Chronology of Fvents In the Life of General William Preston 1. October l6, I816. Born in Louisville. Father Major Williain Preston (Revolutionary War hero who received 1,000 acres of land at the Falls of the Ohio) and Mother Caroline Hancock, whose father was a Colonel in the Revolutionary War. 2. 1816-1838«. Father died in 1821, Lived in Louisville as a "boy. Went to Augusta College at Augusta, Ky- Lived with Benjamin TTardin of Bardstown ail®briefly attended Jesuit St. Joseph*s College there. Went to Yale and received a degree in literary studies. Then went to Harvard and got a L.L.3. in I838. 3. I838-I8U6. Returned to Louisville and set up a law practice with William Graves. U. December 9, iBUo. Married Margaret Wickliffe, daughter of wealthy and prominent Lexingtonian Robert Wickliffe. 5. August 13, I8U6. Organization of Kentucky volunteers for the Mexican War. Preston commanded the Washington Blues and his brother-in- law Jason Rogers commanded the Louisville Legion, of which Preston's Blues was a part. 6. l8U6-l81»7. Preston help to raise a subscription of money ($50,000) to be used for forwarding troops to Mexico. 7. October U, I8U7. Washington Blues incorporated into the Uth Regiment of Kentucky and Preston was commissioned lleutenajit colonel. 8. October-December, I8UT. Uth Kentucky Joined General Scott at Vera Cruz. 9-. December, l8Ii7-April, I8li8. Preston with Scott in Mexico City, a part of that time he was a commander of a train sent from Mexico City to Jalapa. 10. April-July 25, I8H8. Returned to Louisville where he was mustered out of the service. 11. I8U9. Preston was elected a member of the Kentucky Constitutional Convention. Active in opposing Native Americana views, especially * of Garrett Davis. i-2- 12. 1050-185^?. 'Elected nn a \Jhi(r cielegabe from Ix>uinville to nerve in the ICentuclcy TTouse. Involved in stru/^gle to selcct a (Speaker of the House (between CTeorge Johnston and Kdmund Wooldridge). Warned Chairman of the Committee on Code of Practice. Kelp to draw up a code of penal and civil law for the state. Civil portion only completed. Also member of Committee on Federal Relations and the Committee on Clftims. Next session named to Committee on Kducation and was Chairman of the Committee on Federal Relations. 13. 1852. Rlector for the Vhig Party from the state at large. Subsequently was elected in September to fill the vacated Tth Congressional seat of Humphrey Marshall, a Democrat. Xh. December f,, 1^52. Sworn in to 32nd Congress, 15. January-August, 1853. Gave speech in the House for Kentucky T-Zhigs on the death of Webster. Became involved in a controversy over an appropriation for the Louisville Custom House. 16. 1853-1855. He-elected to the House. Received three votes for House Speaker. Took pro-slavery view on the Kansas-Nebraska Bill. Continued fight for Custom House appropriation. Member of the ForeigN Relations Committee. 16a, February, 185^. Offered a resolution which was passed.that provided for penalties for forging land warrants and assignments. 17. 1855. Defeated by Humphrey Marshall for re-election. Played a conspicuous part in the Bloody Monday Riot in Louisville on August-6, 18. 18^-1856. Switched to the Democratic Party. Contemplated running for Governor, but John C. Breckenridge, a close friend of Preston, was supporting McGoffin and thu® Preston deferred. 19. June, 1856. Delegate kt large to the Democratic Convention at Cincinnati. Strongly supported Buchanan and nominated Breckenridge for Vice President. 20. I857-IO58. Urged to run for Congress but declined. Buchanan's third choice as Minister to Spain. 21. October 6, I858. Senate unanimously confirms minlsterialship without reference to a Committee. 22. I859-I861. U. S. Minister to Spain 22a. January 8, 1859. Set sail from Hew York for Spain. Wife's nephew Robert Woolley, secretary of the legation. ' 22b. tebruary 26, I859. Arrived at LeHavre and proceeded overland through Paris and Marseille to Madrid. •'3 -3- 22c. March 't, 1059. Arrived Tladrid 22d. March 13, 1859. Audience with Queen of Spain and Calderon-Collantea, T!inister of Foreign Affairs. 22e. March-September, l059. Instructions to negotiate long standing Amistad Claims'ito try to secure purchase of Cuba for $30,000,000 which Buchanan was asking Congress to appropriate. 22f. September, I859. Called to Paris on account of daughter's illness. Vmile there learned of the death of his father-in-law. And since he was one of Wickliffe*s executors had to return to Lexington. 22g. November 15, I859. Wrote Washington he was turning affairs over to Hooxey. 22h. November, l850-March, I860. Delayed returning to U. S. due to delicate Amistad negotiations. Obtained a treaty recognizing claim, but Senate rejected it. 22i. March 7, I86O. Left for U. S. 22J. March-August, IO60. In U. S. settling estate and returned to Spain. 22k. August, 1860-February, 18(^1. Negotiations in Spain. Tendered resignation when he heard of South Carolina's succession. 221. February, I861. Instructed to prevent Spanish recogitlon of the CSA • 22iq. February-May, I86I. Remained in Spain awaiting his successor lodged a formal protest against Spanish seizure of the Bay of Samana in Santa Domingo. Protest premiseOon the principles of the T-^onroe Doctrine. 23. June-August, I861. On his way to U. S, stopped in London, informed CoA agents Spain could provide no veaponSor help. On his return he stopped in Washington to report to Sec. Seward of his mission. Seward criticized for not having detained Preston. 2h. September, iCf^l. Returned to Lexington. Found out there were orders to arrest him. Went with Breckenridge to Virginia and from there to Bowling Creen and joined up with General Simon B. Buckner and his brother in-lav Albert Sidney Johnston. 25. November 3, l^f^l. Preston refused by Judiah Benjamin a general's commission at the behest of Johnston due to lack of men. Assigned to Johnston's staff. 26. November I8, I86I. Delegate along with Itenry Burnett and V^llHam Simms at Russellville Convention to organize a provisional Confederate government for Kentucky. Went to Richmond to get Ky. recognized by the CSA. i-H -ll. 2T. DcccmLer, 18^^1-April 1062. Kneaced in battles at 'bowline Hreen, Navihville, Ft. Donaldson, and Shiloh. r?Ta. Fcliruary 15, lB(^2. Appointed Colonel and aide-de-camp to Johnston 271). April U, l"f^2. Death of Johnston in Preston's arms at Shiloh. 20. April h-April l8, l8f^2. Led group which took Johnston's body to New Orleans and burial. 29. April 10, 18^2. Commissioned Brigadier Oeneral and given command of the 2nd Brigade of Breckenridge's Reserve Corps (composed of 3rd, 6th, and 7th Ky. regiments, 35th Alabama, "^Cobb's Battery). 30. May-June, 1862. Corinth evacuated. Preston ordered by General Bragg to guard the line of Tallahatchie and cover stores at Grenada and Oxford. From Tallahatchie he marshalled General Ville Pigne forces with Breckenridge's (he had gone to New Orleans) forces at the request of General Van Dorn in order to help defend Vicksburg's 1st seige. Lasted six weeks. 31. July-August, 1862. Preston remained at Vicksburg while his forces moved with Breckenridge's to Baton Rouge due to his high fever. Illness reported along with a false death report. 32. September, I862. Preston asked to Join Bragg and his Kentucky campaign. During this time Breckenridge asked Preston to reorganize his (Breckenridge's) division; he did, but controversy developed between Breckenridge and General'^Van Dorn and Price who wanted to re-capture Cornith. But Preston wanted to return to Ky. "Preston was relieved of his command and departed only with his' staff to meet Bragg, 33. Sept.-November, I862. From Mississippi to Knoxville.Preston at Knoxville was Informed by Tlaj. General Jones that Bra^^g was expecting Breckenridge*s Division. Both wired to Davis and he (Davis) immediately ordered Breckenridge to Ky.vfoo late. Meanwhile, Preston, with a small esco|6-t, Joined up with Bragg at Daaville, in time for the battle of Pcrryville, (Bue-Il defeated Bragg) after which he wai^assigned to command Wood's Alabama brigade for a short time;*^hen ordered by the War Department to take command of . his old Breckenridge's brigade which was cancelled Aind finally he assumed control of Tennessee and Florida troops. Retreat to ^furfreesboro. 3^. December, 1862. Stone River and Murfreesboro defeat. Rosecrans goes after Bragg. Bragg's right wing under Hardee-Breckenridge Division - with Preston's brigade extreme right wing (Lebanon turnpike) Preston and with entire Breckenridge division holds r/i,gy; without an offensive (Breckenridge censured for this^V^/'^o^^Preatbn "'TV and Palmer^s brigade ordered by Breckenridge (through Bragg) to attack Rosecrans forces at Stone River (actually cedar wood north of CoweH House). In this action, Preston repulsed Federal forces. 1-5 -5- Falsc death report - actually his two aides and Whitfleld killed. BragR retreats. T^osecrans move into Stone Hiver, creat CGA canualities. Treston held up his hricade and Breckenrldge's division and held enemy in check. 3*ta. January-April, I8f53 (early sprinc). Preston cormended for -tnne Kiver c^ll84itry and put in temporary command of Breckenridfe*s Division. 35* April, in(^3--early August, 1^(13. i^reston ordered hy Davis to Abingdon, Vireinia to reorcanize General Humphrey Marshall's forces in order to guard the salt works there and to protect mountain passes of iCy. and western Virginia and to prevent Union troops in fCy. from crossing over into Virginia. Brigade composed of Ky. and Va. troops. Several Federal raids were repulsed. Several Preston aides - Captains Joe Blackburn and Harris Johnston - under Captain i^erett sweep into Ky.