William Dwight William Dwight , Jr . ( 1831 – 1888 ) , was a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War . Early life . William Dwight was born July 14 , 1831 in Springfield , Massachusetts . His father was William Dwight of the new England Dwight family who was born April 5 , 1805 . His mother was Elizabeth Amelia White , daughter of Judge Appleton White ( 1776 – 1861 ) and Mary Wilder ( 1780 – 1811 ) . Starting in 1846 he attended a military preparatory school , and was admitted to the United States Military Academy at West Point , New York in 1849 . However , he resigned January 31 , 1853 and moved to Boston to work in manufacturing . On January 1 , 1856 he married Anna Robeson . Civil War . Dwight was moving to Philadelphia for his business when the American Civil War broke out . He took a commission of captain on May 14 , 1861 . He was promoted to lieutenant colonel on June 29 , 1861 under Daniel Sickles , and full colonel on July 1 , 1861 . As commanding officer of 70th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment , Dwight led his regiment during the Battle of Williamsburg , where he was seriously wounded on May 5 , 1862 , along with losing half of his command . Left for dead on the battlefield , Dwight was found by Confederate forces and held as a prisoner of war until his eventual release in a prisoner exchange November 15 , 1862 . In recognition of his gallantry on the field , Dwight was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers to rank from November 29 , 1862 , by Presidential nomination on March 4 , 1863 , and U . S . Senate confirmation on March 9 , 1863 . He was transferred to the Western Theater where , later in 1863 , he led his brigade in the attack of Port Hudson , Louisiana . He served as chief - of - staff to Maj . Gen . Nathaniel P . Banks during the Red River Campaign in early 1864 , with service at the Battle of Mansfield and Battle of Pleasant Hill in De Soto Parish , Louisiana , Dwight was reassigned to the Eastern Theater and was attached to the 1st Division of the 19th Army Corps . Serving under General Philip H . Sheridan , Dwight later participated in the Valley Campaigns of 1864 and saw action at the battles of Winchester and Fisher ' s Hill before the end of the war . Younger brother Wilder Dwight was born April 23 , 1833 , became lieutenant colonel the 2nd Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry , and died September 19 , 1862 from wounds at the Battle of Antietam . Younger brother Howard Dwight was born October 29 , 1837 , became captain , and died May 4 , 1863 during the Battle of Port Hudson . Another younger brother Charles Dwight was born May 5 , 1842 attended Harvard University but left to join the army . Charles was lieutenant in the 70th regiment , taken prisoner in Libby Prison , but lived until March 9 , 1884 . Distant cousin Colonel Augustus Wade Dwight ( 1827 – 1865 ) died during the Battle of Fort Stedman . Following the war , Dwight went into the railroad business in Cincinnati , Ohio with another brother Chapman Dwight who was born April 30 , 1844 . He had one son , William Arthur Dwight , born June 3 , 1867 . William Dwight died on April 21 , 1888 and was buried in Forest Hills Cemetery in Boston .