Troy Times - Veteran - Mexican War and Eleventh Regiment of Illinois

May 1, 1862

WALLACE, GEN. W. H. L. - This officer, mortally wounded at the battle of Pittsburg Landing, and since deceased, was a native of Urbana, O., where his parents resided for many years, before removing to Illinois. His father, John Wallace, was Sheriff of Champaign County in 1825-6. He has a number of relatives residing in Champaign and Clarke Counties, and two sisters, one of them the wife of Dr. Shackelford, residing here. In the Mexican War. Gen. Wallace was made Adjutant of Col. Hardin's Illinois Regiment and shared with that noble man the perils of the field of Buna Vista. On the breaking out of the present unholy rebellion Gen. Wallace, without any solicitation on his part was chosen Colonel of the Eleventh regiment of Illinois volunteers, which was raised and organized at Springfield, Ill. The regiment was one of the first to proceed to the threatened point of Cairo, and for a season was stationed at Lawn Bridge, which was considered the most strategical point in and about Cairo. After remaining at his position for several weeks, the regiment changed quarters to Bird's Point. Since that period the operations of Gen. Wallace and his Eleventh regiment are matters of striking history familiar to all. We may add that they both did good service in the siege of Fort Donelson--the former as the commander of a division, and the latter, with perhaps a single exception, bearing the heaviest brunt of that battle. The fate of Gen. Wallace at the bloody fight at Pittsburg Landing on Sunday,--the 6th of April, is familiar to all. About two o'clock of that day, and while our army were being driven from their position, he was struck down by a ball entering his head, just behind the ear, and coming out at the eye. When the General was hit he raised himself in his saddle as if to survey the field, dismounted deliberately from his horse and dropped upon the earth. He was taken up by his Aids and carried some distance, but they were so hard pressed by the enemy that they were obliged to leave him to their tender mercies. He was soon after discovered by some of the enemy. His watch was taken from him and a blanket thrown over him, and he thus remained about twenty hours, during the prevalence of the battle and a severe storm. The next day, when our forces recovered the ground lost, he was discovered as left the day before, entirely senseless. He was a very accomplished lawyer, practicing mainly in Ottowa and adjoining counties in Northern Illinois. He was a staunch Republican and a man of liberal _______________opponent of Hon. Owen Lovejoy before the Republican party, for the nomination to Congress from the third Congressional District of Illinois.