John T. Wilder

John Thomas Wilder
John Thomas Wilder, c. 1861-65
Born(1830-01-31)January 31, 1830
Catskill Mountains in Hunter, Greene County, New York
DiedOctober 20, 1917(1917-10-20) (aged 87)
Jacksonville, Florida
Buried
Forest Hills Cemetery, Chattanooga, Tennessee
AllegianceUnited States of America
Union
Service / branchUnion Army
Years of service1861 – 1864
Rank Colonel
Brevet Brigadier General
Commands17th Indiana Infantry Regiment
Lightning Brigade
Battles / warsAmerican Civil War

Tullahoma Campaign

Chattanooga Campaign

Atlanta Campaign

John Thomas Wilder (January 31, 1830 – October 20, 1917) was an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War, noted principally for capturing the critical mountain pass of Hoover's Gap during the Tullahoma Campaign in Central Tennessee in June 1863. Wilder had personally ensured that his "Lightning Brigade" of mounted infantry was equipped with the new Spencer repeating rifle. However, Wilder initially had to appeal to his men to pay for these weapons themselves before the government agreed to carry the cost. The victory at Hoover's Gap was attributed largely to Wilder's persistence in procuring the new rifles, which disoriented the enemy.