Isaac J. Wistar

Isaac Jones Wistar (November 14, 1827 – September 18, 1905) was an American lawyer, miner, farmer, soldier, and author. He served in the Union Army during the American Civil War, in which he was wounded twice, and was noted for his criticized performance during the 1864 Bermuda Hundred Campaign. After the conflict Wistar became a distinguished penologist and a writer.

Early life and career

Isaac J. Wistar was born in 1827 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He received early his education at Westtown Friends' School, and then attended Haverford College. Wistar later received a Doctor of Science degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Wistar began practicing as a lawyer in Philadelphia. In 1849, he moved to California in order to participate as a miner in the Gold Rush. From then until the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861, Wistar held a great variety of vocations. Among these were: animal trapper, mountaineer, Indian fighter, farmer, and lawyer.

Civil War service At the beginning of the American Civil War in 1861, Wistar chose to follow his home state and the Union cause. He raised a company of men and was elected its captain. Wistar's company was added to the 71st Pennsylvania Infantry, originally known as the California Regiment. On June 28, Wistar was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel,

Beginning on July 18, 1863, Wistar commanded the District of Yorktown in Virginia, and that August the post was re-designated as a subdistrict of the Department of Virginia and North Carolina. In April 1864, he briefly was given divisional command of the XVIII in the Army of the James. On May 7, Wistar resumed leading a brigade and participated in the Bermuda Hundred Campaign, but 11 days later he was relieved of duty and replaced by Col. Griffen Stedman. Military historian Ezra J. Warner surmises Wistar performed poorly during this campaign:

Wistar's resignation from the Union Army was accepted by the U.S. War Department on September 15, 1864. Autobiography of Isaac Jones Wistar, 1827-1905 (1905) He was a widower for the last decade of his life, and bequeathed the bulk of his wealth to the Wistar Institute in 1905. His New York Times obituary noted that the endowment he established prior to his death generated an annual return of $30,000. Instead of being buried beside his wife at Laurel Hill Cemetery, Wistar was interred at the institute.