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William Gates (c. 1788-1868) was a career Army officer who served on active duty from when he entered West Point in 1801 to when he was retired in 1863. He was a veteran of the War of 1812, Seminole Wars, the Mexican War and the American Civil War.

He was born in Massachusetts and was the son of Captain Lemuel Gates who was a veteran of the Revolutionary War and died on active duty in August 1806.

Military Career

Gates was one of the first cadets at the United States Military Academy at West Point from its organization to March 6, 1806, when he was graduated and commissioned in the Army as a second lieutenant in the Regiment of Artillerists. He was the 11th cadet to graduate West Point.

He served in garrison at forts along the Atlantic seaboard from 1806 to 1812. He was promoted to first lieutenant on November 3, 1807.

In the War of 1812 he served as Acting Adjutant of Regiment of Light Artillery, and Aide-de‑Camp to Brevet Brigadier General Moses Porter in 1813, being engaged in the Capture of York (now Toronto) in Upper Canada on April 27, 1813. He was promoted to captain on March 3, 1813.

He then participated in the bombardment and capture of Ft. George on May 27, 1813.

He was placed in command of Fort Independence, Massachusetts from 1813 to 15 and was in garrison at Ft. Niagara, New York from 1815 to 1820. The spent the next several years at various posts in New York state including Sackett's Harbor, 1820‑21; Plattsburg, 1821 to 1824; Fort Lafayette, 1824 to 1826 and Fort Columbus on Governor's Island, from 1826 to 1827.

He was awarded a brevet (honorary promotion) to the rank of major on March 3, 1823, for "Faithful Service Ten Years in one Grade".

He next series of assignments brought him south and included Ft. McHenry, Maryland in 1827; Fort Marion, Florida, 1827‑29; Fort Moultrie, South Carolina, 1829; Fort Marion, Florida, 1829‑32; Fort Monroe, Virginia (Major of Artillery School for Practice), 1832; Charleston harbor, South Carolina, 1832‑33, (which was during South Carolina's threatened nullification) and again to Fort Moultrie from 1833‑35.

Gates was promoted to major of 1st Artillery Regiment on May 30, 1832.

He was assigned to Fort Washington, Maryland, 1835‑36 and then in the Seminole War in Florida from 1836 to 1838. He transferred to the 2nd Artillery Regiment on August 4, 1836. He fought against the Seminole Indians in Defense of Fort Barnwell (Volusia) on April 12, 1836.

Gates was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel of the 3d Artillery on December 17, 1836.

He was in the combat of Locha-Hatchee on January 24, 1838, in the Cherokee Nation, while transferring the Indians to the West.

He returned to Florida from 1839 to 1842 and served in garrison at Ft. Pickens, Florida.

He served at Fort Moultrie from 1842‑43 and in Savannah, Georgia from 1843 to 1844 before returning to Fort Moultrie from 1844 to 1846.

He was promoted to colonel in command of the 3d Artillery Regiment on October 13, 1845 which made him one of the highest ranking officers in the Army.

He served in the War with Mexico, from 1846 to 1848, as Governor of Tampico, Mexico.

He served as the commander of Fort Adams in Newport, Rhode Island from 1848 to 1853.

Late in 1853 Gates and his regiment were ordered to be stationed in California. Unfortunately, Gates was on board, along with hundreds of his soldiers and their families, the ill fated steamer SS San Francisco when it was wrecked in a storm on December 24, 1853.

An investigation of the incident found Gate's to be delinquent in this duties and he was placed on waiting orders from 1854 until 1861. In December 1861 he assumed command of Fort Trumbull in New London, Connecticut and was reassigned in March 1864 to Fort Constitution near Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He remained at Fort Constitution until if full retirement in 1867 after 66 years of military service.

He was retired from Active Service, June 1, 1863, under the Law of July 17, 1862, for having served in the Army for more that 45 years. (Prior to the Civil War, the U.S. Army had no retirement system which explains the reason behind Gate's lengthy career.) Although retired, he was allowed to have active postings until 1867 out of respect for his long career.

After the Civil War, Gates was breveted as a brigadier general for "Long and Faithful Service in the Army'.

General Gates died on October 7, 1868 in at New York city at the age of 80.

References

• Register of Graduates of the United States Military Academy. George W. Cullum. Vol. 1.
• Dictionary of American Biography
• http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/America/United_States/Army/USMA/Cullums_Register/11*.html