William Calvin Oates ( either November 30 or December 1 , 1833 - September 9 , 1910 ) was a Confederate colonel during the American Civil War and later the Democratic Governor of Alabama from 1894 to 1896 . William Calvin Oates ( either November 30 or December 1 , 1835 - September 9 , 1910 ) was a Confederate colonel during the American Civil War , the 29th Governor of Alabama from 1894 to 1896 , and a brigadier general in the U.S. Army during the Spanishâ `` American War .