A Civil War Biography
Edward Hatch
Hatch was born 22 December 1832 in Bangor, Maine. After studying for
a time at Norwich University in Vermont, he heading west and
established himself as a lumber dealer in Iowa. He also spent
sometime as a merchant seaman.
When the war started Hatch joined the 2nd Iowa cavalry as a captain
on 12 August 1861. Promotions came quickly: major on 5 September
1861, lieutenant colonel on 11 December 1861, and colonel on 13 June
1862. He saw action at Island No.10 and at the 1862 battle at
Corinth, Mississippi commanded a brigade in John K. Mizner's cavalry
division. As a brigade commander Hatch took part in Benjamin H.
Grierson's Raid through Tennessee and Mississippi. Hatch was wounded
in December 1863 at Moscow, Tennessee while conducting a raid in
Northern Mississippi and Tennessee. He was assigned command of the
cavalry depot in St. Louis, Missouri while he recuperated. He was
promoted to brigadier general to rank from 27 April 1864 and
operated mainly from Memphis, Tennessee in northern Mississippi and
middle Tennessee in operations against Nathan B. Forrest. Hatch
commanded the 5th division in James H. Wilson's cavalry corps at
Franklin and Nashville. After Nashville Hatch saw no further combat
service. He was officially mustered out of the volunteer service on
15 January 1866.
Following the war Hatch decided to stay in the regular army. He was
commissioned colonel of the 9th US cavalry. The 9th, one of the
famous African American cavalry units which became known as the
Buffalo Soldiers, was assigned to the southwestern frontier. Hatch
commanded the Department of the Southwest briefly. He was involved
in a major dispute with the Ute Indians over a reservation treaty
and unsuccessfully pursued Chief Victorio when the Mescalaro Apache
chief led his tribe in an escape from government land. Hatch was
brevetted brigadier and major general in the regular army on 2 May
1867 in recognition of his service during the Civil War. He remained
in the army until his death on 11 April 1889 at Fort Robinson,
Nebraska.
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