Description
Excellent carte view identified as William Hacker of the 3rd Maryland Infantry. Hacker would enter the war in 1861 serving as a volunteer aide to General James Cooper of Maryland. He would later be commissioned a second lieutenant with Company A of the 3rd Maryland in May, 1862. Several months later, Hacker would find himself slugging it out on the Antietam battlefield. As the men deployed into the east Woods, Hacker was one of the first to be hit while leading at the head of his company on September, 17th.. A bullet would strike him on the right side of the chest just below the armpit, exiting just below the opposite shoulder blade. His comrades would remove him from the field and carry him to the Poffenberger farmhouse. William would be transported by ambulance to better quarters before his father brought him home to recuperate. Despite the serious wound, William felt the need to return to the regiment and would do so before the end of the year. Still recovering from the wounding, he immediately fell ill and was transported to a military hospital in Philadelphia to recover. In January of 1863 he would once again return to his regiment. This time with a promotion to captain and appointment as temporary inspecting officer for the 12th Corps. He would soon contract typhoid fever, from which he would not recover. William would succumb to the disease in a 12th Corps hospital on March 29, 1863. He is shown here dressed in uniform wearing his rank of second lieutenant with his cap resting on his overcoat with the numeral “3” visible on the front of the cap. Back marked out of Worchester, William most likely sat for this view not long after receiving his commission with the regiment. Very nice view!
