page_title: William R. Rowley
section_title: Later life
hierarchical_section_title: William R. Rowley / Later life
context_page_description: William Ruben Rowley, was a lieutenant colonel, and Military Secretary on the staff of General Ulysses S. Grant during the American Civil War, later being breveted a brigadier general. After moving from New York to Galena, Illinois, he taught in the local school, while also becoming involved in local politics. While living in Galena, Rowley was a neighbor and good friends with Ulysses Grant and John Rawlins before and at the time the Civil War broke out. Under General Grant he fought in the Battle of Shiloh and the Battle of Vicksburg. He was one of nine Civil War generals that came from Galena. After serving in the Union Army he returned to Galena and service in political life. Rowley was among several officers who wrote letters for and rigorously defended Grant against claims that Grant was drinking at the Battle of Shiloh. On other occasions during his military and political career Rowley stood by Grant during times of controversy.
context_section_description: After his military career, Rowley returned to the post of Jo Daviess County Circuit Clerk until 1876, and later was judge of the county court. In July 1866, for his service in the war, Rowley was breveted Brigadier General of volunteers on Grant's recommendation. He remained friends with fellow soldier Wilbur Crummer with whom he often talked about events they shared together during the Civil War. Crummer, in his 1915 book about the battles of Fort Donelson, Shiloh and Vicksburg, noted that enemies of Grant circulated stories about his alleged drinking, and wrote of Rowley, that any time the subject came up, it would prove to be "the spark that exploded the magazine of wrath and where Rowley would typically reply: "All a damned lie", sentiments that were also shared by Crummer.
  In June 1880, while the Republican Convention was in session in Chicago, former general and president Grant and his family were living in Galena. After being persuaded by his wife and political friends to stand for a nomination and run for office a third time, he finally consented. Grant would come down town in the morning on a daily basis and would spend an hour or two with Judge Rowley, now an old friend and former comrade, at his office, and would often talk about his recent tour around the world. During the convention Rowley's office would receive many telegrams, and while Rowley and others would receive them with great interest, Grant showed little, until one arrived with some descending news about an old trusted friend, Elihu B. Washburne, also on the list of presidential nominations. Washburne, now a competitor of Grant, was withdrawing his support and making disparaging statements about Grant, which ultimately ended their long friendship. While Grant received the news in his usual calm manner, Rowley and others, however, were very outspoken with their denunciation of Washburne.
  Rowley spent his final years in Galena and died on February 9, 1886, at the age of 62, and is buried in Galena's Greenwood Cemetery.
caption: William Rowley in 1878
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