Daniel Hale supposedly joined the Confederate Army. He was released and returned home where he was conscripted into the Union Army. His service in the Confederate Army caused friction with his brother Reuben. (There are uncertainties about this. There is no known record of Daniel as a Confederate; Reuben served in the Union Army.) There are records of a number of Hales from DeKalb County serving in the Confederate Army, but none seem to be connected to this family. DeKalb County was predominately Confederate. Daniel drew a pension from serving in the Union Army as Corporal, Co. F, 4th Tennessee Mounted Infantry, from September 26, 1864 to August 25, 1865. Colonel Blackburn was Daniel's commanding officer in the Tennessee Volunteer Mounted Infantry. Daniel's 6th son, Joseph Blackburn, was said to be named after the colonel. However, Joseph Blackburn was born March 5, 1864 - while Daniel served under Blackburn from Sept 1864 to Aug 1865. Clearly, if Joseph Blackburn was named after Colonel Blackburn, it wasn't based on Daniel's wartime experience, but on an admiration that preceded his military service.

Daniel was a self proclaimed Methodist (could be Baptist; his grandfather and grandmother were Baptist) minister and was reputed to hear the call to preach at planting and harvesting time. The calls seemed to always be from distant locations!

Living with son, Daniel Hardy Hale, in 1910 Jack Co., census.