Upton Hays, sometimes spelled Hayes, (March 29, 1832 – September 15, 1862) 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 of ...

of the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

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 th ...

Early life, career, and border warfare

Upton Hays was born in

Caldwell County, Kentucky Caldwell County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,649. Its county seat is Princeton. The county was formed in 1809 from Livingston County, Kentucky and named for John Caldwell, who ...

. His father was Boone Hays, and his great-grandfather was famed explorer

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyond the we ...

. Boone Hays settled in

Jackson County, Missouri Jackson County is located in the western portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 717,204. making it the second-most populous county in the state (after St. Louis County). Although Independence retains ...

in 1837, later taking his sons to

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

in 1850 during the

gold rush A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, New Z ...

. However, he died of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...

during the trip. Upton Hays never received any formal education, though he was taught to read and write.Watts-Hays Letters 1849-1861
/ref> After Boone Hays died, his sons returned to Missouri, and Upton Hays married Margaret Jane Watts on February 4, 1852, in Jackson County near Westport. He farmed there and served as a wagonmaster and freight hauler. Hays owned one slave, and managed he six others for his mother-in-law, Elizabeth Watts. Hays was associated with the

Border Ruffians Border ruffians were proslavery raiders, crossing from the slave state of Missouri into the Kansas Territory, to help ensure Kansas entered the Union as a slave state. They were a key part of the violent period called Bleeding Kansas, that pea ...

, including the future guerrilla leader

William Quantrill William Clarke Quantrill (July 31, 1837 – June 6, 1865) was a Confederate guerrilla leader during the American Civil War. Having endured a tempestuous childhood before later becoming a schoolteacher, Quantrill joined a group of bandits who ...

during the

Bleeding Kansas Bleeding Kansas, Bloody Kansas, or the Border War was a series of violent civil confrontations in Kansas Territory, and to a lesser extent in western Missouri, between 1854 and 1859. It emerged from a political and ideological debate over the ...

era of cross-border warfare. He voted for

John C. Breckinridge John Cabell Breckinridge (January 16, 1821 – May 17, 1875) was an American lawyer, politician, and soldier. He represented Kentucky in both houses of Congress and became the 14th and youngest-ever vice president of the United States. Serving ...

for

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

and

Claiborne Fox Jackson Claiborne Fox Jackson (April 4, 1806 – December 6, 1862) was an American politician of the Democratic Party in Missouri. He was elected as the 15th Governor of Missouri, serving from January 3, 1861, until July 31, 1861, when he was for ...

for

governor 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 ...

in the election of 1860.

Civil War service

When the Civil War began, Hays enlisted the

Missouri State Guard The Missouri State Guard (MSG) was a military force established by the Missouri General Assembly on May 11, 1861. While not a formation of the Confederate States Army, the Missouri State Guard fought alongside Confederate troops and, at various ...

as the

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

of a

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

company. He commanded his men at the 1861 Battle of Carthage. Hays and noted guerrilla Dick Yager conducted a raid against

Gardner, Kansas Gardner is a city in Johnson County, Kansas, Johnson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 23,287. It is located inside of the Kansas City metropolitan area. History Gard ...

, on October 2, 1861, as part of the cycle of cross-border raids by the pro-Union

Jayhawkers Jayhawkers and red legs are terms that came to prominence in Kansas Territory during the Bleeding Kansas period of the 1850s; they were adopted by militant bands affiliated with the free-state cause during the American Civil War. These gangs we ...

and the pro-Confederate

. By December 1861, the Jayhawkers had burned Hays' home to the ground. That same month he was elected

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

of the 1st Cavalry Regiment, VIII Division, Missouri State Guard. In June 1862, Hays led a recruiting detail from Arkansas into Western Missouri. He skirmished with pursuing Federals and dislocated his shoulder, forcing him to disperse his command for a time. On July 30, Hays, with

bushwhacker Bushwhacking was a form of guerrilla warfare common during the American Revolutionary War, War of 1812, American Civil War and other conflicts in which there were large areas of contested land and few governmental resources to control these tra ...

Dick Yager and several others, went to Westport seeking several Northern informers. They killed a discharged German-American soldier and seized a large United States flag from a local resident. At the First Battle of Independence in August 1862, Upton assumed command after the death of

Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

John T. Hughes and the wounding of Colonel Gideon W. Thompson. The battle was a Confederate victory, but they were unable to follow up in any major way. Colonel Hays led the main attack at the

Battle of Lone Jack The Battle of Lone Jack was a battle of the American Civil War, occurring on August 15–16, 1862 in Jackson County, Missouri. The battle was part of the Confederate guerrilla and recruiting campaign in Missouri in 1862. Background During the ...

. However, other Confederate commanders complained that his attack was unnecessarily delayed, and thus lost the element of surprise. Nevertheless, the battle was another Confederate victory. After winning at Lone Jack, the Confederates withdrew closer to

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...

for supplies. On September 12, 1862, Near

Newtonia, Missouri Newtonia is a village in Newton County, Missouri, United States. The population was 199 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Joplin, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area. Newtonia was the site of the Battles of Newtonia during the American Ci ...

, or 15, Colonel Hays attempted to personally drive in some Union pickets and was killed by a bullet to the head. According to a participant, he had been elected colonel of his consolidated regiment the previous day.Eakin, Joanne Chiles, ''Battle of Lone Jack, August 16, 1862'', Two Trails Publishing, 2001, page 63-4, "Captured Guns of at Lone Jack, Missouri" by John S. Kritser

References

External links

* http://www.wattshaysletters.com/letters/2-letters-61-65/hist-letters61-65.html Watts-Hays Letters {{DEFAULTSORT:Hays, Upton 1832 births 1862 deaths American slave owners Confederate States Army officers People of Missouri in the American Civil War Missouri State Guard Shelby's Iron Brigade Confederate States of America military personnel killed in the American Civil War