Edwin Lewis Hayes

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Birth: Dec. 29, 1819

Death: Jan. 1, 1916

Civil War Union Brevet Brigadier General. He entered the Union Army with a commission of Captain and commander of Company D, 44th Illinois Volunteer Infantry on September 13, 1861. Nearly a year later he was transferred to the newly-raised 100th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was promoted to be it's Major on August 26, 1862. He was advanced to Lieutenant Colonel on May 13, 1863, filling the command vacancy caused by the resignation of Colonel John C. Groom. In September 1863 he was captured by Confederate forces, and was confined in Richmond, Virginia's infamous Libby Prison. While there, he assisted other prisoners in digging the tunnel that eventually allowed 109 imprisoned Federal officers to escape on February 9, 1864, however, a bout of rheumatism prevented him from escaping himself. After spending time in Belle Island prison in Richmond, he was exchanged and returned to his regiment, and was praised by his superiors for his performance at the November 1864 Battle of Franklin, Tennessee. He was promoted to Colonel on January 2, 1865, but the reduced size of the regiment prevented him from being mustered in at that rank. A few days later, January 12, he was brevetted Brigadier General, US Volunteers. He served through the end of the war, and resigned his commission on May 12, 1865. (bio by: Russ Dodge)

Family links:

Spouse:

• Mary Kramer Hayes (1825 - 1885)*

Burial: Bloomfield Cemetery Bloomfield Essex County New Jersey, USA Plot: Lot 733

Maintained by: Find A Grave Record added: Feb 05, 2001 Find A Grave Memorial# 20132