★ ★  Hazen, William B.

William Babcock Hazen

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Hazen.jpg


Born: September 27, 1830

Birthplace: West Hartford, Connecticut

Father: Stillman Hazen 1792 – 1880

Mother: Ferona Fenno 1796 – 1864

Wife: Mildred McLean 1847 – 1931
(Buried: Washington National Cathedral, Washington, D.C.)​

Children:

Mary Hazen 1872 – 1872​
(Buried: Fort Buford Cemetery, Fort Buford, North Dakota)​
John McLean Hazen 1876 – 1898​
(Buried: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia)​

Education:

1855: Graduated from West Point Military Academy – (28th in class)​

Occupation before War:

1855: Brevet 2nd Lt. United States Army, Infantry​
1855: Frontier Duty at Fort Reading, California​
1855 – 1861: 2nd Lt. United States Army, 8th Infantry Regiment​
1855: Frontier Duty at Fort Lane, Oregon​
1856: Scout for the United States Army​
1856: Served in two skirmishes at Applegate Creek & Big Canyon​
1856: Conductor of Rogue Indians to Grande Ronde Reservation​
1856 – 1857: Frontier Duty at Fort Yamhill, Oregon​
1858: Conductor of U.S. Army Recruits to Texas​
1858: Frontier Duty at Fort Davis, Texas​
1858: U.S. Army Scout against the Apache Indians​
1858: Served in the Skirmish at Guadalupe Mountains​
1859: Frontier Duty at Fort Inge, Texas​
1859: Served in Skirmishes with Kickapoo Indians on the Nueces​
1859: Brevetted 1st Lt. for Gallantry and Conduct against Indians​
1859: Wounded in the Skirmishes with Comanche Indians on Yanno​
1861: 1st Lt. United States Army, 8th Infantry Regiment​
1861: Assistant Infantry Tactics Instructor at West Point​
1861: Declined Captain of United States Army, 17th Infantry Regiment​

Civil War Career:

1861 – 1866: Captain, United States Army 8th Infantry Regiment​
1861: Recruiter and Organizer of Volunteers in Cleveland, Ohio​
1861 – 1862: Colonel of 41st Ohio Infantry Regiment​
1862: Served in the Battle of Shiloh, Tennessee​
1862: Served in the Siege of Corinth, Mississippi​
1862: Repairing the Nashville and Decatur Railroad​
1862: Union Army Commander of Murfreesboro, Tennessee​
1862: Served in the Movement to Louisville, Kentucky​
1862: Served in the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky​
1862 – 1863: Served in pursuit of the Confederate Army​
1862 – 1864: Brigadier General of Union Army, Volunteers​
1862 – 1863: Served in the Battle of Stones River, Tennessee​
1863: Union Army Commander of troops in Tennessee Valley​
1863: Served in the Battle of Chickamauga, Georgia​
1863: Brevetted Major for Gallantry at Battle of Chickamauga​
1863: Served in the movement of 52 pontoons to Brown’s Ferry​
1863: Captured the 19th Alabama Infantry, at Orchard Knob​
1863: Brevetted Lt. Colonel for Gallantry, Battle of Chattanooga​
1863 – 1864: Served in the fighting against Longstreet​
1864: Union Army Commander of Lenoir​
1864: Served in pursuit of Longstreet, from Knoxville, to Morristown​
1864: Served in the Atlanta, Georgia Campaign​
1864: Brevetted Colonel for Gallantry in Capture of Atlanta, Georgia​
1864: Served in pursuit of Hood’s Army to Gadsden, Alabama​
1864: Served in Sherman’s March to the Sea​
1864: Served in the Assault and Capture of Fort McAllister, Georgia​
1864 – 1866: Major General of Union Army, Volunteers​
1865: Served in the Carolina’s Campaign​
1865: Constructed a road from Beaufort to Port Royal, South Carolina​
1865: Builder of Trestle Bridge in 18 hours, Over Lynch’s Creek​
1865: Brevetted Brig. General, U.S. Army for capture of Fort McAllister​
1865: Brevetted Major General, U.S. Army for his service in the war​
1865: Served at the Battle of Bentonville, North Carolina​
1865: Served in the Movement from Goldsboro to Raleigh, North Carolina​
1865: Present at the Surrender of Johnston at Durham Station​
1865: Served in the March to Richmond, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.​
1865: Union Army Commander of 15th Army Corps​
1865 – 1866: Union Army Commander, District of Middle Tennessee​
1866: Mustered out of the Union Army on January 15th

Occupation after War:

1861 – 1866: Captain, United States Army, 8th Infantry Regiment​
1866: Member of Board of officers, to recommend Brevet Promotions​
1866: Acting Inspector General, U.S. Army, Department of the Platte​
1866 – 1869: Colonel of United States Army, 38th Infantry Regiment​
1869 – 1880: Colonel of United States Army, 6th Infantry Regiment​
1880 – 1887: Brigadier General, and Chief Signal Officer for U.S. Army​

Died: January 16, 1887

Place of Death: Washington, D.C.

Cause of Death: Coma from diabetes mellitus

Age at time of Death: 56 years old

Burial Place: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia
 
Last edited by a moderator:
William Babcock Hazen:

:us34stars:
Born: September 27, 1830View attachment 375285
Birthplace: West Hartford Connecticut
Father: Stillman Hazen 1792 – 1880
Mother: Ferona Fenno 1796 – 1864
Wife: Mildred McLean 1847 – 1931
(Buried: Washington National Cathedral Washington D.C.)
Children:
Mary Hazen 1872 – 1872
(Buried: Fort Buford Cemetery Fort Buford North Dakota)
John McLean Hazen 1876 – 1898
(Buried: Arlington National Cemetery Arlington Virginia)

Education:
1855: Graduated from West Point Military Academy – (28th​ in class)

Occupation before War:
1855: Brevet 2nd​ Lt. United States Army Infantry
1855: Frontier Duty at Fort Reading California
1855 – 1861: 2nd​ Lt. United States Army 8th​ Infantry Regiment
1855: Frontier Duty at Fort Lane Oregon
1856: Scout for the United States Army
1856: Served in two skirmishes at Applegate Creek & Big Canyon
1856: Conductor of Rogue Indians to Grande Ronde Reservation
1856 – 1857: Frontier Duty at Fort Yamhill Oregon
1858: Conductor of U.S. Army Recruits to Texas
1858: Frontier Duty at Fort Davis Texas
1858: U.S. Army Scout against the Apache Indians
1858: Served in the Skirmish at Guadalupe Mountains
1859: Frontier Duty at Fort Inge Texas
1859: Served in Skirmishes with Kickapoo Indians on the Nueces
1859: Brevetted 1st​ Lt. for Gallantry and Conduct against Indians
1859: Wounded in the Skirmishes with Comanche Indians on Yanno
1861: 1st​ Lt. United States Army 8th​ Infantry Regiment
1861: Assistant Infantry Tactics Instructor at West Point
1861: Declined Captain of United States Army 17th​ Infantry Regiment

Civil War Career:
1861 – 1866: Captain United States Army 8th​ Infantry Regiment
1861: Recruiter and Organizer of Volunteers in Cleveland Ohio
1861 – 1862: Colonel of 41st​ Ohio Infantry Regiment
1862: Served in the Battle of Shiloh Tennessee
1862: Served in the Siege of Corinth Mississippi
1862: Repairing the Nashville and Decatur Railroad
1862: Union Army Commander of Murfreesboro Tennessee
1862: Served in the Movement to Louisville Kentucky
1862: Served in the Battle of Perryville Kentucky
1862 – 1863: Served in pursuit of the Confederate Army
1862 – 1864: Brigadier General of Union Army Volunteers
1862 – 1863: Served in the Battle of Stones River Tennessee
1863: Union Army Commander of troops in Tennessee Valley
1863: Served in the Battle of Chickamauga Georgia
1863: Brevetted Major for Gallantry at Battle of Chickamauga
1863: Served in the movement of 52 pontoons to Brown’s Ferry
1863: Captured the 19th​ Alabama Infantry at Orchard Knob
1863: Brevetted Lt. Colonel for Gallantry Battle of Chattanooga
1863 – 1864: Served in the fighting against Longstreet
1864: Union Army Commander of Lenoir
1864: Served in pursuit of Longstreet from Knoxville to Morristown
1864: Served in the Atlanta Georgia Campaign
1864: Brevetted Colonel for Gallantry in Capture of Atlanta Georgia
1864: Served in pursuit of Hood’s Army to Gadsden Alabama
1864: Served in Sherman’s March to the Sea
1864: Served in the Assault and Capture of Fort McAllister Georgia
1864 – 1866: Major General of Union Army Volunteers
1865: Served in the Carolina’s Campaign
1865: Constructed a road from Beaufort to Port Royal S.C.
1865: Builder of Trestle Bridge in 18 hours Over Lynch’s Creek
1865: Brevetted Brig. General U.S. Army for capture of Fort McAllister
1865: Brevetted Major General U.S. Army for his service in the war
1865: Served at the Battle of Bentonville North Carolina
1865: Served in the Movement from Goldsboro to Raleigh N.C.
1865: Present at the Surrender of Johnston at Durham Station
1865: Served in the March to Richmond VA and Washington D.C.
1865: Union Army Commander of 15th​ Army Corps
1865 – 1866: Union Army Commander of District of Middle Tn.
1866: Mustered out of the Union Army on January 15th​

Occupation after War:
1861 – 1866: Captain United States Army 8th​ Infantry Regiment
1866: Member of Board of officers to recommend Brevet Promotions
1866: Acting Inspector General U.S. Army Department of the Platte
1866 – 1869: Colonel of United States Army 38th​ Infantry Regiment
1869 – 1880: Colonel of United States Army 6th​ Infantry Regiment
1880 – 1887: Brigadier General and Chief Signal Officer for U.S. Army


Died:
January 16, 1887
Place of Death: Washington D.C.
Cause of Death: coma from diabetes mellitus
Age at time of Death: 56 years old
Burial Place: Arlington National Cemetery Arlington Virginia
Iirc, on his staff was Captain Ambrose Bierce, future author, who wrote of his experiences alongside Hazen.
 
I'll quote the wonderful Ambrose Bierce, a member of Hazen's staff as a topographical Engineer from Murfreesboro to Kennesaw Mountain.
"General W.B. Hazen, a born fighter, an educated soldier, after the war Chief Signal Officer of the Army and now long dead, was the best hated man that I ever knew, and his very memory is a terror to every unworthy soul in the service. His was a stormy life: he was in trouble all round. Grant, Sherman, Sheridan and a countless multitude of the less eminent luckless had the misfortune, at one time and another, to incur his disfavor, and he tried to punish them all. He was always—after the war—the central figure of a court-martial or a Congressional inquiry, was accused of everything, from stealing to cowardice, was banished to obscure posts, "jumped on" by the press, traduced in public and in private, and always emerged triumphant. While Signal Officer, he went up against the Secretary of War and put him to the controversial sword. He convicted Sheridan of falsehood, Sherman of barbarism, Grant of inefficiency. He was aggressive, arrogant, tyrannical, honorable, truthful, courageous—skillful soldier, a faithful friend and one of the most exasperating of men. Duty was his religion, and like the Moslem he proselyted with the sword. His missionary efforts were directed chiefly against the spiritual darkness of his superiors in rank, though he would turn aside from pursuit of his erring commander to set a chicken-thieving orderly astride a wooden horse, with a heavy stone attached to each foot. "Hazen," said a brother brigadier, "is a synonym of insubordination." For my commander and my friend, my master in the art of war, now unable to answer for himself, let this fact answer: when he heard Wood say they would put him in and see what success he would have in defeating an army—when he saw Howard assent—he uttered never a word, rode to the head of his feeble brigade and patiently awaited the command to go. Only by a look which I knew how to read did he betray his sense of the criminal blunder." (Bierce, The Crime at Pickett's Mill, sourced from American Battlefield Trust, https://www.battlefields.org/learn/primary-sources/crime-picketts-mill)
 
Col. Hazen's 41st Ohio was not issued guns by the state until January 1862. Up to then they were armed with whatever firearm they brought from home or acquired on their own. Even after the official issue the men were somewhat disappointed as they were provided with reconditioned or rebored muskets and rifles. These were known as "Greenwood Rifles" named after the refurbishing gunsmith, Miles Greenwood of Cincinnati.
 
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