William L. Stoughton

William L. Stoughton
Born	(1827-03-20)March 20, 1827 Bangor, New York, U.S.
Died	June 6, 1888(1888-06-06) (aged 61) Sturgis, Michigan, U.S.
Place of burial	Oaklawn Cemetery Sturgis, Michigan
Allegiance	United States of America Union
Service / branch	United States Army Union Army
Years of service	1861–1864
Rank	Colonel Brevet Major General
Commands	11th Michigan Infantry Regiment 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, XIV Corps, Army of the Cumberland
Battles / wars	American Civil War Battle of Stones River Battle of Chickamauga Battle of Chattanooga
Other work	United States Congressman lawyer
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William Lewis Stoughton (March 20, 1827 – June 6, 1888) was a politician and soldier from U.S. state of Michigan who served in the United States Congress, as well as serving as an officer and brigade commander in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

Stoughton was born in Bangor, New York. He attended Kirtland, Painesville, and Madison Academies in Lake County, Ohio. He studied law in Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan from 1849 to 1851 when he was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Sturgis, Michigan.

Stoughton was a prosecuting attorney of St. Joseph County from 1855 to 1859 and a delegate to the 1860 Republican National Convention. He was appointed by President Abraham Lincoln as United States District Attorney for the District of Michigan in March 1861, but resigned a few months later to enter the Union Army following the outbreak of the Civil War.

He served as colonel of the 11th Michigan Infantry. Stoughton commanded the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division of the XIV Corps of the Army of the Cumberland at the Battle of Chattanooga. He resigned in August 1864 because of ill health and resumed the practice of his profession in Sturgis, Michigan, in 1865. On February 28, 1867, President Andrew Johnson nominated Stoughton for appointment to the grade of brevet major general of volunteers, to rank from March 13, 1865, and the United States Senate confirmed the appointment on March 2, 1867.^[1]

In 1867, Stoughton became a member of the Michigan State Constitutional convention and served as Michigan Attorney General from 1867 to 1868. He was elected as a Republican from Michigan's 2nd congressional district to the 41st and 42nd Congresses, serving from March 4, 1869 to March 3, 1873. He returned to the practice of law in 1874.

William L. Stoughton died in Sturgis and was interred in Oak Lawn Cemetery.

• 11th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment
• List of American Civil War brevet generals (Union)

• United States Congress. "William L. Stoughton (id: S000979)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved on 2008-10-19
• The Political Graveyard
• Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher, Civil War High Commands. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. ISBN 978-0-8047-3641-1.

• "William L. Stoughton". Find a Grave. Retrieved October 19, 2008.