Bvt. Maj. Gen. Rutherford B. Hayes

[Eric Wittenberg]

I'm working on Ohio troops in the 1862 Maryland Campaign for one of my book projects, and I've just finished writing an account of the wounding of then Lt. Col. Rutherford B. Hayes at the Battle of South Mountain. I've always been somewhat aware of Hayes' role in the Civil War, but I've never really put any effort into studying it in any depth before this project.

Hayes was really a remarkable man. Aside from his political accomplishments (Congressman, twice governor of Ohio, 19th President of the United States), Hayes was really an outstanding soldier. He was a lawyer before the war and had absolutely no military training whatsoever. He was commissioned major of the 23rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry when it was mustered in the spring of 1861, serving under the command of Col. William S. Rosecrans.

When Rosecrans was promoted and transferred west after the first campaigns in West Virginia, Hayes was promoted to lieutenant colonel. He performed well during the spring and summer of 1862, and then was severely wounded at South Mountain when a ball shattered his elbow while leading an attack against the 5th North Carolina Infantry's position near Fox's Gap. He kept the arm against all odds, and was promoted to colonel of the regiment the next month and became a brigade commander in the Kanawha Division.

His 23rd Ohio fought Morgan's raiders at Buffington Island in Meigs County, Ohio on July 1863, and then in West Virginia. His brigade made the decisive attack that drove the Confederates from the field in a wild rout at the Battle of Cloyd's Mountain. He performed extraordinary service in the 1864 Valley Campaign, and was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers in October 1864. Not long after, he received a brevet to major general. He mustered out at the end of the war and returned home to Ohio to resume his legal career and to commence what became a very successful political career.

Hayes was wounded in battle five times during the war, including the severe one at South Mountain. He was brave as a lion and an inspirational leader who was loved by the men who followed him. In all, he has to be considered one of the more remarkable amateur soldiers of the Civil War, and I am thoroughly impressed by his accomplishments.

For those unfamiliar with his military career, check out T. Harry Williams' excellent chronicle, Hayes of the 23rd: The Civil War Volunteer Officer.

[hellboy30]

Thanks Eric!

[semperpietas]

William McKinley was also in the 23rd Ohio with Rutherford Hayes.

[Pruitt]

Eric,

If he was so good, why was he put in such a backwater after South Mountain? Not that it don't happen. Maybe Grant saw him as a Rosecrans protege? Several good officers were sent West of the Mississippi, but most good ones went East.

Pruitt

[Eric Wittenberg]

Originally Posted by semperpietas

William McKinley was also in the 23rd Ohio with Rutherford Hayes.

Chase,

Correct, meaning that the 23rd is the ONLY military unit ever to produce two future Presidents of the United States.

McKinley is an interesting story, and I will begin working on his Antietam saga this weekend. He was a 19-year-old commissary sergeant at Antietam.

Eric

[Eric Wittenberg]

Originally Posted by Pruitt

Eric,

If he was so good, why was he put in such a backwater after South Mountain? Not that it don't happen. Maybe Grant saw him as a Rosecrans protege? Several good officers were sent West of the Mississippi, but most good ones went East.

Pruitt

Pruitt,

First, it took him months to recover from his wound.

Second, you could well be right about the Rosecrans connection. Grant did not like Old Rosey one bit.

The Kanawha Division was assigned to hold West Virginia in the Union. Not very glamorous duty, I will grant you, but nevertheless important duty. And his brigade was a critical element of the 1864 Valley Campaign.

Eric

[Pruitt]

I understand about the wound. I have had nerve damage to my arm and hand. It has never 'came back'. Still the physical damage has to heal. With the nerves and blood vessels going through the elbow, he is lucky they saved the arm. I am curious as to how much use he had of it.

Pruitt

[TJN006]

Hayes was elected president in 1876 in a controversial election against William Tilden. In order to win the electoral votes, Hayes had to agree to remove union troops from the south and let Democratic governors take control of the last three unreconstructed southern states.

This ushered in the era of Jim Crow politics.

[geneofva]

Eric,

Just curious -- is this part of your research on Garfield in the war or are you thinking of following up on your earlier query to me as to whether the Kanawha division had ever had its history written?

As before, let me know how I might help re Hayes's commander at South Mountain, Jacob Cox.

[Eric Wittenberg]

Originally Posted by geneofva

Eric,

Just curious -- is this part of your research on Garfield in the war or are you thinking of following up on your earlier query to me as to whether the Kanawha division had ever had its history written?

As before, let me know how I might help re Hayes's commander at South Mountain, Jacob Cox.

Gene,

I've actually been working on your boy Cox today.

I'm still researching Garfield and am not ready to write. I decided to do another quick project first while still researching Garfield, and the stuff on Hayes and Cox is pertinent to that project (although it will obviously also come into play for Garfield as well).

For now, I'm putting together a project that will be titled Buckeyes Forward! Ohio Troops in the 1862 Maryland Campaign that is a direct result of the speech that I gave last month on Ohio Day at Antietam. One section of the book will profile the contributions of the two future presidents, Hayes and McKinley, to the campaign, and another section will profile the other prominent leaders of troops from Ohio who participated in the campaign. No such discussion would be complete with Jacob Dolson Cox. I've spent much of today writing a biographical profile of him--it's only 8 pages long, so fear not, I'm not trying to horn in on your territory. It's a broad brushstrokes overview of Cox's life. George Crook will be next, to be followed by Hugh Boyle Ewing and then by the regimental commanders.

I am truly surprised that nobody has ever done any sort of a history of the Kanawha Division. It was such a prominent command.

Eric

[Legate]

Originally Posted by TJN006

Hayes was elected president in 1876 in a controversial election against William Tilden. In order to win the electoral votes, Hayes had to agree to remove union troops from the south and let Democratic governors take control of the last three unreconstructed southern states.

This ushered in the era of Jim Crow politics.

Hayes was a pretty good president. He advocated for voting rights for blacks,was restrained in foreign adventures,refused to use troops to end strikes and ended the useless military occupation of the southern states.

He does have some demerits-namely his Indian policy was atrocious and he set a bad precedent on foreign policy in the Caribbean when he sent warships in response to a French plan to build a canal in Nicaragua.