Louis Wagner was born in Giessen, Germany in 1838, and moved to Philadelphia with his family in 1849. He entered the Union Army during the Civil War and served as part of the 88th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment until he was injured at the Second Battle of Bull Run on the afternoon of August 30, 1862. In 1863 Wagner took command of Camp William Penn, the first and largest Federal training facility for African-American soldiers. By the end of the war, he had attained the rank of Brigadier General (Brevet).
Wagner began an insurance business after the Civil War, and later held many Philadelphia city offices. Starting in 1887, Wagner served as Director of Public Works for the City of Philadelphia. He was influential in building the East Park Reservoir in Philadelphia, which became operational in 1889. In 1891, he became president of the Third National Bank of Philadelphia.
Wagner was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) veterans organization, briefly directing the group as Commander-in-Chief. He was also a Freemason. Wagner died in 1914.
The General Louis Wagner Junior High School was dedicated to Wagner in 1928 and is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Bibliography:
Denslow, William R. and Harry S. Truman. 10,000 Famous Freemasons, vol. 3, from K to Z. Whitefish, Mont. : Kessinger, 2004 [1959]. Page 286.
Historic LaMott, Pennsylvania. "Colonel Louis Wagner." 2007. Accessed January 27, 2012. http://www.historic-lamott-pa.com/content/theyearsofcampwmpenn/colonellouiswagner.cfm
From the guide to the General Louis Wagner scrapbooks, circa 1869-1897, (Germantown Historical Society)
