WILL1AMSON, James Alexander, soldier, born in Adair county, Kentucky, 8 February, 1829. He was educated at Knox college, Illinois, but was not graduated, studied law, and was admitted to the bar, but was mustered into the, military service of the United States, 8 August, 1861, as 1st lieutenant and adjutant of the 4th Iowa infantry. After the battle of Pea Ridge, where he was wounded, he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel of the regiment and immediately afterward he was made its colonel. At the battle of Chickasaw Bayou, near Vicksburg, on 28 December, 1862, he led the assault of Thayer's brigade on the enemy's lilies and was seriously wounded. By order of General Grant he was allowed to inscribe on the colors of his regiment "First at Chickasaw Bayou." He was present at the siege of Vicksburg, and immediately after the surrender was given command of the 2d brigade of the 1st division of the 15th army corps. Colonel Williamson continued in command of a brigade or division until the capture of Savannah, when he was made a full brigadier-general of volunteers, 13 January, 1865, having previously been promoted by brevet on 19 December, 1864. He was also brevetted major-general of volunteers, 13 March, 1865. After the capture of Savannah he was ordered to St. Louis, Missouri, to take command of the district of Missouri, where he remained until some time after the surrender of the armies of the Confederacy, when he was ordered to report to General Grenville M. Dodge for duty in a military and inspecting expedition of posts in the northwest, on Laramie, Powder, and Bighorn rivers. While on this duty he was mustered out of the military service" but he did not receive the order until his return to St. Louis in October, 1865. General Williamson then resumed his profession, and was commissioner of the general land-office from June, 1876, till June, 1881, and chairman of the public lands commission created by act of congress, 3 March, 1879. He was elected chairman of the Iowa delegation to the National Republican convention at Baltimore in 1864, but did not attend in consequence of his military duties, and he was again elected chairman of t, he delegation in 1868. He is now general solicitor for the Atlantic and Pacific railroad company.