Alexander Cheves Haskell (September 22, 1839 – April 13, 1910) was a

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

in the Confederate Army during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

and a Democratic politician in postbellum

South Carolina )'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

Early life

Haskell was born in Abbeville County and raised in Columbia, where he graduated second in his class from South Carolina College and was a member of the

Delta Kappa Epsilon Delta Kappa Epsilon (), commonly known as ''DKE'' or ''Deke'', is one of the oldest fraternities in the United States, with fifty-six active chapters and five active colonies across North America. It was founded at Yale College in 1844 by fiftee ...

fraternity, right before the start of the

Civil War

He enthusiastically volunteered for service in the Confederate Army and was mustered in the First Regiment of the South Carolina Volunteer Infantry, serving as an

Assistant Adjutant General An adjutant general is a military chief administrative officer. France In Revolutionary France, the was a senior staff officer, effectively an assistant to a general officer. It was a special position for lieutenant-colonels and colonels in staf ...

for

Maxcy Gregg Maxcy Gregg (August 1, 1814 – December 15, 1862) was a lawyer, soldier in the United States Army during the Mexican–American War, and a Confederate brigadier general during the American Civil War who was mortally wounded at the Battle of ...

. En route to

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

in September 1861 for action in the Eastern Theater, Haskell married Rebecca Coles Singleton in

Charlottesville Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the county seat of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. It is named after Queen Ch ...

. She died on June 26, 1862, after the birth of a daughter six days earlier. The First South Carolina Regiment initially saw significant action in 1862 at the

Seven Days Battles The Seven Days Battles were a series of seven battles over seven days from June 25 to July 1, 1862, near Richmond, Virginia, during the American Civil War. Confederate General Robert E. Lee drove the invading Union Army of the Potomac, comman ...

and would play a major role in the Second Battle of Bull Run by repulsing six

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

assaults. On May 27, 1864, Martin Gary promoted Haskell to

and placed him in charge of the 7th SC Cavalry in the brigade formerly commanded by

Wade Hampton III Wade Hampton III (March 28, 1818April 11, 1902) was an American military officer who served the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War and later a politician from South Carolina. He came from a wealthy planter family, and ...

. Haskell was injured four times in the war, at the battles of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville,

Cold Harbor The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought during the American Civil War near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S ...

and Darbytown Road. It was at Darbytown Road where he was most seriously injured after suffering a shot to the head and losing the function of his left eye, but he managed to recover in time to participate in the Appomattox Campaign. Haskell was appointed by General Lee to surrender the Confederate cavalry of the

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. It was also the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most oft ...

at the Appomattox Court House on April 12, 1865.

Postbellum activities

After the war, in 1870, Haskell married Alice Van Yeveren Alexander, the sister of

Edward Porter Alexander Edward Porter Alexander (May 26, 1835 – April 28, 1910) was an American military engineer, railroad executive, planter, and author. He served first as an officer in the United States Army and later, during the American Civil War (1861–1865) ...

. Haskell practiced law in South Carolina and was chosen in 1876 to be the chairman of the state Democratic party Executive Committee. His efforts were instrumental in the

gubernatorial election A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

by uniting the party for the straightout cause to redeem the state from

Radical Republican The Radical Republicans (later also known as "Stalwarts") were a faction within the Republican Party, originating from the party's founding in 1854, some 6 years before the Civil War, until the Compromise of 1877, which effectively ended Recon ...

rule during

Reconstruction Reconstruction may refer to: Politics, history, and sociology *Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company *'' Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Unio ...

. Governor

Wade Hampton Wade Hampton may refer to the following people: People * Wade Hampton I (1752–1835), American soldier in Revolutionary War and War of 1812 and U.S. congressman *Wade Hampton II (1791–1858), American plantation owner and soldier in War of 1812 * ...

rewarded him for his dedication and fervor by having Haskell placed on the

state supreme court In the United States, a state supreme court (known by other names in some states) is the highest court in the state judiciary of a U.S. state. On matters of state law, the judgment of a state supreme court is considered final and binding in b ...

in 1877. In the 1880s, Haskell became the president of the Columbia and Greenville Railroad. Haskell and conservative Democrats were bitterly opposed to Ben Tillman's candidacy for governor in 1890. Tillman was an uncouth

demagogue A demagogue (from Greek , a popular leader, a leader of a mob, from , people, populace, the commons + leading, leader) or rabble-rouser is a political leader in a democracy who gains popularity by arousing the common people against elites, ...

who expressed his opposition to everything favored by the conservatives and further irritating Haskell was that while both men lost the function of an eye, Haskell courageously continued to serve in the Confederate army while Tillman dodged service. Failing to beat Tillman at the state Democratic convention, Haskell led a straightout Democratic ticket in the general election and even appealed for votes from blacks and Republicans. Many in the state refused to vote for anyone other than the official Democratic candidate out of fear of giving Republicans another chance at state government and thus the Haskell ticket fared poorly. Until his death on April 13, 1910, Haskell was serving as the

vice president A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on ...

of National Loan & Exchange Bank of Columbia. He was buried in Columbia at Elmwood Cemetery.

Children

From his first marriage, to Rebecca Coles Singleton (1838–1862), Haskell had one daughter: * Rebecca Singleton Haskell (born June 20, 1862) Haskell had ten children from his marriage with Alice Van Yeveren Alexander (born 1848): *Alexander Cheves Haskell, Jr. (born August 15, 1871) *Louise Porter Haskell (born July 25, 1872) *

Mary Elizabeth Haskell Mary Elizabeth Haskell, later Minis (December 11, 1873 – October 9, 1964), was an American educator, best known for having been the benefactress of Lebanese-American writer, poet and visual artist Kahlil Gibran. Life Haskell was born in Columb ...

(December 11, 1873 – October 9, 1964) *Anthony Porter Haskell (born January 27, 1875) *Marion Alexander Haskell (born June 5, 1876) *Charles Thomson Haskell (born April 25, 1878) *Frederika Christina Haskell (born December 10, 1880) *Adam Leopold Haskell (born September 1, 1882) *Alice Van Yeveren Haskell (born June 21, 1884) *Suzanna Courtonne Haskell (born February 16, 1886)

References

* * * *Stokes, Karen, ed. 2019. ''An everlasting circle: Letters of the Haskell family of Abbeville, South Carolina. 1861-1865.'' Macon, GA: Mercer University Press. . *Daly, Louise Haskell. Alexander Cheves Haskell: The Portrait of a Man. 1934. Reprint, Wilmington, N.C.: Broadfoot, 1989. *Garlington, J. C. Men of the Time: Sketches of Living Notables. 1902. Reprint, Spartanburg, S.C.: Reprint Company, 1972.

External links

USC Biography of Alexander Cheves Haskell
{{DEFAULTSORT:Haskell, Alexander Cheves People of South Carolina in the American Civil War Confederate States Army officers 1839 births 1910 deaths Justices of the South Carolina Supreme Court People from Abbeville County, South Carolina South Carolina Democrats 19th-century American judges