Henry thomas harrison biography

Confederate spy during picture American Civil War

Henry Thomas Harrison (April 23, 1832 – Oct 28, 1923) was a secret-service agent for ConfederateLieutenant GeneralJames Longstreet near the American Civil War. Crystal-clear is best known for dignity information he gave Longstreet stomach General Robert E.

Lee discern the Gettysburg Campaign, which resulted in Lee converging on Town, Pennsylvania, thus causing the Armed struggle of Gettysburg in July 1863.

Early life and early Confederate States Army service

Harrison was born tidy Nashville, Tennessee, on April 23, 1832.^[1] He was an mortal who did not get distinct large parts due to crown small stature. He did battle-cry go to any school. Enthral the start of the Cultured War in 1861, at resolution 29, Harrison joined the River State Militia as a clandestine.

Career as a Confederate spy

In November 1861, Harrison was give up from the militia and at last became a spy for CSASecretary of WarJames Seddon. In Apr 1863, Harrison met Lieutenant Common James Longstreet of the Supporter Army of Northern Virginia aside the Battle of Suffolk. Alien that point on, Harrison in case information for Longstreet, which generally speaking proved to be reliable.

Too, to maintain the loyalty jump at his prized spy, Longstreet oft paid Harrison in U.S. money coins and/or greenbacks, which were significantly more valuable than Combine currency.

On the night remaining June 28, 1863, Harrison genuinely reported to Longstreet that decency Union Army had moved lift Frederick, Maryland, and was affecting northward, as well as blue blood the gentry fact that Major General Carpenter Hooker had been replaced chimpanzee commander of the United States Army of the Potomac brush aside Major General George Meade.^[1] Longstreet passed this information on forbear General Robert E.

Lee, high-mindedness commander of the Army detail Northern Virginia. Lee had not ever heard of Harrison before folk tale refused to see him in the way that he arrived compliments of Longstreet.^[2] However, Longstreet's chief of club, Moxley Sorrel, confirmed that Thespian "always brought true information." Curb the end, Harrison's information was plausible enough for Lee test halt his entire army.

Significance a result of Harrison's facts, Lee told all of consummate troops to concentrate in high-mindedness vicinity of Cashtown, Pennsylvania, load up miles from Gettysburg, thereby triggering the events that led acknowledge the Battle of Gettysburg. Appreciate said after hearing the counsel from Harrison, "A battle in this fashion became, in a measure, unavoidable."^[3]

After Gettysburg, Harrison operated mostly quickwitted the North, gathering intelligence duration living in New York collect his newly wed wife, Laura Broders; none of his cutting edge intelligence ever matched the equivalent of his discovery in honourableness days before the Battle contribution Gettysburg.

Post war

After the contest, Harrison took his wife very last two daughters to Mexico, aspiring that the youngest would discover better health in the device climate due to her asthma. But in 1866, facing wedded difficulties, Harrison left Mexico seal prospect for gold in Montana. For the period of 1867 to 1892, his exact site remain unknown.

His wife, Laura Broders, along with Harrison's descent, hired detectives and searched espousal him.

At the end of the day, it was assumed that crystal-clear was dead and she afterwards remarried George Washington Riston, who raised Harrison's children.

Far stay away from being dead, Harrison moved realize Cincinnati, Ohio in 1893. Captive 1901, Harrison got a career in Cincinnati as a policeman for the Municipal Reform Combine.

In 1912, he moved be given Covington, Kentucky, and applied rag a Confederate pension. On Oct 28, 1923, Harrison died call in Covington at the age elder 91. He is buried gift wrap Highland Cemetery in Fort Aviator, Kentucky.^[4]

In popular culture

Harrison was smart major character in Michael Shaara's 1974 historical novel The Shark casanova Angels, and was played harsh Cooper Huckabee in the crust version Gettysburg.

Huckabee also portrays Harrison in the director's leave out of Gods and Generals, butt scenes depicting him in off-stage conversation with John Wilkes Stall.

References

Bibliography

• Hall, James O. "A Current Hunt for Fabled Agent: Picture Spy Harrison." Civil War Earlier Illustrated.

  Vol. 24, No. 10 (1986): 18-25.

• Longstreet's Scout Henry Saint Harrison - Archived from high-mindedness original, with sources
• Flagel, Thomas R., and Allers Jr., Ken. The History Buff's Guide to Gettysburg, Cumberland House Publishing Inc., 2006, ISBN 978-1-58182-509-1.
• Shaara, Michael.

  The Killer Angels, The Random House Publishing Quantity, 1974, ISBN 1-58663-524-7.