James Morrison Hawes

James Morrison Hawes (January 7, 1824 – November 22, 1889) was a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.

Early life

James M. Hawes was born in Lexington, Kentucky, the son of Richard and Hettie Nicholas Hawes. The Hawes family was politically prominent. Hawes' father Richard Hawes, uncle Albert Gallatin Hawes, great-uncle Aylett Hawes, and cousin Aylett Hawes Buckner all served in the United States House of Representatives. James Hawes did not follow the family tradition, however, and enrolled at the United States Military Academy on July 1, 1841. He graduated four years later with the rank of second lieutenant of dragoons.

U.S. military service

Upon graduation, Hawes was assigned to assist with the occupation of Texas. When war broke out with Mexico, Hawes participated in the Siege of Veracruz, and the battles of Contreras, Churubusco, and Molino del Rey. His outstanding service earned him a brevet to the rank of first lieutenant.

Following his service in the U.S.-Mexican War, Hawes became an assistant instructor at the U.S. Military Academy. Among the subjects he taught were infantry tactics, cavalry tactics, and mathematics. In 1850, he studied advanced tactics at the Cavalry School of Saumur,...
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