Graham guardian., 1911-04-28
A ROMANTIC LIFE
The Late Cclcnel ]. F. VIII
son Was a Soldier, Law
yer and Statesman

excepting the colonels most inti-
mate friends, are coming to light.
There are probably not more than q
dozen persons in Arizona today who
know that Colonel Wilson was once
sentenced to be shot for killing a
negro. This sentence was imposed
by military court-martial shortly
after the close of the civil war.
After the war, Colonel Wilson,
who had been a lieutenant colonel
on the staff of Confederate General
Hood, wandered into Texas seeking
employment. He was made over
seer of plantation because of his
ability to handle negroes.
One day Wilson gave a big black
some orders which the negro re-
fused to carry out. The overseer
thereupon ordered him to give up
his team and leave the place. This
the negro refused to do, and when
Wilson started for him. he seized a
pitchfork. Wilson would have been
prodded to death had he not drawn
a revolver and shot the mutinous
negro dead.
An investigation was begun by
the United States military author
tiles. There had been no eye-wit-
nesses to the shooting except sever
al negroes. but they told the truth
in all particulars. At one time the
officer conducting the investigation
was ready to drop the case, but his
superiors insisted that an example
be made of Wilson. A court-mar-
tial was empaneled, the overseer
was convicted and sentenced to be
shot.
Wilson's employer hired lawyer,
who discovered that the day before
the shooting Of the negro, martial
law ended in Texas, the State being
turned over to the civil authorities.
The district attorney began habeas
corpus proceedings, with the result
that the military authorities were
forced to give up the prisoner.
Wilson was then tried under civil
law and acquitted.
Probably nobody knows more
about Colonel Wilson's civil war rec
ord than Thomas F. Parish, who
was a close friend of the deceased
for more than quarter of CEN
tury, and managed his campaign in
1898, when the colonel was for the
first time elected Delegate to Con-
gress from Arizona.
Born in Tennessee, Colonel Wilson
moved to Alabama when small
boy.
When he was sixteen years of
age the civil war broke out and he
enlisted as private in an Alabama
regiment. During the war he was
wounded six times, three bullets
passing entirely through his body.
He received his first wound at Shi-
loh. In after years he delighted to
tell of an experience he had during
that battle, always maintaining that
it was there he received the dis
appointment of his life.
In the course of the first days
fighting, young Wilson captured
Union soldier who had such blanket
as could not be had for love or
money in the Confederate army.
Wilson intended to keep that blanket
for himself, but could not turn over
his prisoner that day. When night
came on he decided to sleep with
his prisoner, not caring much if his
captive did escape, just so he saved
the blanket. But the youth slept
more soundly than he intended.
In the early morning he awoke,
nearly frozen. Both prisoner and
blanket were gone.
The rise of Wilson from the ranks
was rapid. Before the end of the
war he was made a lieutenant.
His last battle was at At
|anta, where his valiant service won
the Communications of General Hood. |
Giving up his position on the
Texas plantation, Colonel Wilson
went to Arkansas in 1874 and stud
ed law. Before coming to Arizona
ne served three terms as prosecuting
attorney in the Fourth Arkansas
district. He also represented Boone
county in the Arkansas legislature
n 1875. He arrived in Arizona in
1886. and one of the first friends he
made was Thomas E. Parish.
In the fall OF 1893 Colonel Wilson
vas nominated by the democratic
party of Arizona for Delegate to
Congress. His republican opponent
vas Alexander 0. Brodie, who, when
iemipated, was in New York recov-
ring frosg q wound received in
Juba. Brodie was sypected to win
N his war record, but with the help
If his old friend, Thomas E. Parish,
whom he chcee rs his campaign
Wilson won out by small
majority. Four years later, In 1909,
lie was again nominated for delegate
md defeated Robert E, Morrison.