John Austin Wharton
John Austin Wharton was born on July 3, 1828, near Nashville, Tennessee, to William and Sarah Wharton. Soon after his birth, the family moved to Brazoria County, Texas. His father took part in the Texas Revolution and became a senator in the Republic of Texas. His father died in 1839. He grew up and attended school in Texas, and he enrolled at South Carolina College in 1846.
He graduated four years later and returned to Texas, where he became a lawyer and planter. He married Eliza Johnson, and their daughter Kate was born around 1854. He belonged to the Democratic Party, and he supported John C. Breckinridge in the presidential election of 1860.
In September 1861, he received a commission as a captain in Company B of the 8th Texas Cavalry. He received a series of promotions: to major, colonel, brigadier general, and finally to major general. He took part in the Battle of Shiloh, the Battle of Stones River, and the Battle of Chickamauga. He died in Houston, Texas, on April 6, 1865.
Image: John A. Wharton (courtesy Wikicommons)
DATABASE CONTENT
| (3437) | Wharton, John Austin | 1828-07-03 | 1865-04-06 |
- Conflict Side: Confederacy
- Role: Soldier
- Rank in: Captain
- Rank out: Major General
- Rank highest: Major General
- Gender: Male
- Race: White
Documents - Records: 2
Places - Records: 2
Regiments - Records: 2
Groups - Records: 1
- (1) [member/supporter] ~ Democratic Party
SOURCES
1860 United States Federal Census, available from Ancestry.com; Military Service Records of John A. Wharton, available from Fold3.com; “John A. Wharton,” Wikipedia profile, available from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_A._Wharton
