William Pile was a politician and minister from Missouri, and a Union Army general during the Civil War. Pile was a Republican in the House of Representatives, 1867-69, and served as chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in the Post Office Dept. Afterward, he was initially appointed Ambassador to Venezuela and Brazil by President Grant in 1869, but was instead appointed Territorial Governor of New Mexico and for 1869-71. Pile was again appointed Ambassador to Venezuela by President Grant in 1871, which he served as until 1874. He moved to Monrovia in 1886, and purchased a 50-acre property and grew wine grapes. He was one half Native American from his mother, most likely Choctaw.