USA > Connecticut > The story of the Twenty-first Regiment, Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, during the Civil War. 1861-1865 > Part 2
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Thus for years the question was kept before the minds of the people. It came to them as a great moral issue, theoreti- cally wrong, practically injurious to the best interests of the nation. Children absorbed these sentiments as they drew their milk from their mothers' breasts. And so it came to pass that the whole moral and social being of the free states was largely imbued with the anti-slavery idea. It only needed some sudden jar, some quaking of the earth, to cause the pent up forces to break out in a thousand places all over . the North, uniting as do the rivulets to form the mighty stream of living forces that swept on, overcoming all obsta- cles, to Richmond and Appomattox Court House.
That shock came when the Southern guns were fired upon Fort Sumter. The reverberation of those guns was heard and felt in the homes of twenty millions of people. The pent up forces could no longer be restrained. The South had challenged to arms. On the instant the North accepted. and marshalled her forces for the conflict. Nearly every vestige of sympathy for the South was swept away or awed into silence. Rivals in business and politics became friends and allies. Press and pulpit united in urging on the conflict. The great industries of the nation were turned aside from their peaceful purpose and made to furnish munitions of war. As soon think of silencing the earthquake by the feeble stamp of your foot as attempt to suppress the spirit of war that soon carried everything before it. Every element of the social body was moved. From all the professions and industries, from preachers, and teachers and employers came only words of encouragement to enlist for the war, while within the more sacred circle of the family, the aged parents, the faithful wife, the loving sweetheart, dared not say "no," but
5
Regimental Beginnings.
cheerfully consented to the giving up of their most precious treasures as a sacrifice which they must make for the welfare of their country.
With a spirit like this for the most part did the loyal people meet the successive calls of the President for troops. The first call for 75,000 three months' men found the state totally unprepared, busy in its peaceful industries. Upon his own responsibility, without special legislative authority, but trust- ing to the people to ratify his course, the Governor of Con- necticut called for one regiment of ten companies. Fifty companies responded. By special appeal the government at Washington accepted three in place of the one regiment called.
In response to the second call for five hundred thousand three years' men, issued immediately after the battle of Bull Run, Connecticut furnished her quota, sending the thirteenth regiment to the seat of war March 17, 1862. With this con- tribution of troops, there was a very general expectancy on the part of most people that the war would soon be ended. By direction of the war department, April 3, 1862, recruiting in the loyal states was discontinued.
The following, from The Norwich Bulletin, July 3, may indicate public sentiment : " We cannot help thinking that to-day we are seeing the beginning of the end-that the Rebellion is approaching a final collapse. The Mississippi is opened, the grand army of Corinth has skedaddled. Only capture Richmond and the end comes." The Hon. J. T. Waite, in a public speech at Norwich in July, said : " The question is to be decided in the next six months, and, perhaps, in the next sixty days."
But the defeat of McClellan's army, an event unlooked for in the North, disabused the public mind of this illusion. On June 28, the Governors of the loyal states, seventeen in number, united in recommending the President to call for two hundred thousand additional men. "We believe," they urged, " that the decisive moment is near at hand, and to that
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Twenty-first Regiment Connecticut Volunteers.
end the people of the United States are desirous to aid promptly in furnishing all reinforcements that you deem necessary to sustain the government. The President re- sponded early in July witn a call for three hundred thou- sand three years' men. A few weeks later the President issued another call for a like number of nine months' men.
Upon the receipt of the first of these calls, which assigned to Connecticut as her quota seven thousand one hundred and forty-five men, our excellent Governor, on July 11th, issued the following proclamation : Citizens of Connecticut : You are again called upon to rally to the support of the government. In the name of our common country, I call upon you to enroll your names for the immediate formation of six more regiments. Close your manufactories and workshops-turn aside from your farms and business-leave for awhile your families and your homes-meet face to face the enemies of your liberties. Haste, and you will rescue many noble men now struggling against superior numbers, and speedily secure the blessings of peace."
In response to this call, eight regiments of three years' men were formed, of which the Twenty-first was the last. The time spent for filling the calls for the three years' and also for the nine months' men was a period of great activity. Special inducements were made to encourage enlistment. On the part of the nation, the state, and the respective towns came pledges of special bounties. July 2, the government at Washington, in addition to previous inducements, offered a bounty of one hundred dollars to each recruit. The State of Connecticut promised fifty dollars at enlistment and thirty dollars for each year of service, to be paid in three install- ments of ten dollars each. To those having families, six dol- lars per month was promised to the wife and two dollars for each child, providing there were not more than two. More- over, there was hardly a town that failed to vote liberal bounties-generally one hundred dollars to each recruit. These bounties, received by each enlisted man of the Twenty-
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Regimental Beginnings.
first, were, before the close of the war, increased to six hundred dollars, half paid by the government at Washing- ton, half by the state, the towns withdrawing their offers.
In addition to these bounties to encourage enlistments, the Adjutant-General of Connecticut, July 14th, sent a special appeal to the Selectmen of each of the towns, urging them to call public meetings, and to use every effort to encourage enlistments. An immense public meeting was held in Hart- ford July 10th, attended by three thousand people, the Gov- ernor and Senator Dixon being present. The next night another meeting was held at Norwich, addressed by promi- nent speakers irrespective of party relations or religious connections. Democratic leaders and Catholic priests stood side by side with republican officials and Protestant clergy- men. The following, from Governor Buckingham's speech, may reflect the opinions and anxiety of those honored leaders, who did so much to carry the war through to a successful issue : " The enemy in the field have from seven hundred thousand to eight hundred thousand men. We have upwards of six hundred thousand men, but the number has been re- duced till now we have not over four hundred thousand men. I speak from authority when I say that, aside from losses in battle, the army is being diminished at the rate of twenty thousand per month. Our army is held in check and endangered. Only last night I heard Senator Dixon say at Hartford that Secretary Seward was alarmed. I rejoice to hear that Secretary Seward is alarmed. I wish that every member of the cabinet might be alarmed. I wish every citizen might appreciate the danger till we shall put forth every effort to rescue the government * * I am sick at heart, but I feel that if I can do anything to arouse the people to appreciate their danger, it should be done at once."
This meeting was followed by another held in the same city at Franklin Square July 24th, which was closed at 11:30 P. M. The following is an extract taken from the account of
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Twenty-first Regiment Connecticut Volunteers.
a war meeting held in Bridgeport during the same month : " The audience seemed electrified as from different parts of the hall man after man arose and went forward to enlist. The audience arose en masse. Cheer after cheer was given, and many a throbbing heart and tearful eye betokened the emo- tions as the noble fellows enrolled their names. Over forty men were enlisted on the spot, while the citizens subscribed twenty thousand dollars." But back of this enthusiasm and, perhaps, having some relation thereto, was the stern fact of a draft that would be sure to follow any deficiency. Says The Norwich Bulletin, August 20th : " Only three days left after the twenty-first of the month. Hurry up the men. By doing so, escape the draft." Yet, neither the fear of the draft, nor the offer of the bounty, can explain the great furor for enlistment. For had there not been a profound love of country possessed by the people, they would not have sub- mitted to the draft on the one hand, nor taxed themselves heavily to offer bounties on the other. Willingness to submit to a draft, as well as the offering of liberal bounties, had their origin in the determined purpose to save the country.
If we now consider how the warlike spirit materialized into these many regiments ; how the enthusiastic citizen became a uniformed soldier in his own company and regiment, we shall find the process simple and easy. In general orders of the Governor, July 11, 1862, the following directions were given : "On the application of persons proposing to enroll companies, the Commander-in-Chief will, at his discretion, issue orders granting authority to enroll volunteers, and entitling the person to whom they are issued to receive a commission as Second Lieutenant whenever he shall have enrolled not less than thirty-three men, and shall have received a nomination from a majority of that number. The Commander-in-Chief reserves the right, whenever in his opinion the interests of the service may require, to consolidate such squads, and when so consolidated, the grades of the commissioned officers will be designated by nomination, by a majority of the members of
1 11
COLONEL THOMAS F. BURPEE.
.
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Twenty-first Regiment Connecticut Volunteers.
a war meeting held in Bridgeport during the same month : " The audience seemed electrified as from different parts of the hall man after man arose and went forward to enlist. The audience arose en masse. Cheer after cheer was given, and many a throbbing heart and tearful eye betokened the emo- tions as the noble fellows enrolled their names. Over forty men were enlisted on the spot, while the citizens subscribed twenty thousand dollars." But back of this enthusiasm and, perhaps, having some relation thereto, was the stern fact of a draft that would be sure to follow any deficiency. Says The Norwich Bulletin, August 20th : "Only three days left after the twenty-first of' the month. Hurry up the men. By doing so, escape the draft." Yet, neither the fear of the draft, nor the offer of the bounty, can explain the great furor for enlistment. For had there not been a profound love of country possessed by the people, they would not have sub- mitted to the draft on the one hand, nor taxed themselves heavily to offer bounties on the other. Willingness to submit to a draft, as well as the offering of liberal bounties, had their origin in the determined purpose to save the country.
If we now consider how the warlike spirit materialized into these many regiments ; how the enthusiastic citizen became a uniformed soldier in his own company and regiment, we shall find the process simple and casy. In general orders of the Governor, July 11, 1862, the following directions were given : "On the application of persons proposing to enroll companies, the Commander-in-Chief will, at his discretion, issue orders granting authority to enroll volunteers, and entitling the person to whom they are issued to receive a commission as Second Lieutenant whenever he shall have enrolled not less than thirty-three men, and shall have received a nomination from a majority of that number. The Commander-in-Chief reserves the right, whenever in his opinion the interests of the service may require, to consolidate such squads, and when so consolidated, the grades of the commissioned officers will be designated by nomination, by a majority of the members of
4.
COLONEL THOMAS F. BURPEE.
.
11
Regimental Beginning's.
the consolidated company. Squads of sixty-six men may nominate a First Lieutenant and. eighty-three a Captain." Non-commissioned officers were appointed by the Colonel upon the recommendation of the Captain.
Under this order in nearly every town of the state, recruit- ing proceeded actively for the enrollment of volunteers. Recruiting officers were led to their work either by their own choice or by the solicitation of others, who recognized their ability to command. In the enlistment papers which were furnished there was recorded, besides the name of the ap- plicant, his age, occupation, nationality, his height, com- plexion, and other kindred facts, by which the recruit could be identified. Having signed these papers, the newly made recruit, before a proper official, took the following oath : " I, A. B., do solemnly swear that I will bear true allegiance to the United States of America, and that I will serve them hon- estly and faithfully against all their enemies or opposers whatsoever, and observe and obey the orders of the President of the United States, and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to the rules and articles for the govern- ment of the United States."
These papers, made out in duplicate, were held by the officer till his recruits reached the number required by law (sixty as a minimum ; one hundred and one as a maximum), when it was organized as a company, assigned to some regi- ment, and presently, with other similar bodies, mustered into the service of the United States by some regular army officer detailed for the purpose.
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Twenty-first Regiment Connecticut Volunteers.
CHAPTER II.
THE GATHERING.
(August and September, 1862.)
For the most part the Twenty-first Regiment was recruited in Eastern Connecticut. In the pages following may be found some facts respecting the personnel of each of the companies : " Company "A" was recruited by Joseph Jordan, Jr., 23 men ; Hamlet F. Roberts, 22; N. A. Belden, 13; P. F.
Talcott, 11 ; H. L. Soper, 8; and three others.
Eighty
men in all. Of this number 42 were from East Hartford ; 21 from Hartford; 14 from Glastonbury ; 10 from Windsor, with a lesser number from each of six other towns. 86 of this number were American born, 14 foreigners-6 English- men with 4 other nationalities. Average age, 247 years. 36 were married ; 64 single. As respects employment, there were 49 farmers, $ clerks-the most in any company. Of laborers, teamsters, painters, there were 5 each ; 4 black- smiths, with 24 other occupations.
Company " B" was recruited by Charles T. Martin, 65 of his men enlisting from Hartford. Groups of 3 each came from East Hartford, Enfield and Wethersfield, the remainder from other towns. There were 44 Americans and 32 foreign- ers-21 from Ireland, S from England ; average age, 32, the oldest company in the regiment; married 58, the largest num- ber of any company. As respects occupation, there were 16 farmers, 14 laborers, 7 carpenters, 6 painters, 5 cach of black-
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The Gathering.
smiths and shoemakers, with 24 other occupations. This company, with Company "A," represented the greatest variety of industries.
Company "C" was recruited by Rev. J. E. Wood, S6 men, Robert Dennison the remainder. From Groton there came 95 men, from Ledyard 5, from Norwich I. No other com- pany had so large a proportion of its members from any one town. Ninety-eight were Americans, and there were only three foreigners-the smallest number in any company. Aver- age age 2576 ; 52 were married. Twenty-five different occu- pations were represented --- 24 carpenters, four of them ship- wrights, the largest number in any company ; IS farmers, with one exception the smallest number in any company, 12 sailors, 5 mechanics.
Company "D" was recruited by C. G. Southworth, 54 men; J. D. Gaylord, 19; F. S. Long, 14; Holander, 7. From Mansfield there came 40 men, from Ashford 17, from Wind- ham 15, from Chaplin 4, with representatives from a dozen other towns. Average age 2876 46 were married. 68 men registered as farmers, the largest number in any company, S laborers, 6 factory operatives, 4 mechanics, 4 carpenters, with to others of miscellaneous occupation.
Company "E" was recruited by C. T. Stanton, Jr., who enlisted 61 men ; E. P. Berry, 8; James Stanley, 7. From the town of Stonington there came 71 men, Norwich 8, Groton 4, and others scattering. 74 were American born. Average age 26; married 32. By occupation there were 27 farmers, 9 mechanics, 8 ship carpenters, 7 laborers, 6 factory operatives, and 17 reporting other occupations.
Company "F" was recruited wholly by two persons- H. C. Phillips 50 men, Frank Fowler 42. From Montville there came 44, from New London 39, from Waterford 6. with representatives from many other towns. Eighty were Ameri- can born. Average age, 23 %, the youngest company in the regiment. Twenty-seven were married, the smallest number in any company. By occupation there were 41 farmers, 6
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Twenty-first Regiment Connecticut Volunteers.
manufacturers, 5 clerks, 5 carpenters, and 17 of other occu- pations.
Company " G" was recruited by J. F. Brown, 42; E. P. Packer, 22 ; I. D. Kenyon, 21, and two others. From North Stonington there came 65 men, from Voluntown 22, from Griswold 6. The. . were 82 Americans. The average age was 2616. Thirty-eight were married. There were 54 farmers, 9 laborers, 6 mechanics, 4 clerks, and 9 others of various calling.
Company "H" was recruited by D. D. Brown of Chat- ham, R. C. Foote, Jr., and D. L. Brown of Colchester. From Colchester came 50, Chatham 30, and one or two cach from ten other towns Eighty-one were American. Average age 267%, which was the average age of the regi- ment. Forty-six were married. There were 55 fariners, 12 mechanics, 10 laborers, 4 clerks, 4 blacksmiths, and 9 of other occupations.
Company "I"-96 strong-was recruited as follows : David Dickerson, 63; James Stanly, 22, and the rest scatter- ing. From Middletown there came 57 men, from Norwich 17, from Haddam 6; the rest from thirteen other towns. Sixty-two were Americans, 34 foreigners, of whom 20 were from Ireland, the largest number of Irishmen in any one com- pany. Average age, 2676. Forty-nine were married. There were 19 farmers, 21 mechanics, 13 laborers, 7 clerks, 6 team- sters, 6 sailors, with representatives from thirteen other em- ployments.
Company "K"-94 strong-was recruited as follows : H. S. Wilson, 61 ; William Clapp, 23 ; J. M. Shepard, 7, and 3 scattering. From Plainfield came 50 men, Pomfret 15, Brooklyn 14, Sterling 11. Six other towns were represented. There were 95 Americans. Average age, 267; married 45. Forty-seven were farmers, 17 operatives in mills, the largest number in any one company ; 4 carpenters, with twenty-one other employments.
15
The Gathering.
To recapitulate. It appears from the foregoing that the regiment was made up as follows: Groton contributed 100 mien, Hartford 94, Stonington 75, North Stonington 68, Middletown 61, Plainfield 55, Colchester 50, East Hartford, 50, Montville 45, New London 42, Mansfield 41, Norwich 37, Chatham 30, Voluntown 26, Ashford 20, Windham IS, Brooklyn 16, Pomfret 15, Glastonbury 15, Windsor 12, Ster- ling 11, Haddam 10. Besides these, there were forty-four other cities and towns which contributed from one to ten men cach.
Eighty-three and four-tenths per cent. of the regiment were native-born Americans. Of the foreigners, 90 were from Ireland, 32 from England, 9 from Canada and the British Provinces, 8 from Scotland, I cach from Switzerland, Den- mark, France, Hungary and Russia. In the whole Army of the Union seventy-five per cent. were Americans. The average age of the regiment was twenty-six and six-tenths, while the average age of the whole army was twenty-five years. It was believed in some quarters that men of mature years would make the best soldiers. But facts in the history of this regiment, at least, go to show that the boy is better than the man of two-score years.
Of all those over forty years of age at enlistment, twenty- nine per cent. only returned to be mustered out with the regiment, while seventy-one per cent. were either discharged by reason of disability or died of wounds or disease while in service. Of those under twenty years of age, fifty-nine per cent. returned with the regiment, while forty-one per cent. died or were discharged. The younger men, therefore, made the better showing in the proportion of nearly two to one. Of those who went out with the regiment forty-five per cent. were married.
Seventy-nine trades or employments were represented in the regiment. By far the largest number of any one calling were farmers, forty-two and two-tenths per cent. of the whole. In the entire Union army forty-eight per cent. were farmers,
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Twenty-first Regiment Connecticut Volunteers.
Of machinists and laborers there were 70 each, carpenters 53, factory operatives 35, clerks 34, sailors 26, blacksmiths 25, painters 19, teamsters 18, shoemakers 14, manufacturers, merchants, ship-carpenters, 12 each, moulders 10, students and masons 9 each, stone-cutters 8, butchers 7, tailors 7, car- riage-makers, teachers, boiler-makers 6 each, dyers 5, to- gether with fifty other employments including almost every kind of occupation in practical life, such as peddlers, tin- smiths, bookkeepers, platers, trimmers, powder makers, har- ness makers, marble-cutters, bakers, silversmiths, coopers, gardeners, cigar-makers, saddlers, firemen, paper-hangers, barbers, gun-makers, fishermen, ice-dealers, engineers, sail- makers, watch-makers, car-makers, compositors, calkers, hotel-keepers, drummers, tanners, railroad-men, paper-makers, newsboys, dentists, book-binders, lawyers, physicians, millers, postmasters, hatters, chemists, artists. Four only report no occupation. One reports himself a gentleman, and one only a bar-keeper.
1
11-1
...
COLONEL HIRAM B. CROSBY.
19
Organisation.
CHAPTER III
ORGANIZATION. (September, 1862.)
An officer bears a relation to the men under his command analogous to that of a soul to the body which it inhabits. An intelligent persistent nature urged forward in the accomplish- ment of its purposes by a strong will-power, causes the whole being to throb with its presence. It is felt in every muscle of the body, it is recognized in the tone of the voice, in the sparkle of the eye, it will bring out all the latent powers of the physical being. In like manner the well being of a regi- ment is in the hands of its officers, for upon their energy and intelligence depends the character and efficiency of the men.
In this respect the Twenty-first was peculiarly fortunate. Its Colonel, Arthur H. Dutton, was a graduate of West Point, ranking third in scholarship in the class of 1861, Kilpatrick, Custer, O'Rourke, Benjamin and Farquhar being among his classmates. In the words of an officer closely related to him, " Bold and chivalrous, with a nice sense of honor, a judgment quick and decisive, an unwavering zeal in his chosen profes- sion, he was in every respect a thorough soldier." He had previously held the rank of Captain in the regular army, serving in the Engineer Corps, and upon recommendation of General Mansfield, he received his appointment as Colonel. Assuming command of the Twenty-first, he threw his whole
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Twenty-first Regiment Connecticut Volunteers.
soul into the work assigned him, making his own personality felt throughout the whole regiment. He was not destitute of a worthy ambition, both for himself and for his command. When he first tried on his uniform dress-coat bearing the insignia of his rank, a former classmate remarked, "Those silver eagles look well." "Yes," was his reply, " but a Briga- dier's star would look better."
The Lieutenant-Colonel, Thomas F. Burpee, had been before the war connected with the manufacturing interests of Rockville, Conn. 'He brought to his office and consecrated to his noble work the strong qualities of a sincere, noble man- hood, characterized by unflinching courage and a true military bearing. Self-possessed, dignified, faithful in the duties of his office, he brought honor to the regiment. He was promoted from a Captain of the Fourteenth Regiment to be, at first, Major, then Lieutenant-Colonel of the Twenty-first.
Major Hiram B. Crosby left a lucrative business in the practice of law in Norwich, Conn., to accept, at first, the office of Adjutant, then to fill the place made vacant by the pro- motion of Lieutenant-Colonel Burpee. He brought to his office the accomplishments and skill of his profession, which more than once were manifestly to the advantage of the regi- ment. The Staff was made up of the following officers : Clarence E. Dutton, brother of the Colonel, Adjutant. After- wards he was promoted to be Captain in the Ordnance De- partment of the regular army. Quartermaster Hiram W. Richmond of Brooklyn held his office but a short time, resigning in the following February. William Soule, M. D., of Griswold received the appointment of Surgeon, with Lewis E. Dixon, M. D., of Plainfield and J. Hamilton Lee, M. D., as assistants. Christopher A. Brand was Sergeant-Major, Ed- ward Gallup Quartermaster-Sergeant, Joseph D. Plunkett Commissary-Sergeant, James E. Barbour Hospital Steward.
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