William Babcock Hazen

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Chief Signal Officer,
Indian Wars
American Civil War
Battle of Stones River (1862)
Battle of Fort McAllister (1864)
Signature

William Babcock Hazen (September 27, 1830 – January 16, 1887) was a career

Indian Wars, as a Union general in the American Civil War, and as Chief Signal Officer of the U.S. Army. His most famous service was defending "Hell's Half Acre" at the Battle of Stones River in 1862, and seizing Fort McAllister, Georgia
, in December 1864, which allowed William Sherman to capture Savannah at the end of his March to the Sea.

Early life and military career

Hazen was born in

4th U.S. Infantry. Before the Civil War, he served primarily in the Pacific Northwest and Texas, where he was wounded severely on November 3, 1859, during a fight with the Comanches
along the Llano River. He was absent on sick leave until 1861.

Civil War

Soon after the fall of

41st Ohio Infantry. Starting in January 1862, he commanded a brigade in the Army of the Ohio, under Maj. Gen. Don Carlos Buell. His first major battle was Shiloh, where Buell's army arrived on the second day (April 7, 1862), in time to counterattack the Confederate
army for a Union victory.

In the fall of 1862, Hazen fought under Buell at

Lovell H. Rousseau, Hazen's division commander, concentrated artillery to support them. Several Confederate attacks were beaten off. Their defense was so spirited against heavy odds that they arguably saved the Union line. The 4-acre (16,000 m2) Round Forest is now known informally as "Hell's Half Acre".[1] Hazen was wounded in the shoulder during the fight and was promoted to brigadier general, effective November 29, for his gallantry. Months after the battle, a monument was erected by veterans of the fight in a small Union cemetery at the site. This is considered to be the oldest Civil War monument remaining in its original battlefield location.[2]

Hazen continued with the Army of the Cumberland through the successful

Carolinas Campaign, in the Army of the Cumberland and then in the Army of the Tennessee. He distinguished himself at the Battle of Pickett's Mill while still leading a brigade in IV Corps. His brigade had to attack without adequate support and suffered badly. Later, asked where his brigade was, Hazen replied, "Brigade, Hell, I have none. But what is left of it is over there in the woods."[3]

Hazen was elevated to division command in XV Corps late in the Atlanta Campaign. During Sherman's March to the Sea, Hazen's division distinguished itself in the capture of Fort McAllister, Georgia, on December 13, 1864. This action opened communications between Sherman's army group and the United States Navy. He was promoted to brevet colonel in the regular army in September 1864 and to major general of volunteers on December 13, 1864. Very late in the war, he commanded the XV Corps of the Army of the Tennessee and was eventually promoted to brevet major general in the regular army, March 13, 1865.

Postbellum career

As the U.S. Army was drawn down following the war, Hazen was redesignated as colonel of the

Second Battle of Franklin, argued that the monument was in the wrong place.[5] Stanley was a friend of Belknap, which ties the controversies together.[6]

Hazen also engaged in controversy by criticizing

William T. Sherman
, a former friend and an ally against Belknap.

Mildred McLean

On December 15, 1880, President

Ernest A. Garlington also failed to rescue the stranded party. By the time the rescue expedition of June 1884 reached Greely, only he and six of his command remained alive. Hazen publicly criticized Secretary of War Robert Todd Lincoln for his handling of the affair, citing his refusal to send further assistance after the failure of Garlington's rescue mission, until Greely's wife, Henrietta, forced Lincoln to act in response to outraged public opinion. Lincoln censured Hazen for his public criticisms and Hazen was court-martialed in 1885, resulting in a mild reprimand from President Chester A. Arthur.[9] The newspapers, however, backed Hazen against Secretary Lincoln.[10]

Hazen married Mildred McLean, daughter of Washington McLean, the owner of The Washington Post. After his death, she married Admiral George Dewey on November 9, 1899.

Hazen died in Washington, D.C., having been taken ill after attending a reception held by President Grover Cleveland,[11] and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. The New York Times, in its obituary, called Hazen "aggressive and disputatious", traits that served him well on the battlefield but made him powerful enemies in peace time.[12] Hazen, Nevada,[13] and Hazen Bay in Alaska are named in his honor.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ McDonough, Stone's River, pp. 131-151.
  2. ^ "Hazen Brigade Monument (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  3. ^ Cooper, p. 115.
  4. ^ a b Raines, p. 55.
  5. OCLC 505989580
    – via Internet Archive.
  6. ^ Cooper, pp. 225-232.
  7. ^ Cooper, pp. 315-316.
  8. HathiTrust Digital Library
  9. ^ Raines, pp. 58-59.
  10. ^ Cooper, p. 307.
  11. ^ Cooper, p. 314.
  12. ^ Cooper, p. 315.
  13. ISBN 0-87417-094-X
    .

References

Further reading

External links
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