Civil War Confederate Major General. John Wharton was born on July 3, 1828 near Nashville, Tennessee; as an infant, he was brought to Texas and spent his childhood in Brazoria County. He attended school in Galveston from the age of eight to fifteen, then studied at South Carolina College from 1846 until 1850, serving in the student cadet corps. He married Eliza Johnson, daughter of the governor of South Carolina in 1848. Upon graduation, he moved back to Texas, began work on his estate and started practicing law in Brazoria County; he was extremely successful and became very wealthy from both his practice and his plantation. At the outbreak of the Civil War, he enlisted in the Texas militia and was named captain of Company B, Eighth Texas Cavalry. When the commanders of the unit, Benjamin Terry and Thomas Lubbock, died within weeks of each other, he was named commander of the group - now named Terry's Texas Rangers after their organizer. He led his men through a series of exceptional battles: the Battle of Shiloh, where he was wounded; the 1862 Kentucky invasion, which led to his promotion to brigadier general; Murfreesboro, where he was wounded a second time; the Battle of Chickamauga, where he was promoted to major general in 1863. He was transferred to the Trans-Mississippi department in Louisiana in early 1864, leading the cavalry at the tail end of the Red River campaign. On April 6, 1865, while he was visiting General John Magruder's headquarters in Houston, General Wharton was shot and killed by another officer over a debate in military tactics. He was first buried in Hempstead near his home, but was later re-interred with full honors in the Texas State Cemetery in recognition of his service.
Civil War Confederate Major General. John Wharton was born on July 3, 1828 near Nashville, Tennessee; as an infant, he was brought to Texas and spent his childhood in Brazoria County. He attended school in Galveston from the age of eight to fifteen, then studied at South Carolina College from 1846 until 1850, serving in the student cadet corps. He married Eliza Johnson, daughter of the governor of South Carolina in 1848. Upon graduation, he moved back to Texas, began work on his estate and started practicing law in Brazoria County; he was extremely successful and became very wealthy from both his practice and his plantation. At the outbreak of the Civil War, he enlisted in the Texas militia and was named captain of Company B, Eighth Texas Cavalry. When the commanders of the unit, Benjamin Terry and Thomas Lubbock, died within weeks of each other, he was named commander of the group - now named Terry's Texas Rangers after their organizer. He led his men through a series of exceptional battles: the Battle of Shiloh, where he was wounded; the 1862 Kentucky invasion, which led to his promotion to brigadier general; Murfreesboro, where he was wounded a second time; the Battle of Chickamauga, where he was promoted to major general in 1863. He was transferred to the Trans-Mississippi department in Louisiana in early 1864, leading the cavalry at the tail end of the Red River campaign. On April 6, 1865, while he was visiting General John Magruder's headquarters in Houston, General Wharton was shot and killed by another officer over a debate in military tactics. He was first buried in Hempstead near his home, but was later re-interred with full honors in the Texas State Cemetery in recognition of his service.
Bio by: Screwtape
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