JEFFREY HAZARD.
Capt. Jeffrey Hazard, son of John Hazard, and grandson of Governor Jeffrey Hazard, was born in the town of Exeter, R. I., on the 23d day of September, 1835. His elder brother, John G. Hazard, served with distinction in the War of the Rebellion, rising from the rank of first lieutenant to brevet brigadier-general of volunteers. The subject of our sketch obtained his education at the Providence High School, and, previous to the war, was a teller in the Manufacturers’ Bank.
He received a commission as second lieutenant in Battery A, First Rhode Island Light Artillery, Oct. 5, 1861, and was subsequently appointed regimental adjutant. He participated with his battery in many engagements. Among these may be mentioned Balls Bluff, Yorktown, Fair Oaks, Malvern Hill, and Antietam. At the latter battle the battery won for itself great renown, holding an advanced position under a heavy fire from the enemy. It fought nearly four hours within three hundred yards of the enemy’s line of battle, losing four men killed and fifteen wounded. The only officers of the battery present with Captain Tompkins were lieutenants Hazard and Mason, who bravely worked the guns for want of men.
On the 1st of October, 1862, Lieutenant Hazard was promoted to the captaincy of Battery H, to fill the vacancy occasioned by the resignation of Capt. C. H. J. Hamlin. Captain Hazard immediately proceeded to Rhode Island, joined the battery at Camp Mauran, and assumed command. Shortly after his arrival he was ordered by the governor to proceed with his battery to the Dexter Training Ground, where the Twelfth Rhode Island Infantry was encamped. Trouble was anticipated in regard to bounties, which had been promised the men before leaving the State. Four guns of the battery were placed at the corners of the grounds ready to repel any mutiny that might arise. Happily no blood was shed, and Captain Hazard returned with his command to Camp Mauran.
Oct. 23, 1862, Captain Hazard’s battery left Providence for Washington, D. C, and proceeded to the artillery camp of instruction, Camp Barry. While stationed here the battery attained great efficiency in drill and discipline, due in great measure to the indefatigable efforts of its commander.
At the time of the battle of Chancellorsville Captain Hazard, with one section of his battery, was ordered to Rappahannock Station, where it remained nine days with the Twelfth Vermont Infantry, for the purpose of guarding the river at that point.
On the 29th of June, we find Captain Hazard with his battery on Little River Turnpike in the vicinity of Forts Worth and Ward, where it was engaged in supporting the picket line, as it was apprehended that the enemy, who were reconnoitering on the turnpike, might be seeking to force an entrance within our lines at that point. Commendable mention is made of the services rendered by Battery H at this time by Colonel Abbott, commanding the brigade to which the battery was attached.
On the 17th of August, Captain Hazard resigned his commission and took his departure on the evening of that date. The battery deplored the loss of its commander, for by his energy and ability he had labored to bring it to a high state of proficiency, and he had the satisfaction of knowing that it was unsurpassed by any of the volunteer batteries stationed around Washington.
On his retirement from the army Captain Hazard engaged in mercantile pursuits, and is now the senior member of the well known firm of the Hazard Cotton Company, cotton merchants, in the city of Providence.
He is connected with the Massachusetts Commandery Loyal Legion of the United States, and is a member of Prescott Post, No. 1, Department of Rhode Island, Grand Army of the Republic.
He is a member of the Providence Board of Trade, and held the office of president in 1887–8.
CRAWFORD ALLEN, JR.
Lieut.-Col. Crawford Allen, Jr., was born in Providence, R. I., April 2, 1840. He is the son of Crawford and Sarah S. Allen, and grandson of the late Rev. Nathan B. Crocker. He received his education at Brown University, and, upon leaving that institution, he traveled in Europe, and subsequently made a voyage to China, visiting various islands in the East Indies. He afterwards went to California, and was in the city of San Francisco upon the breaking out of the Rebellion. He immediately returned to Rhode Island, and received a commission as second lieutenant in Battery G, First Rhode Island Light Artillery, Nov. 7, 1861. This battery proceeded to Washington Dec. 7, 1861. It took part with the Army of the Potomac in the campaign on the Peninsula. It withdrew from the Peninsula, marching by way of Yorktown to Hampton, where it embarked for Alexandria. The guns were sent forward by transports, in charge of Lieutenant Allen. At the battle of Antietam, Sept. 17, 1862, the battery under Captain Owen fought with great bravery. This battery also performed good service at the second battle of Fredericksburg, May 2d and 3d, 1863, when Lieutenant Allen received a slight wound.
Shortly after this battle Lieutenant Allen was made adjutant of the regiment, and acting adjutant-general of the Artillery Brigade Sixth Army Corps, which positions he continued to hold until Sept. 30, 1863, when he was promoted to the captaincy of Battery H, to fill the vacancy occasioned by the resignation of Captain Hazard. Captain Allen was mustered into Battery H Oct. 1, 1863. Captain Allen commanded Fort Richardson, near the falls of the Potomac, for several months.
A correspondent of the Providence Press, writing from Camp Barry, under date of November 30th, says:
“Captain Allen, in the time he has been with us, has shown himself quite efficient as a commander, as well as exceedingly popular with the men.”
In the battle before Petersburg, Va., April 2, 1865, Captain Allen with his battery bore an honorable part. The battery went into action at four A. M., with one section under the immediate command of Captain Allen. It moved forward with the division, and, after crossing the rifle-pits, opened upon a section of rebel artillery which had a flank fire on the Federal infantry. It was soon driven off, when the battery ceased firing, moved to the left, towards Hatcher’s Run, bringing up the caissons and awaited orders. It then moved forward again with the skirmish line and engaged with a rebel battery, which soon had to leave its position. It was followed up until arriving at the Whitworth House, where the battery went into position, near the house which General Lee (Confederate) had occupied as his headquarters. The enemy had placed a rifle battery in position on the left, and obtained an enfilading fire at one thousand seven hundred yards. As the rebel battery was beyond the extreme range of our guns, Captain Allen went to Captain Adams of Battery G, of our regiment, and requested him to open fire upon the enemy. Captain Adams immediately opened on the rebel battery and soon silenced its fire.
Captain Allen was then ordered by Major Cowan to withdraw his guns, which he did, and went into park in rear of his First Division headquarters for the night. In this day’s action four men and ten horses were killed, and six men wounded.
General Wheaton, commanding the First Division of the Sixth Corps, in his report to Major Whittlesey, under date of the 15th of April, says:
“During our advance towards Petersburg Capt. Crawford Allen Jr.’s Battery H, of the First Rhode Island Artillery, was admirably handled, and his losses were severe. His guns were always in front, frequently in advance of the skirmishers; and as our lines moved forward he invariably forced the enemy’s batteries to retire, and followed them closely. Earlier in the day, when the assault commenced, Captain Allen very handsomely compelled a section of the enemy’s artillery to retire. If these guns, occupying one of their intrenched works and thoroughly enfilading our lines, had not been silenced, they might have materially retarded our advance.”
Captain Allen was promoted major for gallantry and meritorious services before Petersburg. He subsequently received the brevet rank of lieutenant-colonel.
At the surrender of Lee’s army at Appomattox Court House, to Captain Allen with his battery was accorded the honor of firing the first salute in honor of the victory.
CLEMENT WEBSTER.
First Lieut. Clement Webster, son of Stephen and Lydia (Kimball) Webster, was born in Kennebunk, Me., Oct. 16, 1817. He attended the public schools of Kennebunk in his youth, and later, a seminary at Leamington, Me. He learned the trade of printer in Saco, Me., where he and his brother Stephen started the York County Herald, a weekly paper. About the year 1841 or 1842, he removed to Providence, R. I., where he worked at his trade as a printer, and was also for a time employed in the Providence post-office. He started the Providence Daily Post as editor, and was with the exception of brief intervals, its editor until his death.
In the early period of the war he received a commission in the Third Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, but Governor Sprague insisted that he should remain in Rhode Island, where he considered that he could be of greater service with his voice and pen, than in the field. Nevertheless later on he was desirous of taking a more active part in the Union cause, and accordingly was commissioned a first lieutenant in Battery H, First Rhode Island Light Artillery. He was mustered into the service Oct. 14, 1862, but did not enter the field, and resigned his commission Feb. 7, 1863, in consequence of ill health. He died at Providence, R. I., Oct. 16, 1864.
He married Catherine P. Littlefield, of New Shoreham, R. I., May 15, 1839, by whom he had two sons. The elder son, Benjamin F., died at Providence in 1861. The other son, George E., after the death of his father became private secretary to Governor (then Senator) William Sprague, and was clerk of the Senate Committee of which the Senator was chairman during the session of 1864–65. He afterwards entered the Pension Bureau, where (interrupted by secret service work) he remained until the winter of 1871–72. He is at the present time (1894) clerk of the Common Pleas Division of the Supreme Court of this State.
Lieutenant Webster remarried Oct. 21, 1858, and of this marriage one child, Arthur M., was born. He died while a member of the Junior Class in Brown University.