# Julius White

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American businessman and Civil War general (1816–1890)

Julius White 10th United States Minister to Argentina In office June 5, 1868 – July 8, 1869 President Andrew Johnson Ulysses S. Grant Preceded by Robert C. Kirk Succeeded by Thomas O. Osborn Chairman of the Cook County Board of Commissioners In office December 4, 1871 – December 1872 Preceded by office established Succeeded by Henry B. Miller Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Milwaukee 3rd district In office January 1, 1849 – January 7, 1850 Preceded by William W. Brown Succeeded by Edward McGarry Personal details Born (1816-09-23)September 23, 1816 Cazenovia, New York, U.S. Died May 12, 1890(1890-05-12) (aged 73) Evanston, Illinois, U.S. Resting place Rosehill Cemetery, Chicago, Illinois Party Republican Whig (before 1854) Spouse Catherine Frances Collins (died 1892) Children Edward Macon White (b. 1841; died 1873) Mildred (Roanne) (b. 1846; died 1881) Fremont White (b. 1850; died 1851) Lizzie Ruggles (Sullivan) (b. 1852; died 1917) Henry Teneyck White (b. 1853; died 1942) Signature Military service Allegiance United States Branch/service United States Army Union Army Years of service 1861–1865 Rank Brig. General Brevet Major General Commands 37th Reg. Ill. Vol. Infantry 2nd Div., XXIII Corps 1st Div., IX Corps Battles/wars American Civil War Battle of Pea Ridge Battle of Harpers Ferry Battle of Campbell's Station Siege of Knoxville Battle of the Crater Battle of Globe Tavern

**Julius White** (September 23, 1816 – May 12, 1890) was an [American](/source/Americans) businessman and [brigadier general](/source/Brigadier_general_(United_States)) in the [Union Army](/source/Union_Army) during the [American Civil War](/source/American_Civil_War). [After the war](/source/Reconstruction_era_of_the_United_States), he served as [U.S. Minister (ambassador)](/source/List_of_ambassadors_of_the_United_States_to_Argentina) to [Argentina](/source/Argentina).

## Early life and career

Born September 23, 1816, in [Cazenovia](/source/Cazenovia%2C_New_York), [New York](/source/New_York_(state)), White left New York at the age of twenty for [Chicago](/source/Chicago), [Illinois](/source/Illinois), where he took up various business pursuits. He later moved to [Milwaukee](/source/Milwaukee), [Wisconsin](/source/Wisconsin), to pursue commercial business there, including as an [insurance agent](/source/Insurance_agent).[1] He was elected in 1848 to the [2nd Wisconsin Legislature](/source/2nd_Wisconsin_Legislature) as a [Whig](/source/Whig_Party_(United_States)) member of the [Wisconsin State Assembly](/source/Wisconsin_State_Assembly), serving a single one-year term. Soon after that, he returned to the Chicago area, where he became a prominent insurance agent and [underwriter](/source/Underwriter), becoming president of the Chicago Board of Underwriters [2] and a member of the [Chicago Board of Trade](/source/Chicago_Board_of_Trade). During the [Presidential election of 1860](/source/Presidential_election_of_1860), White invited [Abraham Lincoln](/source/Abraham_Lincoln) (a former fellow Whig and described in contemporary accounts as an "old friend" of Lincoln) to visit him in his newly-purchased home in [Evanston](/source/Evanston%2C_Illinois) in April, where he was entertained, feted and is described as enjoying himself before staying overnight.[3]

On March 30, 1861, now-President Lincoln appointed White [customs collector](/source/Import_duties) for the [Port of Chicago](/source/Port_of_Chicago).[4]

## Civil War

White resigned his post in Customs when he received a commission as [colonel](/source/Colonel_(United_States)) of the [37th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment](/source/37th_Illinois_Volunteer_Infantry_Regiment) on September 19, 1861. He led the [regiment](/source/Regiment) in the southwest [Missouri](/source/Missouri) campaign of [John C. Fremont](/source/John_C._Fremont) in late 1861. At the [Battle of Pea Ridge](/source/Battle_of_Pea_Ridge) on March 7, 1862, his brigade of two [Illinois](/source/Illinois_in_the_American_Civil_War) regiments blunted the attack of [Louis Hebert](/source/Louis_Hebert_(colonel))'s [Confederates](/source/Confederate_States_Army). On March 8, his troops participated in the final attack that defeated the Southern army.

White was promoted brigadier general on June 9, 1862, and led the "Railroad" Brigade, [VIII Corps](/source/VIII_Corps_(ACW)).[5] During the [Second Battle of Bull Run](/source/Second_Battle_of_Bull_Run), this unit was posted in [Martinsburg, West Virginia](/source/Martinsburg%2C_West_Virginia), on the [Baltimore & Ohio Railroad](/source/Baltimore_%26_Ohio_Railroad). In the face of [Robert E. Lee](/source/Robert_E._Lee)'s invasion of [Maryland](/source/Maryland), White retreated into [Harper's Ferry, West Virginia](/source/Harper's_Ferry%2C_West_Virginia), and joined Colonel [Dixon S. Miles](/source/Dixon_S._Miles) and his large garrison there. "White outranked Miles, but he followed military protocol by putting himself under the officer commanding on the scene in a crisis."[6] This was an unfortunate decision for White because Miles proved to be incapable of mounting an effective defense of the position. The [Battle of Harpers Ferry](/source/Battle_of_Harpers_Ferry) was fought September 12–15, 1862, from a highly disadvantageous position compounded by Miles's numerous strategic mistakes. After he ran up the white flag, one of the last shots mortally wounded Miles. Therefore, White had to carry out the formal surrender of the place. For surrendering, White was brought before a court of inquiry, but he was acquitted when the court "found that he acted with capability and courage."[7]

White was assigned to the [XXIII Corps](/source/XXIII_Corps_(ACW)) where he commanded the 2nd Division in the [Knoxville Campaign](/source/Knoxville_Campaign) in 1863.[8] In July 1864, he was sent to the Eastern Theater to command a division in the IX Corps. He briefly served as [Ambrose Burnside](/source/Ambrose_Burnside)'s chief of staff during the [battle of the Crater](/source/Battle_of_the_Crater). He commanded the 1st Division in the IX Corps at the [battle of Globe Tavern](/source/Battle_of_Globe_Tavern). This division was discontinued late in the Summer of 1864 and White resigned on November 19, 1864. He was breveted [major general](/source/Major_general_(United_States)) for war service.

## Postbellum career

White returned to the insurance industry after the war. In 1871, when [Cook County](/source/Cook_County%2C_Illinois) adopted a new form of government by a [Cook County Board of Commissioners](/source/Cook_County_Board_of_Commissioners), White was not only elected to the board from one of the non-Chicago districts, but was elected its first [chairman](/source/Chairman), even though ten of the fifteen commissioners were from Chicago.[9]

In 1872, White left the insurance business and went into [real estate](/source/Real_estate).[2] He was one of the founding members of First Congregational Church of Evanston in 1869.[10]

White served as [U.S. Minister to Argentina](/source/United_States_Ambassador_to_Argentina) from November 1873 to March 1874.[7]

Julius White's grave at Rosehill Cemetery, Chicago

He died May 12, 1890, in Evanston, and is buried at [Rosehill Cemetery](/source/Rosehill_Cemetery) in Chicago.

Locust Street in Chicago's [Loop](/source/Chicago_Loop) was formerly named White Street after White.[11][12]

## See also

- [American Civil War portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:American_Civil_War)
- [Politics portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Politics)

- [List of American Civil War generals (Union)](/source/List_of_American_Civil_War_generals_(Union))

## References

- *Battles and Leaders of the Civil War,* Volume 3. Secaucus, NJ: Castle. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-89009-571-X](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-89009-571-X)

- [Boatner, Mark M. III](/source/Mark_M._Boatner_III) (1988). [*The Civil War Dictionary*](https://archive.org/details/civilwardictiona0000boat) (Revised ed.). New York: [David McKay](/source/David_McKay_Publications). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-8129-1726-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-8129-1726-0).

- Eicher, John H., and [Eicher, David J.](/source/David_J._Eicher), *Civil War High Commands*, Stanford University Press, 2001, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-8047-3641-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-8047-3641-3).

- Sears, Stephen W. *Landscape Turned Red: The Battle of Antietam.* New Haven: Ticknor & Fields, 1983. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-89919-172-X](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-89919-172-X)

## Footnotes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Buck, James Smith. *Pioneer History of Milwaukee: Under the Charter* Milwaukee: Symes, Swain & Co., Printers: 1884; p. 231

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Andreas,_Alfred_Theodore_1886._p._636_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Andreas,_Alfred_Theodore_1886._p._636_2-1) Andreas, Alfred Theodore. *History of Chicago: From the earliest period to the present time*. Chicago: A. T. Andreas, 1884-1886. Vol. 3, p. 636

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [Currey, Josiah Seymour. *Abraham Lincoln's Visit to Evanston in 1860* Evanston: City National Bank, 1914](https://books.google.com/books?id=1rXfAAAAMAAJ&q=Abraham+Lincoln's+Visit+to+Evanston+in+1860)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Andreas, Alfred Theodore. *History of Chicago: From the earliest period to the present time*. Chicago: A. T. Andreas, 1884-1886. Vol. 3, p. 385

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Eicher p.566

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Sears, p. 122.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Boatner,_p._914_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Boatner,_p._914_7-1) Boatner, p. 914.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Battles & Leaders, p. 751.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Johnson, Charles B. *Growth of Cook County Vol. 1: A History of the Large Lake-Shore County That Includes Chicago* Chicago: Board of Commissioners of Cook County, Ill., 1960; pp. 100-101

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["First Congregational marks 150 years" *Evanston Now* October 9, 2019](https://evanstonnow.com/first-congregational-marks-150-years/)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Andreas, Alfred Theodore. *History of Chicago: From the earliest period to the present time*. Chicago: A. T. Andreas, 1884-1886. Vol. 1, p. 196

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Currey, Josiah Seymour. *Chicago: Its History and Its Builders: A Century of Marvelous Growth* Chicago: S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1912; vol. 3, p. 353

## External links

- Media related to [Julius White](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Julius_White) at Wikimedia Commons

Military offices Regiment established Command of the 37th Illinois Infantry Regiment September 18, 1861 – June 9, 1862 Succeeded by Col. Myron S. Barnes Wisconsin State Assembly Preceded by William W. Brown Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Milwaukee 3rd district January 1, 1849 – January 7, 1850 Succeeded by Edward McGarry Diplomatic posts Preceded by Robert C. Kirk United States Minister to Argentina June 5, 1868 – July 8, 1869 Succeeded by Thomas O. Osborn

v t e United States ambassadors to Argentina Chargé d'Affaires Rodney Forbes Baylies Brent Harris Pendleton Minister Resident Peden Yancey Cushman Palmer Kirk Asboth Worthington Kirk White Osborn Hanna Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Hanna Pitkin Buchanan Lord Barrett Beaupre Eddy Sherrill Garrett Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Stimson Riddle Jay Bliss Weddell Armour Braden Messersmith Bruce Griffis Bunker Nufer Beaulac Rubottom McClintock Martin Burgess Lodge Hill Castro Shlaudeman Ortiz Gildred Todman Cheek Godard (a.i.) Rocha (a.i.) Walsh Gutierrez Wayne Martínez Mamet Prado Carlson (a.i.) Stanley Lamelas

Authority control databases International VIAF FAST WorldCat National United States Other NARA SNAC

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Julius White](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_White) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_White?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.