Petersburg – Mansfield Historical Society

Tag: Petersburg

Petersburg

21st Regiment

Posted on December 13, 2022December 13, 2022 by Amanda Rutha

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

On May 16^th, 1864 the 21^st 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 21^st Regiment and other elements of the 1^st Division were forced to retreat and relinquish the railroad to the Confederate forces. The 21^st 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 21^st traveled to White House Landing where it would support the Army of the Potomac in several engagements near Cold Harbor beginning on May 29^th and running through June 9^th. After the evacuation of Cold Harbor, a large Union force including the 21^st regiment advanced on Petersburg. After supporting an initial charge against the Confederate lines on June 17^th, the 21^st 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 21^st Infantry Regiment during the war. After Petersburg, the regiment participated in a raid on Fredricksburg on March 4^th 1865 intended to curb the trade of tobacco for supplies by the Confederate Army. The 21^st was among the first infantry troops to enter Richmond on April 3, 1865.
The service of the 21^st Connecticut Volunteer Infantry in the Union Army was officially ended on June 16^th 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 21^st regiment were finally discharged and the regiment formally was disbanded on July 6^th 1865.

Frank E. Stoughton

Posted on December 12, 2022December 12, 2022 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 14^th 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 1^st 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 14^th 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.

Frank Stoughton, 8-29-1864 Download

To view transcription:

Siege of Petersburg

Posted on December 2, 2022December 2, 2022 by Amanda Rutha

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 15^th 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 31^st United States Colored Troops containing some Mansfield soldiers. The 21^st 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.

Joseph H. Bacon

Posted on November 4, 2022December 2, 2022 by Amanda Rutha

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.

Jerome B. Baldwin

Posted on November 4, 2022December 18, 2022 by Amanda Rutha

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 21^st 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 12/24/1864 Download

Samuel Burden

Posted on November 4, 2022December 2, 2022 by Amanda Rutha

Samuel Burden was a resident of Mansfield on January 9, 1864 when he enlisted as a Private in Co. K of the 29th (Colored) Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry. According to army records, he was killed September 1, 1864 at Petersburg, Virginia. His military file indicates that the report of his death was written on September 1, 1864.

The descriptive muster roll for the 29^th (Colored) Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry lists his age as 18 and his occupation as farmer. He is described as 5’8” tall with a black complexion and black hair and eyes. His marital status is single.

He was born about 1842 in Virginia and he was not living in Mansfield in the 1860 U.S. census.

Samuel Burden died on August 25, 1864 and is believed to be buried as Samuel Burton at the Poplar Grove National Cemetery in Petersburg, Virginia, Site No. 2250. The original burial place was on the battlefield at Fort Stedman.

In Literature

On page 18 of his book: A Sketch of the 29th Regiment of Connecticut Colored Troops, author Isaac J. Hill stated that Private Samuel Burton of Company K was killed on August 25, 1864 by being shot in the head while moving the company. There is no Samuel Burton in Co. K, only a Samuel Burden. National Cemetery burial records show the burial of Samuel Burton instead of Samuel Burden with a death date of June 18, 1864. The military file of Samuel Burden indicated that he was killed near Petersburg, Virginia and was buried in the field. Regimental records document that the 29^th Connecticut did not arrive in Virginia until August 14, 1864 and did not enter the trenches of Petersburg until August 24, 1864. It appears that the Samuel Burton buried in the Poplar Grove National Cemetery in Petersburg, Virginia is Samuel Burden and the death date should be August 25, 1864.

William H. Corbit

Posted on November 4, 2022December 2, 2022 by Amanda Rutha

William H. Corbit was a resident of Mansfield on August 11, 1862 when he enlisted as a Private in Co. D of the 14th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry. He was wounded September 17, 1862, Antietam, Maryland, promoted to Corporal February 9, 1863, wounded June 17, 1864, Petersburg, Virginia, promoted to Sergeant January 29, 1865 and mustered out May 31, 1865.

He was born October 28, 1840 in Three Rivers, Massachusetts to Jason and Mary Ann (Brise) Corbit. After the Civil War, he returned to Mansfield and was employed as a painter and a paper hanger. William Corbit married Mary J. Mowry about 1862. They had four children including: Eldora Corbit, born about 1866 and Grace, born about October, 1869.

On August 14, 1869, he applied for an invalid pension, No. 146,886 that was granted under certificate No. 101,607. According to the list of pensioners on the roll in 1883, he was receiving $6 per month for a wounded left side and arm.

William H. Corbit died on November 30, 1930 and is buried at North Center Cemetery in Coventry, Connecticut.

John P. Farrell

Posted on November 4, 2022December 2, 2022 by Amanda Rutha

John Patrick Farrell was a resident of Mansfield on August 12, 1862 when he enlisted as a Private in Co. D of the 21st Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry. He was wounded July 1, 1864 in Petersburg, Virginia and discharged for disability February 9, 1865.

The descriptive muster roll of the 21st Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry lists his age as 29 and his occupation as farmer. He is described as being 5’ 9” tall with a light complexion and light hair and blue eyes. His marital status is single.

He was born about 1834 in Currick on Suir, Waterford County, Ireland to Patrick and Elizabeth ( _____). Farrell. The family immigrated to the United States when he was a small boy and first settled in Hartford, Connecticut. He moved to Mansfield as an adult and in the 1860 U.S. census in Mansfield, he is a 20 year old farmer in the household of Millen Crane. John worked for Olin S. Chaffee and Bridget “Delia” Kennedy worked as a personal maid to Mrs. Chaffee; John and Bridget were married on November 11, 1866. Between 1867 and 1888 they had fifteen children, including two sets of twins. Children: William Olin Farrell, born July 28, 1867; Anne Agnes and May Jane Farrell, born January 16, 1870; Margaret Matilda Florence Farrell, born November 3, 1871; Bridget Delia Farrell, born April 23, 1873; Martha Jane Farrell, born August 28, 1876; Katherine Farrell, born December 19, 1878; John Henry and Peter Matthew Farrell, born May 21, 1881; Ellen Francis Farrell; born June 15, 1882; Elizabeth Farrell, born July 21, 1883; John Joseph Farrell, born September 2, 1884; Annie Farrell born June 27, 1886 and Paul Raymond Farrell born February 27, 1888.

John Farrell purchased 54 acres of land from Alvin Bosworth in the North Society of Mansfield on February 3, 1869 and started his own farm. The house and surrounding property was on the corner of Hanks Hill and Farrell Roads. He added to the property over the years until it became a sizable farm that included five barns; the original house and one barn are still standing. Farrell Road is named after John Patrick Farrell and three of his great-great grandchildren still live on land that was part of the farm.

On January 3, 1866, he applied for an invalid pension, No. 99,164 that was granted under certificate No. 61,944. According to the list of pensioners on the roll in 1883, he was receiving $6 per month for a wounded head and injured left knee. His widow applied for a pension after his death. John Farrell died on August 3, 1902 in Mansfield and is buried at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Windham, Connecticut.

Henry Edwin “Ed” Hall

Posted on November 1, 2022December 2, 2022 by Amanda Rutha

Henry Edwin Hall was a resident of Mansfield on September 22, 1863, when he enlisted as a Private in Co. F of the 6th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry; he was captured May 16, 1864 at Drewry’s Bluff, Virginia. He was imprisoned at Andersonville, paroled February 22, 1865 and mustered out August 21, 1865.

He was born December 25, 1841 in Mansfield to Henry C. and Orilla (Simonds) Hall. After the Civil War he returned to Mansfield and was a farmer. Henry E. Hall married Annette F. Dodd, daughter of Mansfield Civil War soldier Enoch Dodd between 1870 and 1880. Children included: Burton H. Dodd, born about September, 1882 and Charles G. Dodd, born about January 1889. Annette F. (Dodd) Hall died on June 15, 1890. Henry Hall married second, Ida M. ______ about 1904.

On March 1, 1885, he applied for an invalid pension, No.642,986 that was granted under certificate No. 415,435. His widow applied for a pension on December 21, 1929.

Henry Edwin Hall died on December 6, 1929 and is buried at the New Mansfield Center Cemetery in Mansfield.

The Hall Letters

Henry Hall leaves an impactful perspective that many soldiers may lack: he was captured and placed as a POW at the infamous Andersonville Prison.

“It has been my misfortune to be taken a prisoner by our enemy’s Calvary on the 16th of May on the Railroad between Chester Station and Petersburg”
Petersburg VA. May 24th, 1864. Hall to his parents.

Hall’s letters to his family, as well as a continued letter of Hall’s to his wife by John Hunter, speaks of Hall’s military journey. Describing his experience before imprisonment, imprisonment itself, and his life once he’s released, Hall’s letters give a timeline over the 2 years he served under the 6th regiment.

Hall to his Parent. May 24th, 1864, from Petersburg VA

Henry Hall Transcription May 24th, 1864 Download

“I have no doubt he is taken prisoner”
John Hunter to Henry Hall’s Mother, May 23rd, 1864, Original unfinished letter 5/11/1864

A letter written by Hall to his sister that was half-finished. John Hunter continues the letter, now to Hall’s mother, stating that Hall has gone missing.

Henry Hall Transcription May 11th, 1864 Download

More Resources

The Mansfield Historical Society has letters either to/from/about Hall ranging from 1863 to 1865. All other transcripts and letter scans can be found under Hall Letters.

John Harris

Posted on November 1, 2022December 2, 2022 by Amanda Rutha

John Harris was a resident of Mansfield on December 30, 1863 when he enlisted as a Private in Co. Cof the 31^st Regiment United States Colored Troops. He was wounded in the leg on August 11, 1864 while in a rifle pit in Petersburg, Virginia. He was sent to the Satterlee Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and is said to have deserted from there in September 1864.

The descriptive muster roll of the 31^st Regiment United States Colored Troops lists his age as 21 and his occupation as sailor. He is described as 5’ 4” tall with a black complexion and black hair and black eyes. No marital status is recorded.

He was born about 1842 in Patterson, New Jersey. John Harris was not a resident of Mansfield in the 1860 U.S. census; no further information is known.

George H. Hutchins

Posted on November 1, 2022December 2, 2022 by Amanda Rutha

George H. Hutchins was a resident of Mansfield on August 11, 1862 when he enlisted as a Private in Co. D of the 21st Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry. He was struck on the head with a piece of shell while lying in a rifle pit in front of Petersburg, Virginia on June 30, 1864; he died on July 1, 1864.

The descriptive muster roll of the 21st Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry lists his age as 35 and his occupation as farmer. He is described as 5’ 7” tall with a fair complexion and blue eyes and brown hair. His marital status is married.

In the 1860 U.S. census in Mansfield, he is a 29 year old farm laborer and head of household. He was born about 1831 in Pomfret, and married 16 year old Harriet Elizabeth Parish of Brooklyn on August 17, 1847 in Brooklyn, Connecticut. They were enumerated in the 1850 U.S. census in Mansfield.

He left the following children when he died: Clyanna E. Hutchins, 15, born about 1849; Henry T. Hutchins, 9, born about 1855; Mary J. Hutchins, 6, born about by 1858 and John A. Hutchins, 4, born about 1860.

On October 20, 1864, his widow applied for a pension, No. 69,366 that was granted under certificate No. 47,012. Harriet (Parish) Hutchins married second, Charles W. Nichols, a comrade of her first husband from Co. D of the 21^st Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry. The two youngest Hutchins children, Mary J. and John A. were living in their household in 1870. H. Nichols applied for guardianship for the children on August 21, 1969. Harriet no longer qualified for a widow’s pension when she remarried, but the minor children were entitled to a pension.

Civil War Timeline 1864-1865

Posted on October 18, 2022December 7, 2022 by Amanda Rutha

The significant events between March 1864 and the passing of the 13TH Amendment

Soldiers of Color

Posted on October 17, 2022December 24, 2022 by Amanda Rutha

Recruiting of black soldiers was not authorized until 1862 due to President Lincoln’s concerns that this would cause border states to secede. The Emancipation Proclamation was issued on January 1, 1863, to free all slaves in rebellious areas. Black soldiers were actively recruited in the Northern States after that date as regiments were established. The first black regiment that Connecticut authorized was the 29th (Colored) Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, formed in 1863; the regimental roster was completed in January 1864. They fought at Petersburg and Chapin’s Farm, Virginia, and two companies were the first Union infantry into Richmond.