US ARTY Hazlett, Charles Edward

Charles Edward Hazlett

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Born:
October 15, 1838

Birthplace: Newark, Ohio

Father: Robert Hazlett 1796–1860
(Buried: Woodlawn Cemetery, Zanesville, Ohio)​

Mother: Lucy Welles Reed Hazlett 1804–1868
(Buried: Woodlawn Cemetery, Zanesville, Ohio)​

Education:

Briefly attended Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio​
Accepted to the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York.​
During his first year at the academy, he was court-martialed and suspended for several months​
1861: Graduated from the United States Military Academy on May 6, 15th of 45 in his class​

Civil War History:

1861: Assigned to the 2nd U.S. Cavalry as a 2nd lieutenant​
1861: Promoted to 1st lieutenant and transferred to Battery D, 5th U.S. Artillery​
1861: Participated in the Battle of First Bull Run​
1862: Participated in the Peninsula Campaign
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1862: Participated in the Siege of Yorktown​
1862: Participated in the Seven Days Battles​
1862: Participated in the Battle of Second Bull Run in command of the Battery​
1862: Participated in the Battle of Antietam​
1862: Participated in the Battle of Fredericksburg​
1863: Participated in the Battle of Chancellorsville​

1863: On the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg, Hazlett helped to defend his battery position at Little Round Top. The battery had been engaged only about an hour, when Hazlett attended to the mortally wounded Brig. General Weed, and was shot, possibly by a sniper at the Devil's Den.​

Died: July 2, 1863

Time of Death:
8pm

Age at Death:
24 years old

Place of Death:
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Cause of Death:
Gunshot wound to the head

Burial Place:
Originally buried at the Jacob Weikert house near Little Round Top

Reinterred to: Woodlawn Cemetery, Zanesville, Ohio
 
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One of the speakers at the 150th Anniversary (C-Span) or Sacred Trust Talks said a relative of the Lt's mentioned his name was being mispronounced, calling him Has-let and that it was Haze-let. Best I can find not having talked with relatives is that it is in fact Haze-let. This wouldn't be the first time we've gotten something wrong over the years but it's always good getting it right, especially a soldier's name.
 
Lt. Hazlett was a very capable and well-regarded artillery officer.

Was interested to read a first hand account of Hazlett's mortal wounding provided by artilleryman, Thomas Scott, Battery D, 5th​. U.S. Artillery.

Afterwards, Scott emphatically stated,…"Lieut. Hazlett was sitting on his horse to the rear left of our piece. Word came that Gen. Weed was killed. He was facing to the front. He raised his right foot out of the stirrup, turning the left side of his head to the front. He was shot in the left side of the head, over and back of the left ear. We jumped for him. I dropped the sponge-staff and took hold of him and lifted his head, but he never spoke, and died that night about 1 o'clock , and we felt as though we had lost a dear brother."…

(Source – 'On Little Round Top. A Batteryman's Reminiscences of Gettysburg', National Tribune, August 2, 1894, at page 2)

In other words, cannoneer Scott claimed that Hazlett was shot and mortally wounded while dismounting his horse. This is contrary to the popularized view that Hazlett was shot in the head as he knelt down to hear the last words of a mortally wounded Weed.
 
I don't remember the exact quote by General Henry Hunt but it was something like "Under ordinary circumstances it would have been considered an impossible feat, but the eagerness of the men was equal to the task".He was referring to hauling the cannons up on top of Little Round Top.
 
One of the speakers at the 150th Anniversary (C-Span) or Sacred Trust Talks said a relative of the Lt's mentioned his name was being mispronounced, calling him Has-let and that it was Haze-let. Best I can find not having talked with relatives is that it is in fact Haze-let. This wouldn't be the first time we've gotten something wrong over the years but it's always good getting it right, especially a soldier's name.
I know a family with that name and they pronounce it Hazelett.
 
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