Frank A. Haskell
Encyclopedia
Franklin Aretas Haskell was a Union Army
officer during the American Civil War
who was killed during the Battle of Cold Harbor
. Haskell wrote a famous account of the Battle of Gettysburg
that was published posthumously.
to Aretas and Anna E. Folsom Haskell. He moved to Wisconsin
to study law in the office of his brother Harrison. He graduated from Dartmouth College
in 1854, and returned to Madison, Wisconsin
to practice law. During this period, Haskell became the drill master of a militia
company.
Lysander Cutler
's 6th Wisconsin Infantry
of Brig. Gen.
Rufus King
's Brigade. This brigade would eventually be known as the Iron Brigade
. He served as adjutant
for the regiment with the rank of first lieutenant until April 1862, when he was made aide-de-camp
for Brig. Gen. John Gibbon
, the new Commander of the Iron Brigade
. While with the Iron Brigade, Haskell saw action during the Northern Virginia Campaign
and the Maryland Campaign
. When Gibbon was promoted to command of the 2nd Division, I Corps
, Haskell went with him and remained his aide. This division saw action at the Battle of Fredericksburg
. After Gibbon suffered a wound at Fredericksburg, he took time off to recuperate and had been replaced in command of his division. He was given command of the 2nd Division, II Corps
and again Haskell remained his aide. This division saw action during the Chancellorsville Campaign
.
during the Gettysburg Campaign
and was in Taneytown, Maryland
when the Battle of Gettysburg
began. Gibbon was given temporary command of II Corps after I Corps Commander Maj. Gen.
John F. Reynolds
was killed and Maj. Gen. George G. Meade ordered II Corps Commander Maj. Gen. Winfield S. Hancock to Gettysburg to assume command. Haskell and II Corps did not arrive on the battlefield until July 2, 1863. There they took part in the defense of Cemetery Ridge
, the area around the Nicholas Codori Farm, and supported the III Corps
of Daniel E. Sickles in their defense of the Peach Orchard. In his recollections of the Battle, Haskell was highly critical of Sickles' as a soldier and a person as well as his move forward that led to his III Corps being attacked by the Confederates. That night, Gibbon took part in a council of war called by Meade which Haskell recorded in his recollections of the Battle. On July 3, Gibbon was back in command of his division and Haskell was by his side. Late that morning, Gibbon hosted a meal for much of the Union high command which Haskell also recorded for posterity. Shortly after the luncheon broke up Confederate artillery began to shell the area where Gibbon's men were positioned. Gibbon's position bore the brunt of the Confederate attack known as Pickett's Charge
. Haskell rallied Gibbon's men after the Confederates had breached the stone wall and Gibbon had been wounded. Specifically, being the only Union officer in the vicinity of the rebel charge (Pickett's Charge) not shot away from his horse, Lt. Haskell was able to gallop hither and thither to determine with some certainty that General Webb's "Philadelphia Brigade" was bearing the full brunt of the Confederate charge at the wall and was greatly outnumbered, and despite the strategic advantage of their location could not last long defending the Union line, and very soon, despite the heroic efforts of Webb's Brigade against it, Pickett's charge would succeed in breaking through the Union line. Realising that General's Gibbon and Hancock were not in the right place at the right time, as he, Lt. Haskell, a General Staff officer, took the initiative and personally requested of Col. Hall to send men from his position (left of Webb on the Union line) to assist Webb's men to repulse the massive rebel charge. Likely realising the severity of the situation once it was pointed out to him by Haskell, Col. Hall did one better and superintended movement of his men in person to assist Webb in the repulse at the wall at Pickett's charge. That being done Haskell then rode to seek further reinforcement from Gen. Harrow's Brigade (further to the left of Webbs on the Union line). Unable to quickly locate Gen. Harrow, Haskell was able to pursuade a great many of Harrow's men of their strategic importance beside Webb's and Hall's men to stop Pickett's charge. With Webb's portion of the Union line thus repaired and reinforced, and it being where the Confederate Army had put all it's effort and trust in breaking, Pickett's charge became a failure, and for all intents and purposes the Battle of Gettysburg was finally over at a great loss to the rebels. Gen. Harrow, unseen by Haskell, wrote in his official report of the battle that "Lieut. Haskell greatly distinguished himself by his constant exertion in the most exposed places." Hancock, Brig. Gen.William Harrow
, and Gibbon commended Haskell for his performance, with Gibbon writing that "I have always thought that to him, more than to any one man, are we indebted for the repulse of Lee's assault."
A few weeks after the Battle, Haskell wrote the account of what he had experienced at Gettysburg to his brother Harrison in Portage, Wisconsin
. At the time, Harrison could not even get a newspaper to publish the account. Haskell's account would be published in 1898 as a book called The Battle of Gettysburg. This account was hailed by Bruce Catton
as "One of the genuine classics of Civil War literature." In this account of the battle, Haskell mistakenly reported that he saw a few of Webb's Philadelphia Brigade cowarding to the rear. That is how it appeared to him in the heat of the battle. In fact, it is likely that the few he saw moving to the rear were rebel soldiers captured by Webb's men after they had managed to breach the wall and before reinforcements were brought by Haskell. The captives would have been escorted to the rear by a few of Webb's men. This error, and implied cowardice of a few men brought wide condemnation of Haskell's account of the Battle of Gettysburg in the years following the Civil War, and it is this error that has likely kept Frank Aretas Haskell from his deserved place in United States Military History as the man responsible for the repulse of Pickett's charge and Union Army victory at Gettysburg.
Gibbon and Haskell returned to Gettysburg in November 1863 to attend the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery
and witnessed President Abraham Lincoln
's Gettysburg Address
after recreating their role in the battle for some tourists on Cemetery Ridge.
. On June 3, he assumed command of the 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, II Corps when its commander Col. Henry Boyd McKeen was killed during the Battle of Cold Harbor
. Shortly after taking command he was shot through the temple and killed while leading a charge. A distraught Gibbon cried out: "My God! I have lost my best friend, and one of the best soldiers in the Army of the Potomac
has fallen!" Gibbon wrote to his wife that he had planned to promote "poor Haskell" to field command after the battle.
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
officer during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
who was killed during the Battle of Cold Harbor
Battle of Cold Harbor
The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought from May 31 to June 12, 1864 . It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign during the American Civil War, and is remembered as one of American history's bloodiest, most lopsided battles...
. Haskell wrote a famous account of the Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
that was published posthumously.
Early life
Haskell was born at Tunbridge, VermontTunbridge, Vermont
Tunbridge is a town in Orange County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 1,309. The town consists of three village centers, all situated on Vermont Route 110 in the valley of the first branch of the White River...
to Aretas and Anna E. Folsom Haskell. He moved to Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
to study law in the office of his brother Harrison. He graduated from Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
in 1854, and returned to Madison, Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
to practice law. During this period, Haskell became the drill master of a militia
Militia (United States)
The role of militia, also known as military service and duty, in the United States is complex and has transformed over time.Spitzer, Robert J.: The Politics of Gun Control, Page 36. Chatham House Publishers, Inc., 1995. " The term militia can be used to describe any number of groups within the...
company.
Civil War
When the Civil War began, Haskell enlisted in Col.Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
Lysander Cutler
Lysander Cutler
Lysander Cutler was an American businessman, educator, politician, and a Union Army General during the American Civil War.-Early years:Cutler was born in Royalston, Massachusetts, the son of a farmer...
's 6th Wisconsin Infantry
6th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment
The 6th Regiment Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It spent most of the war as a member of the famous Iron Brigade in the Army of the Potomac.-Service:...
of Brig. Gen.
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
Rufus King
Rufus King
Rufus King was an American lawyer, politician, and diplomat. He was a delegate for Massachusetts to the Continental Congress. He also attended the Constitutional Convention and was one of the signers of the United States Constitution on September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
's Brigade. This brigade would eventually be known as the Iron Brigade
Iron Brigade
The Iron Brigade, also known as the Iron Brigade of the West or the Black Hat Brigade, was an infantry brigade in the Union Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War. Although it fought entirely in the Eastern Theater, it was composed of regiments from Western states...
. He served as adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
for the regiment with the rank of first lieutenant until April 1862, when he was made aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
for Brig. Gen. John Gibbon
John Gibbon
John Gibbon was a career United States Army officer who fought in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars.-Early life:...
, the new Commander of the Iron Brigade
Iron Brigade
The Iron Brigade, also known as the Iron Brigade of the West or the Black Hat Brigade, was an infantry brigade in the Union Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War. Although it fought entirely in the Eastern Theater, it was composed of regiments from Western states...
. While with the Iron Brigade, Haskell saw action during the Northern Virginia Campaign
Northern Virginia Campaign
The Northern Virginia Campaign, also known as the Second Bull Run Campaign or Second Manassas Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during August and September 1862 in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. Confederate General Robert E...
and the Maryland Campaign
Maryland Campaign
The Maryland Campaign, or the Antietam Campaign is widely considered one of the major turning points of the American Civil War. Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the North was repulsed by Maj. Gen. George B...
. When Gibbon was promoted to command of the 2nd Division, I Corps
I Corps (ACW)
I Corps was the designation of three different corps-sized units in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The units served in the following armies:...
, Haskell went with him and remained his aide. This division saw action at the Battle of Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside...
. After Gibbon suffered a wound at Fredericksburg, he took time off to recuperate and had been replaced in command of his division. He was given command of the 2nd Division, II Corps
II Corps (ACW)
There were five corps in the Union Army designated as II Corps during the American Civil War.* Army of the Cumberland, II Corps commanded by Thomas L. Crittenden , later renumbered XX Corps...
and again Haskell remained his aide. This division saw action during the Chancellorsville Campaign
Battle of Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville Campaign. It was fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near the village of Chancellorsville. Two related battles were fought nearby on...
.
Gettysburg
Gibbon's Division headed north toward PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
during the Gettysburg Campaign
Gettysburg Campaign
The Gettysburg Campaign was a series of battles fought in June and July 1863, during the American Civil War. After his victory in the Battle of Chancellorsville, Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia moved north for offensive operations in Maryland and Pennsylvania. The...
and was in Taneytown, Maryland
Taneytown, Maryland
Taneytown is a city in Carroll County, Maryland, United States. The population was 5,128 at the 2000 census. was founded in 1754. Of the town George Washington once wrote "Tan-nee town is but a small place with only the Street through wch. the road passes, built on...
when the Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
began. Gibbon was given temporary command of II Corps after I Corps Commander Maj. Gen.
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
John F. Reynolds
John F. Reynolds
John Fulton Reynolds was a career United States Army officer and a general in the American Civil War. One of the Union Army's most respected senior commanders, he played a key role in committing the Army of the Potomac to the Battle of Gettysburg and was killed at the start of the battle.-Early...
was killed and Maj. Gen. George G. Meade ordered II Corps Commander Maj. Gen. Winfield S. Hancock to Gettysburg to assume command. Haskell and II Corps did not arrive on the battlefield until July 2, 1863. There they took part in the defense of Cemetery Ridge
Cemetery Ridge
Cemetery Ridge is a geographic feature in Gettysburg National Military Park south of the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, that figured prominently in the Battle of Gettysburg, July 1 to July 3, 1863. It formed a primary defensive position for the Union Army during the battle, roughly the center of...
, the area around the Nicholas Codori Farm, and supported the III Corps
III Corps (ACW)
There were four formations in the Union Army designated as III Corps during the American Civil War.Three were short-lived:*In the Army of Virginia:**Irvin McDowell ;**James B...
of Daniel E. Sickles in their defense of the Peach Orchard. In his recollections of the Battle, Haskell was highly critical of Sickles' as a soldier and a person as well as his move forward that led to his III Corps being attacked by the Confederates. That night, Gibbon took part in a council of war called by Meade which Haskell recorded in his recollections of the Battle. On July 3, Gibbon was back in command of his division and Haskell was by his side. Late that morning, Gibbon hosted a meal for much of the Union high command which Haskell also recorded for posterity. Shortly after the luncheon broke up Confederate artillery began to shell the area where Gibbon's men were positioned. Gibbon's position bore the brunt of the Confederate attack known as Pickett's Charge
Pickett's Charge
Pickett's Charge was an infantry assault ordered by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee against Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's Union positions on Cemetery Ridge on July 3, 1863, the last day of the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. Its futility was predicted by the charge's commander,...
. Haskell rallied Gibbon's men after the Confederates had breached the stone wall and Gibbon had been wounded. Specifically, being the only Union officer in the vicinity of the rebel charge (Pickett's Charge) not shot away from his horse, Lt. Haskell was able to gallop hither and thither to determine with some certainty that General Webb's "Philadelphia Brigade" was bearing the full brunt of the Confederate charge at the wall and was greatly outnumbered, and despite the strategic advantage of their location could not last long defending the Union line, and very soon, despite the heroic efforts of Webb's Brigade against it, Pickett's charge would succeed in breaking through the Union line. Realising that General's Gibbon and Hancock were not in the right place at the right time, as he, Lt. Haskell, a General Staff officer, took the initiative and personally requested of Col. Hall to send men from his position (left of Webb on the Union line) to assist Webb's men to repulse the massive rebel charge. Likely realising the severity of the situation once it was pointed out to him by Haskell, Col. Hall did one better and superintended movement of his men in person to assist Webb in the repulse at the wall at Pickett's charge. That being done Haskell then rode to seek further reinforcement from Gen. Harrow's Brigade (further to the left of Webbs on the Union line). Unable to quickly locate Gen. Harrow, Haskell was able to pursuade a great many of Harrow's men of their strategic importance beside Webb's and Hall's men to stop Pickett's charge. With Webb's portion of the Union line thus repaired and reinforced, and it being where the Confederate Army had put all it's effort and trust in breaking, Pickett's charge became a failure, and for all intents and purposes the Battle of Gettysburg was finally over at a great loss to the rebels. Gen. Harrow, unseen by Haskell, wrote in his official report of the battle that "Lieut. Haskell greatly distinguished himself by his constant exertion in the most exposed places." Hancock, Brig. Gen.William Harrow
William Harrow
William Harrow was an Indiana lawyer and a controversial Union general in the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...
, and Gibbon commended Haskell for his performance, with Gibbon writing that "I have always thought that to him, more than to any one man, are we indebted for the repulse of Lee's assault."
A few weeks after the Battle, Haskell wrote the account of what he had experienced at Gettysburg to his brother Harrison in Portage, Wisconsin
Portage, Wisconsin
Portage is a city in and the county seat of Columbia County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 10,662 at the 2010 census making it the largest city in Columbia County...
. At the time, Harrison could not even get a newspaper to publish the account. Haskell's account would be published in 1898 as a book called The Battle of Gettysburg. This account was hailed by Bruce Catton
Bruce Catton
Charles Bruce Catton was an American historian and journalist, best known for his books on the American Civil War. Known as a narrative historian, Catton specialized in popular histories that emphasized colorful characters and historical vignettes, in addition to the basic facts, dates, and analyses...
as "One of the genuine classics of Civil War literature." In this account of the battle, Haskell mistakenly reported that he saw a few of Webb's Philadelphia Brigade cowarding to the rear. That is how it appeared to him in the heat of the battle. In fact, it is likely that the few he saw moving to the rear were rebel soldiers captured by Webb's men after they had managed to breach the wall and before reinforcements were brought by Haskell. The captives would have been escorted to the rear by a few of Webb's men. This error, and implied cowardice of a few men brought wide condemnation of Haskell's account of the Battle of Gettysburg in the years following the Civil War, and it is this error that has likely kept Frank Aretas Haskell from his deserved place in United States Military History as the man responsible for the repulse of Pickett's charge and Union Army victory at Gettysburg.
Gibbon and Haskell returned to Gettysburg in November 1863 to attend the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery
Gettysburg National Cemetery
The Gettysburg National Cemetery is located on Cemetery Hill in the Gettysburg Battlefield near the borough of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and adjacent to Evergreen Cemetery to the south...
and witnessed President Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
's Gettysburg Address
Gettysburg Address
The Gettysburg Address is a speech by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln and is one of the most well-known speeches in United States history. It was delivered by Lincoln during the American Civil War, on the afternoon of Thursday, November 19, 1863, at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery...
after recreating their role in the battle for some tourists on Cemetery Ridge.
Death
On February 9, 1864, Haskell was appointed colonel of the 36th Wisconsin36th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment
The 36th Regiment Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 36th Wisconsin was organized at Madison, Wisconsin and mustered into Federal service on March 23, 1864....
. On June 3, he assumed command of the 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, II Corps when its commander Col. Henry Boyd McKeen was killed during the Battle of Cold Harbor
Battle of Cold Harbor
The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought from May 31 to June 12, 1864 . It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign during the American Civil War, and is remembered as one of American history's bloodiest, most lopsided battles...
. Shortly after taking command he was shot through the temple and killed while leading a charge. A distraught Gibbon cried out: "My God! I have lost my best friend, and one of the best soldiers in the Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
has fallen!" Gibbon wrote to his wife that he had planned to promote "poor Haskell" to field command after the battle.