William C. Oates

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William C. Oates (November 30, 1835 – September 9, 1910) was an American who served as a Confederate Army officer, the 29th governor of Alabama, and a brigadier general in the U.S. Army during the Spanish–American War.

Early life
Oates was born in Pike County, Alabama, to a poor farming family. His ancestors came from England and Wales. When he was 17, he left home after a fight he believed killed a man and wandered to Florida and Texas before returning to Alabama. He studied law at the Lawrenceville Academy, passed the bar, and opened a legal practice in Abbeville.

Civil War
In 1861, Oates joined the Confederate States Army as a captain in the 15th Alabama Infantry. He eventually led that regiment in 1863. He fought at Gettysburg, including charges on Little Round Top, where his brother John was killed. He later fought at Chickamauga, the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, and Cold Harbor. After a political move cost him his command, he briefly led the 48th Alabama. He was wounded at Fussell’s Mill near Richmond, losing his right arm, which ended his active service.

Postwar career
Oates returned to law in Henry County, Alabama. He served as a delegate to the 1868 Democratic National Convention and was a member of the Alabama House of Representatives from 1870 to 1872. In 1880, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for Alabama’s 3rd district and served seven terms. He married Sarah Toney of Eufaula in 1882, and they had a son, William Calvin Jr., who joined him in the law practice.

Governor and later life
Oates was elected governor of Alabama and served from 1894 to 1896. In 1896 he sought the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate but did not win. In 1898, President William McKinley commissioned him as a brigadier general, and he served in the Spanish–American War. After returning home, he worked in law and real estate and considered erecting a monument at Gettysburg for his old unit and fallen brother.

Death
William C. Oates died in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1910 and was buried at Oakwood Cemetery. He was a Democrat who held several major roles in Alabama and U.S. history.