Peter Conover Hains: From Fife and Drums to Planes and Tanks

Peter Conover Hains was born before the Civil War and still wore a U.S. Army uniform in World War I. He fired one of the Civil War’s first naval shots, built ports and canals, and returned to active duty at age 77. His legacy spans over half a century of American warfare — and four generations of service. This Memorial Day, we’re telling the story of the soldier who bridged two centuries. In this episode, we talk about his incredible career and then chat with Comedian and Educator, Joe Janes.

There have been many notable people who have served in multiple wars. 

Let’s start with Winfield Scott. He fought in the War of 1812, commanded U.S. forces during the Mexican-American War, and still led troops into the early years of the Civil War. They called him “Old Fuss and Feathers” — partly because of his obsession with military decorum, and partly because he lived long enough to become one of the most decorated officers in American history. He also helped lay the groundwork for the modern U.S. Army.

Then there’s Smedley Butler. You might know his name from his later years, when he became one of the most outspoken critics of American imperialism. But before that? He fought in the Boxer Rebellion, saw action in Central America and the Caribbean, and earned two Medals of Honor — one for Veracruz, and one for Haiti. His book War Is a Racket turned a lot of heads, especially coming from someone who’d spent decades in uniform.

There’s also John J. Pershing — known as “Black Jack.” He fought in the Spanish-American War, helped lead campaigns in the Philippines, and in 1916, was sent to hunt down Pancho Villa along the Mexican border. Then came World War I, and Pershing was picked to lead the entire American Expeditionary Forces in Europe. He’s one of only two people in U.S. history to be titled “General of the Armies.” The other was George Washington.

Historians have disagreed about the number of people who have fought in both the Civil War and World 1. Some say there was only one. Others point to at least two others. 

There was a Canadian named Charles Boucher who fought in the American Civil War and then allegedly lied about his age to fight in World War One. There was a man named John Clem who fought in the Civil War and retired as World War One was beginning.  

But the most notable is a man who fought in both the American Civil War and World War One 50 years later. He was active in both conflicts. His name was Major General Peter Conover Hains.

Peter Conover Hains was born in 1840, in Philadelphia — a city that, by then, had already seen two American wars, and was about to see a third. He came from a large family of modest means, but had his sights set high. He was appointed to the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1857, graduating just four years later, in the spring of 1861 — right as the country collapsed into war.

In fact, Hains had barely graduated when he found himself on the front lines of one of the most significant moments in American history.

He was stationed near Charleston Harbor in South Carolina, at Fort Johnson, as tensions between North and South came to a boil. On January 9, 1861, months before the official start of the war, Hains was ordered to fire a warning shot across the bow of the Star of the West — a Union ship trying to resupply the besieged Fort Sumter.

That shot — according to military historians — was likely the first naval shot of the American Civil War.

Let that sink in.

The war hadn’t even officially begun yet. But Peter Conover Hains, 20 years old, fresh out of West Point, fired the cannon that helped light the match. Literall. He wasn’t just a footnote in the early days of the Civil War — he was standing right at the fuse as it was being lit. In early January of 1861, months before Fort Sumter would become the official opening salvo, tensions were already high in Charleston Harbor. The Union had sent a steamship called the Star of the West to resupply the garrison at Fort Sumter, which was still held by federal troops under Major Robert Anderson. But South Carolina had just seceded from the Union three weeks earlier, and the state considered any effort to reinforce Fort Sumter an act of war. Hains, stationed at Fort Johnson and serving as a young lieutenant in the South Carolina state militia at the time, was ordered to fire a warning shot across the bow of the Star of the West. That cannon shot — meant to turn the ship away — is now widely regarded by historians as the first naval shot of the American Civil War. While it didn’t lead to immediate full-scale fighting, it was a spark. A literal flashpoint. And Peter Conover Hains was the man who pulled the lanyard.

As the war escalated, Hains was assigned to artillery and engineering commands, serving in multiple theaters and gaining a reputation for technical brilliance. He wasn’t leading flashy charges like Joshua Chamberlain or riding with cavalry units — his genius was in logistics and structure. He understood the role of terrain, elevation, fortifications, and fieldworks better than almost anyone his age.

He served in Virginia, Maryland, and along the Mississippi River, helping design and fortify Union positions. His work was less about headlines and more about holding the line. He often supervised the construction of forts, bridges, and artillery emplacements under fire.

In 1864, during the Siege of Petersburg, his engineering skills were put to the test as Union forces tried to outmaneuver Robert E. Lee’s army. Hains designed defensive works and planned artillery bombardments that helped pin down Confederate forces.

And he kept surviving. Unlike many of his West Point classmates who died during the war, Hains emerged with his health, his reputation, and a promising future.

When the war ended in 1865, most young officers left the military. Not Hains.

Instead, he joined the Army Corps of Engineers, and began what would become a monumental career in shaping the physical infrastructure of the United States.

Over the next four decades, Hains worked on:

• Harbor improvements from Boston to Savannah
• Dredging and deepening the Delaware River
• Strengthening the defenses of New York Harbor
• Modernizing coastal fortifications from Charleston to New Orleans
• Planning the first modern canal locks at Niagara Falls

His name appears on blueprints for harbor projects, flood control systems, and navigational channels across the East Coast. He wasn’t just building forts. He was reshaping how goods moved across a growing nation.

In the late 1800s, America had its eyes on a big dream: building a canal through Central America to connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

The French had already failed spectacularly at this in the 1880s. Thousands of workers died of disease. The terrain was brutal. The logistics were worse. But the U.S. believed it could succeed — and Hains was brought in to help.

He traveled to Panama, studied the region, and joined the Isthmian Canal Commission — the group in charge of selecting the best route. Hains recommended a series of lock-based designs that would eventually become part of the final construction plan under later engineers like John Stevens and George Washington Goethals.

He wasn’t the one who finished the canal. But he helped lay the blueprint. And once again, he did it in uniform.

By 1904, Hains officially retired with the rank of Brigadier General after 43 years of continuous military service. He was 64 years old.

At this point, most people would slow down. Not Hains. At age 64, he retired from the military after building forts, firing Civil War cannons, and helping design the Panama Canal. But 13 years later, as the world fell into global war again — he wasn’t done.

In 1917, the United States entered World War I. The country suddenly needed experienced military leaders — especially in engineering, logistics, and training. And so, someone at the War Department pulled a name from the past: Peter Conover Hains.

At 77 years old, Hains was recalled to active duty — making him one of the oldest serving officers in U.S. military history.

He didn’t go overseas. Instead, he was assigned to stateside command posts, helping train young officers, oversee coastal defenses, and advise on fortifications.

One Army report described him as “remarkably sound of mind, commanding immediate respect, and bringing decades of practical knowledge to every assignment.”

Imagine the generational divide:

The men he was advising were half a century younger. Many had grown up with automobiles and electricity. Hains had fought with black powder rifles and candlelight. But there he was — still teaching. Still leading.

Hains finally retired — for good — in 1918, shortly after the armistice. He died three years later, in 1921, at the age of 81.

He’s buried in Arlington National Cemetery, alongside his sons and grandsons.

And speaking of his family — the Hains legacy didn’t end with Peter. His son, Peter C. Hains Jr., served in the U.S. Army and was involved in the famous Annis Yacht Club murder case, which made headlines in 1908. This is the guy whose story I got confused with his dad. In short, his son Peter Hains Jr. fought in multiple wars and while he was still active duty, he murdered his wife’s secret lover at a yacht club and beat the murder charge by pleading insanity. He ended up serving 8 years for manslaughter, but was pardoned by the governor of New York. It’s an interesting story, but not the one we’re talking about this week. So that was Peter Hains son. His  grandson, Peter C. Hains III, served in both World War II and the Korean War.

His great-grandson, Peter C. Hains IV, was a Vietnam veteran.

That’s four generations of military service. All named Peter. All officers.

The Hains family name became almost synonymous with uniformed duty — spanning from the 19th century into the modern age.

So let’s put it in perspective. Peter Conover Hains:

• Fired one of the first shots of the Civil War
• Built major harbors and canals in the Reconstruction Era
• Helped design the Panama Canal
• Served during the birth of mechanized warfare in World War I
• Advised officers who would go on to fight in World War II
• Was buried before the invention of the television, but after the rise of machine guns and tanks

His life is almost impossible to believe. A walking historical bridge between Abraham Lincoln and the Treaty of Versailles. And somehow, very few Americans know his name.

On Memorial Day, we honor those who died while serving their country. But we also remember those whose stories carry across generations. The ones who lived through history — and shaped it with every sunrise in uniform.

Peter Conover Hains wasn’t just a soldier. He was a living timeline. And The Internet Says It’s True.

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