"Portrait and Biographical Record of Hunterdon and Warren counties, New Jersey"
Chapman Publishing Company, New York and Chicago, 1898
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HON. ISAAC WILDRICK, late of Warren
County, was for many years one of the most
influential citizens of this portion of the
state. He was born in Marksboro, N. J., March
3, 1803, and was a son of George and Katherine
(Ervey) Wildrick, also natives of Warren
County. On both sides of the family the ancestry was of German origin. Many years prior to
the Revolution the Wildricks emigrated from the
province of Bavaria to New Jersey, where they
became agriculturists; and, a hardy and industrious race, they contributed to the development of
the resources of the state, where they were noted
for their sterling qualities. Michael, a brother
of George, was a soldier in the continental army
during the war with England.
The twin brother of our subject was Hon.
Abram Wildrick, a member of the assembly of
New Jersey in 1843-45 and a state senator in
1867-69. By his second wife, Charity Larrison,
he had two daughters and one son who attained
years of maturity. The older daughter, Isabella,
is the wife of Hon. George B. Swain, present
state treasurer of New Jersey and a distinguished
Republican; the younger daughter, Emma, married John Van Dorn, late of Washington, now
deceased, and she now makes her home with her
sister, Mrs. Swain.
In the district schools the subject of this review obtained his education. At an early age he
started out in life for himself, and in time became a large farmer and land owner, also extensively engaged in business as a drover and buyer
and seller of live stock, and in connection with
his twin brother, Abram, and James Blair and
Israel Swayze (long before the days of railroads)
did a large business in handling and driving cattle from Indiana and Ohio to the New York,
eastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey
markets. In that business he laid the foundation
of his wealth. His political history would fill a
volume. It is said that he filled every elective
office in the state except that of governor. He
began as a constable in 1827 and held successfully the offices of deputy sheriff, sheriff, justice of
the peace, chosen freeholder, director of the alms-house, assemblyman and member of the United
States house of representatives. After having
served as deputy, in 1839 he was elected sheriff on
the Democratic ticket, and filled the office for one
term, after which he returned to his farm. However, being what might be termed a natural politician, he soon gravitated back into public life.
In 1848 he was nominated and elected to congress, and was again elected in 1850, serving for
two terms. He voted for the compromise measure of 1850 and heard the great debates in the
senate, in which those intellectual giants, Clay,
Webster and Calhoun, were participants. He became a stanch supporter of Stephen A. Douglas and the latter's well-known plan of popular sovereignty. On the culmination of the war he supported the Union cause and was indefatigable in
his efforts to raise volunteers to supply the New
Jersey quota, doing all within his power to uphold the government and Mr. Lincoln in the
great contest for the life of the nation. Afterward for many years his attention was devoted to
his landed and other private interests, but when
he had reached the advanced age of eighty years
he was called by his friends and neighbors from
his retirement to serve them as a member of the
assembly of New Jersey, at a critical time in the
legislative annals of the state. After having
faithfully performed his duties he again retired
to private life. He died at his home in Warren
County, March 22, 1892, leaving behind him, to
be cherished by his posterity, the memory of an
illustrious career that not only brought him personal success, but also promoted the prosperity of
his fellow -citizens.
In 1832 Mr. Wildrick married Miss Nancy,
daughter of John and Mary (Fisher) Cummins,
an estimable lady, who passed from earth early
in the '50s. They were the parents of four sons
and four daughters, of whom three daughters
and one son survive. The eldest daughter, Henrietta L., is the wife of Rev. David K. Freeman,
a Presbyterian minister of Huntingdon, Pa.;
Anna A., who is unmarried, makes her home
with her younger sister; and Huldah is the wife
of Maj. Carl Leutz, a prominent lawyer and
leading Republican of Newark, N. J.
While Mr. Wildrick was a member of congress,
his sou, Abram C, was appointed a cadet at
West Point. This gentleman was born in Blairstown, N. J., August 5, 1836, and graduated from
the United States military academy in 1857. He
served in Johnston's Utah campaign against the
Mormons in 1858 and the following year crossed
to the Pacific coast from Utah Territory with the
second expedition that ever crossed there. When
twenty-two years of age he served in the San
Juan trouble between Great Britain and the
United States and was in command of a light
battery. When the war of 1861 broke out he was
sent to Fort Vancouver to take charge of the arsenal there and all depots. While there the governor of New Jersey telegraphed, offering him the
colonelcy of the First New Jersey Volunteers.
General Wright, then in command on the Pacific,
protested against his leaving the Pacific coast
when secession sentiments were rampant. In
fact, many of the prominent newspapers were out
with flaring headlines demanding the formation
of a separate Pacific republic. The following
year he accepted the colonelcy of the Fifteenth
United States Volunteers. He made strenuous
efforts to go to the front, but was again refused
permission by General Wright. General Mcpherson applied for him to serve as aide-de-camp
on his staff, but again came disappointment.
Then he was offered the colonelcy of the Thirty-ninth New Jersey and finally he was allowed to
go. He led his regiment in the first successful
assault on Fort Mahone in front of Petersburg,
April 2, 1865, and in leading the forlorn hope
was the first man over the works in that bloody
charge. He received the brevet of brigadier-general for his gallantry on that day. April 3-9,
1865, he served in the pursuit of the Confederate
army under General Lee and was at the capitulation at Appomattox Court House, April 9. General Meade, "the hero of Gettysburg," thought
highly of Colonel Wildrick and after the war
made him aide-de-camp on his staff. From captain of artillery, United States Regulars, in 1867,
he rose through the successive grades to lieutenant-colonel. He was a soldier of the old school,
a model commanding officer wherever he went,
and the enlisted men and officers serving under
him honored and loved him. He participated in
many hard-fought engagements during the war,
in all of which his valor was unquestioned. After the war he commanded at Fort Independence,
Boston Harbor, and subsequently was at Forts
Schuyler and Wadsworth, New York harbor.
By his marriage to Marion White, of Boston, he
had four sons, all now living. The oldest son is
engaged in business in Chicago, two are being
educated at Blair Hall, Blairstown, and one is at
Hartford, Conn. Colonel Wildrick died November 16, 1894, and was buried at West
Point, his regiment (the Thirty-ninth New Jersey) erecting a beautiful monument to his memory. In 1896 his wife died and was buried beside him.
Another son of our subject. Col. John A. Wildrick, was educated at Blair Hall. When the
Civil war broke out he was in mercantile business
at Newton, N. J. He at once raised a company
and was commissioned first lieutenant of the Sussex Rifles by Governor Olden, May 3, 1861.
May 27, 1861, he was mustered into the United
States service with the rank of first lieutenant of
Company B, Second Regiment New Jersey Volunteers. Going to the front, he took part in the
first battle of Bull Run. On the reorganization
of the army under McClellan, the second regiment became a part of General Kearney's First
New Jersey Brigade. Colonel Wildrick bore an
honorable part in all the campaigns in which the
brigade participated and for meritorious service
was made captain, then lieutenant-colonel. He
was placed in command of the Twenty-eighth
New Jersey Regiment before the battle of Chancellorsville, in which he commanded his regiment. In this engagement he was taken prisoner
and confined in Libby Prison, but was regularly
exchanged after thirty-two days and again assumed command of his regiment. After his
term of service expired he was mustered out with
his regiment. Returning to Newton he engaged
again in business. About 1872 he returned to
the old homestead in Warren County, having
previously spent several years in Arkansas. In
1890 he was elected county clerk of the courts of
Warren County, as the candidate of the Democratic party, and served his term of five years.
He has never married.
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