Wayne Mahood

Although he never achieved the renown of Ulysses S. Grant or Robert E. Lee, General Alexander Hays was one of the great military men of the Civil War. Born July 8, 1819, in Franklin, Pennsylvania, Hays graduated from West Point and served with distinction during the Mexican War. When the Civil War began a few years later, it was no surprise that Hays immediately volunteered and was given the initial rank of colonel with a later meritorious promotion to general. Hays was also known for his concern for his men, a fact that no doubt contributed to the acclaim which he received after his death on May 5, 1864, at the age of 44. From West Point to the Civil War, this biography takes a look at Hays's life, concentrating--with good cause--on his military career. Personal correspondence and contemporary sources are used to complete the picture of a complex man, devoted husband and father, and gifted and dedicated soldier.

James S. Wadsworth was a successful lawyer and influential New York politician when the Civil War broke out. His wealth, strong anti-slavery views, and active support of President Lincoln made him a controversial public figure in the early war years. In 1863, he was given a field command and proved himself to be one of the Union's most able and daring commanders, although he died before the war ended. His battlefield boldness and righteous resolve to end slavery is, as former U.S. Congressman James W. Symington says, "a vivid reminder that our Civil War was, indeed, fought on moral grounds."