William Thomas Ward

Biography

William Thomas Ward earned national respect as a West Point graduate who led troops in the Mexican-American War and, decades later, commanded brigades and divisions for the Union during the Civil War. His calm leadership in battles and his attention to the welfare of the men under his charge helped maintain morale during some of the war’s fiercest contests.

After the conflict he returned to Kentucky and continued to serve the public, including a term in Congress, where he supported veteran affairs and the reconstruction of the national economy. He is interred at Cave Hill Cemetery, a reminder of the soldier-statesman who guarded both the battlefield and the halls of government.