Hezekiah Bruce was born in Fayston, Vermont on Nov 4, 1832. At the outbreak of the war 28 year old Hezekiah lived on a farm with his father, Horace, his older brother, George, and his younger brother, W H H Bruce.

Hezekiah volunteered and on April 29, 1861, was mustered into Company F of the First Minnesota and made the second sergeant of the company. Hezekiah stood 5' 10" tall. He had a fair complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. He was later promoted to 1st sergeant and then the rank of 2nd lieutenant.

At the battle of Chancellorsville, 2nd Lt Bruce led a small contingent from the First Minnesota and they were part of the successful capture of Mary's Heights during the latter stages of the battle. When the request was made for volunteers the danger of the attempt was emphasized and the statement made that failure was likely, and that it was entirely possible or probable that not a man would return alive. In spite of this, Hezekiah and more privates than were needed volunteered. Out of the volunteers twenty men were chosen. At first it was thought that more than one officer would be needed, but when Hezekiah volunteered , General Sedgwick's aid, who had brought the request said; "Who is that young man?"

"Lieutenant Bruce," was the reply.

"Well, if it is Bruce, he will be as good as three," he said, and Lt. Bruce took charge of the detail alone.

Enos Grow of Co F offered his account of the situation that set up the need for the volunteers.

"The First Minnesota was attached to and part of the 1st brigade, 2nd division, 2nd A. C. When Gen. Hooker moved up and across the river, the 6th A. C. under Gen. Sedgwick, and our division were left at Fredericksburg. Sedgwick, with his corps crossed below the town and came up on the south side of the river, when the Confederates withdrew from the town to their works on Mary's Heights. As soon as this was done the engineer corps laid two pontoon bridges across the river into Fredericksburg, these two bridges being laid during the night. The next morning we were drawn up up in line on Falmouth Heights, and I think a detail of one hundred men made from the First Minnesota and an officer asked to volunteer to command these men. Lieutenant Bruce of Co. F promptly stepped to the front, and orders were given to him as follows: Take his men across the river and lead the charge of the 6th corps on the Confederate works. And I assure you it did not look like boys play, for we could see cannon sticking out over the works and men behind. Well the charge was made, and the Confederates ran without firing a shot, and the cannon sticking proved to be dummies or logs mounted one wheels and painted black."

Charles Merritt, who also served in Co F, later added his story relating to this action.

"On May 2nd, the regiment received marching orders and on arriving in front of Fredericksburg, twenty-five men were chosen from the regiment, one of whom was the writer, to help lay the pontoon bridge across the Rappahanock in front of the city. The opposite shores were lined with rifle pits filled with men and artillery in the rear. We were placed under the command of Lieut. Bruce of Company F, First regiment, a cool, level headed officer. His men knew they could depend on his cool judgment and courage which means much in a tight place. We worked our way down the river but for some reason were not fired upon. We lay there for some little time waiting orders. Meantime, Gen. Sedgwick with the sixth corps had crossed the river below the city and the enemy, except a thin line in the pit, were withdrawn from our front. Then the pontoons were quickly laid and Bruce and his men charged across, capturing a number of prisoners that remained in the rifle pits. We were closely followed by Gibbon's division of the second corps. The balance of the day we were in the front ranks with Sedgwick's men when Mary's Heights were carried and the enemy driven out at the point of the bayonet, leaving large quantities of knapsacks and baggage that had been thrown off in the rear of their works. We were again deployed as skirmishers moving to the right towards the Rappahanock above the city. In the rifle pits on the side of the hill were squads of "Johnnies" who failed to get out in time. They surrendered and were sent to the rear."

"I should have said that about twenty men were added to the skirmish line after the capture of the heights. During the day we captured something over two hundred men in small squads numbering from a half dozen to fifteen or twenty each. We had a sharp scrap with about twenty men lodged in an old log barn. When we had them nearly surrounded they attempted to get out, but our persuasive Springfield rifles dropped several of them and the rest surrendered. The wounded were obliged to leave. They were cared for later. One of the funny incidents was the capture of a readout or earth work, with two embrasures from which pointed two guns of large caliber. Bruce maneuvered for its capture without getting directly in front of the guns, and then charged the works. The guns proved to be stove pipes mounted on old wagon wheels. There were several "Johnnies" inside, but they made no show of fight and were disarmed and sent back. A little further on we captured a sergeant and a number of men that had been left on the picket line in the bend of the river above town. From this we moved on up the river with now and then a lively scrimmage with the enemy who supposed the battle line was close behind. But in fact, the commander had lost us. We went back towards Chancellorsville some two miles picking up small squads of prisoners, so that when we were recalled we had about seventy five victims."

"In going back over the field the knapsacks of the "Johnnies" that were left were overhauled, the prisoners being allowed to take such articles as would be of use to them. Some good home made stockings, I remember, were among the things the knapsacks contained. It was dark when we crossed the river. A drizzling rain had set in and wet, foot sore and weary we found the regiment about midnight and we were very glad to bunk down on a wet blanket."

Colonel Colvill reported, "I cannot pass over the gallant conduct of twenty-five privates of the regiment under the command of Lieutenant Bruce of Co F, who volunteered upon the call of the general, to clear the way across the river at the point of the bayonet in case of opposition, as was expected should be offered to our passage, and who being then detached from the regiment, were deployed in front of General Sedgwick's command as skirmishers, and were among the first to enter the enemy's works, and continued the whole day in the advance, killing, wounding and taking numbers of the enemy, fortunately without the loss of a man on their part."

Charles Merritt, was one of the twenty-five men who made the gallant charge at the battle of Chancellorsville under Lieutenant Bruce. He is the only one surviving and…gives the following account of the battle:

"On May 2nd, the regiment received marching orders and in arriving in front of Fredericksburg, twenty-five men were chosen from the regiment, one of them the writer, to help lay the pontoon bridge across the Rappahanock in front of the city. The opposite shores were lines with rifle pits filled with men, and artillery in the rear. We were placed under the command of Lieut. Bruce of Co F, First Regiment, a cool level headed officer. His men knew him well and knew they could depend on his cool judgment and courage which means much in a tight place. We worked our way down to the river but for some reason were not fired upon. We lay there for some little time waiting orders. Meantime Gen. Sedgwick with the sixth corps had crossed the river below the city and the enemy, except a thin line in the pit, were withdrawn from our front. Then the pontoons were quickly laid and Bruce and his men charged across, capturing a number of prisoners that remained in the pits. We were closely followed by Gibbon's division of the second corps. The balance of the day we were a separate organization, acting as skirmishers and were in the front ranks with Sedgwick's men when Mary's Heights were carried and the enemy driven out at the point of a bayonet, leaving large quantities of knapsacks and baggage that had been thrown off in rear of their works. We were deployed as skirmishers moving to the right towards the Rappahanock above the city. In the rifle pits on the side of the hill were squads of "Johnnies" who failed to get out in time. They surrendered and were sent to the rear.

I should have said that about twenty men were added to the skirmish line after the capture of the heights. During the day we captured something over two hundred men in small squads numbering from a half dozen to fifteen or twenty each. We had a sharp scrap with about twenty men lodged in an old log barn. When we had them nearly surrounded, they attempted to get out, but our persuasive Springfield rifles dropped several of them and the rest surrendered. The wounded we were obliged to leave. They were cared for later. One of the funny incidents was the capture of a readout, or earth work, with two embrasures from which pointed two guns of large caliber. Bruce maneuvered for its capture without getting directly in front of the guns, then charged the works. The guns proved to be stove pipes mounted on old wagon wheels. there were several "Johnnies" inside, but they made no show of fight and were disarmed and sent back. A little further on we captured a sergeant and a number of men that had been left on the picket line in the bend of the river above the town. From this we moved up the river with now and then a lively scrimmage with the enemy who supposed the battle line was close behind. But in fact, the commander had lost us. We went back toward Chancellorsville some two miles picking up small squads of prisoners, so that when we were recalled we had about seventy-five victims.

In going back over the field the knapsacks of the "Johnnies" were overhauled, the prisoners being allowed to take such articles as would be of use to them. Some good home made stockings, I remember, were among the things the knapsacks contained. It was dark when we crossed the river. A drizzling rain had set in and wet, foot sore and weary, we found the regiment about midnight and we were ever glad to plunk down on a wet blanket.

Lieut. Bruce was brave, cool, calm, and one of the kindest of men. The boys all loved him. He suffered a stroke of paralysis some years ago that affected his speech as well as his limbs. Lieut. Lochren in "Minnesota in the Civil and Indian Wars" in his history of the First Minnesota says of this incident: "The First Minnesota again escaped severe fighting, as in the capture of Mary's Heights our division was sent well to the right, drawing the Confederate troops from Sedgwick's front, where the principal assault was made, except for Lieut. H. Bruce of Co. F, with a picked detail of twenty-five men of the First Minnesota, who were in the front line of this assaulting column and were among the first to enter the enemy's works..

Hezekiah was on detached service at the time the Battle of Gettysburg occurred. The battle left most officers either killed or wounded. The need to replenish the officer ranks caused several promotions. On Sept 26, 1863, he was promoted to 1st lieutenant of his company. He was mustered out with his company, after three years of service, on May 5, 1864.