James Monroe Williams | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | September 12, 1833 Lowville, New York |
| Died | February 15, 1907 (aged 73) Washington, D.C. |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance | United States of America Union |
| Service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1861–1865, 1866–1873, 1891 |
| Rank | Colonel Brevet Brigadier General |
| Commands | 1st Kansas Colored Infantry Regiment 79th United States Colored Infantry Regiment |
| Battles / wars | American Civil War |
| Other work | lawyer, rancher, merchant |
James Monroe Williams (September 12, 1833 – February 15, 1907) was an American lawyer, soldier, and merchant. He served both as a cavalry and as an infantry officer in the Union Army within the Trans-Mississippi Theater during the American Civil War, and was breveted a brigadier general near the end of the conflict.
Williams also helped organize and was the initial commander of the 1st Kansas Colored Infantry Regiment, the first unit of USCT soldiers to see combat. Following the war, Williams remained a soldier until resigning in 1871 to become a rancher, then re-entered the service briefly about twenty years later, and afterwards became a merchant.