second wife after the war. Sarah Wooster was the widow of Dr. Wooster, who had been a surgeon for the15th Wisconsin Volunteer Regiment.Sarah had one son from her previous marriage. Utley married Sarah Wooster on February 22, 1866. They had one son together, William L. Utley.[2]
Socially, Colonel Utley was aMasonand a member of theGrand Army of the Republic.[2]
Electoral history
editU.S. House of Representatives (1882)
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 7, 1882 | |||||
| Democratic | John Winans | 12,307 | 46.66% | +8.40% | |
| Republican | Charles G. Williams(incumbent) | 11,853 | 44.94% | −16.80% | |
| Prohibition | C. M. Blackman | 2,207 | 8.37% | ||
| Greenback | William L. Utley | 10 | 0.04% | ||
| Scattering | 1 | 0.00% | |||
| Total votes | 26,377 | 100.0% | -14.35% | ||
| DemocraticgainfromRepublican | Swing | 25.20% | |||
Wisconsin Governor (1884)
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 4, 1884 | |||||
| Republican | Jeremiah McLain Rusk(incumbent) | 163,214 | 51.00% | +3.43% | |
| Democratic | Nicholas D. Fratt | 143,945 | 44.98% | +4.37% | |
| Prohibition | Samuel D. Hastings | 8,545 | 2.67% | −2.74% | |
| Greenback | William L. Utley | 4,274 | 1.34% | −5.03% | |
| Scattering | 19 | 0.01% | |||
| Total votes | 319,997 | 100.0% | +86.20% | ||
| Republicanhold | |||||
References
edit- ^"Death of Gen. William L. Utley".Wisconsin State Journal.March 5, 1887. p. 1.RetrievedJuly 20,2020– viaNewspapers.
- ^abcdefghijklmnopqrstuPortrait and Biographical Album of Racine and Kenosha Counties, Wisconsin.Lake City Publishing Co. 1892. pp. 519–521.
- ^"Death of Col. Utley".Racine Daily Journal.Racine, Wisconsin.March 5, 1887. p. 3.RetrievedJuly 20,2020– viaNewspapers.
- ^ab"Death of Colonel Utley".The Stevens Point Journal.March 12, 1887. p. 2.RetrievedJuly 5,2015– viaNewspapers.
- ^"Utley, William L. 1814 - 1887".Wisconsin Historical Society.8 August 2017.RetrievedSeptember 8,2019.
- ^ab"1808 WISCONSIN AVE".Wisconsin Historical Society.January 2012.RetrievedSeptember 8,2019.
- ^Lincoln, Abraham(1953). Basler, Roy P. (ed.).The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, Volume 5.Rutgers University Press. pp. 512–514.ISBN9781434477071.RetrievedSeptember 8,2019.
- ^"Utley, William L. 1814 - 1887".Wisconsin Historical Society.8 August 2017.RetrievedJuly 20,2020.
- ^Heg, J. E., ed. (1882)."Biographical sketches".The Blue Book of the state of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 466–467.RetrievedDecember 8,2019.
- ^Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau."Election statistics".The Blue Book of the state of Wisconsin 1885 (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 247.RetrievedSeptember 8,2019.