Averell, William Woods, 1832-1900

William Woods Averell's career in the United States Army began with his appointment to the U. S. Military Academy at West Point, N. Y. After graduating as a commissioned officer in 1855, he was stationed at cavalry barracks, first at Carlisle, Pa., then at Jefferson City, Missouri. In 1858, he was sent to New Mexico Territory, where he participated in the Navajo Expedition. Severely wounded in a skirmish, the following year, he had to return to Bath, NY on convalescent leave. Shortly after the outbreak of the Civil War, Averell was appointed Colonel of the Third Pennsylvania Cavalry, which was involved in several skirmishes with the Confederate Cavalry during the Virginia Peninsular Campaign, 1862. His most successful engagement was at Kelly's Ford, where he captured 150 confederate cavalrymen. Shortly thereafter his forces were defeated along with the rest of the Union Army at Chancellorsville. Averell was then reassigned to command of cavalry units in West Virginia. Though the West Virginia cavalry regiments were largely successful in disrupting confederate forces in the Shenandoah Valley, irreconcilable differences in battle strategy ultimately led to Averell being relieved of command by General Philip Sheridan.

After the war, Averell served three years, 1866-1869, as United States Consul General in Montreal before he had become greatly interested in the uses of asphalt for street pavement. In 1878, he was granted a United States patent entitled "Improvement in Asphaltic Pavement," that commenced twenty years of litigation and court proceedings endured by Averell to successfully defend it. Averell was married to Kezia Hayward Browning. In 1888, Averell was appointed inspector general of soldiers homes which entailed much lobbying activity before Congress seeking adequate appropriation of funds.