General John Gardiner Hazard, son of John and Margaret (Crandall) Hazard, was born April 15, 1832, in the town of Exeter, R. I., died May 15, 1897, in Providence. He was one of Rhode Island's foremost citizen-soldiers. The breaking out of the Civil War found him engaged in mercantile pursuits at Providence. His patriotism and the stirring events of the spring and summer of 1861 led him to tender his services to his country. He was commissioned first lieutenant, First Rhode Island Artillery, August 8, 1861; assisted in the organization of Batteries B and C; accompanied the latter to Washington, and was soon after transferred to Battery A. He was ordered to accompany General Williams' brigade to Ball's Bluff on the day of the battle there, and arrived on the ground at daylight the following morning. The day was spent in getting canal boats in readiness, and putting on board the battery and horses. After dark he was ordered to unship, as the troops already across were ordered back to Maryland's side of the Potomac. This move of crossing to the Virginia side of the river was simply a feint to prevent the enemy making another, prior to our troops returning, which could only be done under cover of night. The following day the battery returned to its old camping ground at Darnstown. About the first of November, Lieutenant Hazard was ordered to report to General Charles P. Stone, at Poolesville, Md., where his battery remained during the winter, sending out a section weekly to do picket duty. During the great portion of the winter Lieutenant Hazard was in command of the battery, Captain Tompkins being absent on sick leave. Early in the spring the battery accompanied General Sedgewick to Harper's Ferry, from which point two or three expeditions were made up the valley to Charlestown and Winchester, resulting only in slight skirmishes. In April the battery was ordered to Washington to ship for Fortess Monroe. Arriving at that point, the division was united to Sumner's Corps, the Second. Lieutenant Hazard accompanied the battery up the peninsula, and was almost daily engaged in the siege of Yorktown. At the raising of the siege it was put on shipboard on the York river and landed at West Point, where it joined the main part of the army again at Camp Winfield Scott. June 30, crossing the Chickahominy, it was engaged in the battle at Fair Oaks, after which it remained in this work until the retreat was ordered to the James river. The battery was engaged almost constantly, as was the entire army, from the time it started until it reached the river, - more severely for the battery, perhaps, at Peach Orchard, White Oak Swamp and Glendale. At Malvern Hill it was not ordered into the fight, yet sustained loss from the enemy's artillery.
On August 20, 1862, Lieutenant Hazard was commissioned captain of Battery B, and took command September 1, at Alexandria, on its arrival from the peninsula. It then rejoined the Second Corps, and accompanied it through Maryland, South Mountain, thence to the battle of Antietam. From here the army went into camp in and about Harper's Ferry, to refit and reorganize. The battery at this time was in a particularly bad condition, horses worn out, men were ragged, and from constant marching day and night, the men had become slack in discipline. These evils, with the assistance of Lieutenant George W. Adams, Horace S. Bloodgood and G. Lyman Dwight, were speedily overcome. In October, 1862, Captain Hazard proceeded with the army to Warrenton, and from there, after the change in command to Falmouth, opposite Fredericksburg, where the battery remained in camp until ordered into the battle of Fredericksburg. On the 12th he was engaged from daylight until late in the day in shelling the same. On the morning of the 13th he was ordered across the river to report to Major-General O. O. Howard, commanding Second Division of the corps. The infantry having been repulsed again and again by many hard hours of fighting, it was decided to send Battery B to the extreme front in a very exposed position, within one hundred and fifty yards of the enemy's line and under a heavy crossfire of their artillery. Their orders were to go in on the run or they would never succeed in getting into position at all. They did so, but remained there only about twenty minutes, when they were ordered out, with a severe loss of men and horses. General Couch afterward told Captain Hazard that he did not expect to see him get out without losing his command, but that he considered the sacrifice called for, as the infantry were getting much demoralized. The horses of Captain Hazard and Lieutenant Bloodgood were shot under them during the battle.
In April, 1863, Captain Hazard was made chief of artillery of the corps. At the same time a complete change was made in the organization of the artillery of the Army of the Potomac. The artillery of each corps was taken from the division and made into a separate brigade by itself, and placed under the sole command of the chief of artillery, who was made, by the order, a brigade commander. After the fatal blunder of General Hooker, at Chancellorsville, the enemy left our front on their memorable campaign into Maryland and Pennsylvania. Captain Hazard's brigade accompanied the Second Corps on the chase after Lee to the battle of Gettysburg, where, after three days' terrific fighting, Lee retreated across the Potomac. After following him to Falling Waters our army was put in motion for Virginia, and struck the enemy again near Culpeper. The Second Corps had been in a severe fight with a portion of the enemy at Auburn Hill and Bristoe Station, Captain Hazard's command taking a very important part in the result of the day.
Soon after, the army went into winter quarters on the Rapidan. In April, 1864, Captain Hazard was made major of his regiment, and assigned to the command of the Second Brigade of the Artillery Reserves. When the army broke camp on the 4th of May, he accompanied his brigade to the Wilderness; thence to Spottsylvania, where the brigade was attached to that part of General Tidball's, of the Second Corps, with which he continued through the battle of the Po, Mattapony, North Anna and Cold Harbor, to Petersburg. On July 1, 1864, General Tidball was ordered to West Point as Commander, and the consolidated brigade was placed under Major Hazard's command. The brigade was engaged almost daily from May 5 until August 1; from that time, until about September 1, it remained quiet, with the exception of the battle of Deep Bottom, and the unfortunate repulse at Ream's Station, where he lost eight guns and all the officers of Battery B, captured by the enemy.
On August 8, Major Hazard was made lieutenant-colonel by brevet, for 'gallant and meritorious services'. During the fall and winter of 1864 his command occupied various forts in the works in front of Petersburg, at times withdrawing a few batteries for some of the winter. Most of the time he occupied the line, Colonel Hazard had in his command nineteen light, four heavy and six mortar batteries, stationed at the most important points and requiring the greatest care and watchfulness. On March 28 the brigade broke camp and moved with the corps across Hatcher's Run, where they engaged the enemy, in connection with the grand advance of the whole army. Richmond and Petersburg falling, they pursued the enemy to Appomattox Court House, their corps being immediately on the heels of Lee's army. They were constantly skirmishing with them to the very hour of their surrender. The last battle engaged in was at Farmersville, April 7 and 8. On May 3, 1865, Lieutenant-Colonel Hazard was made colonel and brigadier-general by brevet 'for meritorious service during the war'. He was recommended for these brevets by his superior officers several months prior. He accompanied his brigade from Virginia to Washington, and participated in the Grand Review. At the disbanding of the artillery, he was ordered to report with his regiment (Colonel Tompkins having been mustered out) to Rhode Island, and on July 1 was mustered out. On July 11, General Hazard was commissioned colonel of the Fifth United States Volunteers, retaining his brevet rank of brigadier-general, and ordered by the Secretary of War to make his headquarters at Fort Wadsworth, S. I., New York harbor, and he commanded that post until March 9, 1866, when his regiment was mustered out of service. After the war the greater part of the active business life of General Hazard was passed in the South, making his headquarters at New Orleans, engaged in the cotton business. He made a number of business trips abroad.
General Hazard died May 15, 1897, in Providence, R. I. His funeral took place from Grace Episcopal Church, May 18, there being present besides friends a large representation of the Loyal Legion, of which the deceased had been a member. The interment was at Swan Point Cemetery, Providence.
