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William Joseph Hardee
Biography (Written and Submitted by Mr.
Gabe Weaver)
William Joseph Hardee
was born on October 12, 1815 in Camden County, Georgia. William Hardee attended
the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and graduated in 1838. In March of
1861 Hardee was a Colonel in the Cavalry of
the Confederacy,
and was promoted to Brigadier-General three months later. He was then sent to
Arkansas in an effort to recruit men from the Ozarks. General Hardee was then
promoted to Major-General and was sent to Kentucky in October 1861. General
Hardee also led a Corps at the
Battle
of Shiloh in an attempt to counter-attack the Union Army after taking
Forts Henry and
Donelson. General Hardee was
wounded while leading his Corps. After recovering General Hardee was then sent
to Kentucky and would command the Confederate left at the Battle of Perryville.
After the battle Hardee was promoted to Lieutenant-General. General Hardee was
then transferred to Mississippi under the command of
General Joseph
E. Johnston, but would return to
General Braxton Bragg's Army of Tennessee a few months later. General Hardee
took over the corps formally commanded by
General Leonidas Polk. Hardee led his corps at the
Battle of Chattanooga through the
Atlanta
Campaign.
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General William Hardee
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General Hardee was then put in charge of the Department of South
Carolina, Georgia, and
Florida, and would try to slow
General Sherman's March to the Sea by delaying
Sherman at
Savannah. Hardee
then withdrew to
Charleston, but General Sherman bypassed the city. Hardee then joined up
with General Joseph E. Johnston and fought at the Battle of Bentonville. On
April 26, 1865 General Hardee surrendered his three divisions. Lieutenant-General
William Joseph Hardee died in Wytheville, Virginia on November 6,1873.
Many thanks to Mr. Gabe Weaver for Writing
and Submitting this Biography. |
