Upton Hays
| Upton Hays | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
March 29, 1832 Caldwell County, Kentucky |
| Died | September 15, 1862 (aged 30) Newtonia, Missouri |
| Allegiance |
 Confederate States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 Confederate States Army
|
| Years of service | 1861–62 |
| Rank |
 Colonel
|
| Battles/wars |
American Civil War - Battle of Carthage - First Battle of Independence - Battle of Lone Jack |
Upton Hays, sometimes spelled Hayes, (March 29, 1832 – September 15, 1862) was a colonel of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.
Upton Hays was born in Caldwell County, Kentucky. His father was Boone Hays, and his great-grandfather was famed explorer Daniel Boone. Boone Hays settled in Jackson County, Missouri in 1837, later taking his sons to California in 1850 during the gold rush. However, he died of pneumonia during the trip. Upton Hays never received any formal education, though he was taught to read and write.
After Boone Hays died, his sons returned to Missouri, and Upton Hays married Margaret Jane Watts on February 4, 1852, in Jackson County near Westport. He farmed there and served as a wagonmaster and freight hauler. Hays owned one slave, and managed he six others for his mother-in-law, Elizabeth Watts. Hays was associated with the Border Ruffians, including the future guerrilla leader William Quantrill during the Bleeding Kansas era of cross-border warfare. He voted for John C. Breckinridge for president and Claiborne Fox Jackson for governor in the election of 1860.
When the Civil War and the Union Army refused to respect Governor Jackson's attempts to remain neutral, Hays enlisted the Missouri State Guard as the captain of a cavalry company. He commanded his men at the 1861 Battle of Carthage. Hays and noted guerrilla Dick Yager conducted a raid against Gardner, Kansas, on October 2, 1861, as part of the cycle of cross-border raids by the pro-Union Jayhawkers and the pro-Confederate Border Ruffians. By December 1861, the Jayhawkers had burned Hays' home to the ground. That same month he was elected lieutenant colonel of the 1st Cavalry Regiment, VIII Division, Missouri State Guard.
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