Harry Thompson Hays | |
|---|---|
 Harry Thompson Hays | |
| Born | (1820-04-14)April 14, 1820 Wilson County, Tennessee |
| Died | August 21, 1876(1876-08-21) (aged 56) New Orleans,Louisiana |
| Place of burial | Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, New Orleans, La. |
| Allegiance |  United States of America Confederate States of America |
| Service | United States Army Confederate States Army |
| Years of service | 1846–1848 (USA) 1861–1865 (CSA) |
| Rank |  First Lieutenant (USA) Brigadier General (CSA) |
| Commands | Louisiana Tigers Brigade |
| Battles / wars | Mexican–American War |
Harry Thompson Hays (April 14, 1820 – August 21, 1876) was an American military officer serving in the U.S. Army during theMexican–American War and ageneral who served in theConfederate Army during theAmerican Civil War.
Known as the "Louisiana Tigers", hisbrigade played a major role at theBattle of Gettysburg in July 1863, where they ascendedCemetery Hill in the darkness and overran severalartillery batteries before finally being driven off for lack of support.
Harry Thompson Hays was born inWilson County, Tennessee. His relatives[which?] had lived in a home known asthe Hermitage, which was sold toAndrew Jackson in 1804 byRobert Hays,[dubious –discuss] husband ofRachel Jackson's sister Jane Donelson.
Following the deaths of Hays's parents in 1833, he was reared by an uncle inWilkinson County, Mississippi. He attended St. Mary's College inBaltimore andstudied law. Hays soon established a prominentlaw practice inNew Orleans.
Hays saw his first military service during theMexican–American War, serving in the 5th Louisiana Cavalry. Returning to Louisiana, Hays became active in politics as aWhig and served as a Presidential Elector supportingWinfield Scott in 1852. His brother was theTexas RangerJohn Coffee Hays. AuthorShelby Foote described him as a "Tennessee-born, Mississippi-raised, lawyer from New Orleans."
In 1861, Hays entered the Confederate Army ascolonel of the 7th Louisiana Infantry. Showing his attitude toward Northerners, Hays made the rogue's march of his regiment "Yankee Doodle," stating that "More rascals have marched to that tune in one day than to any other." After fighting at theFirst Battle of Bull Run andStonewall Jackson'sShenandoah Valley Campaign of 1862, he was shot in the shoulder and knocked unconscious by a shell burst atPort Republic.
Hays was promoted tobrigadier general on July 25, 1862 and assigned command of the First Louisiana Brigade, replacingRichard Taylor who had been promoted tomajor general and sent to theWestern Theater.[1] This brigade was known as the "Louisiana Tigers," having taken the name from the original battalion commanded byRoberdeau Wheat. However, Hays had not fully recovered from his wounds, so he missed theNorthern Virginia Campaign. He lost half of his unit at theBattle of Antietam. Despite reduced numbers, he continued to lead his brigade atFredericksburg in December 1862 andChancellorsville in May 1863.
At theBattle of Gettysburg in July 1863, after he had garrisoned the town, he directed his troops in a twilight assault on Cemetery Hill. The brigade stubbornly fought their way up the steep slope, and for a brief period of time held several Union guns there. However, as General Hays looked rearward, he was dismayed to see that no additional troops had been sent to his support. Reluctantly, and with casualties mounting, he ordered the remnant of his brigade to retire in the gathering darkness just as Federal reinforcements arrived to secure the heights. His brigade brought back several battle flags captured during the attack.[2]
Hays was briefly captured in November 1863, at Rappahannock Station, but escaped. In fierce fighting at theBattle of the Wilderness on May 5, 1864, he lost a third of his remaining men. Five days later, he was badly wounded by a shell fragment atSpotsylvania Court House. He never again served in theArmy of Northern Virginia. Upon his recovery, he was transferred to theTrans-Mississippi, then was assigned command in Louisiana.
On May 10, 1865, Hays was promoted to major general by his superior,GeneralEdmund Kirby Smith, but with the demise of the Confederacy, this promotion never was formally approved byConfederate PresidentJefferson Davis or theConfederate Congress.[3]
After the war, Hays went back to New Orleans, where, after receiving a pardon from PresidentAndrew Johnson, he served asSheriff ofOrleans Parish for a year. He played a prominent role in the July 1866New Orleans Riot, at one time deputizing nearly two hundred of his former soldiers who were now members/beneficiaries of the "Hays Brigade Relief Society." Hays was removed from office in November by Federal government officials, at the insistence of influential formerUnion generalPhilip H. Sheridan. He returned to his law practice until his death at age 56 ofBright's disease. Hays was interred atLafayette Cemetery No. 1 in New Orleans.[4] He was a member ofThe Boston Club andThe Pickwick Club of New Orleans.[5][6]
Hays was aFreemason, receiving his degrees in Louisiana Lodge #102 in New Orleans.[7]
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