page_title: John E. Wool
section_title: Civil War
hierarchical_section_title: John E. Wool / Civil War
caption_attribution_description: English: The champions of the Union. Print is a group portrait of Union Army generals and Navy commanders; caption identifies each man: Genl. Heintzelman, Genl. Pope, Genl. Sherman [Thomas W.], Genl. McClernand, Genl. Grant, Genl. Curtis, , Genl. Buell, Genl. Sumner, Genl. Shields, Com. Foote, Genl. Lander, Capt. Wilkes, Genl. Sigel, Genl. Burnside, Genl. Sprague, Genl. Mansfield, Genl. Hunter, Genl. Fremont, Genl. Kelly, Com. Stringham, Genl. Prentiss, Genl. Cox, Genl. Rosecrans, Genl. Butler, Genl. Banks, Genl. Anderson, Genl. Dix, Genl. Halleck, Genl. McDowell, Act. Genl. T. F. Meagher, Com. Dupont, Genl. McClellan, Genl. Scott, Genl. Wool. Lithograph. Cropped from original.
context_page_description: John Ellis Wool was an officer in the United States Army during three consecutive U.S. wars: the War of 1812, the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War. By the time of the Mexican-American War, he was widely considered one of the most capable officers in the army and a superb organizer.
  He was one of the four general officers of the United States Army in 1861, and was the one who had the most service. When the war began, Wool, age 77 and a brigadier general for 20 years, commanded the Department of the East. He was the oldest general on either side of the war.
context_section_description: When the Civil War began in April 1861, Wool had just turned 77 years old, two years older than commander-in-chief of the US Army Winfield Scott. Unlike Scott, who suffered from obesity, gout, and other ailments, Wool was still reasonably fit and could mount a horse.
  Thus in August 1861, John Ellis Wool was named commander of the U.S. Army Department of Virginia, an office that he would hold until June 1862. He moved to equip some of the first regiments sent from New York to the nation's capital and his quick and decisive moves secured Fort Monroe, Virginia, for the Union when other military installations in the South were falling to Confederate forces. The fort guarded the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay and the James River, overlooking Hampton Roads and the Gosport Navy Yard, which the Confederates had seized.  It was to serve as the principal supply depot of Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan's Peninsula Campaign. The septuagenarian Wool thought McClellan was not aggressive enough in his push towards Richmond and in May 1862, he sent troops to occupy the Navy yard, Norfolk, and the surrounding towns after the Confederates abandoned them. The 16th U.S. President, Abraham Lincoln personally witnessed the capture of Norfolk and afterwards rewarded Wool by promoting him to a full major general in the regular army thereby becoming only the 23rd man to hold this rank since its creation in 1791.
  Deciding that Wool should have a less demanding assignment at his advanced age, the president transferred him to be the 2nd Commander of the Middle Department in June 1862, which then became the VIII Corps on July 22, 1862. J.E. Wool then served as the 1st Commander of the U.S. Army 8th Corps until December 22, 1862. On January 3, 1863, he again assumed command of the Department of the East where he served until July 18, 1863.
  But eventually Wool managed to find his way back into action. After the Battle of Gettysburg, he led troops diverted from that region in military operations to regain control in New York City during and after the draft riots in July of that year. US troops reached the city after rioters had already destroyed numerous buildings, including the Colored Orphan Asylum, which they burned to the ground. Despite the tiny force he had on hand, Wool managed to contain the situation until reinforcements arrived. Thus during July 13–17 of 1863, Wool was the de facto Military Commander of New York City.
  On August 1, President Lincoln sent an order retiring Wool from service after 51 years in the Army. At the age of 79, he was the oldest general officer to execute active command in either army during the war.
caption: Gen. Wool in The champions of the Union, lithograph by Currier & Ives, 1861
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