William C. Oates | |
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| 29thGovernor of Alabama | |
| In office December 1, 1894 – December 1, 1896 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas G. Jones |
| Succeeded by | Joseph F. Johnston |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromAlabama's3rd district | |
| In office March 4, 1881 – November 5, 1894 | |
| Preceded by | William J. Samford |
| Succeeded by | George Paul Harrison, Jr. |
| Member of theAlabama House of Representatives | |
| In office 1870–1872 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1835-11-30)November 30, 1835 Pike County, Alabama, U.S. |
| Died | September 9, 1910(1910-09-09) (aged 74) Montgomery, Alabama, U.S. |
| Resting place | Oakwood Cemetery (Montgomery, Alabama) |
| Party | Democratic |
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William Calvin Oates (either November 30 or December 1, 1835 – September 9, 1910) was acolonel in theConfederate States Army during theAmerican Civil War, the29th Governor ofAlabama from 1894 to 1896, and abrigadier general in theU.S. Army during theSpanish–American War.
Oates was born inPike County, Alabama, to William and Sarah (Sellers) Oates, a poor farming family. All of his ancestors came toNorth America during thecolonial era, and all of them came from the two countries ofEngland andWales.[1] At the age of 17, he believed that he had killed a man in a violent brawl and left home forFlorida. Oates became a drifter, settling inTexas for a couple of years before returning to Alabama at the urging of his younger brother John, who the family had dispatched to locate him. He studied law at the Lawrenceville Academy inLawrenceville and passed the bar examination, and then opened a practice inAbbeville.[2]
William C. Oates joined theConfederate States Army in July 1861 and entered the army as captain, 15th Alabama Infantry Regiment, and eventually became the commander of the15th Alabama Infantry Regiment in the spring of 1863. He fought in theBattle of Gettysburg, leading his troops in a series of charges onLittle Round Top, where his brother John was killed. Oates believed that if his regiment had been able to take Little Round Top, the Army of Northern Virginia might have won the battle and marched on to take Washington, D.C. Oates later stated that if even a single additional Confederate regiment had joined the assault, the attack could have succeeded, turning the U.S. flank and threatening the entireArmy of the Potomac.[3][4]
Oates stated:
His [Col.Chamberlain's] skill and persistency and the great bravery of his men saved Little Round Top and the Army of the Potomac from defeat.[If one more Confederate regiment had stormed the far left of the Army of the Potomac with the 15th Alabama,] "...we would have completely turned the flank and have won Little Round Top, which would have forced Meade's whole left wing to retire." He concluded, philosophically, that "great events sometimes turn on comparatively small affairs."[3][dead link][4]
Oates later participated in the battles ofChickamauga,the Wilderness,Spotsylvania Court House, andCold Harbor. After losing command of his colonelcy of the 15th Alabama because of a political move, he was made colonel of the48th Alabama by Confederate PresidentJefferson Davis. Oates was wounded during the Battle of Fussell's Mill on the outskirts of Richmond, losing his right arm, which ended his active service.[5]
Oates resumed his law practice inHenry County, Alabama, and served as a delegate to the 1868 Democratic National Convention. From 1870 to 1872, he was a member of the Alabama House of Representatives. In 1880, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, serving seven consecutive terms. Oates married Sarah Toney ofEufaula on March 28, 1882, and they had one son, William Calvin, Jr., who eventually joined his father in the law practice.
Oates was elected governor of Alabama in 1894 in a bitter campaign. Two years later, he unsuccessfully tried to secure his party's nomination as a candidate for theUnited States Senate.PresidentWilliam McKinley commissioned Oates as abrigadier general in 1898, and he served in theSpanish–American War. He returned to his law practice and speculated in real estate. He tried unsuccessfully to have a monument erected at Gettysburg to his comrades in the old 15th Alabama, including his fallen brother.
Oates died inMontgomery, and was buried inOakwood Cemetery.[6]
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Media related toWilliam C. Oates at Wikimedia Commons| Party political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forGovernor of Alabama 1894 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromAlabama's 3rd congressional district March 4, 1881 – November 5, 1894 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of Alabama 1894–1896 | Succeeded by |
