William Franklin

Biography

William Franklin was born in 1823 in York, Pennsylvania, and graduated from West Point in 1843. He served as a major general in the Union Army during the Civil War, participating in several significant campaigns including the Peninsula Campaign and the Battle of Fredericksburg. Franklin was known for his engineering expertise and commanded the Left Grand Division of the Army of the Potomac, though his military career was marked by both notable achievements and controversial decisions that affected his postwar reputation.