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Mansfield Historical Society

Dedicated to preserving and publishing information on the history of Mansfield Connecticut

Author: Amanda Rutha

Articles by: Amanda Rutha
21st Regiment

21st Regiment

Posted on by Amanda Rutha
Group of Officers, 21st Regiment C.V. Infantry, Company D (The Story of the Twenty-first Regiment, Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, During the Civil War. 1861-1865. Middletown, Conn.: Press of the Stewart Printing Co., 1900)

Of the one-hundred and forty-eight citizens of Mansfield who served during the Civil War, forty-one of them saw action with the 21st. The 21st volunteer infantry was commissioned on September 5th, 1862 with a complement of 965 recruits, a number that would later swell to 1,023. After brief and uneventful tours with the 9th Corps, and the 7th Corps, the 21st regiment first saw significant action with the 18th Corps.

On May 16th, 1864 the 21st Regiment occupied the right side of the Union line during the Battle of Drewry’s Bluff. Several hours of hard fighting ensued when Confederate forces attacked under the cover of heavy fog in an effort to capture a railroad line linking Richmond and Petersburg. Unable to hold against the Confederate advance, the 21st Regiment and other elements of the 1st Division were forced to retreat and relinquish the railroad to the Confederate forces. The 21st regiment sustained its heaviest losses of the war during this battle with 79 wounded, 23 captured, and 16 killed including one Mansfield citizen. 

Following the retreat from Drewry’s Bluff, the 21st traveled to White House Landing where it would support the Army of the Potomac in several engagements near Cold Harbor beginning on May 29th and running through June 9th. After the evacuation of Cold Harbor, a large Union force including the 21st regiment advanced on Petersburg. After supporting an initial charge against the Confederate lines on June 17th, the 21st regiment was relegated to a reserve role, and performed picket and skirmish duties for the next 3 weeks. During this time a total of 49 casualties were incurred.

The battle at Petersburg proved to be the final major engagement for the 21st Infantry Regiment during the war. After Petersburg, the regiment participated in a raid on Fredricksburg on March 4th 1865 intended to curb the trade of tobacco for supplies by the Confederate Army. The 21st was among the first infantry troops to enter Richmond on April 3, 1865.
The service of the 21st Connecticut Volunteer Infantry in the Union Army was officially ended on June 16th 1865. A week later the regiment arrived home in New Haven before later attending a celebration at the State House in Hartford. All members of the 21st regiment were finally discharged and the regiment formally was disbanded on July 6th 1865.

Roster of Mansfield Soldiers

Roster of Mansfield Soldiers

Posted on by Amanda Rutha

Connecticut Volunteers

1ST REGIMENT, CALVARY

Company A:
Richard M. Thompson, Corporal

Company G:
Vincent Belot, Private

Company H:
James Simpson, Private

Company M:
Charles H. Jackson, Private

1ST REGIMENT, HEAVY ARTILLERY 

Company A:
William R. White, Private

Company B:
Conrad Konz, Private
James Wilson, Private

Company C:
Charles Williams, Corporal
Bennett Rowe, Private
James Strayer, Private

Company D:
Charles H. Williams, Private (Transferred to Co. C, 7 Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps, 12/30/64)

      Company E:

      Charles Flood, Private

      John S. Taft, Private

      Company F:

      Thomas Smith, Corporal

      James Myers, Private

      Company H:

      Thomas Griffin, Private

      Company I:

      David Gibson, Private

      Company L:

      James Fielding, Corporal

      Patrick Durgan, Private

      Company M:

      George W. Collins, Private

2ND REGIMENT, HEAVY ARTILLERY

   Company B:

      George McFall, Private

      (Transferred from Co. K, 7/20/65)

      Company E:

       Peter Jordan, Private

      Company K:

      Leander Irde, Private

      George McFall, Private(Transferred to Co. B, 7/20/64)

3RD REGIMENT, INFANTRY

Company D:

      Willard R. Moulton, Corporal

5th REGIMENT, INFANTRY

Company B:

       James M. Matthewson, Corporal

      Edwin B. Coolidge, Private

      David G. Woods, Private

Company C:

      Michael Giblen, Private

      Thomas Keyes, Private

      James Williams, Private

      (All above transferred from New

      Haven,CT to Co. 1/7/65, but failed to 

      Report.)

Company H:

      Edward S. Wilson, Private

Company I:

      David P. Knowlton, Private

      (Transferred to Co. B 20th Reg., 

     Veterans Reserve Corp, 12/12/63) 

Unassigned Recruit:

      Jesse Gibson

6TH REGIMENT, INFANTRY

Company E:

      James B. Golden, Private

Company F:

      Henry E. Hall, Private

Company G:

      Auguste Muller, Private

Company I:

      Hiram Peure, Private

Company K:

      Charles Wantt, Private

7TH REGIMENT, INFANTRY

Company A:

      Daniel Jones, Jr., Private

      George J. Smith, Private

Company B:

      Lucius D. Wilson, Sergeant

      Seth D. Bennett, Private

      Mitchell LaForce, Private

      Felix Lavey, Private

      Reuben E. Wilson, Private

Company C:

      William Brown, Private

      (Transferred to U.S. Navy, 4/28/64)

Company E:

       Welcome H. Geer, Private

       (Transferred from Co. E. 15th C.V., 

       6/23/65)

Company F:

      James N. Hudson, Private

Company G:

      Levi G. Holston, Private

      (Transferred from Co. G. 15th C.V., 

      6/23/65)

      James Wilson, Private

(Transferred to U.S. Navy, 4/28/64)

Company H:

      Enoch Dodd, Corporal

      Lorenzo Hall, Private

      William J. Holland, Private

      James M. Perkins, Private

Company K:

      Thomas Wade, Private

     

8th REGIMENT, INFANTRY

Company B:

      Alfred C. Dunham, Private

      John Johnson, Private

Company D:

     George Lewis, Private

      

10TH REGIMENT, INFANTRY

Company A:

     Henry Noble, Private

Company B:

      Andrew J. Hovey, 1st Sergeant

      Joseph M. Nichols, Sergeant

      Ferring W. Abbe, Private

      James A. H. Bowers, Private.

      Wesley Brown, Private

      William Keough, Private

Company G:

      Charles E. Randall, Private

      (Transferred from Co. D. 21st C.V.,

      6/16/65)

11th REGIMENT, INFANTRY

Company D:

      Thomas O’Brien, Private

      James Sullivan, Private

Company G:

      Dennis Curry, Private

Company H:

      Augustine Batty, Private

      (Transferred to Co. H, 22 Regt. V.R.C., 

     11/14/63)

      William H. Hall, Private

      Charles Munroe, Private

      (Transferred to Co. K, 12/26/61)

      Asa W. Rouse, Private

Company I:

      John Coleman, Corporal

      Charles Munroe, Private

      (Transferred from Co. H, 12/26/61)

Company K:

      Christian Ohlsen, Private

12TH REGIMENT, INFANTRY

Company A:

      Melvin L. Nichols, Private

      (Transferred from Co. H, 11/26/64)

Company G:

      John T. Gordon, Corporal

      Melvin L. Nichols, Private

      (Transferred to Co. H, 4/1/62)

 Company H:

     Melvin L. Nichols, Private

      (Transferred to Co. A,11/26/64)

14TH REGIMENT, INFANTRY

Company A:

     George McFall, Private

     (Transferred to Co. K, 2nd C.V.H.A.)

Company D:

      William H. Corbit, Sergeant

15TH REGIMENT, INFANTRY

Company E:

      Welcome H. Geer, Private

      (Transferred to Co. E, 7th C.V., 6/23/65)

Company G:

      Levi G. Holston, Private

      (Transferred to Co. G, 7th C.V., 

      6/23/65)

16TH REGIMENT, INFANTRY

Company B:

      Edward Wilson, Private

18TH REGIMENT, INFANTRY

Company F:

      Charles Baldwin, Private

      William H. Campbell, Private

      William Warren, Private

Company I:

      Judson T. Carpenter, Private

      Lucius P. Clarke, Private

      Albert F. Grant, Private

      Franklin E. Robinson, Private

      Prescott Waite, Private      (Transferred to Co. I, 1st, U.S.I.)

21ST REGIMENT, INFANTRY: Co C & Co D (last names A-B)

Non-Commissioned Staff:

      Julian N. Parker, Hospital Steward

      (Promoted from Sergt. Co. D. 6/30/63)

Company C:

      Charles Fenton, 1st Lieutenant

      (Promoted from 2nd Lt. Co. D

     11/16/64) 

Company D:

      Charles G. Southworth, Captain

      Alvin M. Crane, Captain

      Charles Fenton, 2nd Lieutenant

      (Promoted to 1st Lt., Co. C, 11/16/64)

      David A. Conant, 1st Sergeant

      Jerome B. Baldwin, Sergeant

      Madison L. Cross, Sergeant

      George W. French, Sergeant

      (Promoted 2nd Lt. Co. H, 8th Regt.

      U.S. Colored Infantry, 11/27/64; 1st Lt. 3/5/65

      Henry W. Larkham, Sergeant

      Julian N. Parker, Sergeant

      (Appointed Hospital Steward, 6/30/63)

      Edward P. Conant, Corporal

      Horace Harvey, Corporal

      Canfield J. Humphrey, Corporal

      Andrew E. Kinney, Corporal

      George D. Reynolds, Corporal

      George D. Benett, Private

      Theodore F. Bennett, Private

      Thomas Broadhurst, Private

21ST REGIMENT, INFANTRY: Co D cont. (C-Z) & Co F

 William F. Chaffee, Private

      George H. Crosby, Private

      George W. Dunham, Private

      John P. Farrell, Private

      Dennis Flaherty, Private

      James Flaherty, Private

      Peter Flaherty, Private

      Alfred P. Hanks, Private

      George H. Harris, Private

      William Hulse, Private

      George H. Hutchins, Private

      Francis Jacobs, Private

      George F. King, Private

      Samuel L. Morey, Private

      (Transferred to 32nd Co. 2d Batt. 

      Veteran Reserve Corps,1/25/64)

      Charles W. Nichols, Private

      John A. Parker, Private

      William R. Payne, Private

      Augustus Randall, Private

      Charles E. Randall, Private

      (Transferred to Co. G, 10th C.V., 

      6/16/65)

      Jared H. Stearns, Private

      Henry W. Thorne, Private

      Storrs Whitehouse, Private

      Henry C. Woodworth, Private

  Company F:

      Whiting S. Wyllys, Private

      Charles Fenton, Captain

      (Promoted from 1st Lt. Co. C 1/11/65)

22ND REGIMENT, INFANTRY

Company E:

      Lafayette L. Jacobs, Sergeant

      Norman Dunham, Corporal

      Irad W. Storrs, Corporal

     James A. Barrows, Musician

      Amaziah B. Ames, Private

      Albert Lincoln, Private

      Francis Marble, Private

      Ellery C. Pike, Private

      Hector W. Storrs, Private

      Ralph W. Storrs, Private

25TH REGIMENT, INFANTRY

Company B:

      Edwin M. Thorne, Private

29TH REGIMENT, INFANTRY (COLORED)

Company B:

      John Henry Bowman, Private

Company G:

      Samuel Johnson, Private

Company I:

      Edmund H. Talbot, Private

     Company K:

      William Anderson, Private

      Samuel Burden, Private

      Walter P. Coleman, Private

      Robert Roach, Private

      James P. Wooster, Private

31ST CONN. REG. U.S.C.I. Originally known as 30th (Colored) Regiment C.V. Infantry

      Thomas Brunk, Private

      John Harris, Private

INFANTRY REG. ARMY

Company G:

      Seth Hall, Private

ARTILLERY REG. ARMY 3RD

 Company F:

      George Root, Private

Company G & L:

      George W. Young, Private

RHODE ISALND VOLUNTEERS

7TH REGIMENT, INFANTRY

Stedman Clark, Q.M. – Sergt.

      (Transferred as Co.-Sergt. to 7th R.I.

      [new organization], 10/21/64)

3RD REGIMENT, CALVARY

Company D:

      James K. Johnson, Private

12TH REGIMENT, INFANTRY

Company A:

      Oliver W. Dimmick, Private

1ST REGIMENT, ARTILLERY

Company G:

      George N., Rathbone, Private

      John L. Rathbone, Private

Frank E. Stoughton

Frank E. Stoughton

Posted on by Amanda Rutha

Frank E. Stoughton was a resident of Vernon on July 15, 1862 when he enlisted as a 1st Sergeant in Co. D of the 14th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry.  On June 3, 1863 he was transferred to Co. H and promoted to 2nd Lieutenant.  He was transferred to Co. G on June 10, 1864 and promoted to 1st Lieutenant. Then, on July 3, 1863, he was wounded at Gettysburg, PA and afterwards was promoted to Captain on July 29, 1864. He was discharged for disability on January 1, 1865.

Frank E. Stoughton was born in East Windsor on January 10, 1834 to Edgar Stoughton and Sally Foster Stoughton. He was the oldest of seven children.  His younger brother, Erwin (1865-1863) also enlisted in Co. D of the 14th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry.  He died of disease while in service on August 6, 1863. 

On April 21, 1859, Frank E. Stoughton married Sarah L. Clark (1833-1921) of Mansfield.  In the 1860 U.S. census, Frank Stoughton, age 29, is working as a carder in Vernon.  Both he and his wife are residing in mill housing along with other mill workers. They had no children.  During Frank’s military service, Sarah stayed with her parents in Mansfield. 

Following his discharge, Frank Stoughton applied for a disability pension, but it was not granted until May 7, 1866, five months after he had died.  His widow also applied for and was granted a widows pension.  She resided in Mansfield for the rest of her life and worked as a dressmaker.  Sometime after 1899, she married George P. Hanks.  Both are buried in the Gurleyville Cemetery in Mansfield.

Frank Stoughton died at his parent’s home in South Windsor on January 1, 1866.  He died of disease contracted while in service.  He is buried in the New Wapping Cemetery in South Windsor, CT.  He is also one of eight local soldiers memorialized on the Civil War monument in the Mt. Hope Cemetery in Talcottville, CT.  The monument was dedicated in 1869 and restored in 2008.

Stoughton Letter

In a letter written to her on August 29, 1864, Frank Stoughton vividly describes the second battle at Reams Station, VA during the Petersburg/Richmond campaign.

Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Frank Stoughton, 8-29-1864Download

To view transcription:

Andersonville Prison

Andersonville Prison

Posted on by Amanda Rutha
Andersonville Prison, Library of Congress

The Prison, formally named Camp Sumter, was better known as Andersonville and was located in a remote section of southeastern Georgia. Andersonville received the first prisoners in February of 1864 and operated through May 1865. During that time period, 45,000 Union soldiers were imprisoned there and approximately 13,000 died from disease, malnutrition, exposure, inadequate sanitation, and overcrowding. Although the prison was designed to hold 10,000 prisoners, there were as many as 32,000 in August 1864. Andersonville became synonymous with the atrocities which soldiers on both sides experienced as prisoners of war.


Confederates were handicapped by the deteriorating economic conditions in the South and could not adequately supply food and other materials to the prisoners. The prison exchange system had broken down so prisoners were held for much longer periods of time than earlier in the Civil War.


Shelters known as “shebangs” were built by prisoners out of scrap materials they found, bought, or brought into Andersonville with them. Holes were dug into the clay hillside for shelter, but many had no protection at all from the harsh Georgia climate and just scraps of rags for clothing.


In September of 1864, as Union forces moved through Georgia, the majority of prisoners were moved to other prison camps- including the Florence Stockade in Florence, South Carolina. Five Mansfield soldiers were imprisoned at Andersonville. Soldiers who had been at both Andersonville and Florence reported that Florence was even worse than Andersonville. Daniel Travis Jr. (also known as Daniel Jones Jr.) died at the Florence Stockade after his transfer from Andersonville

The Harris Letters

The Harris Letters

Posted on by Amanda Rutha

A special thanks again to Bruce John, the owner of the original letters, who graciously allowed the Mansfield Historical Society to transcribe them.

1862-9-16, George HarrisDownload
1862-11-25, George HarrisDownload
1863-1-4, George Harris Download
1863-1-30, George Harris Download
1863-3-28, George Harris Download
1863-5-8, George Harris Download
1864-1-17, George Harris Download
1864-1-24, George Harris Download
The End of the War

The End of the War

Posted on by Amanda Rutha

General Lee and the remnant of the Army of Northern Virginia continued the fight until they were surrounded, outnumbered and without hope of reinforcements or food rations for the starving army.

On April 9, 1865, Robert E. Lee met Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia to surrender his Army of Northern Virginia. There were other Confederate Armies in the field but this effectively marked the end of the Civil War. 

President Abraham Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theater in Washington, D.C. on April 14, 1865 and died the following morning. The North went into mourning and many in the South realized that the best hope for a fair reconciliation with the North died with him.

There were over 620,000 deaths in the Civil War, making it the costliest war in American history.

Siege of Petersburg

Siege of Petersburg

Posted on by Amanda Rutha
The siege of Petersburg, Library of Congress

Grant continued to move south and Lee reinforced Richmond with much of his army to block him once more but Grant’s objective was Petersburg which was then defended by less than three thousand troops.  On June 12, 1864, the Army of the Potomac began to cross a 2,100 foot long pontoon bridge over the James River. General W.F. “Baldy” Smith commanded the 16,000 troops that were the first Union troops to arrive outside Petersburg on June 15th but he did not launch an assault despite the urging of General Winfield Scott Hancock. This delay allowed Confederate reinforcements to man the Petersburg defenses and prolonged the Civil War until April 1865.

Petersburg became a siege and the concept of trench warfare was born. The Union army lived in a network of trenches, suffering from the harsh elements, open to artillery bombardment and small arms fire. Union soldiers that were  Pennsylvania coal miners dug a tunnel under a fort in the middle of the Confederate line  and  four tons of gunpowder were  placed under the fort. In the early morning of July 30, 1864, the explosion was the signal for Union forces to attack through the resulting breach in the Confederate lines. The assault was initially successful, but many Union troops were trapped in the 170 foot deep crater without ladders to climb out and the Confederate defenders quickly regrouped and poured small arms and artillery fire into the crater. The resulting slaughter caused almost 4,000 Union casualties. Many black regiments were engaged in the attack through the crater, including the 31st United States Colored Troops containing some Mansfield soldiers. The 21st Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry were ordered to commence firing on the enemy from their trenches on the Petersburg when the mine exploded. 

After this unsuccessful assault, Grant continued to expand his lines, leaving the undermanned Confederates to thinly cover their defenses in response. The outer defenses of Petersburg were not taken until April 2, 1865.  Lee was then forced to order the evacuation of Petersburg and Richmond.

Battle of Cold Harbor

Battle of Cold Harbor

Posted on by Amanda Rutha
Battle of Cold Harbor, Library of Congress

Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia once more reached the field of battle first and dug in at Cold Harbor before Ulysses S. Grant’s Union forces arrived in force on June 1st. There were scattered assaults and skirmishing on June 1st and 2nd with significant Federal losses but the Confederate line remained unbroken.

Grant had ordered two thirds of General Butler’s Army of the James (including the 21st Regiment C. V. Infantry)  to join his forces and they were present  for the all out assault on the Confederate line on June 3rd. This frontal attack on heavily fortified breastworks through swamps and thickets was doomed to fail. At 4:30 AM, 60,000 Union troops attacked the Confederate position and suffered 7,000 casualties in less than one hour, most within the first eight minutes. No further assaults were made and Grant often said later in life that one of his regrets was ordering the June 3rd assault at Cold Harbor.

Battle of Antietam

Battle of Antietam

Posted on by Amanda Rutha
Battle of Antietam, Library of Congress

On September 17, 1862, Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia clashed with George B. McClellan’s Army of the Potomac at Sharpsburg, Maryland. This twelve hour battle was the single bloodiest day in American history with 23,000 men killed, wounded or missing.

Union General Ambrose Burnsides ordered the IX Corp to take the lower bridge that spanned Antietam Creek. The Confederate forces were not numerically superior but took positions commanding the heights on the other side of the creek, on the bluffs and in a quarry.

The first assault at 9:00 A.M., by two companies of skirmishers of the 11th Ohio Volunteers was repulsed. Colonel Henry W. Kingsbury led an assault by the 11th Connecticut Volunteers at 10 A.M. In an extended front they moved forward to the rail fence and the stone wall near the South and North sides of the bridge. Captain John Griswold of A company plunged into the swift flowing creek with several men but were met by a volley of small arms fire. He was wounded and made it to the far side of the creek where he died. The remaining men had turned back and the regiment was finally forced to retire under the heavy fire of the well concealed Confederates. Colonel Kingsbury died after being wounded multiple times and the 11th Connecticut Volunteers suffered over 130 casualties, representing one third of their men. Two Mansfield soldiers from Co. K of the 11th Connecticut Volunteers were killed in the battle, William H. Hall and Asa W. Rouse.

First Battle of Bull Run

First Battle of Bull Run

Posted on by Amanda Rutha
Also known as the First Battle of Manassas
The first Battle of Bull Run, Va., Sunday afternoon, July 21, 1861, Library of Congress

In July 1861, the 90 day enlistments of soldiers in the Union regiments were about to run out and President Lincoln urged Union General Irwin McDowell to engage the Confederate Army, commanded in the field by General Beauregard. On July 18, 1861, McDowell and the 37,000 soldiers of the Army of the Potomac marched into Virginia. Many civilians, including Congressmen, rode out to see the destruction of the Confederate Army.

The two armies met at Bull Run creek near Manassas Junction, Virginia on July 21st just after 9 A.M. Uniform colors were not yet consistent with some Union regiments wearing grey and some Confederate units in blue. Both armies were untried but shared the belief that this battle would end with their side victorious and that the War would end within months.

Fighting went back and forth throughout the day. Confederate General Thomas J. Jackson’s Virginia brigade firmly held the high ground in the middle of the line. General Bernard Bee rallied his Confederate troops by saying: “Look, there is Jackson with his Virginians, standing like a stonewall!”, and General Thomas Jackson became immortalized as “Stonewall” Jackson. Confederate reinforcements arrived late in the afternoon and General Beauregard ordered a massive counterattack at 4 P.M. The Confederates attacked “yelling like furies” at Jackson’s urging and the rebel yell was first heard on a Civil War battlefield. The Union line broke and most regiments ran to the rear in disarray. Combined casualties of both armies killed, wounded and missing was about 4,500.

The Connecticut Brigade consisting of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Regiments Connecticut Volunteer Infantry were engaged from 10 A.M. when they met and repelled a body of infantry and cavalry. They were in action until 4 P.M. and retired from the field in good order. Lucius D. Wilson, the first Mansfield soldier to enlist, was in Co. B of the 1st Connecticut and Willard R. Moulton of Co. D of the 3rd Connecticut was captured at the Battle of Bull Run.

Battle of Drewry’s Bluff

Battle of Drewry’s Bluff

Posted on by Amanda Rutha
Fort Darling, Drewry’s Bluff, James River, Va. Library of Congress

Drewry’s Bluff is 90 feet above a bend in the James River, and Fort Darling was constructed there in 1862 as the key defense point for water access to Richmond. The Confederate Capitol was just seven miles north of the fort.

The Union Army of the James commanded by Benjamin Butler landed at the Bermuda Hundred on May 5, 1864 and advanced to Drewry’s Bluff on the 9th and captured the outer defenses of Fort Darling. Failure to follow up on the initial success due to delays of Union Generals resulted in the initiative being lost. General Beauregard commanded the Confederate forces that launched a counterattack at 4:30 A. M. on May 16, 1864 under the cover of thick fog.

The surprise attack on Heckman’s brigade overwhelmed them, quickly resulting in the capture of the General and over a thousand of his men. Another column assaulted an artillery battery of twenty pound parrot guns. In an effort to blunt the attack, Union reserve regiments entered the battle. The Confederates sent in their reserves and slowly folded back the Union right. The 21st Connecticut was the last regiment on the right, and they were flanked by the enemy in one of their charges. In response, they realigned the regiment in the shape of an “L”, fighting the enemy both in front and on the flank at close quarters. There was nothing before them or on the right except for the attacking rebels. They could see no one on their left in the smoke and fog and Colonel Burpee received no orders from Union Headquarters. The Colonel remained calm as he walked through the regimental ranks and his orders resulted in repeated charges of the enemy being turned back. After more than three hours of heavy fighting, the men had fired more than a hundred rounds and some of the muskets were fouled.  Colonel Burpee ordered the regiment to fall back to the Petersburg Road as he believed that the enemy would flank his line and they could not hold it after the casualties that they had taken. In the battle, the 21st Connecticut had 14 men killed, 69 wounded and 21 missing.

Drewry’s Bluff References

LETTER FROM AN OFFICER  OF HIGH RANK

IN ANOTHER STATE
When I have seen the gallant Twenty-first in battle, I have as an American felt proud of them … Never shall I forget their splendid behavior on that terrible 16th of May, when the field of Drewry’s Bluff was covered with from 8,000 to 10,000 dead and wounded of both armies, and the Twenty-first stood firm and fearless amid the terrible shock of that fearful charge and repulsed it on their front. Many times, in the heat of that conflict, I looked towards the Twenty-first, fearful that I should see them overwhelmed. They did their noble State immortal honor that day, as they have done in every battle in which they have been engaged.

Introduction

Introduction

Posted on by Amanda Rutha

Welcome to our digital exhibit about Mansfield’s Civil War soldiers. This is a collaborative project of the Mansfield Historical Society and the University of Connecticut. It was made possible through a SHARP Capacity Grant awarded to the Mansfield Historical Society by Connecticut Humanities. Funding was provided by Connecticut Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the American Rescue Plan Act.

Continue reading “Introduction”
Ferring W. Abbe

Ferring W. Abbe

Posted on by Amanda Rutha

Ferring/Fearing W. Abbe was a resident of Mansfield on September 9, 1861 when he enlisted as a Private in Co. B of the 10th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry. He was discharged for disability December 20, 1861. 

He was born about 1812 and he married Julia A. Thompson on __ 26, 1835 in Mansfield. In the 1860 U.S. census in Mansfield, he is a 48 year old farm laborer and head of household. After the Civil War, he moved to Portland, New York where he was a farmer. Fearing moved back to Connecticut between June 9, 1880 and September 23, 1881.

On September 24, 1881, he applied for an invalid pension, No. 430,198 that was not granted.

He died on March 17, 1907 and is buried at the Spring Grove Cemetery in Hartford.

Amaziah B. Ames

Amaziah B. Ames

Posted on by Amanda Rutha

Amaziah B. Ames/Eames was a resident of Mansfield on September 8, 1862 when he enlisted as a Private in Co. E of the 22nd Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry. He was mustered out on July 7, 1863. 

The descriptive muster roll for the 22nd Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry lists his birthplace as Mansfield, his age as 40 and his occupation as farmer.  He is described as being 5’ 11” tall with a light complexion and brown hair and blue eyes.  His marital status is married.  

He was probably the Amaziah B. Ames/Eames born on March 22, 1822 in Lisbon to Cyrus and Alice (James) Ames/Eames.  In the 1860 U.S. census in Mansfield, he is a 38 year old farmer and head of household. Amaziah Ames married Julia T. ______ between 1840 and 1850; there are no known children. After the Civil War, he moved to Sprague where he was a farmer in both the 1870 and 1880 U.S. censuses.

On July 25, 1882, he applied for an invalid pension, No. 4,608,115 that was granted under Certificate No. 301,701. His widow applied for a pension on February 20, 1899.

Amaziah B. Ames died before February 20, 1899.

Eugene D. Ames

Eugene D. Ames

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Eugene D. Ames/Eames was a resident of Mansfield on August 25, 1861 when he enlisted as a Private in Co. C of the 1st Regiment Rhode Island Volunteer Light Artillery, he was promoted to Sergeant, date not stated and was mustered out on August 27, 1864 at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia.

He was born on March 4, 1842 in Willington, Connecticut. In the 1860 U.S. census in Mansfield, he is an 18 year old farmer in the household of Seth Dunham. Eugene D. Ames married Sarah E. Bacon of Tariffville, Connecticut probably on October 21, 1865 in Willimantic, Connecticut. Children include: Emma E. Ames, born about 1867; Charles H. Ames, born about April 1869; Burton Theodore Ames, born about 1875; Grace M. Ames, born about August 1877; Nellie D. Ames, born about 1878 and Louis E. Ames, born about April 1885.

Eugene Ames moved to East Hartford by 1870, Hartford by 1880 and shortly after to West Hartford. He was in charge of the estate of George Foster on Prospect Avenue and was head gardener. In a Hartford Courant article published on May 24, 1914, Eugene D. Ames is one of the West Hartford Civil War veterans profiled. He resided on Prospect Avenue and had resided in West Hartford for 35 years. The article stated that he had been in 32 battles and skirmishes including Antietam, Second Bull Run, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, the Wilderness and Cold Harbor. He had six horses shot out from under him during his term of service. Eugene Ames was a past commander of the Nathaniel Lyon Post No. 2 of the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.).

Eugene D. Ames died on October 7, 1926 and is buried in the Fairview Cemetery in West Hartford, Connecticut.

William Anderson

William Anderson

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William Anderson was a resident of Mansfield on January 8, 1864 when he enlisted as a Private in Co. K of the 29th (Colored) Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry; he was detailed as an ambulance guard on December 8, 1864. He was mustered out in Brownsville, Texas on October 24, 1865.

The descriptive muster roll for the 29th (Colored) Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry lists his age as 25 and his occupation as farmer.  He is described as 5’ 8 ¾” tall with a black complexion and black hair and black eyes.  His marital status is single.
He was born about 1839 in New Brunswick, Canada. William Anderson was not a resident of Mansfield in the 1860 U.S. census; no further information is known.

Joseph H. Bacon

Joseph H. Bacon

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Joseph H. Bacon was a resident of Barre, Massachusetts on July 17, 1862 when he enlisted as a Private in Co. E of the 34th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. He was a 21 year old Farmer at time of enlistment, wounded April 2, 1865 near Petersburg, Virginia and mustered out July 5, 1865.

He was born November 4, 1844 in Barre, Massachusetts to Willard and Fanny (Lamb) Bacon. In the 1860 U.S. census in Barre, Massachusetts, he is a 16 year old farm laborer living in the household of John T. Ellsworth. After the Civil War, he returned to Barre and his former job as a farm laborer for John Ellsworth. Between 1870 and 1880, he moved to Mansfield and was working in the handle shop owned by Lathrop H. Hooker. Joseph Bacon married one of his daughters, Jennie L. Hooker on September 22, 1880 in Mansfield. They adopted a daughter, Lina E. Bacon, born about July 1882 and may have had one more child that died before 1910.

On April 14, 1873, he applied for an invalid pension, No. 182,914 that was granted under Certificate No. 125,823. His widow applied for a pension on May 15, 1915.

Joseph H. Bacon died on April 14, 1915 and is buried at the Mount Hope Cemetery in Mansfield.

Charles B. Baldwin

Charles B. Baldwin

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Charles B. Baldwin was a resident of Mansfield on July 30, 1862 when he enlisted as a Private in Co. F of the 18th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry. He was killed in action on June 15, 1863 in Winchester, Virginia.

“Two companies, one of which was company F, charged on a body of rebels on the Berryville Road, and captured twelve guns, and took four prisoners. They were ordered to fall back, but Charles Baldwin of Mansfield staid behind, probably not hearing the order. A rebel Lieutenant and two privates came out of the woods, and one ordered him to surrender. He refused, and raised his gun to shoot the rebel, but the gun only snapped the cap, and the rebel Lieutenant shot him through the bowels with his carbine. He was buried where he fell, by a citizen who owned the property.”

The Willimantic Journal reported the above account that was communicated by Corporal Chas. D. Burdick, Co. F 18th C.V.I. July 24, 1863

He was born July 4, 1845 to Seth P. and Celinda (Farnham) Baldwin. In the 1860 U.S. census in Mansfield, he is a 15 year old living in the household of Seth P. Baldwin.

Seth P. Baldwin applied for a dependent father’s pension. According to the Pension List of 1883, he was receiving a pension of $8 per month that commenced in October, 1872.

Charles Baldwin shares a headstone with his father at the New Storrs Cemetery in Mansfield.

Jerome B. Baldwin

Jerome B. Baldwin

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Jerome Baldwin

Jerome B. Baldwin was a resident of Mansfield on August 11, 1862 when he enlisted as a Corporal in Co. D of the 21st Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry. He was wounded June 15, 1864 at Petersburg, Virginia, promoted to Sergeant on November 26, 1864 and mustered out on June 16, 1865.

The descriptive muster roll for the 21st Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry lists his age as 18 and his occupation as farmer.  He is described as 5’8” tall with a fair complexion and brown hair and grey eyes.  His marital status is single.

He was born September 14, 1843 in Mansfield to Raymond and Amanda (Lull) Baldwin. In the 1860 U.S. census in Mansfield, he is a 16 year old farmer in a household headed by Raymond Baldwin. Jerome moved to Willimantic by 1870 and married Ella Adams between 1870 and 1880. He was an insurance agent.

On December 28, 1871, he applied for an invalid pension, No. 171,232 that was granted under certificate No. 118,013. According to the list of pensioners on the roll in 1883, he was receiving $4 per month for a wounded left eye. Jerome Baldwin was listed as a member of the Francis S. Long Post, No. 30 G.A.R (Grand Army of the Republic) in Willimantic in June 1889.  His widow applied for a pension on April 18, 1918.

Jerome B. Baldwin died in Willimantic on January 19, 1918 and is buried at the Old Cemetery in Willimantic, Connecticut. 

The Baldwin Letters

MHS is in possession of numerous letters from the collection of Baldwin. The compilation of letters, written to Baldwin instead of being from Baldwin, allows for an inside look into the day-to-day life of a soldier rather than battlefield correspondences. These letters detail numerous topics including disease in the camp, life back home, and military placements.

One letter, seen below, from Samuel L. Morey, also speaks of the death of fellow soldier John A. Parker.

“I hope we shall live to meet again up in old Mansfield.”

Samuel L. Morey to Jerome Baldwin. December 24th, 1864

Samuel L Morey to Jerome Baldwin Transcript 12/24/1864Download
James A. Barrows

James A. Barrows

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James Arnold Barrows was a resident of Mansfield on September 8, 1862 when he enlisted as a Private in Co. E of the 22nd Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry. He was promoted to full Musician then returned to ranks as a Private and mustered out July 7, 1863.

The descriptive muster roll for the 22nd Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry lists his age as 22 and his occupation as farmer.  His is described as 5’ 8 ½” tall with a light complexion and blue eyes and dark hair.  His marital status is married.

He was born February 25, 1830 in Mansfield to Joshua Palmer and Polly (Bingham) Barrows. In the 1860 U.S. census in Mansfield, he is a 30 year old farmer in a household headed by Palmer Barrows. He married Abigail Barrows on November 29, 1855; she died October 25, 1858. James married second, Cornelia S. Swift on July 5, 1860 in Mansfield. Children include: Abbie S. and Alice M. Barrows. He moved to Los Angeles, California by 1870 where he was a farmer and a hardware dealer.

On July 1, 1892, he applied for an invalid pension, No. 1,119,178 that was granted under Certificate No. 945,1__. His widow applied for a pension on December 4, 1914.

 James A. Barrows died after the 1910 U.S. Federal census and before December 14, 1914.

Samuel F. Barrows

Samuel F. Barrows

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Samuel F. Barrows
Samuel F. Barrows

Samuel F. Barrows was a resident of Glastonbury on August 29, 1862 when he enlisted as a Private in Co. G of the 25th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry. He died June 30, 1863 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

He was born about March 27, 1842 probably in Mansfield to Marcus and Mariah (Gurley) Barrows. Marcus Gurley headed a household in Mansfield In the 1840 and 1850 U.S. censuses. He had moved to Glastonbury by 1860 and was a boarding master. In the 1860 U.S. census in Glastonbury, Samuel Barrows is a 14 year old farm laborer in Marcus Gurley’s household.

Mariah Gurley applied for a dependent mother’s pension in 1880. Marcus Gurley filed for a dependent father’s pension in 1881.

His burial place is not known.

Augustine W. Batty

Augustine W. Batty

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Augustine W. Batty/Battey was a resident of Mansfield on November 20, 1861 when he enlisted as a Private in Co. H of the 11th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry. He was transferred to Co. H of the 22nd Regiment Veteran Reserve Corp November 14, 1863 and was discharged for disability on January 28, 1864.

He was born December 22, 1846 in Rhode Island to Levi and Roxanna (Kelly) Batty/Battey.  In the 1860 U.S. census in Killingly, he is a 14 year old in the household of Levi Batty. Davis S. Battey, a brother living in the same household, enlisted in the same company and regiment from the Town of Plainfield; he was killed at Antietam, Maryland on September 17, 1862. After his Civil War service, Augustine moved back to Killingly and worked in a shoe factory, then as a brick mason and later as a farmer. Augustine Batty married Adelaide V. Jacques about 1866. Children include: Harry E. Batty, born about 1867; Winifred L. Batty, born about 1869; Maud E. Batty, born about 1873, Ethel May Batty, born about 1874, Grace Batty, born about September, 1879 and Alice G. Batty, born about January, 1882.

On December 12, 1879, he applied for an invalid pension, No. 327,064 that was granted under Certificate No. 211,505. According to the list of pensioners on the roll in 1883, he was receiving $8 per month for heart disease; the pension commenced in June, 1882. His widow applied for a pension on December 11, 1905. 

Augustine Batty died on October 30, 1905 and is buried at the Grove Street Cemetery in Putnam, Connecticut.

William P. Baxter

William P. Baxter

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William P. Baxter was a resident of Hartford on February 20, 1862 when he enlisted as a Private in Co. F of the 12th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry; on November 26, 1864, he was transferred to Co. F of 12th Battalion Connecticut Volunteer Infantry and he was discharged on February 20, 1865, time expired.

He was born on February 20, 1832 in Connecticut. After the Civil War, he was living in Tolland by the date of the 1870 U.S. census and working as a farm laborer. William Baxter married Clarissa ______ before 1870 and they moved to Willington, Connecticut by 1880; he was a farmer in Willington. 

On February 1, 1878, he applied for an invalid pension, No. 247,908 that was granted under Certificate No. 188,110. According to the list of pensioners on the roll in 1883, he was receiving $6 per month for a gunshot wound in the right leg, injury to the left leg and chronic diarrhea.

William Baxter died on July 4, 1911 and is buried at the New Storrs Cemetery in Mansfield.

Vincent Belot

Vincent Belot

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Vincent Belot was a resident of Mansfield on August 10, 1864 when he enlisted as a Private in Co. G of the 1st Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Cavalry. He was captured March 15, 1865 in Ashland, Virginia, paroled March 26, 1865 and mustered out August 2, 1865. Regimental records state he was included among those men that were substitutes or drafted.

He has not been located in the 1860 U.S. census or in later censuses. According to the Civil War Pension Index, his wife was named Josephine and she filed a pension application from Massachusetts. No death record in Massachusetts has been found for Vincent.

On December 3, 1890, Josephine Belot applied for a widow’s pension, application No. 490,001 that was granted under Certificate No. 370,415.

Vincent Belot died before December 3, 1890 and his burial place is not known.

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