Harry T. Hays
Encyclopedia
Harry Thompson Hays was an American
Army officer serving in the Mexican-American War and a general who served in the Confederate Army
during the American Civil War
.
Known as the "Louisiana Tigers
", his brigade
played a major role during the Battle of Gettysburg
in July 1863, where they ascended Cemetery Hill
in the darkness and overran several artillery batteries
before finally being driven off for lack of support.
. He attended St. Mary’s College in Baltimore, Maryland, and studied law. Hays soon established a prominent law practice in New Orleans, Louisiana
.
Hays saw his first military service during the Mexican-American War, serving in the 5th Louisiana Cavalry. Returning to Louisiana, Hays became active in politics as a Whig
and served as a Presidential Elector supporting Winfield Scott
in 1852. His brother was the famous Texas Ranger
John Coffee Hays
. Author Shelby Foote described him as a "Tennessee born, Mississippi raised, lawyer from New Orleans."
of the 7th Louisiana Infantry. Showing his attitude toward Northerners, Hays made the rogue's march of his regiment "Yankee Doodle," stating that "More rascals have marched to that tune in one day than to any other." After fighting at the First Battle of Bull Run
and Stonewall Jackson
's Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1862, he suffered a severe wound at Port Republic
.
Recovering from his injury, Hays was promoted to brigadier general on July 25, 1862 and assigned command of the First Louisiana Brigade, replacing Richard Taylor
who had been promoted to major general and sent to the Western Theater
. This brigade was known as the "Louisiana Tigers
," having taken the name from the original battalion commanded by Roberdeau Wheat
. Hays lost half of his unit a few months later at the Battle of Antietam
. Despite reduced numbers, he continued to lead his brigade at Fredericksburg
in December 1862 and Chancellorsville
in May 1863.
At the Battle of Gettysburg
in July 1863, after he had garrisoned the town, he directed his troops in a twilight assault on Cemetery Hill. The brigade stubbornly fought their way up the steep slope, and for a brief period of time held several Union guns there. However, as General Hays looked rearward, he was dismayed to see that no additional troops had been sent to his support. Reluctantly, and with casualties mounting, he ordered the remnant of his brigade to retire in the gathering darkness just as Federal reinforcements arrived to secure the heights. His brigade brought back several battle flags captured during the attack.
Hays was briefly captured in November 1863, at Rappahannock Station, but escaped. In fierce fighting at the Battle of the Wilderness
on May 5, 1864, he lost a third of his remaining men. Five days later, he was badly wounded by a shell fragment at Spotsylvania Court House
. He never again served in the Army of Northern Virginia
. Upon his recovery, he was transferred to the Trans-Mississippi
, then was assigned command in Louisiana.
On May 10, 1865, Hays was promoted to major general by his superior, General Edmund Kirby Smith
, but with the demise of the Confederacy, this promotion never was formally approved by Confederate President
Jefferson Davis
or the Confederate Congress
.
, he served as sheriff
of Orleans Parish for a year. He played a prominent role in the July 1866 New Orleans Riot, at one time deputizing nearly two hundred of his former soldiers who were now members of the "Hays Brigade Relief Society." Hays was removed from office in November by the Federal Government at the insistence of influential former Union general Philip H. Sheridan.
Hays was a Freemason, receiving his degrees in Louisiana Lodge #102 in New Orleans. He then returned to his law practice until his death at age 56 of Bright's disease
. Hays is buried in Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 in Washington Avenue Cemetery in New Orleans.
He is the namesake of the Major General Harry T. Hays, Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp # 2019 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Army officer serving in the Mexican-American War and a general who served in the Confederate Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Known as the "Louisiana Tigers
Louisiana Tigers
Louisiana Tigers was the common nickname for certain infantry troops from the state of Louisiana in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Originally applied to a specific company, the nickname expanded to a battalion, then to a brigade, and eventually to all Louisiana troops...
", his brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
played a major role during the Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
in July 1863, where they ascended Cemetery Hill
Cemetery Hill
Cemetery Hill is a Gettysburg Battlefield landform which had 1863 military engagements each day of the July 1–3 Battle of Gettysburg. The northernmost part of the Army of the Potomac defensive "fish-hook" line, the hill is gently sloped and provided a site for American Civil War artillery...
in the darkness and overran several artillery batteries
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
before finally being driven off for lack of support.
Early life and career
Harry Thompson Hays was born in Wilson County, Tennessee. His family lived in a home known as "The Hermitage," which was given to President Andrew Jackson by the Hays. Following the deaths of his parents, he was reared by an uncle in Wilkinson County, MississippiWilkinson County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 10,312 people, 3,578 households, and 2,511 families residing in the county. The population density was 15 people per square mile . There were 5,106 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile...
. He attended St. Mary’s College in Baltimore, Maryland, and studied law. Hays soon established a prominent law practice in New Orleans, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
.
Hays saw his first military service during the Mexican-American War, serving in the 5th Louisiana Cavalry. Returning to Louisiana, Hays became active in politics as a Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
and served as a Presidential Elector supporting Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott was a United States Army general, and unsuccessful presidential candidate of the Whig Party in 1852....
in 1852. His brother was the famous Texas Ranger
Texas Ranger Division
The Texas Ranger Division, commonly called the Texas Rangers, is a law enforcement agency with statewide jurisdiction in Texas, and is based in Austin, Texas...
John Coffee Hays
John Coffee Hays
Col. John Coffee "Jack" Hays was a Texas Ranger captain and military officer of the Republic of Texas. Hays served in several armed conflicts, including the Indian and the Mexican-American War.-Biography:...
. Author Shelby Foote described him as a "Tennessee born, Mississippi raised, lawyer from New Orleans."
Civil War
In 1861, Hays entered the Confederate Army as colonelColonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
of the 7th Louisiana Infantry. Showing his attitude toward Northerners, Hays made the rogue's march of his regiment "Yankee Doodle," stating that "More rascals have marched to that tune in one day than to any other." After fighting at the First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run, also known as First Manassas , was fought on July 21, 1861, in Prince William County, Virginia, near the City of Manassas...
and Stonewall Jackson
Stonewall Jackson
ຄຽשת״ׇׂׂׂׂ֣|birth_place= Clarksburg, Virginia |death_place=Guinea Station, Virginia|placeofburial=Stonewall Jackson Memorial CemeteryLexington, Virginia|placeofburial_label= Place of burial|image=...
's Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1862, he suffered a severe wound at Port Republic
Battle of Port Republic
-References:* Cozzens, Peter. Shenandoah 1862: Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2008. ISBN 978-0-8078-3200-4....
.
Recovering from his injury, Hays was promoted to brigadier general on July 25, 1862 and assigned command of the First Louisiana Brigade, replacing Richard Taylor
Richard Taylor (general)
Richard Taylor was a Confederate general in the American Civil War. He was the son of United States President Zachary Taylor and First Lady Margaret Taylor.-Early life:...
who had been promoted to major general and sent to the Western Theater
Western Theater of the American Civil War
This article presents an overview of major military and naval operations in the Western Theater of the American Civil War.-Theater of operations:...
. This brigade was known as the "Louisiana Tigers
Louisiana Tigers
Louisiana Tigers was the common nickname for certain infantry troops from the state of Louisiana in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Originally applied to a specific company, the nickname expanded to a battalion, then to a brigade, and eventually to all Louisiana troops...
," having taken the name from the original battalion commanded by Roberdeau Wheat
Chatham Roberdeau Wheat
Chatham Roberdeau Wheat was a Captain in the United States Army Volunteers during the Mexican War, Louisiana State Representative, lawyer, mercenary in Cuba, Mexico, and Italy, adventurer, and major in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.-Early life and career:Born in...
. Hays lost half of his unit a few months later at the Battle of Antietam
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with about 23,000...
. Despite reduced numbers, he continued to lead his brigade at Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside...
in December 1862 and Chancellorsville
Battle of Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville Campaign. It was fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near the village of Chancellorsville. Two related battles were fought nearby on...
in May 1863.
At the Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
in July 1863, after he had garrisoned the town, he directed his troops in a twilight assault on Cemetery Hill. The brigade stubbornly fought their way up the steep slope, and for a brief period of time held several Union guns there. However, as General Hays looked rearward, he was dismayed to see that no additional troops had been sent to his support. Reluctantly, and with casualties mounting, he ordered the remnant of his brigade to retire in the gathering darkness just as Federal reinforcements arrived to secure the heights. His brigade brought back several battle flags captured during the attack.
Hays was briefly captured in November 1863, at Rappahannock Station, but escaped. In fierce fighting at the Battle of the Wilderness
Battle of the Wilderness
The Battle of the Wilderness, fought May 5–7, 1864, was the first battle of Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against Gen. Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. Both armies suffered heavy casualties, a harbinger of a bloody war of attrition by...
on May 5, 1864, he lost a third of his remaining men. Five days later, he was badly wounded by a shell fragment at Spotsylvania Court House
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania , was the second major battle in Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Overland Campaign of the American Civil War. Following the bloody but inconclusive Battle of the Wilderness, Grant's army disengaged...
. He never again served in the Army of Northern Virginia
Army of Northern Virginia
The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War, as well as the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most often arrayed against the Union Army of the Potomac...
. Upon his recovery, he was transferred to the Trans-Mississippi
Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War
The Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War was the major military and naval operations west of the Mississippi River. The area excluded the states and territories bordering the Pacific Ocean, which formed the Pacific Coast Theater of the American Civil War.The campaign classification...
, then was assigned command in Louisiana.
On May 10, 1865, Hays was promoted to major general by his superior, General Edmund Kirby Smith
Edmund Kirby Smith
Edmund Kirby Smith was a career United States Army officer and educator. He served as a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, notable for his command of the Trans-Mississippi Department of the Confederacy after the fall of Vicksburg.After the conflict ended Smith...
, but with the demise of the Confederacy, this promotion never was formally approved by Confederate President
President of the Confederate States of America
The President of the Confederate States of America was the Head of State and Head of Government of the Confederate States of America, which was formed from the states which declared their secession from the United States, thus precipitating the American Civil War. The only person to hold the...
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Finis Davis , also known as Jeff Davis, was an American statesman and leader of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, serving as President for its entire history. He was born in Kentucky to Samuel and Jane Davis...
or the Confederate Congress
Congress of the Confederate States
The Congress of the Confederate States was the legislative body of the Confederate States of America, existing during the American Civil War between 1861 and 1865...
.
Postbellum career
After the war, Hays went back to New Orleans, where, after receiving a pardon from President Andrew JohnsonAndrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson was the 17th President of the United States . As Vice-President of the United States in 1865, he succeeded Abraham Lincoln following the latter's assassination. Johnson then presided over the initial and contentious Reconstruction era of the United States following the American...
, he served as sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
of Orleans Parish for a year. He played a prominent role in the July 1866 New Orleans Riot, at one time deputizing nearly two hundred of his former soldiers who were now members of the "Hays Brigade Relief Society." Hays was removed from office in November by the Federal Government at the insistence of influential former Union general Philip H. Sheridan.
Hays was a Freemason, receiving his degrees in Louisiana Lodge #102 in New Orleans. He then returned to his law practice until his death at age 56 of Bright's disease
Bright's disease
Bright's disease is a historical classification of kidney diseases that would be described in modern medicine as acute or chronic nephritis. The term is no longer used, as diseases are now classified according to their more fully understood causes....
. Hays is buried in Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 in Washington Avenue Cemetery in New Orleans.
He is the namesake of the Major General Harry T. Hays, Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp # 2019 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals