He was a Union Army veteran of the American Civil War, served as United States Postmaster General, and later edited The Washington Post.

[1] Though he was only 16 years old, in 1862 Hatton enlisted for the American Civil War as a private in Company C, 98th Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment.

[2] His unit served primarily with the Army of the Cumberland, and Hatton took part in numerous engagements including the Battle of Atlanta.

[7] Garfield died that summer and in October, Hatton was appointed First Assistant Postmaster General during Chester A. Arthur's presidency.

[13] He was interred in Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington, D.C.[14] In 1867, Hatton married Elizabeth J. Snyder (1844-1944) of Mount Pleasant Iowa.