When the American Civil War broke out, Rutherford B. Hayes took part in the struggle and joined the Union. He rose through the ranks, attaining the rank of major general by the time the war ended. It is important to note here that the Civil War was one of our country’s most defining moments. The country owes those who actively participated in the fight to preserve the Union and its ideals, such as Hayes. The challenges they faced in this endeavor were enormous, and Hayes’ account of his experience during the South Mountain Battle underlines this assertion.
Hayes was instrumental in the victory secured by the union at the South Mountain Battle after his regiment, as part of Union forces, was dispatched to dislodge Confederate soldiers at Maryland’s South Mountain. It was during this battle that Hayes suffered serious injuries when his regiment came under…show more content… At some point, his regiment was pushed back to cover due to heavy enemy fire and the injured Hayes, as Howells points out, found himself left alone between the enemy and his men. Thinking that his men were effectively pulling out, Hayes yelled, “Hallo, twenty-third men! are you going to leave your colonel here for the enemy?” It was at around this moment that Hayes was removed from range and Major Comly took over the command of the regiment. Despite the setback, the regiment did not back down. However, as Conwell points out, word that the colonel had been killed had spread and fear was beginning to creep in. It was at this moment that out of the blue; “Hayes, with a handkerchief tied around his arm, appeared to his surprised command, and, against the protests of friends, again took lead.” The colonel’s return was timely and this alone brought great motivation to the regiment. This and the arrival of reinforcements rekindled the regiment’s fighting spirit for the rest of the
