Today is Memorial Day – rather it is the result of the 1967 legislation turning Memorial Day into a 3-day holiday. May 30th – the true Memorial Day, was the day set aside for 100 years to honor this country’s war dead. It was the day that our Civil War forebears expected that we would not allow to fall into disuse. As stated in last years Memorial Day post, what was to them “…an expression of fresh love and sorrow” should be …”an acknowledgment of an incalculable debt” for us.

I was reading a newspaper account of the Decoration Day parade held in Westport, CT (home to a great portion of the 17th’s Company E) on May 30, 1920. Noteworthy in the description of the parade is the lack of pomp and circumstance. It was, instead, a march from the town center to the cemeteries in town. Civil War veterans rode in cars, veterans of the Spanish-American War and the Great War marched alongside more cars loaded with flowers to decorate the graves of fallen comrades. Once that task was completed the parade disbanded. They were accompanied by a small delegation of Red Cross women. Equally noteworthy – this was the first public parade in many years in town. Previous to this parade, for many years, it was a private journey undertaken to honor the memories of those who had gone before by those who had yet to join them.

I’ve marched in parades on Memorial Day for most of my life now – and even in my lifetime I’ve seen changes occur. The day has become more a time for spectators to watch their kids ball teams, school groups, radio stations and a whole lot more than it is to remember the sacrifices made by more than a million men and women since our country was born. I always hope that the people who line the parade route remember what Memorial Day means – the Memorial Day before Congress turned it into one more 3-day weekend.

Today marks the 150th anniversary of the 17th CVI’s introduction to combat in the Civil War. At around 5PM, after settling down to cook their evening meals, the full fury of Stonewall Jackson’s attack on the right flank of the Union Army’s XI Corps (well, the right flank of the whole Union Army) was felt. Postwar accounts, indeed, accounts written home shortly after the battle, tell the story of a regiment that believed an attack was imminent and that it was not going to be coming from the direction that they were told to expect it from. Well…maybe so and maybe not.

Lt. Colonel Charles Walter

What is certain is that this battle was not what the soldiers of the 17th CVI expected. Looking back over 150 years, it was not the sort of battle that they deserved (inasmuch as any sort of battle would be deserved). For certain, above the regimental level, it was not the type of leadership they deserved – that much anyone could (and should, from my perspective) agree on.

At this battle Colonel William Noble earned the lasting respect of his men and officers and was severely wounded in the process. This just a couple months after he had arrested nearly all his officers for putting their accusations of his incompetence in writing to their brigade commander.

Lt. Colonel Charles Walter, in his second battle (he was at First Bull Run and held prisoner for over a year), performed in the cool and detached manner the regiment had become accustomed to. After ordering the wing under his command to shelter and fire from behind a fence, he realized the hopelessness of their position. As he started to give the order to fall back he was shot through the eye and killed. Walter was the first of 3 lieutenant-colonels to die in combat in the 17th. It was not a good rank to hold in the regiment.

Company officers either acquitted themselves very well (which was most of them, it seems) or not so much so. Company D’s Captain William Lacey would resign shortly after the battle with whispers, insinuations and sometimes outright statements of cowardice under fire. The same held true for the non-commissioned officers and private soldiers. Some freely admitted that, in the face of certain death, they ran. Fast. And far. Many more stood and fought, and were captured for their trouble. Others gave ground stubbornly. All agreed it was a confusing, swirling blur of noise, smoke, and blood. In short, it was nothing like the stories that they had heard.

Somehow, in the midst of the retreat, many soldiers found the regimental colors and rallied behind the ever-popular Captain Douglass Fowler of Company A (waving his sword over his head and crying “Rally around the flag, Seventeenth!) and the irrepressible Corporal C. Fred Betts, holding the colors in one hand and a pistol in the other. Both would be promoted after this battle.

When I was a teenager, slightly interested in the Civil War, I came across the gravestone of my GGG Grandfather with the inscription “Co. E, 17th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry.” With visions of Civil War heroics in my head, I read the history of the 17th CVI and the XI Corps. Back then, most of that history read something like this – the XI Corps broke and ran, losing the battle for the Union. To my young, uneducated mind it was a disappointment compared to stories about the 20th Maine and others.

As is always the case, there is always more to any story than meets the eye. The story of the 17th at Chancellorsville is no different. There were heroes that day in and around the Talley Farm and there were those who faltered. Most simply did their job the best that they knew how. Some died doing that job, like Charles Walter – leaving a widow and young daughter behind. Some lived to write their own version of what happened, like William Warren (whose account in on this site). Many, many more merely survived.

Private Benjamin Brotherton – Company E

My GGG Grandfather, Benjamin Brotherton (pictured to the left in his old age), was one of those men. Shot in the head, he spent the next few months in the hospital – missing Gettysburg as a result. But he survived the war, married, had a bunch of kids who had a bunch more kids, and so on until one day there was a teenager looking over his grave who was foolish enough to be disappointed that his service was not with a more “glamorous” regiment.

Private John Lewis, of Company D, wrote his wife after the battle:

“Oh, Augusta, if I could only sit down and relate to you the sights that I have seen of the field of battle. It is enough to break the stoutest heart to hear the cries and groans of the wounded and dying. There was a young man named Wm. Clark in our company that was wounded. As we were retreating, he was shot in the groin. The blood was flowing from him, covering the ground. He saw me as I was passing him and he called on me to help him. He said he was shot and could go no further. I took him and laid him over a little green mound, said goodbye and left him. I could not stay with him and would have been shot or taken prisoner. I had to leave, but I guess the poor fellow is dead and out of all misery…”

I think about that when I pass through William Clark’s neighborhood or the graveyard where a marker stands in his memory. John Lewis would die the following year – not from combat but from disease. I think about how lucky it was for me that Benjamin Brotherton was not one of those men.

So, 150 years later, older and wiser, I remember what they did leading up to that fateful day at the Talley Farm and beyond – to Gettysburg, to South Carolina and to their “cushy” service in Florida (where they lost their 3rd lieutenant-colonel in battle). In this day and age, where a power outage for a few hours is a hardship, I remember what they did and marvel at it. And I say “thanks” for doing it.

By evening of April 30th the regiment was camped on and around the Talley Farm (or, as it is usually referred to in their accounts, the Hatch house). May 1st the members of the regiment heard the sound of battle coming from the direction of Fredericksburg as leading elements of the Army of the Potomac engaged elements of Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. You can find those accounts on this site.

Today, a large portion of this ground is buried below modern VA Route 3, and by all accounts the roadwork drastically changed the immediate area around the farm. Still, portions of the farm remain and efforts are underway to preserve it.

Over the last 25-30 years I’ve had plenty of occasions to wander around the area where the 17th was stationed and I’ve seen the changes that have happened. It’s always taken some imagination to picture the scene as it was on May 1-2, 1863. Without the support of preservationists, historians, descendants of the soldiers that fought there and those who are just tired of over-development of historical sites it will become even harder.

Need some more proof? Drive a bit further east on Route 3 and spend some time at Salem Church. The first time I visited there it was still relatively rural Virginia countryside. Comparing photos I took back then to what I took in 2008, it’s hard to believe it is the same area. Progress isn’t a bad thing, but it’s also not a bad thing to preserve the past. 150 years removed from the eve of the 17th’s indoctrination into the horrors of Civil War battle, it’s a good time to do our part to preserve it.

Germanna Ford in 2008. Still rough and rugged unless crossing on modern Route 3.

The 17th crossed the Rapidan River in the early morning hours of April 30, 1863. The area of the crossing is seen in this 2008 photograph, but the description written by Lt. Albert H. Wilcoxson provides a vivid description:

“A wild and weird scene it was. Moving down the road to the abrupt bank of the river we came to the abutment where had been the old bridge, and where the rebels had lately begun the construction of the new. Here, dividing our ranks, each man groped for himself a way down the steep bank to the abutment, from which a rude and trembling structure, scarcely four feet wide, and but a trifle raised above the surface of the rushing and foaming river, led from one pier to another and so on to the opposite bank. The night was pitch dark, and, to enable us to avoid a tumble into the boiling flood, fires had been built on the piers, which lighted up the torturous course of the phantom like train as it slowly crawled out of the darkness on one side, across the flimsy bridge in the ruddy glare, and into the darkness beyond.”

Later in the day, at evening dress parade, the following order was read to the regiment:

“H’dqrs. Army of the Potomac
Camp near Falmouth, Va.
April 30, 1863

It is with heartfelt satisfaction the commanding general announces to the army that the operations of the last three days have determined that our enemy must either ingloriously fly, or come out from behind his defences and give us battle on our own ground, where certain destruction awaits him. The operations of the 5th, 11th and 12th corps have been a success of splendid achievements.

By command of MAJ. GEN. HOOKER
S. WILLIAMS, asst. adj’t. gen’l.”

William Warren, writing years after the battle, penned this addendum to the order:

“If General Lee ever saw that order he must have smiled way round to the back of his neck.”

Kelly’s Ford in 2008. The modern bridge crossing the ford is to the left. The 17th crossed here at about 4AM on April 29, 1863.

After marching from Hartwood Church, the 17th marched throughout April 28th until it reached the area of Kelly’s Ford at the Rappahannock River. With two army corps marching on the same route traffic jams ensued and the regiment, halted a couple of miles away from the ford and soldiers being soldiers, it seemed a likely place to spend the night, so soon afterwards tents were put up. The army, being the army, of course had a different plan and the tents soon came down as the regiment moved forward once again in the middle of the night – crossing the river at around 4 AM. Fires were built to ward of the chill and a few hours of sleep were grabbed.

The photo shows Kelly’s Ford (at fairly high water, as you can see) in 2008. The modern bridge is to the left of the photo. I took this and the other photos in early May 2008 while retracing the regiment’s route to Chancellorsville. It was soon after this stop while on my way to Germanna Ford that I took an extended tour of this section of Virginia – a euphemism for “I got lost.”

Soon I’ll get all the photos posted in a series much like the route to Gettysburg shots – although there are fewer of this route thanks to modern “progress.”

150 years ago today, April 27, 1863, the 17th CVI marched out of camp and headed off to what would become there first battle at Chancellorsville. It’s fitting that the new Civil War park in Stafford, VA opens today. Their regimental camp was located nearby.

The day was “… bright and pleasant though rather too cool for comfort (and) the boys appeared in good spirits and ready for the march” wrote Private Justus Silliman of Company H. It was a day not unlike today here in the northeast. As they marched many soldiers began to discard belongings that they felt were no longer necessary, whether it be overcoats, packs, and many other smaller items. This became a scene that would play out over and over for the next few days along the route of march.

That night the regiment camped near Hartwood Church. Here is a photo of the church as it appeared when I visited in 2008.

The 17th CVI camped on the evening of April near Hartwood Church.

Henry Peck of Greenwich writes home to parents about the forthcoming visit of “Old Abe”

150 years ago today, President Lincoln reviewed the XI Corps near Brooks Station. The visit was well-known and anticipated. Henry Peck wrote his parents:

“We expect Old Abe here Friday to review our brigade. Then I will have a chance to see him.”

And after the fact, from William Warren:

“On the 10th our corps passed in review before President Lincoln and his wife, vice-president Hamlin, General Sickles and others. The president’s bodyguard was nearly a half mile in length, consisting of officers, orderlies and cavalrymen. Mrs. Lincoln rode in a carriage drawn by four horses.”

The exact location of the review isn’t known, but whatever one’s politics may have been, a chance to see the Commander-in-Chief was a noteworthy affair.

A more in-depth story about Lincoln’s April 5, 1863 review of the larger portion of the Army of the Potomac at Stafford can be found here on the Mysteries and Conundrums blog. It’s an interesting read – and that location is known (even if it’s much changed in appearance).

Good news from the Friends of Stafford Civil War Sites on the Stafford Civil War Park:

Map of the new Stafford Civil War Park

“The Grand Opening of the Stafford Civil War Park will be on the 27th of April, 2013 — 150 years to the day that 11th Corps soldiers marched out of the park area towards Chancellorsville. Both FSCWS volunteers and Stafford Parks and Recreation personnel work in the park several days a week now to prepare for the opening.  Visitors will be able to tour the park.  Over 100 re-enactors including horse drawn artillery and a field hospital group are expected.  Dr. Christian B. Keller, of the U.S. Army War College and the author of Chancellorsville and the Germans will speak on the role German immigrant soldiers played in the war, large numbers of which encamped in our park and built the fortifications and roads now preserved there.  Mr. Al Connor, a local historian, will speak on the critical role of the  1863 Stafford Union encampments the subject of his soon to be published book Union Army’s Valley Forge, 93 Days that Saved America. There will also be a children’s program.  Perhaps best of all, we expect many members of the VA Army and Air Guard who worked so hard on this park to return with their families.”

As mentioned, April 27, 2013 marks the 150th anniversary of the start of the Chancellorsville campaign for the 17th CVI. The regiment camped in the Brooks Station area through the late winter and spring of 1863 and from what it looks like thus far it is very possible that the park contains the site of the 17th’s camp there.

If you haven’t visited the web site yet I’d recommend it – a lot of work has been done to bring this park to fruition. I was in that area 5 years ago tracking down 17th CVI related sites and it is great to see the some of this area being made accessible to the public. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to get down there (but I’m going to try very hard), but I will be sure to visit there one way or another.

This from the Civil War Trust:

“The Civil War Trust now has the opportunity to preserve 37 acres of Jackson’s Flank Attack, including the site of the Talley Farm.  These parcels along modern day Route 3 will be added to the more than 115 acres  already saved by the Trust and its partners — another missing piece of the Chancellorsville battlefield that we have the chance to save forever.”

I will admit that I’m never sure how many readers this blog/site actually has, but I am confident that those of you who do stop by do so because of an interest in the 17th CVI. I’ve donated before to save land at Chancellorsville and I’ve donated to this campaign as well. Unlike Gettysburg, where the land that the 17th fought on is more or less intact and preserved for us to visit, the Chancellorsville battlefield has been the victim of decades of “progress.” Any chance to obtain and save land there is money well spent, especially on a $13 to $1 match!

In this case the land contains the remaining property of the Talley Farm (less that covered by modern U.S. Route 3). This is where the 17th CVI first saw combat, where Lt. Colonel Charles Walter was killed along with many others, and where Colonel William Noble earned the lasting respect of his men for his conduct on that day.

I’m hoping that all of you will take the time to donate something, anything, to help save this property. It’s important to the story of the 17th and will make sure that all of us who are descendants of the men who fought there (and those who are not but continue to honor their memory) can visit something that is not paved over or built on (see Salem Church just down Route 3).

Here’s the link:

http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/chancellorsville/chancellorsville-2013/

In a few short hours (here on the east coast anyway) it will be 2013. I hope the New Year finds all the readers and visitors of this site healthy and happy.

To mark the occasion I’m posting an account of the 17th’s New Year’s Day 1864 celebration. The previous year had found the regiment suffering through the winter of 1862-63, dealing with an aborted officer’s “mutiny”, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg (and the death of 2 lieutenant-colonels at those battles), and the breakup of their XI Corps. It was a long, hard year for Connecticut men (and boys, really).  New Year’s Day in South Carolina was markedly different. From an account by George Partric of Company F, here is 17thcvi.org’s New Year’s 2013 present:

“The first day of January, 1864, found the Seventeenth still on Folly Island. There was no drill nor other duty excepting guard, and the day was given up to idleness and other enjoyment, the chief feature being the examination of the boxes sent us by the soldiers’ aid societies in Bridgeport and Danbury.

A barrel of genuine Connecticut apple juice in camp was a striking feature. Such a token of good will from the North was received by a George A. Partric, of Company F. It came from his Norwalk friends, and he describes its hearty reception as follows:

“I was on camp guard duty when the barrel arrived. When I came off duty I saw the barrel being rolled by Sergeant St. John and several others toward my tent. I told them to take it to the company’s eating house. They did so, and we immediately tapped it. The cider had been made about three weeks, and was found to be in prime condition. The boys wouldn’t partake of it until I would consent to take compensation for it. We finally agreed on five cents a quart for the juice until a certain number of gallons were gone, and then the balance should be free. The precious liquid then began to flow from the barrel and down the throats of the men in blue, and, as it was the pure juice, the men were loud in its praise. As the news spread some of the 25th Ohio boys heard of it, and they came on to test the virtue of Connecticut apple juice. They were made heartily welcome, and were as loud as the others in praise of the stuff. As we had the night to ourselves, we made a night of it—we and the cider. The cider had had no opportunity to work until now, and it put in its best licks. Perhaps no cider was ever more industrious than was this. As the night advanced the cider in the barrel lowered, and the spirits of the boys rose. There were songs, dances on the table, toasts and applause. In the morning the interior of the cook house presented a very discouraging spectacle.”