Wilson, Charles L.

Born: 1818-10-10 Fairfield County, Connecticut

Died: 1878-03-09 San Antonio, Texas

Born into a well-established middle class family, Wilson moved to Chicago, Illinois, in 1835 and worked as a clerk for his older brothers. When one of them, Richard L., became editor of the Chicago Evening Journal in 1844, he hired Charles as a co-editor. Richard died in 1856, and Charles became sole editor and remained so for the rest of his life. A Whig and later Republican, Wilson supported Abraham Lincoln's 1858 senatorial nomination and reportedly helped convince Lincoln to engage in a series of debates against Stephen A. Douglas. He initially supported William H. Seward for the 1860 presidential nomination but campaigned for Lincoln after the convention. In return, Lincoln appointed Wilson secretary of the American legation in Britain in 1861. Wilson resigned from the position in 1864 and returned to Chicago.

John Moses and Joseph Kirkland, eds., The History of Chicago Illinois (Chicago: Munsell, 1895), 2:39-40.