Background
William Harney was born on August 22, 1800, in Haysboro, near Nashville, Tennessee, United States, the eighth and last child of Thomas Harney, a merchant and land surveyor, and Margaret (Hudson) Harney.
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Official Correspondence of Brig. Gen. W. S. Harney, U. S. Army, and First Lt. Geo; Ihrie, Late U. S. Army: With the U. S. War Department, and Subsequent Personal Correspondence (Classic Reprint)
(Excerpt from Official Correspondence of Brig. Gen. W. S. ...)
Excerpt from Official Correspondence of Brig. Gen. W. S. Harney, U. S. Army, and First Lt. Geo; Ihrie, Late U. S. Army: With the U. S. War Department, and Subsequent Personal Correspondence It was very foolish and reckless in General Harney to make the false statements he has niade ln this matter. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
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William Selby Harney
Edit ProfileEducation
William attended the academy conducted by Thomas Craighead in Haysboro, then received private instruction in navigation, since his mother had intended that he should enter the navy.
Career
On February 13, 1818, William Harney entered the army as second lieutenant in the 16t Infantry. He quickly showed his fitness as a soldier in the numerous expeditions into Florida against the Indians and rose rapidly in rank, until on August 15, 1836, he was made lieutenant-colonel of the 2nd Dragoons. He was given the honorary rank of brevet colonel December 7, 1840, for gallant and meritorious conduct in the Florida Everglades against the Indians, and on June 30, 1846, he was promoted colonel of the 2nd Dragoons.
This promotion, which came about the time of the Mexican War, made Harney the ranking cavalry officer under General Scott. Harney and Scott were not on good terms, and Scott, who had never been able to manage Harney, and who thoroughly distrusted his judgment and impetuosity, attempted to detach Harney from his command and turn the cavalry over to a subordinate, Major Sumner. Harney at first relinquished command, only to resume it immediately in defiance of Scott’s orders. Scott had Harney arrested and court-martialed. The court found Harney guilty of disobedience of orders and required him to apologize to Scott, which he did gracefully, saying he would not permit personal considerations to stand between him and his duty to his country.
But Harney was not as guileless as his impetuous and forthright character might seem to have indicated. He appealed to his superiors in Washington with the result that Secretary of War Marcy, with President Polk’s approval, upheld his position against Scott and administered a mild reprimand to Scott for depriving Harney of his command in such an arbitrary fashion. Scott had in the meantime dealt generously with Harney by accepting his apology and by restoring his command over the cavalry.
In the engagements which followed Harney justified the act by displaying heroic and brilliant leadership. In the battle of Cerro Gordo his charge up the heights of El Telegrafo in the face of a murderous fire at the head of General Smith’s brigade won the victory. For this brilliant performance he was brevetted brigadier-general (April 8, 1847).
After the war Harney was stationed in the Platte country where he defeated the restless Sioux Indians in the battle of Sand Hill, adding greatly to his reputation. He was presently rewarded with the command of the Department of Oregon and the rank of brigadier (1858). But his Anti-British and expansionist proclivities, especially his seizure of the island of San Juan, claimed by the British, soon caused his recall. After this, until May 1861, he was in command of the Department of the West, stationed at St. Louis. Because of his agreement with General Price not to molest the state troops so long as they made no hostile move against the federal government, he was suspected of Southern sympathy and deprived of the command.
Perhaps Harney was never trusted during the war, for no active command was given him, and he was finally retired in 1863. When the war was practically over, the government, recalling his long and brilliant services, brevetted him major general. After his retirement he lived at his estate at Pass Christian, Mississippi, and at St. Louis. He died at Orlando, Florida, the scene of his youthful triumphs over the Indians.
Achievements
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William Harney is best remembered as a member of the Indian Peace Commission, where he was instrumental in negotiating the Treaty of Little Arkansas with the Comanche and Kiowa in 1865; the Medicine Lodge Treaty of 1867; the Fort Laramie Treaty with the Brule Sioux in 1868; and urged Congress to honor past treaties. Lake Harney in Florida, Harney Peak in South Dakota, and Harney County Oregon are all named in his honor.
Works
book
-
Official Correspondence of Brig. Gen. W. S. Harney, U. S. Army, and First Lt. Geo; Ihrie, Late U. S. Army: With the U. S. War Department, and Subsequent Personal Correspondence (Classic Reprint)
(Excerpt from Official Correspondence of Brig. Gen. W. S. ...)
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Official Correspondence of Brig. Gen. W. S. Harney, U. S. Army, and First Lt. Geo; Ihrie, Late U. S. Army: With the U. S. War Department, and Subsequent Personal Correspondence (Classic Reprint)
Membership
Harney was an original member of the Aztec Club.
Connections
Harney married, in 1833, Mary Mullanphy of St. Louis. They had three children but subsequently separated. Late in life he married his nurse, Mary St. Cyr.
References
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Born
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Died
May 9, 1889 (aged 88) -
Resting place
Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia, United States -
Nationality
American