William Levis James

William Levis James (August 14, 1833 – July 4, 1903) was an American military officer who served as chief quartermaster of the Union Army's Department of Virginia during the American Civil War. He concluded his service at the rank of brevet brigadier general in 1866.

Life and career James was born on August 14, 1833, in West Chester, Pennsylvania, to Hickman and Margaret Fendall James. His father, a butcher, was evidently a respected local citizen who held the office of Recorder for Chester County as of 1855. James followed his father into the family business.

On November 2, 1862, James enlisted as a captain in the U.S. Volunteers. On November 26, he was promoted to full captain and assistant quartermaster in the Department of Virginia, eventually rising to chief quartermaster of the department. He was responsible for managing the Union Army's supplies, equipment, and transport in the region and evidently did not see combat. He adroitly oversaw logistics for the Union expeditionary force that sailed from Hampton Roads to Fort Fisher, North Carolina, and captured this Confederate fort in January 1865. A 1875 account attributed his subsequent promotions to the "secrecy and celerity with which he collected and equipped the transports, by which means the expedition was sent to sea." James was promoted to major on January 1, 1862; colonel on March 13, 1865; and brevet brigadier general on March 1, 1866, each time cited for his "faithful and meritorious services." He was honorably mustered out of service on July 31, 1866.