USA > Connecticut > New London County > Groton > Groton, Conn. 1705-1905 > Part 25
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* Twenty-first Regiment Connecticut Volunteers, p. 13.
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305
September 5, 1862, the company was mustered into the service of the United States and on the 11th of the same month left Norwich for the seat of war. The following Groton men appear on the roster of the company as shown in the regimental history (Appendix, p. 15, et seq.) The official rank is that of the date of muster:
John E. Wood,
Captain 1st Lieutenant
John F. Randall,
2nd
William W. Latham
Joseph L. Perkins,
Orderly Sergeant Sergeant 66
Francis M. Brayton,
66
Timothy Watrous,
Francis Hough, Corporal 66
Sydney Benjamin,
66
Robert G. Babcock,
66
Ezra L. F. Tibbetts,
66
John Palmer,
Robert A. Gray,
Augustus E. Maynard
66
Privates
Charles Andrews
Elihu N. Dart
Charles H. Rathbun
Francis D. Albro
Nelson Davis
Samuel Rathbun
Jared R. Avery
William H. Douglas
Charles E. Rice
John Allen
James Eldredge
James Rathbun
Parmenas Avery
Cornelius Fowler
William H. Richmond
William B. Avery
Horatio N. Fish, Jr.
Abner Spencer
Francis B. Mayo
James W. Fitch
Christopher Sweetman
James E. McGrath
Joshua Fish
Charles Starr Edmund F. Smith
William M. Mulkey
Thomas B. Fish
William H. Mitchell
Addison A. Godfrey
Henry Spencer
Thomas M. Newbury
Charles M. Gallup
Nathan A. Starr
Cyrus J. Pease
George F. Gabriel
Samuel Vanauken
William Alexander,
John H. Godfrey
Calvin H. Wilbur
Benjamin Bailey
Philip B. Gray
Charles Weaver
Elias B. Brewster
Andrew Holland
Chauncey F. Wilcox
Hiram E. Boomer
William W. Holliday
Edward Woodmansee
James Batty
William Johnson
Isaac Wilcox James Weeks
Thomas J. Budlong
Samuel P. Latham
John A. Wheeler
William C. Beckwith
Benjamin F. Latham
Leonard Watrous
Dennis Craddock
Denison Lathrop Elihu Potter
Patrick Whaling
Howard M. Chester
Henry Pecor
Thomas H. Williams
Nelson Chapman
Isaac Pendlebury
William B. Watrous
Oscar Chester
John F. Putnam
William E. Wheeler, Jr.
William H. Chapman Julius H. Perkins
Moses Wolfe
George F. Curtis
Newell D. King
Orrin D. Barker Oliver Batty
Albert C. Latham
James Weaver
On September 15, 1862, Captain Wood was appointed
James H. Latham,
Leonard Fairbanks,
Thaddeus Pecor,
66
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GROTON, CONN. 1705-1905
chaplain of the regiment and Lieutenant James H. Latham became captain, which position he held until the regiment was mustered out. The boys left Norwich on September 11th and the 13th found them in Washington, and on the 18th they crossed into Virginia and encamped at Arlington Heights. On the 28th they were ordered to join Mcclellan's forces in Maryland. On October 28th with the Army of the Potomac they forded the river of that name at Berlin and headed towards Fredericksburg.
It was while on the march November 5, 1862, that Gen- eral Burnside was ordered to the command of the Army of the Potomac, a change particularly pleasing to the old Ninth Corps, which under his command had been consid- ered one of the most efficient in the Army. Burnside had the reputation of being a fighting general, but he had grave doubts of his ability to command so large a body of men, and it was only when he was ordered by the President to assume command that he yielded. On November 18th the Twenty-first Regiment reached Falmouth, on the bank of the river opposite Fredericksburg, having in twelve days marched nearly two hundred miles. It was late in the season, the fall rains had commenced and the boys without tents were exposed to the inclemency of the weather.
The Twenty-first, together with the Eighth, Eleventh, Fifteenth and Sixteenth Connecticut and Fourth Rhode Island, composed the Second Brigade of the Third Division of the Ninth Army Corps, the brigade being under com- mand of General Edward Harland. This force was under fire at the battle of Fredericksburg, having crossed on the pontoons the day before and being advanced late on the afternoon of the assault on Marye's Heights to a position to the left of the troops there engaged; but not being called upon to participate in the assault it suffered light casualties. Corporal Frank Hough of Co. C was reported wounded.
On the second day of the battle the brigade was ordered back to its camp at Falmouth, where it remained for four months, suffering untold hardships. Rev. A. M. Crane, the orator at the dedication of the regimental monument
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at New London, says :* "You remember, too, the hardships of the march and the sickness we suffered ; how we were out for three months nearly before we received our shelter tents, being obliged to use our rubber blankets, designed to protect from the damp ground beneath, as a tent to shelter us from the descending rains: how many would wake at night to find their limbs drenched by the falling rain. You remember, too, the severe sickness that followed an epidemic of typhoid fever when twenty died per month."
At Falmouth occurred the first death in Co. C, that of Corporal Chauncey F. Wilcox, followed soon after by that of Julius H. Perkins and Augustus E. Maynard. The con- dition of the camp at Falmouth was so desperate as to give it the name of "Camp Death." The regimental historian writes :** "The remembrance of Camp Death will never be effaced from the memories of the living. Of the number lost from our regiment during the entire term of service one-hundred and fifteen died of disease. Of this number thirty-four died opposite Fredericksburg, eighty-one in other places; but some of the latter number died as the re- sult of disease contracted here, so that we may safely say that, during the three years of our service, of all those that died from disease nearly one-third died at this place, or from disease contracted here, during a period of less than eleven weeks. In one-thirteenth of our time of service nearly one-third of the deaths from disease occurred here."
In February the regiment was sent to Newport News, where for a few weeks it enjoyed life preparatory to being engaged in the fruitless defence of Suffolk. After Long- street's retreat it was detailed for provost duty at Norfolk and Portsmouth, a service which was for the most part enjoyable.
"Very much to the sorrow of the company," wrote C. E. R. to the Mystic Pioneer from Portsmouth under date of August 22, 1863, "our very able and popular 1st lieutenant, John F. Randall, has resigned. It is with sincere
* Twenty-first Regiment, C. V., p. 443.
** Ibid, p. 93.
=
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GROTON, CONN. 1705-1905
regret that we part with him. He has been with us through all our 'trials and tribulations' from the com- mencement of our term until the present time. He feels for a private as if he were one with them. He knows no distinction ; officers and men are treated alike. His con- duct has won him many friends and he is beloved not only by every member of Co. C but by all his acquaintances."
At Portsmouth Colonel Dutton, in order to stimulate wholesome rivalry between the companies, announced a competitive inspection "with a view to assign each company to its own place in the scale of merit." Co. K took first . rank, Co. C took second. During the last week in June the regiment shared in the "Blackberry Raid," a movement of no particular military value. The regiment spent the rest of the summer and fall in Portsmouth, Norfolk and Newport News.
The "Old Dominion," a journal published at Portsmouth, said of our Connecticut men :* "The gallant little State of Connecticut is well represented in this vicinity among the soldiery; and like brave men they know how to conduct themselves in the busy city and on guard duty, as well as in the field of strife. This has been exemplified in the orderly conduct which has uniformly characterized the members in our midst. We have heard of not a single case of rowdyism or wanton interference with private rights since they have been stationed in our vicinity; but everywhere we hear encomiums of praise bestowed upon them for the rectitude of their conduct and the excellent morals which they ex- hibit."
This good feeling was evidently mutual, for Captain Delos D. Brown of the Twenty-first from East Hampton wrote at the time: "Our stay in Portsmouth was character- ized by a deep feeling of friendship and a unity of sentiment and action between ourselves and many of the generous citizens of the place, which could but inspire the highest regard and attach us strongly to the hospitable inhab- itants of this portion of the Old Dominion. We shall ever * History of Connecticut during the Recent War, 1861-5, p. 479.
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cherish the remembrances of the associations formed there, as among the most happy and pleasant of our service."
Early in February the Twenty-first was sent to North Carolina, where, after varied experiences, it remained until the end of April, when it was ordered to join the Army of the James. Arriving at Fortress Monroe on May day, it was ordered to Portsmouth. "We remained in Portsmouth until the ninth,* when we received orders to re-embark and join General Butler's forces at Bermuda Hundred, where we arrived the morning of the tenth, and after a march of seven miles encamped at General Butler's headquarters and remained as body guard to the General until the thirteenth, when on the fifteenth we moved to the front near Proctor's Creek and took up position with Heckman's brigade in front of the enemy's works and on the sixteenth fought the ter- rible battle of Drewry's Bluff."
The battle of Drewry's Bluff was the most severe engage- ment in which the Twenty-first Regiment participated dur- ing its whole term of service. Its loss officially reported was six officers wounded, 77 enlisted men killed and wounded, and 21 missing. Of these Company C lost Cyrus J. Pease and William M. Mulkey killed, Corporals Nelson Chapman, Francis Hough and Privates James E. McGrath, Charles An- drews, Francis M. Brayton, Horatio N. Fish, Jr., William Johnson and William E. Wheeler, Jr., wounded, and Privates Edmund F. Smith, Francis B. Mayo and Orrin D. Barker missing. Of the missing Privates Smith and Barker were subsequently reported as killed.
On May 26 Colonel Dutton, now in command of a brigade, was mortally wounded and the command devolved upon Lieutenant Colonel Burpee. On May 29 the regiment was ordered to Cold Harbor, where it participated in the un- fortunate assault of June 3. The Twenty-first behaved with distinguished gallantry and its losses were heavy, one killed and 48 wounded. Company C lost four wounded : Sergeant
* Twenty-first Regiment, C. V., p. 375.
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GROTON, CONN. 1705-1905
William B. Avery, Privates William Johnson-mortally, Abner Spencer and William W. Holliday.
From Cold Harbor to Petersburg the regiment partook of all the discomforts of the extremely hot summer ("the warmest with one exception for forty-two years"*) spend- ing the time in digging trenches, covered ways, rifle pits, etc., and and being subject to the enemy's fire at all times. In September it was given a short respite, about twenty days spent at Bermuda Hundred, before it was ordered to the assault of Fort Harrison and to the battle of Chapin's Farm. Corporal Curtis of Company C was one of the first to enter the fort .** An order issued by General Butler says: "Acting Adjutant (Walter) P. Long, Twenty-first Connecticut, is recommended to the Governor of Connecti- cut for promotion for gallantry, planting his colors among the first on the rebel fortifications.";
After Fort Harrison the regiment enjoyed a period of rest. It spent the winter in comfortable quarters doing picket and fatigue duty, broken only by a raid on Fred- ericksburg in March, from which it returned to Fortress Monroe to be transported to White House to meet General Sheridan, who marched across country to Deep Bottom, the point from which it started, and the point from which, a few days later (April 3) it marched into Richmond, among the first troops to enter that city after its evacuation. After a short service as garrison at Columbia, Va., on June 16, 1865, the regiment was mustered out and ordered home, where it arrived on the 21st.
The following members of Company C who laid down their lives in the service comprise the
Honor Roll
Timothy Watrous, d. Mar. 26, 1863 Sidney Benjamin, d. May 7, 1863
Chauncey F. Wilcox, d. Jan. 6, 1863
Charles Andrews, d. June 8, 1864
Orrin D. Barker, k. May 16, 1864
Horatio N. Fish, Jr. d. Aug. 8, 1864
William Johnson, d. June 4, 1864
* Mystic Pioneer, September 3, 1864.
** Twenty-first Regiment, C. V., p. 348.
+ History of Connecticut during the Recent War, 1861-5, p. 666.
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Augustus E. Maynard,
d.
Feb.
15, 1863
William N. Mulkey,
d.
May 28, 1864
Cyrus J. Pease,
k. May 16, 1864
Julius A. Perkins,
d. Jan. 31, 1863
John F. Putnam,
d. July
1, 1864
Samuel Rathbun, d. Sept. 25, 1864
Edmund F. Smith,
k. May
16, 1864
Abner H. Spencer,
d. July 12, 1864
Samuel Vanauken,
k. Sept. 29, 1864
William H. Watrous,
d. Oct. 1, 1864
Four were killed in battle (3 at Drewry's Bluff), 2 died in captivity, and 11 died from wounds or disease.
The second call of President Lincoln in the summer of 1862 for three-hundred thousand men for nine months found a quick response in Groton. The wave of patriotism that swept over the country after Antietam, and which resulted in the rapid enlistment of three-hundred thousand three-year men, had not spent itself, and the liberal bounties voted by the State and town were of material assistance in filling the quota of the town under the later call. A com- pany was speedily formed and became a part of the Twenty- sixth Regiment as Company K. The muster roll as taken from the Mystic Pioneer of November 8, 1862, was :
Captain, 1st Lieutenant, 2nd Lieutenant, Sergeants, 1st, 2nd,
Jedediah Randall Jabez S. Smith Simeon G. Fish
Herbert E. Maxson
Charles H. Niles
3rd,
Joshua Bliven
4th,
Horace Clift
5th,
John E. Williams, Jr.
Corporals, 1st,
Amos E. Slack
2nd,
Latham Rathbun,
3rd,
Thomas S. Carroll
4th,
John G. Packer
5th,
Alfred H. Wilcox
6th,
John L. Seigneous
7th,
Oliver D. Lewis
8th,
Thomas A. Perry
William O (rville) Tift
William P. Latham
William Colgrove
John G. Rathbun
Privates
Andrews, Ezra P. Albro, Thomas W. Avery, Giles W.
Ferguson, Charles Flynn, John Gray, Stephen H.,
Rathbun, Samuel G.
Reynolds, Charles F. Spaulding, E. G.
Secretary, Drummer, Fifer, Teamster,
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GROTON, CONN. 1705-1905
Allen, John
(Ledyard) Holdridge, Henry S.
Sullivan, James
Bentley, Adam C.
Shirley, Thomas H., d.
Burnett, Warren
Hancock, Frank
Shirley, Jerome A.
Bailey, Charles E.
Jewett, Joseph H.
Shehan, Timothy
Beebe, George W.
Keeney, Charles H.
Smith, Henry G.
Burdick, Caleb H.
Kinney, Lucius M.
Smith, Isaac H.
Bailey, Ralph H. Bailey, John C .
Leeds, Joshua,
Tufts, John S.
Bailey, Pruscius
(never saw service)
Taylor, George W.
Colgrove, William A.
Manice, Albert
Tinker, James, d.
Cranston, Charles R.
Manice, Thomas, d.
Wilkinson, R. R.
Chester, Elisha A.
Maloy, Thomas
Wood, Adoniram J.
Chester, Ira
McDonald, H. C.
Watson, John W.
Clark, John B.
Miner, Sanford S.
Williams, C. H.
Daniels, Lyman
Martly, Patrick
Watrous, William H., d.
Destin, Andrew
Newbury, Nathan
Wait, George R.
Eldredge, William H.
Phillips, Josiah F.
White, Thomas H.
Ewen, George H.
Quinn, Charles B.
York, William
Fellows, William C.
Roath, Ezra B.
York, Edwin
The regiment occupied the camp on the fair grounds at Norwich just vacated by the Twenty-first, and on November 13, 1862, embarked on Steamer "Commodore" for New York, where it joined the force under General Banks pre- paring for an expedition to New Orleans. It remained in camp at East New York until December 6, when it em- barked on Steamer "Empire State" for New Orleans, arriv- ing there on the 16th of the same month. It encamped at Camp Parapet at Carrollton, about eight miles above New Orleans, which formed a part of the Confederate line of defences of the city.
Here the Twenty-sixth remained until the final assembling of the force for the reduction of Port Hudson, the follow- ing May. The camp was not a healthy place, typhoid fever prevailing to an alarming extent. With this exception the winter was passed in comparative comfort.
The following from the "Twenty-sixth" gives a good idea of the condition of the regiment while at Camp Parapet : "For the benefit of those who desire to look into sanitary matters, we have prepared the following article, which, we think, gives all the necessary information concerning mat- ters which can influence the health of the regiment. (In the first place we will state that the Forty-seventh Massa- chusetts, which has been stationed on the lake, or places
Latham, Moses,
Stafford, Armand
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CIVIL WAR
where the air has been purer than that in the camp of our regiment, had only lost four men on the 15th of May.)
"The Twenty-sixth Regiment Connecticut Volunteers, Colonel Thomas G. Kingsley, entered camp in Norwich, Conn., between the 1st and 15th of September. The men are mostly native Americans and all but about one hundred are from New London County, the others being from Wind- ham County. The regiment was sworn into the service of the United States on the 25th of September, 1862, for the period of nine months, and then numbered eight-hundred and eighteen men.
"On the 12th of November we sailed for Long Island, where we remained in camp until December 3rd (6th ?), when the regiment embarked on the steamship Empire City. On the 18th (16th ?) of December we landed at Camp Para- pet, La., and encamped at the right bank of the Mississippi River, about eight miles above New Orleans. Since that time we have removed to different parts of the Parapet and are now located near a swamp about one mile from the river. During the first four months of our service we only lost one man, but since the first of January we have lost twenty-six.
"We are in Brigadier General (Neal) Dow's brigade, Brigadier General Sherman's division, Department of the Gulf, Nathaniel P. Banks, Major General, commanding.
"The country is level, a clay soil, and but few shade trees. Our regimental camp is surrounded by drains, which are about two feet wide and fourteen inches deep. Camp Parapet has been occupied by U. S. forces for more than a year and was previously occupied by the rebels, by whom it was built. (Great improvements have since been made by Uncle Sam.) The camp streets are about two rods apart and are kept clean. The tents are in rows about three feet apart and are generally clean. We use our State tent, each tent being occupied by eight or nine men. We have rubber and woolen blankets. Our tents have floors and most of the men sleep in bunks.
"We do not usually change clothing at night. The men
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GROTON, CONN. 1705-1905
are carefully inspected once a week and are usually clean. All refuse food &c is placed in barrels and carted away every morning. Guard duty calls for each man two or three nights each week. We drink water from the Mississippi River, which though very muddy is the best we can obtain. Rations are generally good. Cooking is done by company cooks on portable stoves. Soft bread is furnished us, which is baked at the brigade bakery. Our sutler does not sell ardent spirits. But few persons are put in the guard tent. Peddlers of eatables are allowed in camp until noon each day, but they are not allowed to bring in liquors. Only two men from each company are allowed to be absent from camp. The men are usually cheerful. We have a good band. The regiment is well supplied with reading matter. There are no societies in the regiment. The men send home most of their wages by Adams Express.
"Our surgeons are Drs. A. Woodward, E. Phinney and H. N. Wright. They were examined by a medical board and then appointed by the Governor. (Dr. Wright did not ar- rive until February and was then detached from this regi- ment to act at the barracks.)
"The hospital is in a building which is well adapted to the purpose. Only male nurses are employed.
"The prevailing diseases are fevers, diarrheas and jaundice.
"The average number of siek in the hospital is thirty-five -- in quarters one-hundred and twenty-five, total average sick one-hundred and sixty. We have three in the general hospital.
"The regiment uses the minie rifle and drills about three hours daily. . Camp Parapet May 15."
The object of the Banks expedition was the opening of the Mississippi River, and in the preliminary operations the Twenty-sixth had no part, but after the movements to the west of the river, when Banks closed in on Port Hudson, the regiment was moved up to that point, and in the first assault upon the fortifications at that place it bore a con- spicuous part, suffering greater losses than any other Con-
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CIVIL WAR
necticut regiment engaged. "Out of a total of less than four hundred, one-hundred and six were killed or wounded."*
The Groton company suffered the loss of Captain Jed- ediah Randall, Corporal John L. Seigneous and Musician William P. Latham mortally wounded, and Sergeants Charles H. Niles and Horace Clift, Corporal Thomas S. Car- roll and Privates Warren Burnett, John Watson, Armand Stafford, Edwin York and Ezra B. Roath less severely wounded.
In the engagement of the 14th of June, Caleb H. Bur- dick was slightly wounded and in skirmishing John S. Tufts and Ezra B. Andrews were both slightly wounded, making a total of three mortally wounded and 11 others wounded.
After the surrender of Port Hudson the Twenty-sixth was ordered North by way of the Mississippi River and rail to New York, thence by steamer to Norwich, where it ar- rived August 7. It was met with an enthusiastic reception, being escorted by the firemen and military to the Little Plain, where a welcome was extended by Mayor Greene, responded to by Colonel Kingsley. A collation was served by the ladies, after which the boys went home with their friends.
Ten days later the regiment was mustered out. The following members of Company K laid down their lives for their country :
Captain Jedediah Randall Corporal John L. Seigneous Musician William P. Latham
These all died of wounds received in the assault of May 27. The following died of disease :
Pruscius Bailey Adam C. Bentley William C. Fellows Thomas Manice Thomas H. Shirley James Tinker William H. Watrous
From various sources we have secured the following * History of Connecticut during the Recent War, 1861-5, p. 411.
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GROTON, CONN. 1705-1905
names credited to Groton of men who enlisted in other organizations than those counted as Groton companies :
In Company D, First Connecticut Heavy Artillery : Corporal Edward Bailey John R. James
In Company K, Eighth Connecticut : Lorenzo D. Burrows
In Company H, Tenth Connecticut :
William F. Bailey
George A. Bailey
Charles H. Daniels
George F. Daniels
Patrick F. Denehey
Michael Gleason
Ezra D. Latham
Lorenzo D. Mitchell
Edward Perkins
Hiram Perkins
David S. White
In Company F, Eleventh Connecticut : Fennimore Weeks
In Company K, Twelfth Connecticut :
Directus F. Belden Noah W. Chapman William Ingram
In Company G, Thirteenth Connecticut : Joseph N. Reynolds
In Company H, Fourteenth Connecticut : Daniel L. Burrows
In Company A, Eighteenth Connecticut : George H. Bailey
In Company E, Twenty-first Connecticut : George W. Bailey William F. Barber Daniel A. Burrows Michael Craddick
Dr. Orrin E. Miner served as second assistant surgeon of the Twenty-sixth Regiment.
The following Groton men served in the Navy:
1
:
3
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CIVIL WAR
Captain N. W. Rathbun of Noank, acting ensign. Captain William H. Latham, sailing master and for many years after the war com- mander of the Lighthouse tender "Cactus." Captain Moses H. Saw- yer, sailing master, and Robert H. Eldredge, who was given a mas- ter's mate warrant in the Navy for his service on Steamer "Escort" at the relief of Washington, N. C., in 1863, and Edwin R. Williams, George W. Evans, Robert Spicer (a Chinaman), who served as sailors.
Groton boys in other States were prompt in answering the call to service, among them being :
Robert H. Clift, adjutant of the Twenty-second Illinois, Lieuten- ant Nelson Morgan of the One-hundred and second Illinois, Thomas P. Spencer and Calvin Burrows, Jr., both in the Fourth Wisconsin Bat- tery; Captain Henry A. Mitchell, Co. B, First Wisconsin; Rev. Edwin S. Wheeler, chaplain, Fifth Louisiana Corps de Afrique; Amos Ryley, California Battalion Second Massachusetts Cavalry; James Gallup, Co. - , First Connecticut Cavalry.
Groton Captains who served in transport service were :
Captains Gurdon Gates, Isaac D. Gates, George W. Gates, Elihu Spicer, Waterman Clift, J. Warren Holmes, P. E. Rowland, George Eldredge, Thomas Eldredge, George B. Crary, H. K. Manwaring, William Brand, J. E. Holloway.
There was no better nursery of patriotism than the Sun- day schools of our land, and when we go back to look for the hidden but perennial springs that have fed the overflow- ing streams of patriotism we find them in the records of these schools. Company C of the Twenty-first Regiment was called the Sabbath-School Company. We give here the honor roll of young men from the Sunday school of the Union Baptist Church of Mystic River. One class in the school sent nine of its members into the army :
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