The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-03-27
JUDGE WILLIAM II. WALLACE
Soldier, Jurist and Statesman-A
Loss to the State-Sketch of His
Life

biScuNllle ehOunldlneeT
The news will be received with sad
ness throughout the State that Judg,
William II. Wallace has passed away
He had been sick for two weeks will
grippe at his home in Union and was
thought to be improving, but suddcr
relapse took place on Thursday, 2ls
inst, which speedily terminated in hi;
death. Judge Wallace was one of the
best beloved men in South Carolina
lie had troops of friends in every part
of the State, and it is not saying toe
much that he never lost friend by
his own conduct. Upright. honorable
genial and cOmpanlonablc, from his
youth he was endearing his fellow-men
to him and received their cordial aIfcc-
ton. When the war clouds lowered
over this section in 1861 and men were
called upon TO select leaders for the con-
tlict, it was not surprising that VIM. II.
Wallace was soon chosen to command
others, for he had been schooled to the
control of himself aid was fit leader
Of men hereby. He entered the Con.
federate service as a private, but in a
months time he was adjutant Of the
regiment, afterwards lieutenant colonel
and then colonel. Later on he was
made briga,!icr general, and held that
rank until the war closed.
Gen. Wallace returned to the prac-
tice of law when the conflict of arms
had ceased, and was a quiet, honorcd
citizen of Union until it was dctcrmin-
ed in that county to break asunder the
bands of Radical domination, so far as
they were concerned. He was sent to
the Legislature in 1872, and his service
at that time was preparatory for the
stormy times in 1876, when he was to
bear conspicuous part in the rcdcmp.
ton of the State. Although IN hope
less minority for four years, Gen. Wal
lace commanded the respect of the
ignorant and vicious mob then ruling
the House, which was means to some
extent in the peaceful solution Of the
trying ordeal in 1876, after the dual
government was put in operation. The
Democratic members elected him
Speaker of the House, and to his calm
judgment, complete self-poisc and solid
determination may be attributed in
large measure the avoidance of blood
shed in the capitol when he presided
over the " Wallace House," which was
confronted by an angry and excited
band of vicious negroes, led by few
unscrupulous white men who were
daily reading the handwriting on the
wall. Cen. Wallace had won much
fame on the battlefield, but in the
crucial days Of the Wallace House,
he linked his name indissolubly with
the regeneration and redemption of his
native State, and for all time to come
he will live IN the hearts of those who
are true and faithful to the history of
those memorable days.
Bril- isadier-General William Henry
Wallace was born in Laurcns County,
March "a, 1927, son of Daniel Wal
lace, for several terms member of the
Legislature, major-general of militia,
and from 1S49 to 1858 representative
in Congress. His grandfather was
Jonathan Wallace, a native of Virginia
who removed TO South Carolina before
the war of the revolution, in which he
was patriot soldier. General Wallace
was graduated at the South Carolina
college IN December, 1919, and in the
following spring was married to Sarah,
daughter of Robert Dunlap of New
berry. She was the niece of James
by Andrew jackson, and granddaugh-
ter of William Dunlap, a revolutionary
soldier who was the grandson of John
Hunter, native OF Ireland who was
United States Senator from South Car
olina IN 1901. General Wallace was
occupied as planter i'll Union County
until 1857, when he became the pro-
prletOr of the Union Times newspaper,
and in 1859 began the practice of law
at Union. In 1860 as a member of
the Legislature he supported the call
for convention, and at the expiration
of his term he enlisted as private in
Company A, Eighteenth South Carolina
volunteers. A few days later he was
appointed adjutant of the regiment by
Col. James NJ. Gadberry, who was
killed at Second Manassas. Before
going into the field the regiment was
reorganize.l, and Wallace was elected
lieutenant.c"lonel in May, 1861. The
regiment was ordered into Virginia in
time to engage the enemy near Nal
vern Hill in August, after which it
fought at the battle of Second Manass-
as, losing about half its number in
battle, including the gallant Colonel
Gadberry. Wallace was at once pro-
NOTED colonel, and he led his regiment,
in the brigade of Gen. N. G.. Evans,
through the battles of South Mountain
and Sharpsburg with the army Of
Northern Virginia. Subsequently he
was on duty in defense of Charleston.
In the spring of 1864 the brigade under
Gen. Stephen Elliott was ordered to
Petersburg, whore Colonel Wallace
participated in the defense of the lines
and all the operations of Bushrod John.
sons division. His brigade suffered
most heavily at the battle of the Crater
four companies of his regiment being
blown m or DESTROYED hv foll;no, aorii i