History of Fairfield County, Connecticut : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 14

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) comp. cn
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co.
Number of Pages: 1572

USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > History of Fairfield County, Connecticut : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 14

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" Battle of Chancellorsville .- Sergt. Samuel Webster, of Sprague, who carried the United States flag, was

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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

wounded in the arm, and was afterwards transferred to the Invalid Corps.

"Battle of Morton's Ford .- Sergt. Amory Allen, of Hartford, bearer of the United States flag, and Corp. Robert A. Chadwick, of East Lyme, one of the color- guard, were killed in charging upon the enemy. Corp. John Hirst, of Rockville, took the flag after Sergt. Allen fell, and carried it during the remainder of the engagement.

"Battle of Hatcher's Run .- Corp. Henry Hospodsky, of Rockville, was wounded while acting as color- guard.

"Battle of the Wilderness .- On the morning of the second day's fight the brigade to which the Four- teenth belonged drove back the rebel outposts for up- wards of half a mile. The enemy was then heavily reinforced, and poured in upon us perhaps the most destructive fire we ever experienced. After a severe conflict the brigade, as an organization, including the general commanding and his staff, fell back nearly or quite to the cross-roads from whence we started in the morning. The colors of the Fourteenth, however, did not fall back more than about a hundred yards, and were the only ones which were not swept away by the deadly hail. It being almost impossible to hear an order in the horrible din, the adjutant took the color-bearer by the shoulder, and, pointing to the trunk of a fallen tree, shouted for him to kneel by it. Many officers and men of the Fourteenth then rallied around the colors, together with a handful from other regiments. Other members of the Fourteenth ex- tended the line by deploying as skirmishers and fight- ing from behind trees, Indian fashion. They com- pletely checked the rebel line of battle and caused it to fall back in disorder, and 'held the fort' for several hours, until relieved by fresh troops. Corp. Charles W. Norton, of Berlin, was severely wounded at this time while guarding the flag. Later in the day, during an attack by Longstreet's corps, Corp. Henry K. Lyon, of New Haven, a brave recruit who carried the United States color, was mortally wounded. Handing the flag to Lieut .- Col. Moore, he said, 'Take it, colonel; I have done my best.' Col. Moore gave it to Jolin Hirst, of Rockville. The regiment at this time was almost surrounded and in danger of being captured, but Sergt. Hirst brought the flag safely from the field, and carried it from that time through every battle until he safely deposited it in Hartford after the regiment was mustered out. The State color had also a narrow escape from capture at this time, its bearer having planted it in the ground while attend- ing to his wounded comrade, Corp. Lyon; but it was saved by the promptness and courage of Sergt. Thomp- son. Corp. Robert Wolfe, of Waterbury, a member of the color-guard, was wounded in this engagement, and subsequently at the battle of Reams' Station.

" Battle of Spottsylvania Court-House .- Following is an extract from Col. Ellis' official report :

"' We captured a great number of prisoners, whom

we sent to the rear in charge of Capt. Nickels. We pursued the flying enemy for about a quarter of a mile, when I found our men becoming scattered, our colors in advance of any other troops, and the fire from the enemy's second line of works becoming seri- ous. I therefore ordered our men to fall back to the first line of works. In this line were the enemy's cannon, which were all captured. Many of these guns were turned on the enemy. Two of them were worked by men of the Fourteenth, under direction of Lieut .- Col. Moore and Lieut. Morgan. These guns were all drawn off by our men.

"' The first State flag of the Fourteenth Regiment, becoming unfit for further use by reason of hard ser- vice, was sent home to Hartford in August, 1863, and its place supplied by another furnished by the State of Connecticut. This in turn, together with its com- panion, the United States flag, became at length very dilapidated, so that during the latter part of the war they were but seldom unfurled. Sergt. (afterwards Lieut.) Joseph F. Thompson, of Hartford, who car- ried the State color on many hard-fought fields, and always with credit to himself and regiment, had the good fortune to escape unwounded. Sergt. John Geatly, of Bridgeport, Corps. George C. Boomer, of Hartford, Fred. W. Beardsley, of Orange, Andrew Flood, of Chatham, and Eugene Hart, of Hartford, were among their brave defenders, with others whose names the writer regrets that he cannot now remember. From the foregoing incidents, and by reference to the official reports, it will be seen that these colors passed through not only numerous minor actions, but also some of the severest battles of the war, such as An- tietam, Fredericksburg, the Wilderness, etc. They were also present at Gettysburg, when five rebel colors were captured by the Fourteenth. When the enemy had burned the bridge over the Potomac at Harper's Ferry, the men of the Fourteenth forded the river and marched up through the city with fly- ing colors, passing the ruins of the arsenal and the engine-house where Old John Brown had stood at bay against the State of Virginia. As they marched the band played and the battalion joined in the chorus,-

"' John Brown's body lies mouldering in the grave, His soul goes marching on !'

"The colors of the Fourteenth also witnessed the fall of Petersburg and the final surrender of Gen. Lee's army, and floated proudly upon the breeze on a cer- tain memorable day in May, 1865, when the regiment, at the head of the Second Army Corps, marched through the city of Richmond in triumph, passing on the route Libby Prison, Castle Thunder, and Belle Island, where not a few of our men had been con- fined. A Union woman, rushing from the crowd, begged the color-sergeant for one of the tattered frag- ments of the United States flag as a relic. They were also unfurled at the grand review at Washington in

MILITARY HISTORY.

1865, and more recently on Battle-Flag Day at Hart- ford, Sept. 17, 1879. Many other incidents connected with their history might be narrated, and it is to be regretted that the names of some of those who fell in their immediate defense have escaped the memory of the writer. Perhaps the spirit which animated these men has never been better expressed than in the fol- lowing lines by an anonymous writer in the Atlantic Monthly :

"""" At dawn," he said, " I bid them all farewell, To go where bugles call and rifles gleam ;" And with this latest thought he fell asleep And glided into dream.

"' Before him lay a broad hot plain, Through it a level river slowly drawn : He moved with a vast host, and at its head Streamed banners like the dawn.

"'There came a blinding flaslı, a deafening roar, And dissonant cries of terror and dismay ; Blood trickled down the river's reedy shore, And with the dead he lay.

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" The morn broke in upon his solemn dream, Yet still with kindling eye,

" Where bugles call," he said, " and rifles gleam, I follow though I die !"

"' Wise youth ! by few is glory's wreath obtained, But death or soon or late awaiteth all; .

To fight in freedom's cause is something gained, And nothing lost to fall.' "

TWENTY-THIRD REGIMENT.#

The Twenty-third Regiment was recruited mainly from Bridgeport, Danbury, Waterbury, Newtown, Fairfield, Georgetown, Bethel, Naugatuck, Ansonia, Trumbull, and Watertown, during the months of August, September, and October, 1862. It was de- signed as a nine-months' regiment, though every man served a year, and some two years before being mus- tered out of service.

The companies rendezvoused at Camp Terry, Oyster Point, New Haven, early in September, where they commenced the drill, and did guard duty until the 16th of November, when they embarked on the Sound steamer "Elm City" for "Camp Buckingham," at Centreville Race Course, near Jamaica, L. I.

This regiment was under the command of Col. Charles E. L. Holmes, of Waterbury, with Charles W. Wordin, of Bridgeport, for lieutenant-colonel, and David H. Miller, of Georgetown, as major.

Camp Buckingham was a mud-hole of the worst possible description, and the Twenty-third pitched tents in a rain-storm that lasted a week.

November 30th the regiment marched twelve miles to the foot of Atlantic Street, Brooklyn, thence on board the "Che Kiang," a river steamer, totally unfit for "outside" weather; and because of being over-

loaded, after three days, Companies H and I of the Twenty-Third, with one company of the Twenty- eighth and another of the Twenty-fifth Connecticut Volunteers, were transferred to the barracks at Pier 1, New York. All but these companies left New York City for the Gulf of Mexico, on the "Che Kiang," Dec. 3, 1862. The steamer was nearly swamped in a terrific storm on the night of December 5th, and the suffering on board for several days was very great. They arrived at Ship Island on the 11th.

The portion of the regiment left in barracks at New York received orders, December 12th, to go on board the ship " Windermere," while the balance were dis- patched on the ship "Planter," an old hulk that was wrecked off Florida Keys .. A few stragglers reached Louisiana on the ship " Alice Counce."

These divisions arrived at New Orleans at long in- tervals apart, and when once there were assigned to guard duty along the eighty miles of the New Orleans, Opelousas and Great Western Railroad, and kept at such duty almost continuously till their term of ser- vice had expired, though they repeatedly asked that they might be relieved and sent to the front. The Twenty-third was never brigaded, but left to itself, shunned by paymasters for many months, kept a year instead of nine months in service, and its officers, most of them, confined nearly fourteen months in rebel prison-pens.

June 20, 1863, the rebels under Gen. Dick Taylor captured Terre Bonne, and on the 21st drove in the pickets of the Twenty-third at Lafourche Crossing. The same night the rebels made several attempts to capture Lafourche, but were repulsed with three hun- dred and seventy killed and wounded. Federal loss, thirty wounded and nine killed.

The rebels shelled Brashear City on the 23d, which being defended almost solely by convalescents was at last forced to surrender. The officers captured by Taylor were all marched to Tyler, Smith Co., Texas (Camp Ford), and held nearly fourteen months, while the men were paroled, and Aug. 9, 1863 (Sunday), at one o'clock P.M., left New Orleans on a Mississippi River steamboat, " homeward bound." They arrived at New Haven, Conn., at six A.M. August 24th, and were welcomed with military and civic honors.

THE TWENTY-EIGIITH REGIMENT.

This regiment was organized Oct. 11, 1862, at New Haven, and was mustered into the United States service November 15th, with the following officers : Colonel, Samuel P. Ferris; lieutenant-colonel, Whe- lock T. Batcheller ; major, William B. Wescome ; adju- tant, Charles H. Brown ; quartermaster, Milton Brad- ley, Jr. ; chaplain, Richard Wheatley ; sergeant-major, William A. Bailey ; quartermaster-sergeant, Wilfred H. Mattson; commissary-sergeant, N. B. Bennett ; hospital steward, William E. Bissell ; surgeon, Ran- som P. Lyon ; first assistant surgeon, Levi S. Pease ; second assistant surgeon, Henry Roekwell.

* Contributed by Capt. Wm. H. May.

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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

LINE-OFFICERS.

Company A .- Captain, Franeis R. Leeds ; first lieu- tenant, Philip Lever; second lieutenant, F. R. War- ner.

Company B .- Captain, Cyrus D. Jones; first lieu- tenant, Charles Durand ; second lieutenant, Henry L. Wilmot.

Company C .- Captain, L. R. McDonough; first lieutenant, William M. Whitney ; second lieutenant, J. C. Taylor.

Company D .- Captain, David D. Hoag; first lieu- tenant, Charles M. Booth; second lieutenant, Levi Hungerford.

Company E .- Captain, Charles B. Landon; first lieutenant, Joseph Bostwick ; second lieutenant, War- ren C. Dailey.

Company F .- Captain, L. B. Wheelock; first lieu- tenant, C. P. Newman ; second lieutenant, Jabez Al- ford.

Company G .- Captain, T. L. Beckwith ; first lieu- tenant, William Mitchell; second lieutenant, Henry Ayres.

Company H .- Captain, George W. Middleton ; first lieutenant, James Kiley ; second lieutenant, Thomas G. Bennett.

The regiment left New Haven November 18th, and proceeded to Camp Buckingham, L. I. Here it re- mained until the 28th, when, having been assigned to the Department of the South, it embarked on the "Che Kiang" for a Southern clime. The Twenty- third Connecticut also embarked in the same steamer, thus crowding fourteen hundred men in quarters which would comfortably aceommodate about eight hundred.

The steamer weighed anchor at ten A.M., December 3d, with sealed orders, which finally assigned the regi- ments to Ship Island, La. During the voyage a storm arose, and for twelve hours the heavily-laden steamer battled with the angry waves which lashed in fury about it, seeming every moment to swallow it up in the awful abyss. During the night, while the storm was on, an officer sent the intelligence, "We shall never see another sunrise ; the vessel cannot stand it much longer." The vessel, however, rode safely on, and the voyage was completed in safety.

December 12th the regiment disembarked on Ship Island. On the 17th it re-embarked for New Or- leans, and after stopping a few hours in the city started for Camp Parapet, some scven miles up the river, where it landed and pitched tents, but was immediately ordered to re-embark for Pensacola, Fla. By eleven that night it was on board again and ready for starting. It reached Pensaeola Monday morning, and stacked its arms on the Grand Plaza. On the 20th it was ordered to evacuate Pensacola and go to the Barrancas Navy-Yard, where it remained until May 20th, when it was ordered to take the steamer "Crescent" and proceed to Brashear City, La. On the 25th it was ordered to Port Hudson, and

at noon reached Springfield Landing, having now come within hearing distance of the strife of arms. Marching twelve miles towards the scene of conflict, it found itself now, by some oversight of the move- ment, right between the two contending armies. It fairly ran the gauntlet, escaping unharmed, and, the next day, after a march of about thirty miles, when four might have sufficed, it reached Grover's division, to which it had been assigned. Until June 3d it here suffered, as soldiers often do, for want of rest and food, when it was ordered to the front. At this time Col. Ferris was acting brigadier, with Maj. Wescome in charge of the regiment.

The regiment was now ealled upon to test the music of whistling balls, and there was for the present to be no more rest for it. June 4th it was ordered to be ready to go into the rifle-pits. In spite of blunder- ing movements, Company A in advance, it at length reached the pits, where it spent the night. The next day until eight in the evening the men did their best, "firing fast and well" to harm the enemy, when they were ordered baek to camp. This move was executed without loss, and the regiment next did good service in the trenehes.

The regiment partieipated in the second assault on Port Hudson, when it lost fifty-nine killed, wounded, and missing. Among the killed were Capt. Hoag, of New Milford, and Lieut. Durand, of Stamford. This was one of the most desperate eharges made during the Rebellion, but in that holocaust of fire not a man in that noble legion shrank from his duty.

After the surrender of the place tlie Twenty-eighth did garrison duty until the expiration of its term of service. The regiment lost,-killed, 9; died of wounds, 9; died of disease, 65. It was mustered out at New Haven, Aug. 28, 1863.

COMPANY D, FIRST REGIMENT OF CONNECTICUT CAVALRY.#

The First Connecticut Cavalry was first organized as a battalion of two squadrons of two companies eaeh, the companies consisting each of three officers and seventy-six rank and file. There were also ten field- and staff-officers. It was ordered by the then Gover- nor of Connecticut, His Excellency William A. Buck- ingham, to be recruited, one company from each of the four congressional districts of the State. He au- thorized L. N. Middlebrook, Esq., of Bridgeport, then lately a major of the Connecticut militia, to reeruit the company for the congressional district comprising Fairfield and Litchfield Counties, he having volun- teered his services for this purpose. The recruiting of this company, afterwards designated as Company D, was commenced by Maj. Middlebrook, Oct. 4, 1861, in the city of Bridgeport, and completed Oct. 22, 1861, Mr. Middlebrook having enlisted as a private with the

* Contributed by L. N. Middlebrook.

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MILITARY HISTORY.

other reeruits, and borne all the expenses of recruit- ing the company from his private resources.

Ou the last-named date he took the company into camp at Meriden, Conn., where a eavalry camp of in- struction was formed under the command of Maj. Boardman, of the First Governor's Horse-Guards, of Hartford. Maj. Middlebrook was appointed eaptain of Company D by Governor Buckingham, his com- mission dating from Oet. 18, 1861; William E. Mor- ris, of Roxbury, Conn., and Richard R. Crawford, of Bridgeport, Conn., being at the same time appointed first aud sceond lieutcuants respectively.

Upon the retirement of Maj. Boardman from eom- mand of the eamp, which occurred soon after, the command of the battalion was teudered to Capt. Mid- dlebrook, who deelined to aeeept that position, prefer- ring to remain with his company. On Dee. 17, 1861, Judson M. Lyon, Esq., of Woodstock, Conn., was appointed by the Governor major of the battalion, and Capt. Middlebrook was designated first eaptain of the First Squadrou, composed of Companies B and D.

The battalion remained in eamp at Meriden until Feb. 20, 1862, when it took the field in the Depart- ment of West Virginia, then under the command of Maj .- Gen. W. S. Rosecrans. The battalion, under Maj. Lyon, was soon employed in aetive military oper- ations in the mountain regious of this department, among which were leading the advanee of Gen. Sehenek's foreed mareh from Moorefield to the relief of Gen. Milroy, at MeDowell, West Va., and the eon- sequent battles of MeDowell, May 8, and of Franklin, May 11 and 12, 1862. It was also assigned the hou- orable post of rear-guard in the two days' retreat upon Franklin of Gen. Schenek's and Gen. Milroy's forees before Stonewall Jackson's pursuing army.

When Gen. J. C. Fremont assumed command of the Mountain Department the battalion beeame thereby a part of his forees, and under Maj. Lyon was assigned the post of advanee-guard of his army during the principal part of his celebrated seven days' forced march through the mountains into the Shenandoah Valley to the relief of Gen. N. P. Banks, Capt. Mid- dlebrook commanding his own squadron and a detaeh- ment from Gen. Fremont's body-guard, and being the first to encounter the enemy, at daylight, May 28th, charging and routing their cavalry posted at Wardens- ville, Va., at which point the Union army was seeking to deploy from the mountain-passes into the Shenau- doah Valley.

In the eight days' retreat of Stonewall Jaekson up the Shenandoah Valley, which immediately sueeeeded, the battalion, ineluding Company D, was daily en- gaged, partieipating, under Capt. Middlebrook, act- ing as its major, amoug other engagements, in the desperate eavalry fight at Harrisonburg, Va., June 6th, in which the Confederate cavalry general Ashby was killed, and the battles of Cross-Keys, June 8, and Port Republie, June 9, 1862.

Upon the resignation of the command of this de-

partment by Gen. Fremont, the battalion, with Com- pany D, became a part of the forces of Maj .- Gen. Franz Sigel, commanding the First Army Corps of the Army of Virginia, under Gen. John Pope. Under this general this company, as a part of the battalion commanded by Capt. Middlebrook, acting major, par- ticipated in all the operations of the Army of Vir- ginia in 1862, under Gen. Pope, including, among others, the battles of Cedar Mountain, Rappahannock Station, Groveton, Second Manassas, and Chantilly.

Soon after the close of the campaign under Pope, the battalion, including Company D, was relieved from active duty in the field, and assigned to duty as pro- vost-guard, being stationed at the city of Baltimore, in the Middle Department. There it remained until Feb. 3, 1863, when it was attached to the Army of the Potomae and took the field again, having in the mnean time been raised to a full regiment of twelve com- panies. Company D, as a part thereof, henceforth took part in all the operations of the Army of the Potomae, until Aug. 8, 1864, when it was transferred with the remainder of the regiment to the Army of the Shenandoah, under Gen. Phil Sheridan, and sub- sequently served under Gen. Sheridan in all the clos- ing operations of the war, previous to and after the fall of Richmond, and was mustered out with its regi- ment, at Washington, D. C., Aug. 2, 1865.

This company was in many respects a remarkable company of men. With a single exception they were all of American nativity and of superior intelligenee and educatiou. As an evidence of this, it is sufficient to state that no less than seventeen commissioned officers were takeu from its original ranks. Fifty- eight of its original number were enlisted from Fair- field County, of which number Bridgeport furnished thirty-one, Trumbull six, Fairfield six, Wiltou five, Newtown four, Huntington three, Danbury two, and Stamford one. Of the remaining tweuty-one, seveu were enlisted from Litehfield County, and the balanee from various places throughout the State. All of the original company but one were eitizens and residents of Connecticut. The company received during its service in the field ninety-three reeruits, all of whom were citizens of Conneetieut, ten of them from Fair- field County, and the balanee from different places throughout the State.

Among the engagements in which this company participated, in addition to those mentioned, were the battles of Spottsylvauia Court-House, Hanover Court- House, Ashlaud, Winchester, Cedar Creek, Waynes- boro', Five Forks, Harper's Farm, and very many other lesser battles, all in West Virginia and Vir- ginia.

THE SECOND LIGHT BATTERY.

This battery was organized in August, 1862, when the glamour of military pomp had passed away and grim-visaged war in all its horrors stood out in awful vision before the people of this country. It was com-

HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

posed of two Bridgeport militia organizations, and was officered as follows : Captain, John W. Sterling ; first lieutenants, Walter S. Hotchkiss and Philip B. Segee ; second lieutenants, George Munger and Philo B. Sherman ; quartermaster-sergeant, Frank H. Whit- ing (promoted to second lieutenant, April 1, 1864).

The battery left for the front Oct. 15, 1862, aud was assigned to the Army of the Potomac. It was soon after assigned to the " Artillery Reserve," under Gen. R. O. Tyler, and participated in the memorable contest at Gettysburg, having three men wounded. After wearily traversing Maryland for a month the battery camped on Meridian Hill, near Washington. In August it was sent to New York during the draft troubles, and returned to Washington during December. February, 1864, found it transferred to the Department of the Gulf and stationed at Brashear City, aud subsequently at Algiers, La., at Dauphin Island, Mobile Harbor. August 6th the battery took an active part in the en- gagement at Fort Gaines, and on the 19th in the re- duction of Fort Morgan. September 8th it returned to Louisiana, and served until the following Feb- ruary. Then it was sent to Florida, served at Pensa- cola and elsewhere, and early in April was engaged with the enemy near Blakely, Ala., the 9th of the month witnessing the carrying of their works by as- sault. The battery soon after returned to Connec- ticut, and was mustered out at New Haven, Aug. 9, 1865. It lost one killed,-J. S. Mills, of Bridgeport; one died of wounds, and eighteen of disease.

THE FIRST REGIMENT HEAVY ARTILLERY.

This regiment was organized in the spring of 1861 as the Fourth Infantry, and after six months' service was changed to an artillery regiment of twelve con- panics, of one hundred and fifty men each. It was commanded by Levi Woodhouse, of Hartford, colonel, and Nelson L. White, of Danbury, lieutenaut-colonel. Company M was recruited in this county, principally in Bridgeport. Uriah Wallace was captain, William H. Brown first lieutenant, and Charles W. Gleason second lieutenant.

The regiment remained in the fortifications arouud Washington for a short time, when, Col. Woodhouse having resigned, it was placed under the command of Gen. R. O. Tyler and entered the Peninsular campaign. This regiment had seventy-one guns in the siege- train. In November, 1862, Col. Tyler was promoted to be brigadier-general, and Capt. Henry L. Abbott was made colonel.

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History of Fairfield County, Connecticut : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 14

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) comp. cn Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co. Number of Pages: 1572

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) comp. cn
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co.
Number of Pages: 1572