John E. Wool Document Signed "John E. Wool Capt./ in 13th Regt. Infty US Army". One page, 7" x 10", June 27, 1812, Troy ...

Description

In part: "Quackenbop and Hull (who was sent to Headquarters and returned) I have discharged on the ground that I supposed they would not pass muster in consequence of there advan[c]ed age." John Ellis Wool (1784-1869) was a career military officer having first obtained a captain's commission in the Thirteenth Infantry prior to the War of 1812. He distinguished himself in several important engagements, being wounded in both thighs during his first engagement at the storming of Queenstown Heights. Two years after signing this document, he took part in the battle of Plattsburg and for courage displayed at the engagement of Beekmantown, he was brevetted lieutenant colonel. At the outbreak of the War with Mexico in 1846, General Wool was ordered to the West to organize volunteers and within six weeks sent 12,000 fully armed and equipped troops to Texas. He then collected 3,000 troops for his own command at San Antonio and crossed the Rio Grande. He marched to Saltillo, a distance of 900 miles. Wool selected the ground on which the Battle of Buena Vista was fought, positioned the troops for action, and during the early part of the engagement had the entire command until the arrival of General Zachary Taylor. In his official report General Taylor attributes the success of the battle in a large measure to Wool's "vigilance and arduous service before the action, and his gallantry and activity on the field." He remained in command at Saltillo until November 25, 1847, when General Taylor returned to the United States and Wool succeeded to the command of the army of occupation. He retained the command until the close of the war. In 1860, he offered his services to the government and organized and equipped the first regiments of volunteers sent from New York to Washington during the Civil War.  He finally retired as a major general at the end of the war and died in 1869.