History of Fairfield County, Connecticut : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 16

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 16

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At this time the right wing of the regiment still held its position around the Hatch house garden. It continued to hold it till all the regiments and Union force at the right had passed to the rear, and towards our left.

The crushing force of Stonewall Jackson's attack was in such irresistible mass, with such steady and unabating fire, that the air seemed full of whizzing rifle-balls. Their advancing light artillery threw a storm of shells down the lines of retreat. At this time the right wing of the Seventeenth retreated

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from its position around the Hatch house, and mnet , upon the transfer of our forces to the north side of Col. Noble, who had been looking for his left wing, the Rappahannock, was ordered into camp not far from its old quarters at Bowles Station. Here it re- mained till June, when, on Lee's invasion, the regi- ment followed the Army of the Potomac on parallel lines to the march of the enemy till their movements culminated in the battle of Gettysburg. with the news of Col. Walter's death. The right and the two companies who were out on picket passed with him to the first lines of the Sehurz division, of which the Ninety-fourth New York had changed its position from parallel to a right angle with the Cul- peper road and facing the attack of the enemy. Whilst Col. Noble, with the aid of his adjutant, Lieut. Chatfield, and the captains of the right wing, was reforming this line in rear of said regiment, its eolonel was shot dead, and his regiment, under a ter- rifie fire, broke and threw the whole force in inevit- able retreat. In faet, lingering any longer in such an unequal eontest would have been madness, all troops to the right having long passed to the rear.

The Seventeenth moved along down the Culpeper road deliberately. While thus proceeding its eolonel was shot through his left arm, severing the main artery, and, bleeding to exhaustion, he was guided and kept on his horse by two of his soldiers, after having given them his watch and money, and made ready to surrender himself, as he was unable to go on alone. They led him to a field-hospital in the rear of the Chancellorsville House. Here his horse, which had been wounded near the Hateh house and borne him so far, died.

The regiment after this fell under the command of Maj. Brady, and was the next day moved from the right to the left of the army's position.

In Greeley's " American Confliet," where he speaks of that "grand burst of Stonewall Jackson with twenty-five thousand men upon the exposed flank of the Eleventh Corps," the Seventeenth Connecticut is the only regiment specially noted and commended for its aetion. At page 357 of his second volume the tre- mendous result of that attack is thus noted : "In a moment the First Division, Gen. Devens, was over- whelmed, its commander being among the wounded, and one-third of his foree, including every general and colonel, either disabled or captured. Driven baek in wild rout down the Chaneellorsville road, upon the position of Gen. Schurz, it was found that his division had already retreated, and an attempt made to rally and form here proved abortive. The Seventeenth Conneetieut, which bore a resolute part in the effort, had its lieutenant-colonel killed and its colonel severely wounded."

The Seventeenth had a list of one hundred and twenty killed, wounded, and missing in this fight. That night it made a brave stand near headquarters, at Chancellorsville House, and remained there all night supporting a battery, while the Third Corps was flung into the gap. The regiment was not again in action during that battle. Col. Noble was sent home by Dr. Hubbard, the aeting medical director of the eorps, and was unable to leave home for thirty- four days.

The regiment, after the council of war had decided

The regiment was in the midst of that first day's fight, on the other side of the town, and west of its final battle-ground. Lieut .- Col. Fowler, commanding regiment,. and Capt. Moore, were instantly killed ; Licut. Chatfield, who was beside Col. Fowler, had his knapsaek and uniform riddled, and his sword-a relie of Revolutionary history-broken in splinters, yet received not a scar. On that day, too, Capt. French was wounded in his right arm while gallantly com- manding his company. Maj. Brady received a shell contusion upon his shoulder, which caused a dis- ability, resulting in his transfer to the Veteran Re- serve Corps. Capt. Allen was also slightly wounded; of the other officers it is needless to say more than that they conducted themselves with gallantry and without reproach. Gen. Ames, who then commanded the brigade, uttered to the colonel, when he rode upon the battle-field, on the third day, no word but of com- mendation of the conduct of the whole regiment.

The colonel, who had been at home recovering from his wound, was, when he reached Washington, unable to find first where the regiment was and then how to reach them. When a route was directed the crowded state of the one railroad which conducted all the army-supplies, and a forty-mile horsebaek-ride only enabled him to reach the battle-field on the afternoon of the third day. He found the regiment stationed at the north of the Cemetery Hill along a stone wall, -a position which it had held, under orders, since the first day's fight. By death and capture it had been reduced to a handful; not two hundred men could be put in line. The next morning the colonel found himself in command of the brigade, Gen. Anies having assumed command of the division, whose com- mander, Gen. Franeis C. Barlow, had been severely wounded in the action.

It was very evident, on the morning of the 4th, that the enemy were in full retreat. The whole force of the division moved into Gettysburg and well out to the right, finding no indieations of the enemy, ex- cept an occasional shot on the picket-line, which showed that they were feigning presence in force.

On the morning of the 5th the wagons of the enemy could be distinetly seen moving rapidly to the rear and southiward. . Everything betokened that they had left a strong picket-line in front only to make a show of resistance and to protect their retreat.

On the morning of the 6th the Eleventh Corps moved with the rest of the army in pursuit of Lee. The marches were not very rapid, and till we reached Hagerstown no portions of the enemy were eneoun- tered by our part of the Union army. At Hagers-

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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

town, Md., our divisiou was within gunshot of the rebels' lines. It was evidently a weak sham. The earnest appeal of Col. Von Gilsa, who commanded a brigade of the division, to be allowed to attack their flimsy front, is well remembered. Permission was not accorded. All seemed hesitation and timidity as to any forward movement upon the retreating enemy, who were evidently penued up between the Potomac and our lives. After spending two days in the vicin- ity of the rebel outposts, and near the battle-field of Antietam, a march was made upon the enemy's lines, only to find him escaped aeross the Potomac.

On the march from Gettysburg down a large por- tion of the regiment was without shoes, the whole of it in a very sad and tattered condition, the result of continuous marching and constant exposure to the weather aud rough soldiering.

But of its conduct throughout all this eampaign too much cannot be said iu praise. Fairfield County may be proud of her sons. Their conduct in the first day's fight at Gettysburg in striving to repel the onslaught of the enemy, aud during the rest of the battle holding their post at foot of Cemetery Hill, was all that could be expected of any troops. Gen. Gordon, late senator from Georgia, who was in com- mand of the enemy's troops which charged upon the lines of the regiment at Gettysburg, meeting Lieut .- Col. Allen during his late seat in the Senate, learning that the colonel was of the Seventeenth Connecticut, said to him that of all the trouble he ever had to force a retreat from any troops, he had the hardest work with the Seventeenth Connecticut at Gettys- burg; that it didn't seem to know how to get away from its position, however strong the foree at- tacking.

After the pursuit of Lee had eeased on his retreat from Gettysburg, and while the forces were marshal- ing for a new conflict, a sudden order came for the Ames and Von Gilsa brigades to take rail to Alex- andria and embark for Fortress Monroe. After ar- rival there the brigades again took transport, and were landed about August 21st on Folly Island, S. C. They had hardly got into camp when a detail of a thousand men was ordered, under Col. Noble, into the siege-trenches on Morris Island, approaching Fort Wagner. This was a reserve force, and in pro- tection of the artillerymen and of the siege-works. On this duty the regiment lay for forty-eight. hours elose under the fire of Wagner, and under shell showered from Forts James and Moultrie.

The brigade was afterwards quartered a short dis- tanee below the siege-works of Wagner. For about a fortnight on that island they were most of the time under fire from the enemy's batteries. While there they saw the first gun fired upon Sumter from the great siege-works guns of Gen. Gillmore, and re- mained there until the ruins of that fort looked like a sand-bank or the débris of some great briek edifiee. Several of the regiment were killed and several others

badly wounded by the bursting of shell and the breaking of solid shot down through the splinter- proofs. Lying under these cannon-ball and shell protections, without the excitement of attack and real eonflict, was about the most trying work the regiment ever did.

Before we left the island, Gen. Ames took the offi- cers of his brigade up into the high tower of the lighthouse, a short distance below Fort Wagner, where a good view was obtained, through a telescope, of the condition and ruins of Sumter. He then said to them that it had been proposed that his brigade should organize for a night-attack upon said fort, and asked us if he should ask for us the duty. The offi- cers unanimously desired Gen. Ames to solicit the place for us. But such was not to be our task. The uavy claimed it as their prize, and made an abortive attempt to eapture the fort. Although in ruins as to its walls, it was found to have been made stronger than ever by sand-bags and fallen masonry. The at- tack had been delayed too long; the right time was when we volunteered for the duty.

After the fall of Wagner. till February only one military event deserving notiee occurred to the regi- ment. About the middle of October there came by night an urgent order from Gen. Vodges, commanding the forees on Morris Island, saying that the enemy were about to make an attack iu great force on its northern and western side by floats down from Seees- sionville, and ordering out the division to resist the attack. On this oeeasion the Seventeenth was under arms and in line of march twenty minutes before any other regiment reported. This was noted by Gen. Amies to the colonel of the regiment as highly com- plimentary to his eommand. But the alarm proved entirely false: no attaek was made.

The remainder of the fall and winter was spent by the Seventeenth upon the island under drill and on a brief expedition under Gen. Schimmelpfennig to Johu's Island as a diversion to hold iu check the removal of the troops of the enemy farther north to meet and resist some movement of our own forees. There was only a small skirmish on our approach to John's Island, in which several of the regiment were wounded slightly. During a part of the winter Gen. Ames' absence at the North threiv the command of the brigade upon Gen. Noble, whose principal task was drilling its six regiments in field-movements.

At Christmas and New Year's the Seventeenth re- ceived a heavy consignment from the people of Bridge- port and Fairfield County, who sent boxes to iudivid- uals and general stores for the hospital and for the good of the regiment. There eamne a large and varied supply, under the care of Lieut. Hayes, their former quartermaster, and Dr. L. H. Norton. It was wel- come Christmas cheer to gladden the hearts of the soldiers.

On the 22d of February, 1864, orders came to strike our tents and make everything ready for Florida.

MILITARY HISTORY.

The next morning we took transport for Jacksonville. The repulse of Gen. Seymour's advance into Florida, at the battle of Olustec, where the Sharps' rifles of Hawley's regiment alone saved us from a terrible re- versc, had called for this reinforcement of our brigade to Florida. On our arrival at Jacksonville general orders were issued creating two divisions, of which Gen. Ames and the forces under him constituted one, Gen. Noble commanding Ames' brigade. The forces advanced outside to the northi and west of the town and intrenched. An attack from the enemy was felt to be possible from any quarter of that traversible country, and the forces were for a month aroused at three in the moruing to prepare for an attack.

About April 15th the whole force at Jacksonville was broken up. Gen. Ames was ordered North to the Army of the Potomac, and his brigade left in Florida. The Seventeenth was ordered to relieve the Tenth Connecticut at St. Augustine, and took transport im- mediately for that ancient city. It seemed as if the regiment was to be laid up in lavender for the rest of its service in that lovely, quaint, old place. But the seeming did not prove the reality; the mass of the regiment never had harder or more taxing service than in Florida. The climate in the summer and fall is not particularly healthful. One of the companies of the regiment garrisoned the old Spanish Fort San Marco, the others were quartered in the old govern- ment barracks.

We had hardly got well settled in our quarters when an order came from Gen. Birney, then com- manding in Florida, for Col. Noble to go with all his regiment, except one company, to Volusia, Fla. The regiment moved on the morning of the 25th of April, and made Volusia after a three days' march. Volusia is but a hamlet of a few houses on the St. John's River. After a few days the post was visited by Gen. Birney, who had proceeded up the St. John's River and disembarked near Pilatka with several regiments, and thus reached our post. At this place Gen. Birney ordered a company of the Seventeenth to be stationcd in guard of the crossings of St. John's River at Welaka and Sanders. They had hardly been posted a week before all were gobbled up by the enemy, who crossed the river in strong force. They might just as easily have captured the fifty men left at Volusia, but were frightened away by the intrenchments made there under Capt. Kellogg and the track of an army-wagon, which they mistook for that of artillery.

Just after this Gen. Birney was relieved, and Gen, George H. Gordon placed in command of Florida. Under him Col. Noble was invested with the com- mand of all the country east and south of the St. John's River, and of the forces within that area. These consisted of two colored regiments, the Seventy- fifth Ohio, and his own regiment.

About the 10th of June the Seventeenth, together with other regiments in Gen. Gordon's command, numbering about two thousand men, was organized

at Jacksonville for a raid and flank march upon Mc- Gilet's Creek. The expedition started at midnight on transports under conduct of the navy gunboats, and landing was made about three in the morning and march commenced. During all that day, which was one of the hottest of the season, the regiments marched along the close roads of Florida, and late in the afternoon, after a very fatiguing flank march, the force under Gen. Noble joined that of Gen Gordon, who had marched straight out from Jack- sonville. . The enemy's works were found to be of no great consequence, and, having destroyed its bar- racks and stores, the regiment moved, with the rest of the forces, back to Jacksonville, and thence to St. Augustine. Lieut .- Col. Wilcoxson commanded the regiment.

No sooner had we arrived at Jacksonville than an order came reversing things. Gen. Gordon was ordered to the Army of the Potomac, and Gen. Birney replaced in command of Florida.

About the 29th of July, Gen. Birney, still in com- mand of Florida, ordered another raid on the enemy's unseen and insignificant works. Col. Noble was ordered with the Seventeenth, and all the force under his command, aud all the horses in St. Augus- tine, and all the loyal Floridians, to rendezvous a Picolata, on the St. John's, there to take steamer and connect with Gen. Birney at a point upon the Black River. The force was gathered and the connection made, and proceeded with Gen. Birney to Baldwin, on the Cedar Keys Railroad. Col. Noble was at this time placed in command of Baldwin, and, having under his command a battery of Rhode Island artil- lery, two regiments of colored troops, and other forces, was ordered by Gen. Birney to hold and garrison that place and build a log fort. But Gen. Birney had hardly completed these orders and returned from Jacksonville to see our conditiou before news came that he was succeeded by Geu. Hatch.

Geu. Hatch withdrew the Seventeenth from Bald- win, and established it in post at Magnolia, to hold which post and construct a fort it was then ordered, Capt. Kellogg being in command of the portion of the Seventeenth Regiment at that placc. But Col. Noble was ordered by him the next day to burn the few buildings and to make a raid with some cavalry, artillery, and three regimeuts, making a four days' march, and coming in at Magnolia, where he had es- tablished a post garrisoncd by the Seventeenth, and awaited the arrival of the expedition. This was ac- complished, and the Seventeenth relieved from duty at Magnolia and returned to St. Augustine.

Soon after, Gen. Hatch took command of Florida. While Col. Noble was at Magnolia he ascertained that heavy cffort was being made in Lower and Middle Florida, east of St. John's, to recruit companies for the enemy. Orders were given to Col. Noble to de- tail part of his own regiment and the Seventy-fifth Mounted Rifles to procced up the St. John's along its

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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

eastern bank, while Col. Noble, with artillery and several regiments and a detachment of Massachusetts cavalry, proceeded by steamer up the St. John's and Dunu's Lake, to follow up the expeditiou of said regi- ments. After landing on said lake on a day's march the Seventy-fifth was met returning to St. Augustine, having captured a captain and about twenty of his enrolled men, who were afterwards imprisoned in the fort at St. Augustine.

Soon after this Gen. Hatch was succeeded iu com- mand by Gen. Scammon, and all raids abandoned except a miserable one which resulted most disas- trously to the regiment. Gen. Scammnou had learned of a lot of cotton stored on the borders of Dunn's Lake, aud directed Col. Wilcoxson, with teams and a sufficient force, to gather it in. The order was obeyed and the cotton gathered. The force was about start- ing on its return home when it was attacked by about two hundred of Dixon's Mounted Rifles. The attack was sudden and unexpected. They are easily made so in Florida, which is pretty much all onie pine wood. A summons to surrender was unheeded by Col. Wilcoxson, and fire opened. Seeing no hope of escape, Lieut .- Col. Wilcoxson and Adj. Chatfield at- tempted to cut their way through the enemy. Adj. Chatfield was instantly killed, and Col. Wilcoxson shot through the shoulder, of which wound he after- wards died at Tallahassee. The regiment in these officers lost two gallant and able men. Two captains and about fifty men were captured and sent to Ander- sonville.

Prior to this, Col. Noble, the day before Christmas, 1864, while crossing from Jacksonville to St. Augus- tine, in company with two officers of other commands, was captured by the enemy's scouts about half-way betwixt these places. He was taken a across the St. John's River to Tallahassee, to Macon, Ga., and finally to Andersonville. While there the force of the 17th that had been captured at Dunn's Lake, and in a subsequent raid of the enemy in the rear of St. Augustine, was brought into that prison. The officers were Capt. French, Company G; Capt. Betts, Company F; Lieut. Ruggles, Company K; Capt. Quien, Company C.

After this cotton expedition and the captures, the regiment passed a quiet and uneventful winter and spring. About the 1st of June, 1865, it was ordered by Gen. Vodges, then commanding Florida, to Jack- souville. While there it was sent out on provost-duty in various places, and was employed in reconstructing the Baldwin and Jacksonville Railroad.

About the 1st of July it was ordered to take trans- ports for Hilton Head, to be mustered out of the ser- vice, and at that post, on the 19th of July, 1865, ended its duties as part of the army of the republic during its great struggle.

On no occasion had the people of the county had reason to regret the exertions they had made to put it in the field. Its gallant service had been an honor to

them and to the State; no charge ever was or could be made upon them of flinching from any truly mil- itary duty. In post at St. Augustine or in the field, it never failed to win the respect and affection of all with whom it came in contact. In this the Seven- teeuth stands alongside of the glorious record of all the Connecticut troops in the war.

The regiment, leaviug unnamed the towus which contributed in small numbers, received its quota from the following sources :

Company A, all from Norwalk, excepting eighteen men from Wilton; Company B, all enlisted from Stamford and Darien; Company C received fifty- eight from Danbury, from Bethel sixteen, from Ridge- field twelve; Company D, forty-four from Bridgeport, seventeen from Monroe, from Huntington nine ; Com- pany E received fifty-one from Westport, twenty-five from Newtown, fourteen from Bridgeport, ten from Westou; Company F, almost all from Norwalk, ex- cept fourteen from Wilton; Company G, Ridgefield fifty-three, Bridgeport twenty-three, Redding twenty ; Company H, mostly from New Canaan ; Company I, mostly from Greenwich ; Company K, thirty-five from Bridgeport, Fairfield thirty-five. In all these com- panies there were members from other towns, making up the quota of the regiment,-a thousand and one men.

There were individuals in every town most active in promoting the enlistment of this regiment whose services should not be forgotten. The distinguished inventor of the sewing-machine, Elias Howe, Jr., was very active in this service, himself enlisted as a pri- vate in its ranks, and on one occasion, by permission of the Secretary of War, advanced the pay due the regiment, about fourteen thousand dollars, on their march towards Fredericksburg.

The matériel of this regiment was of a character among the privates fit to have officered a dozen regi- ments. Wherever stationed they were commended for their morale and soldierly characteristics.

WILLIAM HENRY NOBLE, son of Rev. Birdsey G. Noble (Yale class of 17-1), was born in Newtown, Conn., Aug. 16, 1813. He lived at Middletown, Conn., with parents till fiftcen years old; spent the last four years, from eleven to fifteen, at Par- tridge's Military School, Middletowu, Conn .; thence to Trinity (then Washington) College, Hartford, 1828 to 1830; 1830 to 1832, Yale; graduated; taught a school one year and a half at Stamford, Conn. He then removed to Bridgeport, where he studied law, and in 1836 was admitted to the bar of Fairfield County ; was for many years clerk of court and State's attoruey for said county. In 1839 married Harriet J. Brooks, daughter of Benjamin Brooks, Esq., of Bridgeport; ran for Congress in 1850, and was de- feated. In 1851 he laid out East Bridgeport, and in 1852 reorganized the operation with P. T. Barnum on a larger scale ; built bridges, houses, factories, giving to Bridgeport the foundation of a great city. In 1860

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helped organize the Union movement in Connecticut which spread through the country, and in July, 1862, was commissioned by Governor Buckingham colonel of the Seventeenth Regiment Connecticut Volunteers; went out September 3d, destined to Eleventh Corps, Army of the Potomac; stopped by General Wool at Baltimore ; stationed at Fort Marshall a month and a half; sent thence to defenses of Washington, Fort Kearney, and Tennallytown; thence to Eleventh Corps at Gainesville ; with Eleventh Corps in reserve moved on Fredericksburg at Burnside's attack ; Stafford Court- House and Brook's Station, Va., winter of 1862 and 1863. At battle of Chancellorsville, under Howard (see "Greeley's Conflict," vol. ii., chap. xvi., page 350 : only regiment named) ; wounded in left arm by minie-ball, severing main artery; ordered home by Surgeon Hubbard, medical director of the Eleventh Corps; forty days' leave ; left to reach advance towards Gettysburg; at Gettysburg, Cemetery Hill, third day ; fourth day, command of brigade ; moved in pursuit of Lee; at Hagerstown, Md., in front of the rebel line when preparing to cross the Potomac; continued the march into Virginia ; thence was sent with Ames' bri- gade, Eleventh Corps, to South Carolina; on Morris and Folly Islands about six months ; at siege of Sum- ter and Wagner for a month; daily under fire ; saw first gun fired on Sumter; walls powdered and Wagner surrendered ; in trenches at Wagner, in command of reserves, and supporting force with and without regi-

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History of Fairfield County, Connecticut : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 16

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