William Francis Draper, Union Brigadier General, 25th & 36th Massachusetts InfantryRegiment

- William Francis Draper, Union Brigadier General, 25 th and 36 th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, U.S. Congressman from Massachusetts - MAJOR GENERAL AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE AND THE NINTH ARMY CORPS; A Narrative of Campaigns in North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee, During the War for the Preservation of the Republic by Woodbury, Augustus. 8vo. A beautiful 1867 1st Edition covering the career of this controversial Civil War General, removed from his position after being trounced at the Battle of Fredericksburg. This copy bears the gift inscription on the rear end paper of Civil War General William F. Draper, who served early in the war in Burnsides Corps. Green cloth with titling stamped in gilt. 554pp. Square tight binding. Clean interior, save for a small previous owner stamp to rear pastedown. Mild rubbing and edge wear. A desirable edition. On the 9th of August William F Draper enlisted in a local volunteer company that his father was instrumental in raising. This latter became Company B of the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts Regiment, and William F. Draper was chosen second lieutenant, although then but a little over nineteen years old. His war experience extended over nearly four years of active campaigning. In the Burnside Expedition he became signal officer on the general's staff. While in this position he went through the battles of Roanoke Island, Newbern and Fort Macon, after which he was promoted to first lieutenant and returned to his regiment. In August 1862, he was commissioned captain in the Thirty-sixth Massachusetts, and joined his regiment just after the battle of South Mountain, Maryland. With the Thirty-sixth he went through the rest of the Antietam Campaign and battle of Fredericksburg, and was then, with the corps, sent to Newport News. In June 1863, he went to join Grant's army at Vicksburg, taking part in the capture, and subsequently in the march to Jackson and the fighting in that locality. His regiment was reduced by battles and sickness from 650 in June to 198 in September. During this campaign he was promoted major of the regiment. In August 1863, he returned to Kentucky, and marched through Cumberland Gap into East Tennessee. Here his regiment stayed through the winter, engaging in the siege of Knoxville and battles of Blue Spring, Campbell's Station and Strawberry Plains, Major Draper commanding after the 10th of October, Colonel Goodell having been wounded. In the spring of 1864, his corps was moved to Annapolis, partially recruited, and then joined the Army of the Potomac. In the Battle of the Wilderness, on the 6th of May, while leading his regiment he was shot through the body, and fell on a rifle pit just being captured by his men. After having been left on the field as hopelessly wounded, and being captured by the rebels, he was recaptured by his men. He was commissioned lieutenant-colonel from this date, as his regiment was too small, from loss is the severe fighting, to muster a full colonel. After partially recovering from his wound, he joined his regiment during the siege of Petersburg, and took command of a brigade at the Weldon Railroad engagement. A month later, at Poplar Grove Church and Pegram Farm, his division was severely engaged and cut off from its corps. His regiment was the only one of the brigade that came out as an organization, and they brought back the colors of several others. He was again wounded in the shoulder by a nearly spent ball. On the 12th of October his service expired, and he accepted a discharge, as his wounds were troublesome. He was brevetted colonel and brigadier general for gallant service during the war. Both his regiments were fighting regiments. The Twenty-fifth Massachusetts losing seventy percent of their number, killed or wounded, in one engagement (Cold Harbor), a record broken by but three others in the whole army, while the Thirty-sixth Massachusetts, in the campaign beginning with the Wilderness, had every field and line officer, except one, killed or wounded, and three-fourths of the enlisted men. William F. Draper was chosen second lieutenant although he was only a little over nineteen years old. He served for 4 years and was severely wounded in the battle of Wilderness, though he returned to the field later. He was made a brigadier-general for gallant service during the war." Both regiments he was engaged with were fighting regiments. The 25th Massachusetts had nearly seventy percent of their number wounded or killed at Cold Harbor, while the 36th Massachusetts, in the campaign beginning with the Wilderness, had every field and line officer, except one, killed or wounded. After the war he joined his family's textile machine manufacturing business at Hopedale, Massachusetts, and patented many improvements. He also served as delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1876. He went on to serve as colonel on the staff of Governor John Davis Long from 1880 to 1883. Draper was elected as a Republican to the Fifty-third and Fifty-fourth Congresses (March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1897). Draper served as chairman of the Committee on Patents (Fifty-fourth Congress), however he was not a candidate for renomination in 1896. He later served as president of the Draper Co. upon its incorporation in 1896. Later he was the Ambassador and Minister Plenipotentiary to Italy 1897–1899.