William L. Utley

Utley was born in Monson, Massachusetts, to Hamilton and Polly Utley. At age four, his father moved the family to Newbury Center, Ohio, about twenty miles east of Cleveland. He was educated by his father and then moved to New York to further his studies as a portrait painter.[3] Utley was also an amateur violinist and played music for his uncle's dance classes while in New York.[2]

Utley moved to Racine, in the Wisconsin Territory, in 1844.[4] He was employed as a portrait artist in Racine and also taught dancing lessons. He also became proprietor of the Racine House—the first large hotel in the area.[2]

He became associated with the newly organized Free Soil Party in 1848, along with a large portion of the population of Racine County. In 1850, was elected on the Free Soil ticket to the Wisconsin State Assembly from Racine's 1st district. He was re-elected in 1851.[2][5]

In 1852, he was appointed Adjutant General of the Wisconsin Militia by Governor Leonard J. Farwell. When the Republican Party of Wisconsin became organized in 1854, Utley became a member.[2]

He was elected to a two-year term in the Wisconsin State Senate from the 7th District (Racine County) in 1860, where he served on the Committee for the Militia.

After the outbreak of the American Civil War, in 1861, Utley was again appointed Adjutant General of the Wisconsin Militia, this time by Governor Alexander Randall. Utley took the lead in organizing Wisconsin's volunteer regiments for the Union cause. Over the course of six months, he had helped raise nearly 30,000 soldiers and received a complimentary letter from President Abraham Lincoln for his efforts.[2]

In January 1862, Louis P. Harvey took over as Governor and Utley resumed his work in the Senate. But before the end of the year, Governor Harvey was dead and Governor Edward Salomon commissioned Utley as a Colonel and ordered him to raise a regiment for service in the Union Army.[2]

Camp Utley was created out of a 75-acre lot between 16th Street and College Avenue in Racine, Wisconsin, and Utley recruited and trained men from Racine, Rock, Green, and Walworth counties.[6] The 22nd Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry mustered into service September 2, 1862, under Colonel Utley and Lt. Colonel Edward Bloodgood. On September 22, they marched out with orders to proceed to Cincinnati and join the Army of Kentucky in blunting the Confederate Heartland Offensive.[2]

In public office, Utley was appointed Postmaster of Racine in 1869, and re-appointed in 1878.[2]

Utley and his son, Hamilton, purchased the Racine Journal in 1865, which they published for nine years. In 1874, the Utleys sold the Journal and started the Racine Times and the Utley Dollar Weekly.

In the 1870s, Utley became associated with the new Greenback Party, and, in 1878, he began publishing the New Deal, a Greenback paper.[2] Utley was the Greenback Party's nominee for Governor of Wisconsin in the 1884 election. Utley came in a distant fourth as Jeremiah McLain Rusk won re-election.[8]

Utley's health never fully recovered from his time in captivity. He died of diabetes at his home in Racine in 1887.[4][2]

Utley married his first wife, Louisa Wing, January 14, 1839, while living in New York. They had three children together, but only their son, Hamilton, survived to adulthood. Louisa died in 1864, a few months before Colonel Utley resigned from the Army.[2]

Utley met his second wife after the war. Sarah Wooster was the widow of Dr. Wooster, who had been a surgeon for the 15th Wisconsin Volunteer Regiment. Sarah had one son from her previous marriage. Utley married Sarah Wooster on February 22, 1866. They had one son together, William L. Utley.[2]

Socially, Colonel Utley was a Mason and a member of the Grand Army of the Republic.[2]

• Gen William L. Utley at Find a Grave