| William Polk Hardeman | |
|---|---|
 Hardeman in 1846 | |
| Born | November 4, 1816 |
| Died | April 8, 1898 (aged 81) |
| Place of birth | Williamson County, Tennessee |
| Place of death | Austin, Texas |
| Buried at | Austin, Texas |
| Allegiance |
 Confederate States of America |
| Service/branch | Confederate States Army |
| Years of service | 1861–1865 |
| Rank | File:CSAGeneral.png Brigadier General, CSA |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
William Polk Hardeman (November 4, 1816 – April 8, 1898) was a Confederate States Army brigadier general during the American Civil War. He had fought in the Texas War of Independence in 1836. He was a member of the Texas Rangers and fought in the Mexican-American War in 1846-1847. During the Civil War, he participated in Brigadier General Henry Hopkins Sibley's New Mexico Campaign and in the Red River Campaign. He had a variety of occupations after the war, including superintendent of public buildings and grounds at Austin, Texas.
Early life[]
William Polk "Gotch" Hardeman was born on November 4, 1816 in Williamson County, Tennessee.[1][2] He moved to Texas in 1835 and fought in the Texas War of Independence.[1][2] He joined the Texas Rangers and fought in the Mexican-American War in 1846-1847 under Ben McCulloch, who was later a Confederate Army general.[1][2]
American Civil War[]
Hardeman began his Confederate service in May 1861 as a captain of the 4th Texas Cavalry Regiment (sometimes referred to as the 4th Texas Mounted Rifles).[1][2] In that capacity, he served in Sibley's New Mexico Campaign, including the Confederate victory at the Battle of Valverde and defeat and retreat after the Battle of Glorieta Pass.[2] Lieutenant Colonel William Read Scurry, in command at Valverde, praised Hardeman for leading the last, successful charge of the battle.[3]
Hardeman was promoted to lieutenant colonel of the regiment on March 28, 1862, the date of the Battle of Glorieta Pass, and to colonel in January 1863.[1][2] In December 1863, he briefly took command of a brigade in the Confederate Trans-Mississippi Department and again commanded a brigade beginning in September 1864.[1] Hardeman led his regiment during the Red River Campaign, including the Battle of Mansfield and the Battle of Pleasant Hill on April 8 and 9, 1864, and during the subsequent pursuit of the retreating Union Army under Major General Nathaniel P. Banks after those battles.[2][3][4] Upon the recommendation of Trans-Mississippi Department commander General E. Kirby Smith on October 28, 1864, Hardeman was appointed a brigadier general to rank from March 17, 1865.[1][2][3] He commanded a mounted brigade in Texas and Louisiana during the final eight months of the war, until May 1865.[5] No record of his parole has been found.[1]
Aftermath[]
Hardeman fled to Mexico at the end of the war but soon returned to become a planter in Texas.[1][2] In 1874 he began to serve as sergeant-at-arms of the Texas house of representatives and then as inspector of railroads.[2][3][6] In the later years of his life, Hardeman was superintendent of public buildings and grounds at Austin, Texas.[2][3] This job included supervision of the Texas Confederate Soldiers' Home.[2][3] William Polk Hardeman died April 8, 1898 at Austin, Texas and is buried in the State Cemetery at Austin.[1][2][3]
See also[]
Notes[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher. Civil War High Commands. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001. ISBN 0-8047-3641-3. p. 279
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 Warner, Ezra J. Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1959. ISBN 0-8071-0823-5. p. 125
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Schultz, Fred L. "Hardeman, William Polk" in Historical Times Illustrated History of the Civil War, edited by Patricia L. Faust. New York: Harper & Row, 1986. ISBN 978-0-06-273116-6. p. 339
- ↑ Boatner, Mark Mayo, III. The Civil War Dictionary. New York: McKay, 1988. ISBN 0-8129-1726-X. First published New York, McKay, 1959. p. 374
- ↑ Sifakis, Stewart. Who Was Who in the Civil War. New York: Facts On File, 1988. ISBN 0-8160-1055-2. p. 282
- ↑ Schultz states that Hardeman was assistant sergeant-at-arms.
References[]
- Boatner, Mark Mayo, III. The Civil War Dictionary. New York: McKay, 1988. ISBN 0-8129-1726-X. First published New York, McKay, 1959.
- Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher. Civil War High Commands. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001. ISBN 0-8047-3641-3.
- Schultz, Fred L. "Hardeman, William Polk" in Historical Times Illustrated History of the Civil War, edited by Patricia L. Faust. New York: Harper & Row, 1986. ISBN 978-0-06-273116-6.
- Sifakis, Stewart. Who Was Who in the Civil War. New York: Facts On File, 1988. ISBN 0-8160-1055-2.
- Warner, Ezra J. Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1959. ISBN 0-8071-0823-5.
External links[]
- William Polk Hardeman at Find a Grave
The original article can be found at William Polk Hardeman and the edit history here.