USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Greenwich > Ye historie of ye town of Greenwich, county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, with genealogical notes on the Adams. > Part 16
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At a special town meeting held on the twenty-second day of July, 1863, it was:
Resolved that the selectmen of the Town of Greenwich be and they are hereby authorized to borrow a sum of money sufficient to pay a bounty of $300 to any citizen of the Town of Greenwich that may be drafted under and in accordance with the provisions of the National Conscription Law passed by the last Congress, provided that such citizen be declared by the Military Board of the 4th Congressional District of the State of Connecticut to be capable of bearing arms under the act known as the Conscription Bill.
At a special town meeting held on the seventh day of August, 1863, it was:
Resolved, that the selectmen of the Town of Greenwich be and they are hereby authorized to advertise for and pro- cure such sums of money on the credit of the Town of Green- wich demanded to meet the appropriations made at the special town meeting holden July 22, 1863, for the purpose of paying each man drafted the sum voted by said meeting, provided the said bounty shall not exceed the sum of $30,000. Said money shall be placed in the treasury of the Town of Greenwich, subject to the order of the selectmen of said town.
At a special town meeting held on the second day of November, 1863, it ratified the action taken at the special meetings held on the twenty-second day of July, 1863, and the seventh day.of August, 1863, and in addition thereto the following resolutions were offered and adopted:
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Ye Historie of Ye Town of Greenwich
Resolved that the sum of $13,000.00 be and hereby is appropriated by the Town of Greenwich for the purpose of relieving such of the citizens of the Town of Greenwich as have been drafted into the service of the United States under the Conscription Act on the seventeenth day of October, 1863; provided that such citizen shall be unable to raise the amount necessary to procure a substitute, or pay the amount by the said Conscription Bill required to procure an extension; provided that the said relief be given to such citizens as are unable; provided that a committee of four be appointed to examine into and decide upon procuring of such proof of the citizen who may apply for relief, the said committee to constitute with the selectmen a board of relief. The said board shall examine under oath all appli- cants applying for relief, also all persons representing to pro -. cure substitutes for any applicants. The said board shall have discretionary powers, as to any aid or relief given. Said board to act in open session at stated intervals.
Resolved that the said board shall have power and authority to draw orders on the selectmen of the Town of Greenwich and that they shall draw an order on the treasurer of the Town of Greenwich in favor of any applicant entitled to relief and are examined for the same by the board from the said town.
"Resolved that the treasurer be and is hereby authorized to pay any such orders as may be given by said board for any money that is now in the hands of the treasurer of the Town of Greenwich, provided that such orders shall not exceed the amount hereinbefore appropriated for the proposed relief.
Voted that Ard Knapp, Joseph E. Russell, John Voorhis and James H. Hoyt with the selectmen be the com- mittee agreeable to the foregoing resolutions.
Voted that the selectmen be directed to offer a reward of $500.00 for the arrest and conviction of the person or persons, who committed the late incendiaries in the town.
At a special town meeting held on the seventeenth day of December, 1863, it was:
Resolved that a committee to consist of the selectmen and four judicious electors of the Town of Greenwich be appointed for the purpose of procuring volunteers to fill the
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last call of the President of the United States for 300,000 men, and that the sum of $300.00 is hereby appropriated for the expenses of said committee in procuring volunteers to fill the quota of the town, and that said committee are hereby authorized to draw orders on the selectmen for an amount not exceeding the said sum of $300.00, and the selectmen are hereby authorized to draw orders on the treasurer of said town for all sums so ordered by said committee, and the treasurer of said Town of Greenwich is hereby authorized to pay said orders out of any funds of said town in his hands. The sum appropriated shall not exceed the sum of $6,000.00."
A special town meeting was held on the eighteenth day of January, 1864, in accordance with the resolution passed at the last special session of the Legislature.
The undersigned committee appointed at a special town meeting holden on the second day of November, 1863, to aid drafted men, most respectfully report :
That in accordance with the resolution adopted at said meeting the committee met from time to time to con- sider the several applications for aid. There were forty-six applicants for aid, of which twelve were rejected, and thirty-nine aided.
The sums awarded, varied from $100.00 to $275.00, to the different persons. The award being based on the sworn evidence before the committee. Of the awards, two of the highest were not paid, as the persons to whom they were made were afterwards exempted on the ground of non- liability through the agency of Dr. James H. Hoyt.
The total amount of awards . $7164.00 Deduct amount of two awards. 550. 00
Amount of awards paid $6614.00
The committee most respectfully say, that they endeav- ored to be governed by the spirit of the resolution adopted by the meeting. They considered it to be the spirit of the resolution that no one should be compelled to go into the army unless they chose to, and it was not deemed by the com- mittee to be the design of the meeting, at which the resolu- tion was adopted, to distress any one to raise the money.
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Ye Historie of Ye Town of Greenwich
At the same time it was deemed but justice that persons who were drafted should make some effort to share the expense in consideration of their discharge from draft for the term of three years. The committee most respectfully report that while in some cases they may have erred in the amount of the awards, they feel that they have endeavored to do justice to all. The action of the committee at the first setting was necessarily urgent, as many of the men had to report them- selves the same, or the next day at Bridgeport, yet they flatter themselves that their action will meet the approval of the freemen of the Town of Greenwich.
All of which is most respectfully submitted.
JOTHAM MERRITT, SAMUEL MILLS,
JAMES H. HOYT, JOSEPH E. RUSSELL. J
Committee of the Town of Greenwich.
Resolved that the freemen of the Town of Greenwich hereby approve of the appropriations made at the special town meeting holden on the second day of November, 1863, to aid drafted men, and they hereby adopt all actions of the selectmen of the Town of Greenwich in loaning money and drawing orders on the town treasurer for the payment of the same to aid drafted men. The doings of said meeting are hereby confirmed.
At a special town meeting held on the tenth day of Feb- ruary, 1864, the committee appointed for the purpose of filling the quota of the call of the President made the follow- ing report :
We have been enabled to fill our quota of sixty men at an expense to the town of $5392.00, or an average expense of $87.00 per man, including the expense of the committee. All of which is respectfully submitted.
BRUSH KNAPP, ) JOHN DAYTON.S
Committee. The report was duly accepted.
Resolved that the lowest bidder receive the contract for supplying recruits to fill the last call of the President for 500,000 men. This meeting reserves the right to receive, or reject, all bids, provided that the Town of Greenwich be
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obligated to receive and pay for no more recruits that are wanted to fill the quota of said town. The party receiving the contract to give good and sufficient bond for the fulfil- ment of the same.
Resolved that the meeting accept the bid of William B. Wescome to furnish the quota of the Town of Greenwich in answer to the last call of the President of the United States for 500,000 men, said bid being the sum of $50.00 per man to fill the balance of the quota of said town. Said William B. Wescome to execute a bond with surety to the satisfaction of the selectmen in the sum of $50.00 for each man to be furnished to fill said balance.
Resolved that the selectmen be and are hereby author- ized to draw an order for the sum not to exceed $60.00 for each man recruited in favor of any party, who shall have recruited men, on the presentation of a certificate from the clerk of the Provost Marshall, provided that such recruit has been sworn into the service of the United States Army previous to the tenth day of February, 1864, such men having been recruited on the last call of the Commander-in- Chief for 500,000 men.
Resolved that the selectmen of the Town of Green- wich be and are hereby authorized to loan a sum of money, not to exceed the sum of $5000.00. Said sum to be pro- cured on the credit of said town for paying the expenses incurred in procuring volunteers.
At a special town meeting held on the twenty-seventh day of July, 1864, it was:
Resolved that a sum not exceeding $45,000.00 be and is hereby appropriated by this meeting for the purpose of defraying the expenses incurred in raising volunteers to fill the quota of the Town of Greenwich under the last call of the President for 500,000 men, and that a committee of five be appointed by this meeting, who are hereby directed to raise volunteers and make all necessary payments, and to expend such sums of money as shall be demanded for the raising of men, provided that the expenditures do not exceed the sum of $45,000.00.
Resolved that said committee have power to direct the selectmen of the Town of Greenwich to draw orders on the treasurer of said town for such sums as shall be
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required to provide for and raise the number of men before mentioned.
Resolved that the selectmen of the Town of Green- wich be authorized to hire a sum of money not to exceed the sum of $45,000.00. Said loan to be made on the credit of the town. Said selectmen shall also draw orders on the treasurer of the town for such sums as shall be required by the committee before appointed, and in favor of such parties as may be designated by said committee.
Resolved further that in the event the said committee shall be unable to raise the number called for under the quota by volunteering, that they are hereby authorized to appropriate such sums as shall be necessary for the relief of all men drafted.
The following persons were appointed to carry the above resolutions into effect: Philander Button, James H. Hoyt, Edward B. Hewes, John Voorhis, Robert M. Bruce.
At a special town meeting held on the twentieth day of August, 1864, the military committee appointed to raise volunteers to fill the quota of the town under the last call of the President for 500,000 men, beg leave to report as follows:
Your committee took immediately in hand the duty assigned them by the resolution under which they were appointed and made arrangements to secure both substitute and volunteer enlisting with the help of citizens liable to draft to put into the service as many substitutes as possible and thus reduce the enrollment list of the town. But your committee found by visiting New York and Bridgeport, that a man could not be obtained without the cash on hand. The selectmen have not furnished us with any money and therefore we have not been able to get any men. The only course left for us to adopt in accomplishing the duty assigned us seemed to be therefore to make an offer on the credit of the town to citizens liable to be drafted sufficient to induce them to advance the money and furnish substitutes for themselves, or to try and raise volunteers by a similar offer. We therefore adopted the following resolutions and have made them known as extensively as possible.
Resolved that we will direct the selectmen of the Town
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of Greenwich to draw an order on the treasurer of said town for the sum of $450.00 in favor of any citizen of the town who is liable to be drafted under the last call of the President for 500,000 men, who shall present to said committee the proper evidence that he has volunteered for the town for three years in the army, or navy, of the United States, or has furnished a substitute therefor, so that his name is legally taken from the United States enrollment list of the Town of Greenwich.
Resolved that such citizens as are named in the fore- going resolution volunteering, or furnishing substitutes, shall be entitled to an order on the treasurer for such pro- portional part of $450.00 as their term of service shall bear to three years.
Resolved that we will direct the selectmen of the Town of Greenwich to draw an order on the treasurer of said town for the sum of $350.00 in favor of any person who may volunteer and be credited on the quota of the Town of Greenwich for the term of three years.
Several citizens have intimated to the committee their intention to avail themselves of those offers and furnish substitutes, but no one has as yet given us the legal evidence that he has done so. Nearly two weeks, therefore, have already passed since your committee was appointed, but for want of money not a man has been raised. It would seem to be impossible now to fill the quota of the town without a draft, unless an amount of money sufficient for the purpose shall be immediately raised, and expended, or the credit of the town pledged to such as may be induced to volunteer from among our own citizens in sufficient amount to raise the required number of men. .
Greenwich, Aug. 20, 1864,
PHILANDER BUTTON, JAMES H. HOYT, ROBERT M. BRUCE, JOHN VOORHIS. -
Acting members of the Committee.
Resolved, that the Town of Greenwich do hereby au- thorize the military committee to pay the sum of $300.00 to each volunteer for the army, or navy, of the United States for the term of one year, also persons residing in the Town of Greenwich who are liable to draft, who shall volunteer for three years, or furnish substitutes for such persons, or who
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Ye Historie of Ye Town of Greenwich
are drafted for said three years, shall receive $450.00 in cash, or orders on the treasurer of the Town of Greenwich. This resolution shall take precedence over all and other resolu- tions notwithstanding.
At the annual town meeting held on the first Monday of October, 1864, the military committee further reported as follows:
That they have discharged, as they believe, by the most economical expenditure of money, consistent with the de- mand on them, the duty assigned to them.
By the resolution passed at the time of the appointment of your committee the sum of $45,000.00 was at their dis- posal. It gives them pleasure, however, to report that the total expenditure has been but - --- , less than half the ap- propriation.
Your committee, after their appointment, had some obstacles to encounter. In fact the discouragements were great. The first difficulty that met them in the discharge of their duties, after maturing their plans of operation, was a want of means. The selectmen of your town were unable to obtain money at first, and it was not until many days had passed and much personal effort on their part, as well as on the part of your committee, that a sufficiency of money could be procured to enable the proposed relief to be given. Your committee in accordance with the vote of the second town meeting gave the sum of $450.00 to each principal upon his presenting a certificate from the Provost Marshall of his having furnished a substitute.
The number of parties who have taken benefit of said bounty have been :-
One at .
$300.00
Twenty-one at.
450.00
Total.
$9750.00
The liberal bounty offered volunteers and the advan- tages prospective to one year's service in the navy, induced the belief that many of our townsmen and citizens would most readily enter that branch of the public service. Such, however, was not the case, as but one did so.
Also the bounty for one year's service being propor- tionally so much greater than for three years, it was believed
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that many more volunteers for such time could be procured, thereby saving for your town from its appropriation.
It was found, however, that volunteers regarded the amount of money in hand without any thought of time. So your committee had no choice, but to furnish volunteers for three years, and at such cost as the rates of brokerage in substitutes imposed upon them.
Five volunteers have been furnished for one
year at a cost of .. $1525.00
Fifteen volunteers have been furnished for three years at an aggregate cost of. 7150.00 Whole number of substitutes and volunteers furnished, forty-three.
The amount expended for commissions to town agents, and others for procuring volunteers $345.80 The expenses of your committee for travel and
other contingent expenses have been .. 47.50.
Your committee have had stated sessions for about eighteen evenings and afternoons. They have spared no effort in procuring such information as would enable them to perform their trust for the greatest individual and public good. In expenditures of money, they are satisfied that the entire cost of your town has been less than most of the towns in your county. It gives your committee great pleasure to be able to report to their fellow citizens that their town quota is filled without a draft, thus preserving for each citizen his right of choice and individual preferment.
To all who have given assistance to your committee, they are also indebted, especially to the generous co-opera- tion of the selectmen and treasurer of your town for their prompt and courteous favors.
Whatever your committee accomplished, whether they receive from you censure, or commendation, rests equally on all alike, as no measure, or action, has been acted on without unanimous voice and vote.
In rendering this report of their transactions, your com- mittee, while they congratulate their fellow citizens on their favored relief, feel themselves free from a responsible charge and would that a more prosperous and happy condition of a common country put at rest the possibility of another demand on you for more men, thereby again calling on your liberality. For the future, however, there is no certainty.
Your committee have to acknowledge the great obliga- tion they are under to the recruiting agents, John Dayton
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and William B. Wescome. These gentlemen have fur- nished most of the substitutes for your townsmen, also a great share of the volunteers.
All of which is respectfully submitted.
Greenwich, October 6, 1864.
PHILANDER BUTTON, Chairman, )
ROBERT M. BRUCE, Military Committee.
JOHN VOORHIS,
JAMES H. HOYT, Secretary.
At the annual meeting held on the first Monday of October, 1865, the military committee further reported as follows:
They have furnished for the service of the United States, army and navy, seventy-six men, twelve of whom were substitutes for which the principals were paid the sum of $150.00 each, making the whole amount paid for sub- stitutes $1800.00. Sixty-four volunteers have been fur- nished at an aggregate cost of $11,268.60, which is inclusive of all expenses of your committee acting under a resolution passed at above mentioned time of your committee's appoint- ment giving them power to hear and award to those having unpaid claims (for services rendered) by reason of having furnished volunteers, there having been orders given to several parties presenting such claims for $500.00, making the sum total expended and ordered paid on unfinished business $15,568.60.
All of which is respectfully submitted.
Greenwich, October, 1865.
PHILANDER BUTTON, Chairman, JAMES H. HOYT, Secretary.
At a special town meeting held on the nineteenth day of April, 1890, it was:
Resolved that Joseph E. Russell, Robert M. Bruce and John Voorhis be and hereby are appointed a committee to investigate the claims for bounty presented by persons who re-enlisted from this town under the resolution or vote passed by the town August 20, 1864, and the claims of drafted men who furnished substitutes in the Civil War, and report thereon to a town meeting to be called hereafter.
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The above committee made its report at the annual town meeting held on the fifth day of October, 1891, which was laid on the table, and it was:
Resolved that William J. Mead, George E. Scofield and William J. Smith be and hereby are appointed a committee to investigate as to all claims of re-enlisted soldiers (including the claim of John A. Nichols) for bounties voted by the town and to make a report thereon to a special town meeting to be called to take action thereon, or to the next annual town meeting.
The committee reported to a special town meeting held on the tenth day of December, 1892, that sixteen re-enlisted soldiers had never been paid their bounty money, and it was:
Resolved that the selectmen of Greenwich, or a major- ity of them be and they hereby are authorized and directed to pay each of the soldiers embraced in the report of said committee, or his legal representatives, or attorney, the sum of $300.00 with interest from the first day of January, 1864, to the date of payment, and an appropriation of so much money as is necessary for the carrying out of this resolution is hereby made.
The following list of officers and men, together with the historical account of the various regiments, is taken from the Catalogue of Connecticut Volunteer Organizations, pub- lished in 1869, and the Record of Service of Connecticut Men in the Army and Navy of the United States during the War of the Rebellion, compiled by authority of the General Assembly.
IST CONNECTICUT CAVALRY.
The Ist Connecticut Cavalry was originally a battalion of four companies, one company from each Congressional District, and was recruited in the fall of 1861. It left West Meriden, Conn., for Wheeling, Va., on February 20, 1862, numbering 346 officers and men, and remained there in the camp of instructions until March 27, 1862, when it proceeded
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Ye Historie of Ye Town of Greenwich
to Moorefield, W. Va., and immediately entered upon the arduous duties peculiar to its branch of the service.
After nearly a year of constant activity, the battalion was assigned to duty as Provost Guard in the City of Balti- more, Md., and while on duty there was increased to a full regiment of twelve companies.
The regiment was mustered out of the service at Wash- ington, D. C., August 2, 1865.
Principal Engagements.
McDowell, Va., May 8, 1862.
Franklin, Va., May II and 12, 1862.
Strasburg, Va., June 1, 1862. Harrisonburg, Va., June 6, 1862. . Cross Keys, Va., June 8, 1862.
Port Republic, Va., June 9, 1862.
Bolivar Heights, Va., July 14, 1862.
Waterford, Va., August 7, 1863.
Craig's Church, Va., May 5, 1864.
Spottsylvania Court House, Va., May 8, 1864.
Meadow Bridge, Va., May 12, 1864.
Hanover Court House, Va., May 31, 1864.
Ashland, Va., June 1, 1864.
Near Old Church Tavern, Va., June 10, 1864.
In the Field, Va., June 15 to June 28, 1864.
Reams Station, Va., June 29, 1864.
Winchester, Va., August 16, 1864.
Near Kerneysville, Va., August 25, 1864.
Front Royal, Va., September 21, 1864.
Cedar Run Church, Va., October 17, 1864.
Cedar Creek, Va., October 19, 1864.
Near Woodstock, Va., December 19, 1864.
Waynesboro, Va., March 2, 1865.
Ashland, Va., March 14, 1865.
Five Forks, Va., April 1, 1865.
Sweat House Creek, Va., April 3, 1865.
Harper's Farm, Va., April 6, 1865.
Privates. COMPANY B.
McIntyre, James.
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Soldiers in the Civil War
COMPANY C.
Baxter, George, deserted.
Bennett, John, Corporal, deserted.
COMPANY D. Bishop, James E.
COMPANY E. Bishop, William H.
COMPANY F.
Cunningham, James, Sullivan, James, Lynch, Patrick, deserted.
deserted.
COMPANY G.
Hackett, Joseph, Schroeder, William.
deserted.
COMPANY I. Morgan, John.
COMPANY M.
Adams, John Q., Cunningham, John,
Carroll, Michael. Wyman, George, deserted.
Unassigned Recruit. Hughes, Henry.
2ND CONNECTICUT LIGHT BATTERY.
The 2nd Connecticut Light Battery was organized in August, 1862, and was composed of two batteries of the militia of Bridgeport. It was ordered to Washington, D. C., October 15, 1862, and assigned to the Army of the Potomac.
It was mustered out of service on August 9, 1865, at New Haven, Conn.
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Ye Historie of Ye Town of Greenwich
Principal Engagements.
Gettysburg, Pa., July 3, 1863.
Fort Gaines, Ala., August 6, 1864.
Fort Morgan, Ala., August 19, 1864. Near Blakely, Ala., April 5 to 9, 1865.
Privates.
Brown, James.
Cain, John,
Ryan, Dennis.
IST REGIMENT CONNECTICUT HEAVY ARTILLERY.
The first Regiment Connecticut Heavy Artillery was organized as the 4th Regiment Infantry in the spring of 1861, and left for the seat of war June 10, 1861. It served as an infantry regiment until January 2, 1862, when by special orders from the War Department, the regiment was changed to heavy artillery, to consist of twelve companies of one hundred and fifty men each.
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