Charles E. Hazlett

Charles Edward Hazlett
1st Lieutenant Charles E. Hazlett, c. 1862
Born	October 15, 1838(1838-10-15) Newark, Ohio
Died	July 2, 1863(1863-07-02) (aged 24) Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Place of burial	Woodlawn Cemetery, Zanesville, Ohio
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army, Union Army
Years of service	1861 – 1863
Rank	1st Lieutenant
Commands held	Battery D, 5th U.S. Artillery Battery D, 4th U.S. Artillery (Antietam Campaign)
Battles/wars	American Civil War Battle of First Bull Run Battle of Gaines' Mill Battle of Malvern Hill Battle of Second Bull Run Battle of Antietam Battle of Fredricksburg Battle of Chancellorsville Battle of Gettysburg†

Charles Edward Hazlett (October 15, 1838 – July 2, 1863) was a U.S. Army 1st Lieutenant during the American Civil War. He was killed on Little Round Top during the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg.

Early life

USMA Cadet Charles E. Hazlett, May 1861

Hazlett was born in Newark, Ohio. He attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York and was graduated on May 6, 1861, fifteenth in his class. Initially assigned to the 2nd U.S. Cavalry as a 2nd Lieutenant, he was almost immediately promoted to 1st lieutenant and transferred to Battery D, 5th U.S. Artillery.

Civil War

By the Second Battle of Bull Run, Hazlett commanded Battery D. During the Antietam Campaign, Hazlett was in command of Battery D, 4th U.S. Artillery. At the Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862, the battery was positioned near bridge number 2 eastern side of Antietam Creek, giving enfilading fire to Jackson's Corps and later engaged in fierce counter-battery fire with Confederate artillery.

Gettysburg

On the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg, Hazlett's Battery (3rd Division, V Corps), consisting of six 3-inch 10-pdr Parrott rifles, was rushed to the top of Little Round Top by Brig. Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren. Maneuvering the guns by hand up the steep and rocky slope of the hill was a difficult achievement. However, this effort had little effect on the action of July 2. The artillerymen were exposed to constant Confederate sniper fire and could not work the guns effectively. More significantly, they could not depress the guns' barrels sufficiently to defend against incoming infantry attacks.^[1] While standing near the battery during the intense fighting, Brig. Gen. Stephen H. Weed was mortally wounded by a bullet to his chest. His last words were reported as "I would rather die here than that the rebels should gain an inch of this ground." Reportedly, Hazlett was killed trying to hear what Weed was saying.^[2] Command of the battery passed to 2nd Lt Benjamin F. Rittenhouse.

Burial

Hazlett was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Zanesville, Ohio.

Notes

1. ^ Pfanz, pp. 223-24.
2. ^ Weed-Hazlett monument at Gettysburg

References

• Pfanz, Harry W. Gettysburg: The Second Day (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press), 1998. ISBN 0-8078-4730-5

External links

• Hazlett's Battery monument at Gettysburg

Persondata
Name	Hazlett, Charles E.
Alternative names
Short description	Union Army officer
Date of birth	October 15, 1838
Place of birth	Newark, Ohio
Date of death	July 2, 1863
Place of death	Gettysburg, Pennsylvania