Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2013,
                           All Rights Reserved
                          U.S. Data Repository

    Please read U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on this page:
                <http://www.us-data.org/fineprint.html>

Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott
for the US Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/
=========================================================================
U.S. Data Repository NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced
in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization.
Non-commercial organizations desiring to use this material must obtain
the consent of the transcriber prior to use.
Individuals desiring to use this material in their own research may do so.
=========================================================================
Formatted by U.S. Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott
All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded.
===========================================================================

History of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
The Western Historical Company, Chicago - 1883

Page 341

   COL. WILLIAM B. WRIGHT, Sheriff of Keweenaw County
 and proprietor of the Phoenix House, was born at Middletown Point,
 Monmouth Co., N.J., June 28, 1814.  When in his eighteenth year,
 he enlisted as private in the United States Fourth Artillery No-
 vember 21, 1831, at Baltimore, Md.; served in the Black Hawk war
 of 1832 and in the Creek war of 1836, and was discharged in Florida
 at the expiration of his term of service, November 25, 1836.  He
 enlisted in Company K, Fourth United States Artillery, July 23,
 1838, and the following day, July 24, was appointed First Sergeant,
 and served in the Indian war of Florida of 1838-39; he was dis-
 charged at the expiration of his term of service, June 24, 1843; he
 re-enlisted the same date in the same company, and was re-appointed
 First Sergeant.  August 8, 1846, he was appointed Ordnance Ser-
 geant, and stationed at Fort Wilkins, Copper Harbor, Lake Supe-
 rior, Mich., in charge of the fort and Government property.  He
 served at this fort until October 11, 1855, when he was discharged
 from the service at his own request.  He was married at Sackett's
 Harbor, N.Y., in November, 1840, to Miss MARY A. SACKETT; they
 had one child, a daughter, lost at Eagle Harbor.  After retiring
 from the army, in 1855, he leased the Phoenix House, a large hotel,
 which he kept until November, 1860; he was commissioned Second
 Lieutenant August 4, 1862, by Gov. BLAIR, of Michigan, with au-
 thority to recruit a company for the Eighteenth Michigan Volunteer
 Infantry, to serve in the late war.  The company was raised and
 assigned to the Twenty-seventh Michigan Volunteers December, 22
 1862; he was commissioned Major of the Twenty-seventh Regiment,
 and promoted to Lieutenant Colonel December 17, 1863, and to Col-
 onel October 3, 1864; he participated with his regiment in twelve en-
 gagements and skirmishes, and was wounded July 30, 1864, at the
 charge of Petersburg; he was twice wounded the same day - first
 by a gunshot wound in the right shoulder, and again by a shell
 wound in the left hip; he was discharged for disability in October,
 1864.  On his return from the army, he engaged in hotel keeping at
 Eagle River, having purchased the Phoenix House during the last
 year of his service; he has held various public offices, having served
 eight years as Superintendent of the Poor of Keweenaw County, six
 years as School Director, and at this writing is serving as Sheriff,
 having been elected in the fall of 1880.

 ==========================================================================