by Steven Cox (Author)
John T. Wilder was an influential nineteenth-century American industrialist, and a successful foundry owner at Greensburg, Indiana, when he enlisted in the Union Army during the Civil War in April 1861. Wilder distinguished himself as the leader of the 17th Indiana Volunteers, aka "Wilder's Lightning Brigade." He was among the first officers from either side to realize the effectiveness of the Spencer Repeating Rifle against the single-shot rifles most soldiers were using. Resourceful and creative in his leadership, Wilder acted with bravery and distinction during the major battle of Chickamauga in 1863. After the war, Wilder answered the call Chattanooga, Tennessee, issued for northern investors to relocate. Wilder developed mines across eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, and dabbled in the hotel and railroad business, as well as politics. He was heavily involved with getting the Chickamauga Battlefield established as the first National Military Park in the United States.