William Selby Harney was born in Kentucky in 1800 and joined the military in 1817. His family was acquainted with Andrew Jackson and Harney found himself accompanying the great general to the transfer of East Florida from the Spanish to the United States. Harney didn't see action until the Black Hawk War (1832) where he met Abraham Lincoln and served with Zachary Taylor. Through his political connections, Harney rose rapidly in rank. However, he had made an enemy of Winfield Scott, the top general for the majority of Harney's career. Though he fought in the Mexican War, his career was mostly defined by his reputation as an Indian fighter. During the 2nd Seminole War, he saw the failures of the European mode of combat against the guerilla style of the Seminoles. He used disguises, new colt revolving rifles, and riverine warfare to counter them. Despite orders to the contrary, he led a campaign with such tactics into the Everglades and won plaudits from the newspapers for his daring. When the 3rd Seminole War erupted (1858), it was no surprise that the military sent Harney back to Florida. In 1855, he had given a band of Souix such a drubbing at the Battle of Ash Hollow that he was ever after viewed with awe among the Plains Tribes.
Known as a hothead with a short fuse, Harney was quick to attack. This belligerence nearly led to disaster more than once. Most notably, the Pig War (1859) in the state of Washington. Though the border between the US and Canada was mostly settled in 1846, some islands between Victoria Island and the mainland were left in contention. Harney escalated a case about the value of a pig into an international incident. His old foe, Winfield Scott, was forced to quell the situation in person and give Harney a lecture. No sooner did Scott leave than Harney started his shenanigans again. In another instance, he became so furious with a black servant that he beat her to death. He fled St. Louis to avoid arrest. He was eventually indicted for murder and tried. Unsurprisingly, he was acquitted.
Like most people, Harney mellowed with age. In the case of the Civil War, perhaps he had mellowed too much. Having command of the Western Department - most importantly the state of Missouri - Harney was too slow to counter rebellious activities. Erring on the side of caution, he allowed the Confederate-leaning governor to maneuver toward rebellion. Of note, he saw that he was probably the wrong man to be posted in Missouri at the time and asked for a transfer. Instead, he was sent into retirement and sat on the sidelines during the Civil War.
Having encountered Harney in my many readings over the years, he always appeared as a difficult, bellicose, and generally mean villain. He is often painted as vindictive and cruel, which was frequently true. However, George Rollie Adams gives a more complete view of the man. Though his bad qualities stand out in works where he is mentioned, his good qualities are overlooked. Here was a soldier who was intensely loyal to the United States, had courage to burn, had a keen understanding of the various Indian tribes, and proved to be a better planner and tactician than many of his contemporaries, especially as regards the Indians.
Outstanding book and highly recommended.
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