 As a second lieutenant in Company B, Wilson first saw action at the Union raid on Union City, Tennessee, and, in May 1862, was made a full lieutenant following the campaigns of Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama.In command of Company H during the Battle of Chaplin Hills, Wilson was later wounded at the Battle of Murfreesboro.Promoted to the rank of Major (United States) soon after returning to duty, Wilson was severely wounded, shot three times during the Battle of Chickamauga.