page_title: William Henry Powell (soldier)
section_title: Post war
hierarchical_section_title: William Henry Powell (soldier) / Post war
caption_attribution_description: English: This is a crop of a drawing, probably 20 years after the American Civil War, of General William H. Powell of the 2nd West Virginia Cavalry. Powell was also a division commander under General Philip Sherman.
context_page_description: William Henry Powell was an American soldier who fought for the Union in the American Civil War. He was a leader in the iron and nail business before the war, and his leadership abilities proved useful in the military. Powell began as a captain, and quickly ascended to higher roles in the cavalry, including commanding a regiment, a brigade, and then a division. Powell was awarded his country's highest award for bravery during combat, the Medal of Honor, for heroism at Sinking Creek, Virginia, when, as leader of a group of 22 men, he captured an enemy camp and took over 100 prisoners. This was accomplished without the loss of any of his men on November 26, 1862. He was honored with the award on July 22, 1890.
  In July 1863, Powell was shot while leading cavalry in Wytheville, Virginia. Although surgeons on both sides of the conflict believed his wound was fatal, Powell survived—and became a prisoner of war. He was later exchanged, and returned to his command of the 2nd West Virginia Volunteer Cavalry Regiment. In 1864, Powell commanded brigades while fighting mostly in the Shenandoah Valley under the direct supervision of General William W.
context_section_description: After leaving the military, Powell returned to the iron and nail business, becoming general manager of the Ironton Rolling Mill in Ironton, Ohio. He declined a Republican nomination for congress. In the spring of 1867, he moved to Clifton, West Virginia, to form the Clifton Nail Works, which he managed. His Clifton home is now part of the National Register of Historic Places. In the Presidential election of 1868, Powell was a Ulysses S. Grant elector in the Electoral College.
  In 1870, Powell was almost killed in a horse and buggy accident, and was unable to work in the iron works business. He sold his interest in the nail works, and moved to Kansas City, Missouri. At Kansas City, Powell worked for Standard Oil until he moved to St. Louis and worked for American Central Insurance.
  In 1876, Powell had recovered enough from his accident that he could work in the iron/nail business again. This time, he moved to Belleville, Illinois, where he lived for the rest of his life. He became one of the town's most respected citizens. Powell was manager of the Waugh Company Nail Works until 1882, when he organized the Western Nail Works. He worked at this Belleville company, as president, superintendent and general manager, until 1892. During this time, one source claimed that Powell had "more intimate practical knowledge of the nail business than any other man in the United States". Two years after Powell's move to Belleville, his wife Sara died. She had been diagnosed with cancer, and died seven months later while only 54 years old. A year later in 1879, he married local resident Emma Weaver.
  Powell was acquainted with two Presidents: Hayes, and a long-time friend William McKinley—they all fought in the Army of West Virginia during the Civil War. McKinley also came from an iron-making family, and appointed Powell as an Internal Revenue Collector in 1895. Powell was a strong participant in a fraternal organization of Civil War veterans that fought for the Union, the Grand Army of the Republic. He was the Illinois department commander for that organization in 1895 and 1896.
  The bullet that wounded Powell in Wytheville was never removed. It was lodged in his lung, and contributed to health difficulties that included rheumatism and respiratory problems. Powell died at his home in Belleville on December 26, 1904. He was survived by his wife and three of his children. Powell is buried at Chicago's Graceland Cemetery.
caption: William H. Powell
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