Preceded by Unknown Role Politician Political party Democratic Education Dartmouth College | Profession lawyer, politician Party Democratic Party Name Harrison Hobart Succeeded by Lemuel Goodell | |
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Born January 31, 1815
Ashburnham, Massachusetts ( 1815-01-31 ) Spouse(s) Frances Imogen Hobart
(nee Lowery, 1828-55)
Anna Clarence Mower Hobart (nee Litch, 1817-96) Allegiance United States of America Service/branch United States Army
Union Army Died January 23, 1902, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States Battles and wars Battle of Stones River, Battle of Hoover's Gap Similar People William Tecumseh Sherman, John Bell Hood, John T Wilder, Braxton Bragg, William Rosecrans | ||
Harrison Carroll Hobart (January 31, 1815 – January 26, 1902) was a colonel in the Union Army during the American Civil War and a lawyer and politician in the state of Wisconsin.
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Early life
Harrison Carroll Hobart was born on January 31, 1815 in Ashburnham, Massachusetts. After graduating from Dartmouth College in 1842, where he was one of the founders of the Kappa Kappa Kappa fraternity, he studied law in Boston and was admitted to the Massachusetts bar in 1845. He moved to Sheboygan, Wisconsin the following year and entered legal business and state politics. In 1847, Hobart served in the Wisconsin Territorial House of Representatives of the Territorial Legislative Assembly of the Wisconsin Territory. After Wisconsin became a state, he served in the Wisconsin State Senate in 1848 and the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1849. In 1854 he moved to Chilton, Wisconsin, which he represented in the Wisconsin State Assembly in of 1859.
Civil War service
During the Civil War, he was appointed captain in the 4th Wisconsin Infantry on July 2, 1861. On October 15, 1862, he was appointed lieutenant colonel of the 21st Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment. He fought at the battles of Stones River and Hoover's Gap. At the Battle of Chickamauga, Lt. Col. Hobart was wounded and taken prisoner on September 19 or 20, 1863. Hobart was sent to Libby Prison in Richmond, Virginia. There he helped lead the escape of 109 Union prisoners through a tunnel out of the prison on February 9, 1864. Hobart was tasked with closing off the tunnel after the last escapee had gone through. Roughly half the men made it back to Union lines, including Hobart, where he rejoined the 21st Wisconsin. Hobart returned to the front in time for the Atlanta Campaign. He was promoted to colonel of the regiment on November 1, 1864.
During the Carolinas Campaign, Colonel and Brevet Brigadier General Hobart led the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, XX Corps. He was engaged at Averasborough and was conspicuous at the Battle of Bentonville. On January 23, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln nominated Hobart for the award of the honorary grade of brevet brigadier general, United States Volunteers to rank from January 12, 1865, and the U. S. Senate confirmed the award on February 14, 1865. He was discharged on June 16, 1865.
Later years
After the war's end he ran unsuccessfully for Governor of Wisconsin. He served in the State Assembly for a final time in 1867. Later, Hobart served on the Milwaukee Common Council and was president of the common council; he would also served as acting mayor of Milwaukee. Hobart was the co-author of the book The Citizen Soldier, the autobiography of general John Beatty from 1879. Beside regular mentions it has a chapter written by him dedicated to his time and escape from Libby Prison. He died on January 26, 1902 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and is buried in Forest Home Cemetery.