Biography - George Wright
CAPT. GEORGE WRIGHT. Conspicuous among those of foreign birth who
periled their lives and fortunes to help save the Union during the Civil War
Capt. George Wright is not the least worthy of mention. Since the close of
the Rebellion he has shown the value of his citizenship in a far different
field as a farmer of this county who for several years has interested
himself in the introduction of fine horses into this part of the State,
having a well-equipped stock farm in Pickaway Township, where he and his son
are quite extensively engaged in breeding horses, and have several valuable
thoroughbreds of the best strains, besides some imported stock of the purest
blood.
Capt. Wright was born in Hutton, Yorkshire, England, October 13, 1825. His
father, Robert Wright, was a native of the same shire, as was the
grandfather of our subject who spent his whole life among the Yorkshire
wolds. The father of our subject was reared to agricultural pursuits and
always carried on his occupation in his native shire. He married Eleanor
Bradley, who also passed her entire life in Yorkshire. She was the mother of
six children, only two of whom came to this country, our subject and his
sister Frances. The latter married Robert Dobson, and lives in Shelbyville.
At the early age of seven years the Captain commenced to earn his own
living, as his parents were in poor circumstances, and he worked out by the
year in different English shires until 1847, when he obtained employment in
the chemical works at South Shields, where he remained two years. Ambitious
to see something of the world and to make more of life than was possible in
the land of his birth, in the pride and vigor of early manhood, he set sail
from Liverpool in the month of May in the vessel "De Witt Clinton," bound
for these shores, and landed at New York after a three weeks' voyage. He
went directly to Massillon, Ohio, where he obtained work as a farm hand, and
he resided there until 1858. In that year he made a new departure, and
coming to this county, began his independent career as a farmer by
purchasing two hundred and forty acres of wild prairie, paying $9 an acre
for one hundred and sixty acres of it, and $12.50 for the remaining eighty
acres. He was a single man at that time, but he had the help and
encouragement of his sister, with whom he resided until 1861.
In that year the war broke out, and our subject responded quickly to the
call for troops first given, with all the loyalty to the Government under
which he had come to build up a new home, and with all the patriotism of a
native-born citizen. So rapidly did volunteers come forward in this county
that the quota was filled before our subject was mustered in, and he had to
wait until the 25th of May before his name was enrolled as a member of
Company B, Fourteenth Illinois Infantry, under Col. John M. Palmer, July 25,
1861, his regiment crossed from Quincy to Missouri, and was stationed in
that State until the ensuing winter, being at different times quartered at
Rolla, Macon City, Sturgeon, Jefferson City, Lipton, Springfield, Sedalia
and Otterville, or wherever their services were most needed, being at the
latter place the greater part of the season of 1861 and till the 1st of
February, 1862. When Gen. Lyon fought his famous battle at Wilson's Creek,
and when Mulligan was engaged at Lexington, our subject and his comrades
were sent to re-enforce them but arrived too late both times to be of much
use. While at Jefferson City our subject received his promotion to be Second
Lieutenant of his company September 28, 1861.
When his regiment left its winter quarters it was dispatched across the
Mississippi River to Ft. Donelson, and much to the disappointment of the
brave men it arrived too late for the battle. They were, however, in good
season for the engagement at Shiloh, or Pittsburg Landing, April 6, 1862,
and did some desperate fighting in that dreadful battle, as is shown by the
fact that two hundred out of their five hundred were left on the field at
the end of the encounter. On that occasion, while faithfully performing his
duty, and cheering his men on to the conflict, Capt. Wright, received a
bullet wound in the left arm.
October 25, 1872, marked another important event in the brave officer's
military career, and it was on that date that he received his commission as
First Lieutenant, to date September 13, 862, and reading "Promoted for
meritorious service at Pittsburg Landing." When the attack was made on
Corinth, the Fourteenth Illinois distinguished itself for conspicuous
gallantry in the fore-front of the battle. Its next move was to Grand
Junction and La Grange, and June 17, 1862, found it at Holly Springs, Miss.
The following October it was in the heat of battle at Metamora, sometimes
called the battle of Hatchie. Our subject and his comrades spent the winter
of 1862-63 at Lafayette, Tenn., and the following spring and summer were in
active service in the famous siege of Vicksburg. Here again our subject was
honored by promotion to the position of Captain, receiving his commission,
which was dated May 8, 1863, June 30, 1863. After Vicksburg had fallen he
led his men in the battle of Jackson, Miss., and afterward camped at
Natchez. He was subsequently detailed with his company to escort Adj.-Gen.
Thomas to New Orleans. He rejoined his regiment near Vicksburg, and in the
opening month of 1864 he and a number of his fellows veterans returned to
Illinois, where he obtained furloughs for his men at Springfield. For a
month after that he was on detached duty recruiting troops in this county.
In the spring he returned to his regiment, which was then stationed at
Memphis, but he shortly returned to Illinois with Col. Hall, the commander
of his regiment to assist him in obtaining recruits. Having replenished the
regiment to the required number, they returned to the seat of war, arriving
at Cairo May 13, 1864, and were soon at the front.
The term of enlistment of the Fourteenth Illinois expired while at
Huntsville, Ala., and soon returned to Springfield, Ill., where Capt. Wright
was mustered out of the service, having served long and faithfully and he
returned to this county with his honors thick upon him.
The Captain took up the work that he had laid down to do battle for his
adopted country, and was engaged in farming in Todd's Point Township for a
time, his own land being leased. In 1870 he took up his residence once more
on his farm in Pickaway Township, and has since occupied a leading place
among the most intelligent and progressive farmers of this section. He has
always dearly loved a fine horse, which he rightly considers one of the
noblest of animals, and a few years ago he turned his attention to raising
horses in company with his son, and they have met with signal success in
their enterprise. They now have five costly, valuable stallions, four of
them imported, as follows: "Thornton Echo" was foaled in La Fylde,
Lancastershire, England; "Royal Oak" was bred in Cambridgeshire, "Rampton"
was bred in Lincolnshire, "Arthur" is a fine roadster, half Hambletonian and
half Cleveland Bay; and one of the handsomest and most promising of the
stallions is "Castleraugh," an English hackney, bred in Effingham,
Yorkshire, England, imported to this country in 1890. Messrs. Wright also
have three imported English shire mares: "Lady Cannock." No. 2350, bred in
Leicestershire; "Queen Sarah," No. 2352, bred in Lincolnshire; "Queen
Henrietta," No. 2351, bred in Lincolnshire. These horses constitute one of
the best selected and most valuable studs in this part of the country, and
in their purchase the Captain laid the foundation of a business that is
increasing each year, and he has already become known as a horseman of
superior judgment, of marked capability and far-reaching enterprise, who
seems to know the good points of a horse intuitively, and is never deceived
in the worth of an animal. In his son, a young man of much force of
character, he has an able coadjutor.
December 29, 1864, Capt. Wright contracted a marriage with Miss Jennie
Turner that has added greatly to his well-being. Its happiness has been
enchanced by the five children born unto them, namely, John Sherman,
Florence Agnes, Frances Helena, Annie Jane and Alice Maud. Mrs. Wright is
also of English birth and antecedents, born in Lancastershire, and a
daughter of John Turner. She came to America in 1862.
Before the war our subject was a Democrat, and was a devoted follower of the
famous Stephen A. Douglas. The war seems to have changed his political views
decidedly, as since he left the army he has been a strong Republican, and
the party has no more ardent advocate in this section than he.
Extracted 09 Apr 2018 by Norma Hass from 1891 Portrait and Biographical Record of Shelby and Moultrie Counties Illinois, pages 501-503.
