William Joseph Hardee (1815–1873) was a U.S. Army officer, serving during the Second
Seminole War and in the Mexican-American War. During the American Civil War, he
became a Confederate general. His initial assignment as a Confederate general was
to organize a brigade of Arkansas regiments. He so impressed his men and fellow
officers that he received his nickname,
"Old Reliable." Hardee remained in Arkansas
until he was called to join General Albert Sidney Johnston's Army of Mississippi as a
corps commander for the
Battle of Shiloh in southwestern Tennessee. He was wounded
there in the arm on April 6, 1862.
This cover was sent to General Hardee in Columbia, South Carolina on May 9, 1862,
about a month after he was shot in the arm.
The CSA #4, 5˘ Blue lithograph Jefferson Davis stamp is tied by a clear Georgetown, S.C.
balloon postmark.
General Hardee recovered from his injury. At the
Battle of Perryville in October 1862,
he commanded the Left Wing of General Bragg's army.
Posted 01/10/2009 2:04 pm
