William A. Hawley (August 19, 1824January 15, 1873) was a career
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
officer, who served in the
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...
and 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 ...
. During the Civil War, he commanded the
3rd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
The 3rd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
Service
The 3rd Wisconsin assembled at Camp Hamilton, in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and mustered into Federal service on June ...
and received an honorary
brevet
Brevet may refer to:
Military
* Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay
* Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college
* Aircre ...
to the rank 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 ...
.
Biography
Hawley was born on August 19, 1824, in
Porter, New York
Porter is a town in Niagara County, New York, United States. The population was 6,771 at the 2010 census. The town was named after Judge Augustus Porter.
The Town of Porter lies in the northwest corner of Niagara County and is north of the Cit ...
.
He lived in
Lockport, New York
Lockport is both a city and the Lockport (town), New York, town that surrounds it in Niagara County, New York, Niagara County, New York (state), New York. The city is the Niagara county seat, with a population of 21,165 according to 2010 census ...
, before moving to
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th-lar ...
, in 1854.
[ ]
Career
Hawley originally served in the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
during the
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...
,
where he achieved the rank of
sergeant
Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...
. He was discharged after the end of the war. After the outbreak of 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 ...
, Hawley was commissioned an officer in the Union Army and helped to organized the
3rd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
The 3rd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
Service
The 3rd Wisconsin assembled at Camp Hamilton, in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and mustered into Federal service on June ...
.
The following year, he was promoted to
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 ...
and
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 ...
the year after that, at which time he took command of the regiment.
Under Hawley's command, the regiment participated in the
Battle of Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville, April 30 – May 6, 1863, was a major battle of the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville campaign.
Chancellorsville is known as Lee's "perfect battle" because h ...
, the
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of the Po ...
, the
Atlanta Campaign,
Sherman's March to the Sea
Sherman's March to the Sea (also known as the Savannah campaign or simply Sherman's March) was a military campaign of the American Civil War conducted through Georgia from November 15 until December 21, 1864, by William Tecumseh Sherman, major ...
, and the
Carolinas Campaign
The campaign of the Carolinas (January 1 – April 26, 1865), also known as the Carolinas campaign, was the final campaign conducted by the United States Army (Union Army) against the Confederate States Army in the Western Theater. On January 1 ...
.
Hawley was mustered out of the volunteers on July 18, 1865.
On January 13, 1866,
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 ...
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. He assumed the presidency as he was vice president at the time of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a Dem ...
nominated Hawley for appointment to the grade of brevet brigadier general of volunteers to rank from March 16, 1865,
for gallant services in the campaigns in Georgia and South Carolina, and the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
confirmed the appointment on March 12, 1866.
Following the war and his discharge in July 1865, Hawley left the army for a time.
In May 1866, he re-joined the U.S. Army as a second lieutenant in the
11th U.S. Infantry Regiment and was stationed in
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 ...
that year. On September 21, 1866, he was transferred to the
20th U.S. Infantry Regiment.
Hawley was promoted to first lieutenant on December 6, 1866.
On January 15, 1873, Hawley died in
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...
,
after falling ill during a blizzard.
[ ] William Hawley was buried in Glenwood Cemetery, Flint, Michigan.
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hawley, William
People from Porter, New York
People from Lockport, New York
Military personnel from Madison, Wisconsin
People of Wisconsin in the American Civil War
Union Army colonels
American military personnel of the Mexican–American War
United States Army soldiers
1824 births
1873 deaths