William Penn Lyon.



William P. Lyon.



William P. Lyon.

Birth: Oct. 28, 1822, Chatham, Columbia County, New York.

Death: Apr. 4, 1913, Santa Clara County, California.

Civil War Union Brevet Brigadier General. At the outbreak of the Civil War he was district attorney of Racine County, Wisconsin and was involved in the state Legislature. To support volunteer troops, he enlisted and was elected Captain of a company in the Eagle Regiment in 1861. As part of the 4th Army Corps, he was promoted Major in the 8th Wisconsin Infantry on January 18, 1862. With the 8th Wisconsin Infantry, he participated in various expeditions in Kentucky and Tennessee until September 1863.

In April 1864, he was promoted Colonel in command of the 13th Regiment Wisconsin Infantry assigned to guarding trains and lines of communication in northern Alabama from Confederate guerrillas. From June 1865 to November 1865, the 13th was sent to New Orleans and into Texas to repel rebel outposts. For duty diligently and faithfully performed, he was brevetted Brigadier General of U.S. Volunteers on October 26, 1865. After the war, he resumed his legal political career and served on the Wisconsin Supreme Court retiring as Chief Justice, in 1894. Toward the end of his life, he moved to California to be near his children and was active in the Grand Army of the Republic, Post 7 San Jose, until his death.

Burial: Oak Hill Memorial Park, San Jose, Santa Clara County, California.

Numbers 227. Reports of Colonel William P. Lyon, Thirteenth Wisconsin Infantry, of operations December 19-21 and 31, 1864.

HDQRS. MEMPHIS AND CHARLESTON R. R. DEFENSES, Hunstville, Ala., December 21, 1864.



William P. Lyon.



SIR: I have the honor to report to you that I left Stevenson on the afternoon of the 19th instant with one train and arrived at Woodville a little before dark. I found colonel Prosser preparing to move to Brownsborough. He moved up the river about four miles that night, and attempted to cross at the most shallow ford on that stream but the high water prevented him from doing so. He returned, and after several hours labor planking the railroad bridge we got his command across. The other trains arrived on the morning of 20th, and after leaving sixty infantry and a piece of artillery at the bridge, together with the dismounted and twenty mounted cavalry, we moved on to Brownborough, arriving there at dark. The railroad and bridges are unharmed, btu all of the block-houses were burned on the 19th. Colonel Prosser preceded us to Brownsborough, and at maysville surprised and scattered from 100 to 200 rebels, killing 3 and capturing 7; several were drowned in attempting to swim Flint River.  Hearing from a tolerably authentic source that there were 700 rebels, infantry and artillery, in Huntsville, besides their cavalry, I thought it prudent to send Colonel Prosser ahead to reconnoiter before putting my trains across Flint River. He moved in the night, arriving here at daybreak, and took quiet possession of Huntsville.

There have been but a few troops here, and they left last evening. I arrived here with the trains soon after noon. I left 35 men at Hurricane Creek and 100 at Brownsborough. Captain Williams' command, which came here with Colonel Prosser, is ordered to the latter place to-morrow morning. I also left a piece of artillery there. When the trains left Larkinsville yesterday morning Captain given's command had not arrived there,a nd, of course, no artillery was left here; but i started a train back there this morning with the artillery and ot complete the repairs to the telegraph line, which is broken in several places. I sent a guard of fifty men on this train.

I learn here that the gun-boat fleet passed down the river last night, and I therefore do not sent the detachment of the Seventy-third and One hundred nad second Ohio Volunteer Infantry to Whitesburg. We get but little intelligence here of the movements or intentions of the enemy. A report, which i deem tolerably reliable, is, that orders were received here yesterday form General Hood to hold Huntsville at all hazards, and, further, that it was his intention to make Decatur his main position, with his right resting at this place. The intelligence of Hood's defeat did not reach here until yesterday.

The enemy did but little damage in this vicinity. They carried off Judge Humphreys a prisoner, and obtained some forty recruits. We arrived here too soon for their conscription. I await intelligence from Decatur with considerable anxiety.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant, WM. P. LYON.



Judge William P. Lyon
&
Mrs. Adella C. Lyon.