CONFEDERATE BIOGRAPHY: WILLIAM P. HARDEMAN 

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Submitted by Doris Peirce - ginlu@charter.net
1 February 2002 
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TEXANS WHO WORE THE GRAY by Sid S. Johnson 
WILLIAM P. HARDEMAN

William P. Hardeman, one of the brave soldiers who served Texas in 
every military struggle from her first permanent colonial settlement,
was born in Williamson county, Tenn., Nov. 4, 1816.  His father, 
Thomas J. Hardeman, served several terms with marked distinction 
in the Congress of the Republic of Texas, and was the author of 
the resolution which gave the name of "Austin" to the capitol of 
the state.  His mother was the daughter of Ezekiel Polk, a signer 
of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence in North Carolina.  
The subject of this sketch reached Texas with his father's family 
in 1835, just as the colonists were preparing for unequal war with 
Mexico.  In the spring of 1836, when Travis hemmed in with his men 
appealed from the Alamo for help, young Hardeman then not twenty 
years old, responded with alacrity and started for San Antonio 
with twenty one men.  Houston, who had heard of the massacre at 
the Alamo, fell back from Gonzales.  Hardeman and his men were not 
as fortunate, for knowing neither the fate of Travis nor of the 
retreat of Houston, they rode in upon th Mexican pickets and 
narrowly escaped capture.  His uncle, Bailey Hardeman, the 
Secretary of the Treasury of the Republic of Texas, now requested 
him to raise a company for permanent service with the army, which 
he did.  In 1837 he ranged the frontier with Deaf Smith for four 
months.  On Feb. 22, 1839, he was with Col. John H. Moore in the 
fight with the Comanche Indians at Wallace's Creek, seven miles 
above San Saba.  In April, 1839, he was in the Cordova fight 
under Gen. Burleson, near Seguin.  During the Mexican War, 1846 
& 47, he was a member of the celebrated mounted company of Texans 
commanded by Ben McCulloch, and was soon afterward offered a 
commission in the U.S.Army.  He was a member of the Texas secession 
convention in 1861; and upon its adjournment became senior captain 
in the regiment commanded by Col. Riley, in which William R. 
Scurry was lieutenant colonel and Henry Raguet was major.  For 
distinguished gallantry at the battle of Val Verde he was promoted 
on the field to be major.  He was painfully wounded in this battle.  
At Peralto he saved the day by coming with his regiment, of which 
he was in command, to the aid of Gen. Tom Green.  He was in the 
battle of Galveston with the land forces Jan. 1, 1863, when the 
Federal boats were taken or driven from the harbor and a 
Massachusetts regiment captured.  When Col. Riley fell at Iberia 
the department commander, Gen. E. Kirby Smith, ordered Hardeman 
back to command his own regiment.  He participated in the disastrous 
night attack on Fort Butler, being wounded in this action.  He 
commanded Green's brigade in the battle of Mansfield in which  
nearly every company officer of his regiment was killed or wounded; 
and he again distinguished himself in the battle of Pleasant Hill. 
He was now commissioned a brigadier general, and in the engagement 
at Yellow Bayou he was in command of a division.  After the war 
Gen. Hardeman became a planter.  In 1874, at the time of the 
inauguration of Gov. Coke, which E. J. Davis and the military were 
resisting, the Speaker of the House appointed General Hardeman, Col. 
John S. Ford and Col. W. N. Hardeman as assistant sergeants at arms.  
In open session of the legislature the Speaker, Hon. Guy M. Bryan, 
in swearing in the three said: "You love Texas, you have seen much 
service in her behalf during three wars, you are experienced and 
accustomed to command men.  A great crisis is upon Texas, she never 
needed your services more than now."  For eight days and nights 
the three were at their posts.  The capitol grounds swarmed with 
armed negroes, who were influenced by corrupt whites greedy to 
retain power.  When the crisis had passed these three brave men 
were again called before the legislature, where the Speaker in 
thanking them for the people of the commonwealth, said:  "But for 
you, Texas might have been drenched in blood and remanded back to 
military rule.  This calamity you largely contributed to avert by 
your tact, courage and partiotism."  Gen. Hardeman was inspector 
of railroads until 1887, when he was made superintendent of public 
buildings and grounds, in which capacity he served until his death 
a few years ago.  He lies buried in the state cemetery in Austin.