William Henry Gilder, Brevet Major (USA)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Henry_Gilder

William Henry Gilder (16 August 1838–1900), was an American soldier, journalist, explorer and writer.

Biography

He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of a clergyman, also named William Henry Gilder. At the beginning of the Civil War, the younger Gilder enlisted in the 5th New York Infantry (Duryée's Zouaves), was transferred to the 40th New York, and was mustered out with the rank of captain and brevet major. During a large part of the war he served on the staff of Gen. Thomas W. Egan.

From 1871 to 1877, he was managing editor of the Newark Register and from 1878 to 1880 was second in command on the expedition of Frederick Schwatka to King William Land in search of the relics of Sir John Franklin. This expedition was marked by the longest sledge journey on record at that time — 3,251 statute miles. He accompanied the De Long expedition on Rodgers under Captain Berry and, after the burning of the vessel on the western shore of Bering Strait, made a midwinter journey of nearly 2,000 miles (3,200 km) across Siberia to telegraph to the government the news of the disaster. He afterwards participated in the search for De Long in the Lena delta. In 1883 he was in Tongking as a war correspondent during the French-Annamese conflict and in 1884 visited the region of the earthquakes in Spain. On his expeditions and travels he was a correspondent of the New York Herald. He published Schwatka's Search: Sledging in the Arctic in Quest of the Franklin Records (1881) and Ice-Pack and Tundra (1883).

He was the brother of Richard Watson Gilder, Jeannette Leonard Gilder and Joseph Benson Gilder.

William Henry Gilder was born on August 16, 1838. His grandfather was a member of the Pennsylvania Legislature, and laid the corner stone of Girard College in Philadelphia. Even as a boy he displayed an adventurous and heroic nature, once rescuing a smallpox victim from a burning house.

Gilder was living in Bordentown, NJ at the outbreak of the Civil War. He enlisted on April 19, 1861 at the age of 22 as a Private in Company B, 5th New York Volunteers (Duryee’s Zouaves). On Oct. 12, 1861 Gilder was appointed 1st Sergeant in Company E, 9th New Jersey Volunteers, however he never joined the unit. On Jan. 11, 1862 he was promoted to Corporal and in March became a member of the 5th New York Color Guard. In August Gilder was promoted to Sergeant.

Gilder was reported sick with sunstroke at White House Landing, VA on May 26, 1862. He was detailed on recruiting service from of July 23, 1862 till Sept. 10, 1862. Gilder was placed on detached service on Nov. 14, 1862 in order to receive a commission as 2nd Lieutenant of Company H, 40th New York Volunteers (the Mozart Regiment), a regiment in which his father served as Chaplain. He was officially discharged from the 5th New York on Jan. 7, 1863. On Jan. 10, 1863 Gilder was promoted to 1st Lieutenant. The following month he was promoted to Regimental Adjutant.

During the Battle of Gettysburg on July 2, 1863, Gilder was wounded in the arm and leg and escaped capture by running for nearly a mile despite his wounds. Gilder nursed his sick father who was suffering with small pox until his death in April of 1864 at Brandy Station, VA. On Oct. 6, 1864 Gilder was promoted to Captain and assigned to the staff of Gen. Thomas Egan. That same month he was wounded at Hatcher’s Run, VA. Gilder served until the end of the war, receiving a promotion to Brevet Major for “gallant and meritorious conduct.”

Following the war, Gilder opened an art studio in Newark, NJ before becoming Managing Editor of the Newark Register which was founded by his brother. From 1878 through 1881 Gilder served as second-in-command of the expedition led by Lieut. Frederick Schwatka to search for Sir John Franklin's lost expedition. The expedition made a sledge journey through King William’s Land which lasted twelve months and covered 3,250 miles, a world record. The expedition recovered the remains of Lieut. Irving, a member of the ill-fated Franklin Expedition. On one trip, lasting fifty-four days, Gilder was alone with a driver who had sworn to kill him.