Col. William B. Hazen wanted Dead or Alive $50.00 William B. Hazen, Colonel at Shiloh, was born September 27, 1830 at West Hartford, Vermont, but moved with his parents to Hiram, Ohio, at the age of 3. There he became good friends with James A. Garfield. He attended West Point graduating 28th out of 32 in 1855. He served as a lieutenant in the 8th U.S. Infantry with the army in the Pacific Northwest and Texas where he was severely wounded in hand to hand combat with the Comanche in 1859. He suffered a disability from his wounds, but was promoted to Captain and assigned to teach tactics at West Point until September 18.1861. In September 1861, Hazen had recovered sufficiently to take command of the 41st Ohio Volunteer Infantry as Colonel in September. In November they joined Buell’s Army of the Ohio and reached Pittsburg Landing on April 7th where they would see their first action as part of Gen. William Nelson’s Division. When Mendenhall’s Union Battery was attacked by the Confederates at 10:00 AM, Hazen led a counterattack, directing the men with his rattan walking stick, and they “routed the enemy from their cover behind logs and trees with terrific slaughter.” Hazen’s unit continued charging to Davis’ Wheat Field where they overran the cannons of the 5th Company of the Washington Artillery of New Orleans only to be outflanked and forced to retreat. In the confusion, Hazen became separated from his command and Gen. William Nelson offered $50 to any soldier who could recover his body dead or wounded. Hazen eventually found his way back to the unit unharmed and no one would collect the bounty. Hazen would be promoted to Brigadier General in 1863 and Major General in 1865. Hazen’s Brigade would fight in the Atlanta Campaign 150 years ago and would suffer heavy losses at Pickett’s Mill when ordered to attack without support. 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. After the war, he served in the west and was a U.S. Army observer with the German Armies during the Franco-Prussian War. He provided testimony against William Belknap, last week’s birthday boy, who was receiving kickbacks from traderships at Army forts as Secretary of War. Belknap was forced to resign in 1876. He also clashed with Gen. Custer leading Ambrose Bierce to describe him as, “the best hated man I ever knew.” He would be appointed Army Chief Signal Officer, a post he held until his death in 1887. After his death his wife, daughter of the owner of the Washington Post, would marry Admiral Dewey a Spanish American War hero. Gen. William B. Hazen and Hazen’s Grave at Arlington
Posted on: Mon, 09 Jun 2014 16:00:01 +0000
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