William Bedford Royall Brigadier General, United States Army |
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| William
Bedford Royall was born in Virginia, April 15, 1825. His first entrance
into military life was as a lieutenant of Missouri mounted volunteers during
the Mexican War. While passing westward on the Santa Fe trail in command
of a company of recruits, in the valley of Coon creek, near the present
town of Kinsley, May 19, 1848, he had his initiation as an Indian fighter.
At the organization of the Second United States Cavalry, March 3, 1855, he was commissioned a First Lieutenant. He was promoted to a Captaincy March 21, 1861. Although he was a Virginian by birth, a nephew of General Sterling Price, and could undoubtedly have met with more rapid advancement had he chosen to cast his fortunes on the side of the Confederacy, he never wavered in his loyalty to the Union cause. His regiment was attached to the Army of the Potomac throughout the Civil War, at the close of which he had reached the grade of Major, with the brevet ranks of Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel. After the close of the war his regiment was transferred to the western plains, where it saw active service against the Indians in the valleys of the Smoky Hill and the Republican in northwestern Kansas. On December 3, 1875, he was commissioned Lieutenant Colonel of the Third cavalry. The following year he was in command of the Cavalry, ten troops of his own regiment and five troops of the Second, attached to General Crook's command on the Yellowstone expedition. He was promoted to the rank of Colonel November
1, 1882, and was retired with the rank of Brigadier General October 19,
1887. He died at Washington, D. C., December 13, 1895.
Escaping from Texas in the beginning of the civil war, he was commissioned as Captain, 21 March, 1861, and was engaged at Falling Waters, the siege of Yorktown, Williamsburg, Hanover Court-House, where he earned the brevet of Major, and Old Church, where he cut through the enemy to escape capture, receiving sabre wounds which disabled him for several years. He was brevetted Lieutenant Colonel, was made a Major on 7 December, 1863, and during the remaining period of the war was engaged in recruiting service. On 13 March, 1865, he was brevetted Colonel.
In 1868 he took the field against the hostile Indians in Kansas, commanding
in a combat at Prairie Dog creek. For a part of the time he was the commander
of the Republican river expedition of 1869, and was engaged in several
affairs with the hostile Indians. He was promoted Lieutenant Colonel on
2 December, 1875, and in 1876 took part in the Yellowstone expedition,
and was engaged at Rosebud creek and in other actions. He was promoted
Colonel of Cavalry on 1 November, 1882, and retired from active service
on 19 October, 1887.
Appointed from Missouri, First Lieutenant,
2nd Missouri Infantry, 31 July 1846
ROYALL, ELIZABETH C W/O W B
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