WILLIAM L. POWELL, COL, CSA
William Powell '47
Loss
Unable to find any details about William's loss, except that he died September 25, 1863 while commanding officer of the Third Brigade at Fort Morgan, Alabama.
Other Information
From researcher Kathy Franz:
In 1849 William served on the Cumberland and then in 1851 on the St. Lawrence. On the Water Witch for an expedition of the La Plata in 1853, he requested the equal acting master rank as those in the expedition to the China seas. The letter was also signed by classmates William Murdaugh and Edmund Henry.
During that 1853 expedition, William was conducting surveys along the coasts and rivers of Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. Angered by Commander Edward Hopkins, President Lopez banned all foreign warships from Paraguay waters and refused to ratify the U.S.-Paraguay treaty of friendship. Two years later, the Water Witch was under the command of Lieutenant William Nicholson Jeffers. He was to explore the upper Parana River. On February 1, the Water Witch approached Fort Itapiru and the entrance to Canal Privodo. Jeffers knew that foreign warships were banned from Paraguay waters, but he readied his guns for use against the fort’s six cannons. The fort sent a canoe out to the Water Witch to provide a copy of Lopez’ decree, but Jeffers refused to accept it. The fort then hailed the Water Witch, but Jeffers claimed not to understand. The fort fired two blank shots, and its third live shot killed helmsman Samuel Chaney. Jeffers returned fire with three howitzers and reversed course but not before the ship was hit in the hull and the paddle wheel.
William remained on the Water Witch until May 1857 when he was assigned to special duty in Washington.
A Plan to take the Capital of Paraguay. In 1858 William resided in Virginia for a while and then was ordered to the Colorado. On August 15, he requested leave to take care of a personal matter in Alexandria, Virginia. Five days later, he wrote an eight-page letter about the upcoming River Paraguay expedition and the probable attack on the Battery of Humaitá. From information he gathered from those who had seen it, the battery had two walls of timbers 15 feet apart filled with earth and stone. It had 100 guns of different calibers with many 24 pounders. The narrow width of the river and the course of channel would make an attack difficult, so he deemed it best to attack by land. Just below the lower end of the battery was a projecting point to land men and a firm grass plain beyond to place field howitzers. He then described what could happen during the battle with their force rousting the enemy and “the Government of Paraguay can never again bring 1000 men to face that little force advancing to take possession of its capital.” He then continued that if defeated, their land force could retreat, and the steamers could forge up the river to the capital past the surprised battery. This attack never happened, but in February 1868, six Brazilian vessels dashed past Humaitá and did capture the capital.
In 1859, he was on the steam frigate Roanoke, and then he then went to the Naval Observatory. However, he was dismissed on April 20, 1861 when he refused to swear his allegiance to the United States.
At first, William was in the Confederate Navy, but he later asked to be transferred to the artillery of the regular Army. To do this, he first resigned his naval position to accept his captain position. On November 21, 1861, he joined the Confederate Army as a Colonel in the Provisional Army. He was stationed in Mobile, Alabama. He was then stationed at Fort Morgan in Alabama. The fort was the first line of defense for the City of Mobile. On April 10, 1863, four officers wrote a letter to Army Headquarters in Richmond requesting William be promoted to Brigadier General. He has “distinguished himself in his fidelity to his command, his constant presence at his post, his discipline of his troops and the high respect and esteem in which he is held by both his officers and men. In one word we will say that no officer could have performed the duties of his post with more fidelity or more satisfactorily than Col. Powell has.”
William died mid-day on September 25 in Mobile. Major General Dabney Maury wrote General Order No. 241 which announced his death to his troops. In part, it said: “No eulogy I can express will meet your estimate of his great worth. His unostentatious and intelligent devotion to duty, and the kindliness and purity of his character, have made him loved wherever he is known. He lived without fear and without reproach, and died in the confident hope of a true Christian.” Maury also issued General Order No. 251 naming the defenses at Grants Pass to be Fort Powell.
In January, 1862, William wrote a report about the British schooner Andracita.
Report of Col. W. L. Powell, C. S. Army
Camp Bragg, January 21, 1862.
To: Capt. D. E. Huger, Assistant Adjutant-GeneralCaptain: I avail myself of the boat from this point to day to report that a sharp contest took place at the mouth of the lagoon yesterday between two of the enemy’s steamers, with their boats, and Captain Cottrill’s command, for the possession of the schooner Andracita, formerly J. W. Wilder, which had been run on shore at that place, with the hope of saving her cargo. All the particulars of the affair cannot be given at this time, as I have not a report as to the part taken in it by the force, consisting of two field pieces and two companies ordered up from Fort Morgan and Camp Bragg, and which were on the west side of the lagoon, under Acting Assistant Adjutant-General Jones.
Upon my getting on this side of the lagoon to put Captain Cottrill’s company in action, that officer had already moved his available force across the lagoon to within a short distance of the schooner, and there he kept up so sharp and well-directed a fire upon the schooner and the boats of the steamers as to drive those of the enemy, who had previously reached her below and prevented the boats from getting to their assistance, while he sheltered his men so securely behind the sand hills as to maintain his position, though it was only about 100 yards from the beach and not more than 600 or 800 yards from the steamers, without losing a life.
Captain Cottrill and his command deserve great credit for the skillful and daring manner in which they performed their parts in a defense which, judging from the effect of their fire while continued, must have been successful, if it had not been the case that the schooner was run on shore at low tide, and that the enemy succeeded in making a hawser fast to her before he got his men into position, by which she was hauled out of range after the tide, in rising, had caused her to float.
What loss the enemy met with I will not pretend to state, as I was not fortunate enough to reach the scene of action; but it must have been considerable, as two of their boats, one of which is now reported as on the beach and in the possession of our men, were sunk or turned over, and another had every oarsman shot or driven off their seats, and was towed out of range by another sent to her assistance.
As I mentioned above, there was no loss of life from this command so far as heard from, and we have only to regret that of the schooner and cargo, which I am sorry to say the captain neglected to fire in his desire to save it. Upon returning to Fort Morgan I shall be able to furnish any further particulars which may be brought to my notice.
I am, captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
W. L. Powell, Colonel, Commanding Second Brigade.On March 1, 1862, William was put in temporary command of the Army of Mobile.
William was named for his father William, a doctor; his mother was Ann Maria. His siblings were: Edward, Catherine (Mrs. Taylor,) Humphrey, Charles Cuthbert, William T., an engineer, Alfred, Robert, a doctor, and Nannie (Mrs. Walter Harrison.)
William has a memory marker In the Christ Church Episcopal Cemetery in Alexandria, Virginia. He is listed as Llewellyn (1826-1863.)
He was born in Leesburg, Virginia and appointed to the Naval Academy from Washington, D.C.
He is not on the killed in action panel in Memorial Hall.
He is buried in Alabama.
Career
From the Naval History and Heritage Command:
Midshipman, 20 September, 1841. Passed Midshipman, 10 August, 1847. Master, 10 July, 1855. Lieutenant, 14 September, 1855. Dismissed 20 April, 1861.
Confederates in Memorial Hall
This alumni is included on this site because he is listed in Memorial Hall. Pursuant to Section 377 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, the Naming Commission found, per Part II of their final report to Congress, that "Due to the limited factual nature of [Memorial Hall], the Commission believes it may remain as structured."
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