Franklin Aretas Haskell (July 13, 1828June 3, 1864) was a

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

officer during 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 state ...

and was killed at the

Battle of Cold Harbor The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought during the American Civil War near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses ...

. Haskell wrote a famous account of 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 th ...

that was published posthumously.

Early life

Haskell was born at Tunbridge, Vermont, to Aretas and Anna E. Folsom Haskell. He moved to

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

to study law in the office of his brother Harrison. He graduated from

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native ...

in 1854, and returned to

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the county seat of Dane County, Wisconsin, Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin b ...

, to practice law.Haskell, p. iv. During this period, Haskell became the drill master of a

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non- professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

company.

Civil War

When the Civil War began, Haskell enlisted in Col. Lysander Cutler's 6th Wisconsin Infantry of Brig. Gen.

Rufus King Rufus King (March 24, 1755April 29, 1827) was an American Founding Father, lawyer, politician, and diplomat. He was a delegate for Massachusetts to the Continental Congress and the Philadelphia Convention and was one of the signers of the Un ...

's Brigade. This brigade would eventually be known as the

Iron Brigade The Iron Brigade, also known as The Black Hats, Black Hat Brigade, Iron Brigade of the West, and originally King's Wisconsin Brigade was an infantry brigade in the Union Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War. Although it fought ent ...

. He served as

adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commission ...

for the regiment with the rank of

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a ...

until April 1862, when he was made aide-de-camp for Brig. Gen.

John Gibbon John Gibbon (April 20, 1827 – February 6, 1896) was a career United States Army officer who fought in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. Early life Gibbon was born in the Holmesburg section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the fou ...

, the new Commander of the

. 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 The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. The combat, between the Union Army of the Potomac commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose Bur ...

. 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.

Gettysburg

Gibbon's Division headed north toward

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; (Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Ma ...

during the Gettysburg Campaign and was in Taneytown, Maryland, when the

began. Gibbon was given temporary command of II Corps after I Corps Commander Maj. Gen.

John F. Reynolds John Fulton Reynolds (September 21, 1820 – July 1, 1863)Eicher, pp. 450-51. 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 commi ...

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 III Corps, commanded by

Daniel E. Sickles Daniel Edgar Sickles (October 20, 1819May 3, 1914) was an American politician, soldier, and diplomat. Born to a wealthy family in New York City, Sickles was involved in a number of scandals, most notably the 1859 homicide of his wife's lover, U. ...

, 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 (July 3, 1863), also known as the Pickett–Pettigrew–Trimble Charge, was an infantry assault ordered by Confederate General Robert E. Lee against Major General George G. Meade's Union positions on the last day of the B ...

. Haskell rallied Gibbon's men after the Confederates had breached the stone wall and Gibbon had been wounded. Hancock, Gibbon, Brig. Gen.

William Harrow William Harrow (November 14, 1822 – September 27, 1872) was an American lawyer and soldier who served as a Union general in the American Civil War. Early life and career Harrow was born in Winchester, Kentucky, United States of America, and wa ...

, Col.

Norman J. Hall Norman Jonathan Hall (March 4, 1837 – May 26, 1867) was an officer in the United States Army during the American Civil War. He commanded the successful defense of his sector of the Union line against Pickett's Charge during the Battle of Gett ...

, and Col. A.F. Devereux (19th Mass.) commended Haskell for his performance, with Gibbon later 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 is a city in and the county seat of Columbia County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 10,581 at the 2020 census making it the largest city in Columbia County. The city is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area. P ...

. 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 Charles Bruce Catton (October 9, 1899 – August 28, 1978) was an American historian and journalist, known best for his books concerning the American Civil War. Known as a narrative historian, Catton specialized in popular history, featuring in ...

as "One of the genuine classics of Civil War literature." Gibbon and Haskell returned to Gettysburg in November 1863 to attend the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery and witnessed President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

Gettysburg Address The Gettysburg Address is a speech that U.S. President Abraham Lincoln delivered during the American Civil War at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery, now known as Gettysburg National Cemetery, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on the ...

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 Wisconsin Infantry Regiment The 36th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was a volunteer infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Their entire service was spent in II Corps, with the Army of the Potomac in the eastern theater of the war ...

. 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

. 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 The Army of the Potomac was the principal Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the surrender of the Confede ...

has fallen!" Gibbon wrote to his wife that he had planned to promote "poor Haskell" to field command after the battle.

Haskell's ''Battle of Gettysburg'' in popular culture

Haskell's account is reprinted in volume 43, "American Historical Documents", of ''

The Harvard Classics ''The Harvard Classics'', originally marketed as Dr. Eliot's Five-Foot Shelf of Books, is a 50-volume series of classic works of world literature, important speeches, and historical documents compiled and edited by Harvard University President Ch ...

''. In '' The Killer Angels'', the novel by Michael Shaara, part 4 ("Friday, July 3, 1863"), chapter 3 ("Chamberlain"), Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain goes to see Gen. Sykes, his corps commander, where there is a lunch for the senior commanders, and is finally taken some chicken by Lt. Haskell himself. That lunch is from Haskell's account. In '' The Civil War'', the documentary by

Ken Burns Kenneth Lauren Burns (born July 29, 1953) is an American filmmaker known for his documentary film, documentary films and television series, many of which chronicle United States, American History of the United States, history and Culture of the ...

, the subtitle of Episode 5, "The Universe of Battle", comes from Haskell's account, where, shortly after the lunch, he and Gen. Gibbon are sitting, watching the great cannonade of the third day. During "Gettysburg: The Third Day",

Garrison Keillor Gary Edward "Garrison" Keillor (; born August 7, 1942) is an American author, singer, humorist, voice actor, and radio personality. He created the Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) show '' A Prairie Home Companion'' (called ''Garrison Keillor's Radio ...

reads a relevant excerpt.

Notes

References

* Byrne, Frank L. and Andrew T. Weaver, ''Haskell of Gettysburg,'' The Kent State University Press, 1989. * Gaff, Alan D., ''On Many a Bloody Field: Four Years in the Iron Brigade'', Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, 1999, . * Gibbon, John. ''Personal Recollections of the Civil War.'' New York : G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1928. * Haskell, Frank A. ''The Battle of Gettysburg'', Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States Commandery of the State of Massachusetts, 1908. * Haskell, Frank A. ''The Battle of Gettysburg'', edited by Bruce Catton, Houghton, Mifflin Company, 1958. * Lavery, Dennis S. and Mark H. Jordan, ''Iron Brigade General: John Gibbon, Rebel in Blue'', Greenwood Press, 2003, . * Martin, David G. ''Gettysburg: July 1'', Da Capo Press, 2003, * Nolan, Alan T., ''The Iron Brigade, A Military History'', Indiana University Press, 1961, . *

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Haskell, Frank A. 1828 births 1864 deaths Union Army officers Union military personnel killed in the American Civil War People of Wisconsin in the American Civil War People of Vermont in the American Civil War Dartmouth College alumni People from Tunbridge, Vermont Military personnel from Madison, Wisconsin Iron Brigade Writers from Vermont Writers from Madison, Wisconsin