ACHS hosts interview with author David Dixon on new book

With a Master’s in history from the University of Massachusetts, author David Dixon knows a thing or two about America’s past but that doesn’t stop him from wanting to learn more — particularly, more about the lesser known people of the Civil War era.

Following the completion of his first book, “The Lost Gettysburg Address,” which focused on the life story of Texas slaveholder Charles Anderson, Dixon was in search of his next subject for a biography. “I talked to some of my friends in the Civil War community and we came up with a list of candidates for a potential biography,” Dixon said in a pre-recorded interview with Kraig Noble, posted to the Auglaize County Historical Society’s Facebook page on Thursday evening. “It was very interesting because (August) Willich was definitely the No. 1 candidate. It was obvious very early on that this was a very unusual story from many perspectives.”

But the challenge with writing about the lesser known characters of history is that often times it can be difficult to come up with enough concrete evidence of how life was for these people. Willich was no different.

Dixon was not deterred, however, and was able to learn a lot about a man who started his life in 1810 in Prussia before moving to London and eventually the United States.

“Willich came from what I would call the Prussian lesser nobility,” Dixon said. “He was certainly from an aristocratic family and people in that position at that

time, certainly the men in that position, had an expectation that they were going to serve their country in the military.”

After his father succumbed to wounds sustained in the Napoleonic Wars, Willich and his brother, Julius, were orphaned and grew up in their local military school before joining the Prussian army. Though brothers with the same upbringing, August and Julius took different paths in the military with Julius embracing a life of service in the army and August spending 17 years in the army before leaving to lead a life as a Republican Revolutionary.

“He wrote a (70-page) pamphlet in 1847 and published it in 1848,” Dixon said. “That pamphlet was really instrumental in — what we would call today — Willich’s radicalization, his transformation if you will, from a loyal Prussian military officer to a violent radical revolutionary that wanted to overthrow the king.

“As a result of that, he obviously left the army.”

It was also around this time that Willich became involved with Karl Marx and Friedrich

Engels in London, England and continued his interest in the revolution. While in London and in meetings with Marx and Engels, things started off well but relationships quickly eroded and in 1850, Willich ended up in a duel with one of Marx’s followers. Willich won the duel, striking the challenger in the head but not killing him, however it was the beginning of the end of Willich’s time in Europe.

In 1853, Willich headed out to America.

“Willich first worked for the Coast Survey in the Carolinas between 1854 and 1857,” Dixon said. “We know that in 1857, he actually moved to the city of Washington D.C. full-time and worked in the office of the Coast Survey until he was convinced to edit a newspaper in Cincinnati in 1858.”

By the time the Civil War broke out in 1861, Willich had been using his platform as editor to rally workers together, starting the early stages of the workers’ rights movement. Willich was also a staunch abolitionist and was quick to join the Union Army.

“Willich enlisted as a private and lied about his age,” Dixon explained, noting that at the time, Union officers had to be younger that 40 years old. “He was 50 or 51 so he lied about his age and quickly was promoted up through the ranks, eventually becoming a major in the 9th Ohio Infantry.”

By the end of 1861, Willich was commanding the all-German 32nd Indiana Regiment and led the regiment to several key victories including the Battle of Rowlett Station, Battle of Shiloh, Battle of Liberty Gap and the Battle of Chickamauga.

Following the end of the war, Willich returned to Cincinnati and was elected as Hamilton County auditor but scandal and accusations of pocketing extra money ended that endeavor.

At the urging of a friend, Willich moved north and settled in St. Marys, living in the Deiker House until his death in January of 1878.

After a long life full of travel, battles and conflict, Willich was laid to rest in Elm Grove Cemetery on Greenville Road.

Dixon’s book, “Radical Warrior: August Willich’s Journey from German Revolutionary to Union General,” can be found on Amazon.com as well as at DavidTDixon.com. Copies of the book have also been donated by Noble to the St. Marys Community Public Library.