History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

June 2(1, l.^<!.'^, the rebels und"r (ien. Dick Taylor captured Terre Bonne, and on the 21st drove in the pickets of the Twenty-third at Lalburche Crossing. The same night the reliels made several attempts to capture Lafiuirche, but were repulsed with three hun- <lred and seventy killed and wounded. Federal lo.ss, thirty wonnile(l and nine killed. The rebels shelled Brashear City on the '23d, which being defended almost solely by convalescents was at last forced to surrender. The otScers captured by Taylor were all marched to Tyler, Smith Co., Texas (Camj) Ford), and hehl nearly fourteen months, while the men were paroled, and Aug. i), lS(i3 (Sunday), at one o'clock P.M., left New (_)rleans on a Mississippi River steamboat, " liomeward bound." They arrived at New Haven, Conn., at six a.m. August 24tli, and were welcomed with military and civic honors. THE TWENTY-EIGHTH KEGI.MEXT. This regiment was organized Oct. 11, 18(i2, at New Haven, and was nuLstered into the United .States service November l.')th, with tlie following ofli<'ers: Colonel, Samuel P. Ferris ; lieutenant-colonel, Whe- loek T. Batcheller ; major, William B. Weseome ; adju- tant, Charles H. Brown; iiuartermaster, Milton Brad- ley, Jr. ; chaphiin, Richard Wheatley ; .sergeant-major, William A. Bailey; quartermaster-.sergeant, Wilfred H. Mattson ; commissary-sergeant, N. E. Bennett; hospital steward, William E. Bissell ; surgeon. Ran- som P. Lyon ; first assistant surgeon, Levi S. Pea.se ; second assistant surseon, Henrv Rockwell. HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT, LISE-OFFICEBS. Compnnij A. — Captain, Francis R. Leeda ; first lieu- tenant, Philip Lever; second lieutenant, F. R. War- ner. Company B. — Captain, Cyrus D. Jones ; first lieu- tenant, Charles Durand; second lieutenant, Henry L. Wilniot. Company C. — Captain, L. R. JIcDonough ; first lieutenant, William M. Wliitiioy ; second lieutenant, J. C. Taylor. Company D. — Captain, David D. Hoag; first lieu- tenant, Cliarles M. Booth ; second lieutenant, Levi Huufrerford. Company E. — Captain, Charles B. Landon ; first lieutenant, Joseph Bostwiek ; second lieutenant, War- ren C. Dai ley. Company F. — Captain, L. B. Wheelock ; first lieu- tenant, C. P. Newman; second lieutenant, Jabez AI- ford. Company G. — Captain, T. L. Beckwith ; first lieu- tenant, William Mitchell; second lieutenant, Henry Ayres. Company H. — Cajitain, George W. ^Nliddleton ; first lieutenant, James Kiley ; second lieutenant, Thomas G. Bennett. The regiment left New Haven November 18th, and proceeded to Camp Buckingham, L. I. Here it re- mained until the 2Sth, when, having been assigned to tlie Dei>artraent of the .Soutli, it embarked on the " Che Kiang" for a Southern clime. The Twenty- third Connecticut also embarked in the same steamer, tlius crowding fourteen hundred men in quarters wliicli would comfortably accommodate about eight hundred. Tiie steamer weighed anchor at ten .\.M., December 3d, with sealed orders, which finally assigned the regi- ments to Ship Island, La. During the voyage a storm arose, and for twelve hours tiie heavily-laden steamer battled with the angry waves which lashed in fury about it, seeming every moment to swallow it up in the awful abyss. During the night, while the storm was on, an officer sent the intelligence, " We shall never sec another sunrise; the vessel cannot stand it much longer." The vessel, liowevcr, rode safely on, and the voyage was completed in safety. December 12th the regiment disembarked on Ship Island. On the 17th it rc-cmbarked for New Or- leans, and after stopping a few liours in the city started for Camp Parapet, some seven miles up the river, where it landed and pitched tents, but was immediately ordered to re-embark for Pensacola, Fla. By eleven that night it was on board again and ready for starting. It reached Pensacola Monday morning, and stacked its arms on the Grand Plaza. On the 2i>tli it was ordered to evacuate Pensacola and go to tlie Barrancas Navy-Yard, where it remained until May 20tli, when it was ordered to take the stt'amer " Crescent" and proceed to Brashcnr City, La. On the 2oth it was oMered to Port Hudson, and at noon reached Springfield Landing, having now come within hearing distance of the strife of arms. Marching twelve miles towards the scene of conflict, it found itself now, by some oversight of the move- ment, right between the two contending armies. It fairly ran the gauntlet, escaping unharmed, and, the next day, after a march of about thirty miles, when four might have sufficed, it reached Grover's division, to which it had been a.ssigncd. Until June 3d it here suffered, as soldiers often do, for want of rest and food, when it was ordered to the front. At this time Col. Ferris was acting brigadier, with Maj. Wescome in charge of the regiment. The regiment was now called upon to test the music of whistling balls, and there was for the present to be no more rest for it. June 4th it was ordered to be ready to go into the rifle-pits. In spite of l)luiuler- ing movements. Company A in advance, it at length reached the pits, where it spent the night. The next day until eight in the evening the men did their best, " firing fast and well" to harm the enemy, when they were ordered back to camp. This move was executed witliout loss, and the regiment iie.xt did good service in the trenches. The regiment participated in the second assault on Port Hudson, when it lost fifty-nine killed, wounded, and missing. Among the killed were Capt. Hoag, of New Jlilford, and Lieut. Durand, of Stamford. This was one of the most desperate charges made during the Rebellion, but in that holocaust of fire not a man in that noble legion slirank fnmi his duty. After the surrender of the place the Twenty-eighth did garrison duty until the expiration of its term of service. The regiment lo-st, — killed, 9; died of wounds, i) ; died of disease, 65. It was mustered out at New Haven, Aug. 28, 1863. CO.MPANY D, FIRST REGIMENT OF CONNECTICUT CAV.\LRY.» The First Connecticut Cavalry was first organized as a b.attalion of two s<|uadrons of two companies each, the companies consisting each of three officers and seventy-six rank and file. Tiiere were also ten field- and staft-officcrs. It was ordered by the then Gover- nor of Connecticut, His Excellency William A. Buck- ingham, to be recruited, one company from each of the four congressional districts of the State. He au- tliorized L. N. Middlebrook, Esq., of Bridgeport, then lately a major of the Connecticut militia, to recruit ] the com])any for the congre-isioiuil district comprising Fairfield and Litchfield Counties, he having volun- teered his services for this purpose. The recruiting of this company, afterwards designated as Company D, was commenced by Maj. MiiKllebrook, Oct. 4, 1861, in the city of Bridgeport, and completed Oct. 22, 1861, Mr. Middlebrook having enlisted as a private with the • Contributed by I,. S. Mi IJIuLrwU. MILITARY HISTORY. 53 other recruits, and liuriic :ill tlie expenses of reeruit- ing the eorapany Ironi his ]iriviito resources. On the last-named date he took the conijiany into camp at Meridcn, Conn., where a cavalry camp of in- struction was formed under the command of JIaj. Boardman, of the First Governor's Horse-Guards, of Hartfoi'd. Jlaj. Middlehronlc was appointed captain of Conipany T> hy Governor Buckinifham, his com- mission dating from Oct. IS, 181)1 ; William K. Jlor- ris, of Riixbury, Conn., and Richard B. Crawford, of Bridtreport, Conn., being at tlie same time ajipointed first and second lieutenants resiicctively. Upon the retirement of Maj. Boardman from com- mand of the camp, which occurred soon after, the command of the battalion was tendered to Capt. Mid- dlebrook, who declined to accejit that position, i)refer- ring to remain with his comjiany. On Dee. 17, ISiil, Judson JI. Lyon, Esq., of Woodstock, ('onn., was appointed by the Governor major of the butlalion, and Capt. Middlebrook was designated first ca|itaiM of the First Squadron, composed of Companies B and D. The l)attalion remained in camp at Meridcn until Feb. 20, 1,S(;2, when it took the field in t!ie r)(q)art- ment of West Virginia, then under the command of Maj. -Gen. W. S. Rosecrans. The battalion, under Maj. Lyon, was soon employed in active military oper- ations in the mountain regions of this department, among which were leading the advance of (len. Schenck's forced march from Moorefield to the r^'lief of Gen. Milroy,at McDowell, West Va., and the con- sequent battles of McDowell, May 8, and of Franklin, May 11 and 12, 1862. It was also assigned tlu' lion- orable post of rear-guard in the two days' retreat upon Franklin of Gen. Schenck's and Gen. Milroy's forces before Stonewall Jackson's pursuing army. When Gen. J. C. Fremont assumed eomuuind of the Mountain Department the battalion became thereby a part of his forces, and under jMaj. Lyon was assigned the post of advance-guard of his army during the principal part of his celebrated seven days' forced march through the mountains into the Shenandoah Valley to tlie relief of Gen. N. P. Banks, Cajit. Mid- dlebrook commanding his own squadron and a detach- ment from Gen. Fremont'.s body-guard, and being the first to encounter the enemy, at daylight, Jlay 28th, charging and routing their cavalry posted at Wardens- ville, Va., at which point the Union army was seeking to deploy from the mountain-passes into the Shenan- doah Valley". In the eight days' retreat of Stonewall .Jackson up the Shenandoah Valley, which immediately succeeded, the battalion, including Company D, was daily en- gaged, participating, under Capt. Midillebrook, act- ing as its nuijor, among other engagements, in the desperate cavalry fight at HarrisonlHirg, \'a., June 6th, in which the Confederate cavalry general Ashby was killed, and the battles of Cross-Keys, June 8, and Port Republic, June !», 18(32. I'pon the resignation of the command of thii de-