Guy Breshears

Major Granville Haller: : Dismissed with Malice Guy Breshears

Here is the story of Major Granville Haller, a successful military officer before his sudden and unjust dismissal from the service, and his efforts to restore his name and rank. A native of York, Pennsylvania, Haller fought in the Second Seminole War, the war against Mexico (where he was twice brevetted for bravery), the Indian Wars of the Pacific Northwest, the San Juan Islands boundary dispute and the Civil War. He served on General McClellan's staff and later commanded the volunteers in the defense of York County during the Gettysburg Campaign. On July 29, 1863, Major Haller's twenty-three-year military career came to a halt when he learned that he had been dismissed for disloyal conduct and sentiments. His accuser, Lieutenant Clark Wells, was a naval officer who had spent several months in an insane asylum and had only met Haller during the Fredericksburg campaign. Inquiries to the War Department requesting a copy of his dismissal proceedings were returned unanswered. Unable to obtain a Court of Inquiry, Haller moved to Washington Territory where he spent the next sixteen years trying to restore his name. Haller's struggle is told here through his writings, official reports and court depositions so that all will recognize his contributions to the nation that dismissed him with malice.