Alabama campaign (Spring 1865) Harnden was sent to a hospital in the north, and during this time was promoted to major, effective back to May 24, 1864. He spent most of the remainder of 1864 recuperating, but returned to his regiment around the time of the Battle of Nashville, and joined General James H. Wilson's pursuit of the Confederate forces under John Bell Hood into northern Alabama. During this time, on January 6, 1865, Harnden was promoted to lieutenant colonel and took command of the regiment, as Colonel La Grange was then in command of the brigade. During the Battle of West Point, in which Colonel La Grange was in overall command of the Union force, Harnden led the detachment of Kentucky, Indiana, and Wisconsin cavalry which stormed and captured Fort Tyler. Here, Harnden was wounded again, this time shot in the thigh. Though he was only briefly disabled here. Capture of Jefferson Davis (May 1865) As the Union consolidated control of northern Alabama and Georgia, General Wilson selected Lt. Colonel Harnden to take a detachment of the 1st Wisconsin Cavalry to the east to attempt to cut off the escape of Confederate president Jefferson Davis. Arriving at Dublin, Georgia, Harnden learned of a wagon train passing through the region which he believed to carry the Confederate president. He split his command and set off on a rapid pursuit of the train, hunting it through southern Georgia over the next several days. Near Abbeville, Georgia, Harnden met with Colonel Benjamin D. Pritchard, whose 4th Michigan Cavalry Regiment was assigned to guard duty in the vicinity. Harnden informed Pritchard of the wagon train, which he now believed was camped close by. The next morning, when Harnden's forces attempted to approach the wagon, they came under attack by a barrage of fire, then charged and returned fire, only to find that they had been skirmishing with members of the 4th Michigan Cavalry, which had moved out ahead of them. While this fighting was occurring, other forces of the 4th Michigan Cavalry were entering the Confederate camp and capturing the Confederate general. A subsequent congressional investigation into the matter determined that the two regiments should share equal credit for the capture, and that Harnden was blameless for the loss of life in the skirmish between the two Union regiments. Harnden mustered out of federal service July 19, 1865. He was granted two honorary