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Brigadier General Harry L. Haskell's Enlistment Record

Civil War Period

From New York: Report of the Adjutant-General

Residence not listed; 22 years old. Enlisted on 26 August 1862 at Troy, NY as a Private. On 27 August 1862 he mustered into "A" Co. NY 125th Infantry.

  • POW 15 September 1862 Harper's Ferry, VA (Paroled)
  • Transferred within the 125th Infantry on 27 August 1862 from Company A to Company S (Field & Staff)
  • Paroled 16 September 1862 Harper's Ferry, VA
  • Promoted to Full Sergt Major on 27 September 1862
  • Promoted to Full 2nd Lieut on 6 February 1863 (As of Co. F)
  • Transferred within the 125th Infantry on 16 March 1863 from Company S (Field & Staff) to Company F
  • Promoted to Full Capt on 14 October 1863 (As of Co. F)
  • Wounded 5 September 1864 Spotsylvania Court House, VA

Harry was Honorably mustered out for wounds on 12 September 1864.

Thanks to Stephen Schmidt for the above information.

Post Civil War

  • 1864-65 [re-enlisted]
  • Captain 7th U.S. Veteran Volunteer Infantry 10 May 1865
  • Honorably mustered out 27 April 1866 [re-enlisted]
  • 2nd Lt 12th Infantry 3 Aug 1870
  • 1st Lt. 30 June 1877

Harry Haskell served in the U.S. Army for 36 years. After the Civil War ended, the Battalion was reorganized and redesignated as the 12th Infantry Regiment on 7 December 1866. He fought in the Indian Wars of 1865-91. This included the Second Sioux War 1875-6 in the final defeat of Chiefs Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, 31 Oct 1876 in the Dakotas. He was also in the campaign against the Nez Perce Indians, Chief Joseph, in Idaho in 1877. Fort Bowie and the Chiricahua Apaches. Author Robert M. Utley in A Clash of Cultures, Fort Bowie and the Chiricahua Apaches reported that the 12th Infantry Regiment's "Military campaigns continued for another year. Finally in late 1879 Geronimo and Juh, through the efforts of Tom Jeffords (U.S. Govt Indian agent) and Lt. H. L. Haskell, surrendered. With 105 followers they arrived at Fort Bowie on December 29, 1879." (pp 43-4)

In 1881, Haskell was aide-de-camp on the staff of Gen. Orlando B. Wilcox, Commander of the Department of Arizona, under the Military Division of the Pacific, stationed at Prescott, Arizona. In the 1870s, the Regiment took part in three campaigns of the Indian Wars; against the [[Modoc War|Modoc]] tribe in California during 1872-1873, against the [[Bannock War|Bannocks]] in the Northwest in 1878, and against the [[Sioux]] at [[Sioux Wars#Pine Ridge Campaign (1890–1891)|Pine Ridge, South Dakota]] from 1890-91.

During the War with Spain, the 12th Infantry was sent to Cuba in June 1898 and participated in the storming of the Spanish fortress of El Caney where the 12th had the distinction of capturing the Spanish colors. At the conclusion of the War with Spain the Regiment was immediately dispatched in February 1899 to the Philippine Islands to reinforce US Army units fighting elements of the Filipino army that resented the takeover of their islands by the United States after the Americans had defeated the Spanish at the Battle of Manila. There the Regiment participated in three campaigns of what was to be known as the Philippine Insurrection and then served as garrison troops, not returning to the United States until 1912.

  • Captain 2 Jan 1888
  • Major 2 March 1899
  • Transfer to 30th Infantry 27 July 1901
  • Lt Col. 20th Infantry 27 Sept 101
  • Transfer to 12th Infantry 15 Oct 1901
  • Retired 1901

Contributors

For information on Civil War Captain and later Brigadier General Henry Haskell, we are indebted to Jim McGraw, who contributed a very fine portrait, and Win Haskell of Germany, who sent us a number of documents telling us quite a lot about the Private, later Brigadier General, Haskell. Sgt. Vincent M. Jockimo, a member of the 125th N.Y. Volunteers reenactment group, told us about the badge itself and its meaning, and sent us portions of the regimental history. Stephen Schmidt send us Harry's enlistment record. And Jody Roberts sent us some info about Harry from the Sons of the American Revolution. Information on Harry's marriage, later military service, and his wife's family members is courtesy of Virginia Mylius.