History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

But of its conduct throughout all this cami)aign too much cannot be said iu praise. Fairfield County may be proud of her sons. Their conduct in the first day'j fight at Gettysburg in striving to repel the onslaught of the enemy, and during the rest of the battle holding their post at foot of Cemetery Hill, was all that could be expected of any troops. Gen. Gordon, late senator from (ieorgia, who was in com- mand of the enemy's troops which charged upon the lines of the regiment at Gettysburg, meeting Lieut.- Col. Allen during his late .seat in the Senate, learning that the colonel was of the Seventeenth Connecticut, said to him that of all the trouble he ever had to force a retreat from any troops, he had the hardest work with the SeA'enteenth Connecticut at Gettys- burg; that it didn't seem to know how to get away from its position, however strong the force at- tacking. After the jiui-suit of Lee had ceased on his retreat from Gettysburg, and while the forces wei'c marshal- ing for a new ccmflict, a sudden order came for the Ames and Von Gilsa brigades to take rail to Alex- andria and embark for Fortress Monroe. After ar- rival there the brigades again took transport, and were landed about .Vugust 21st on Folly Island, .S. C. They had hardly got into camp when a detail of a ' thousand nieu was ordered, under Col. Noble, into the siege-trenches on Morris Island, approaching Fort Wagner. This was a reserve force, and iu pro- tection of the artillcrynu'u and of the siege-works. On this duty the regiment lay for forty-eight hours close under the fire of Wagner, and under shell showered from Forts James ami Moultrie. The brigade wjis afterwards quartered a short dis- tance below the siege-works of Wagner. For about a fortnight on that island they were most of the time under fire from the enemy's batteries. While there they saw the first gun fired upon Sumter from the great siege-works guns of (Jen. tiillmore, and re- mained there until the ruins of that fort looked like a sand-bank or the d6bri8 of s(mie great brick edifice. Several of the regiment were killed and several others badly wounded by the bursting of shell and the breaking of solid shot down through the s])linter- proofs. Lying under these cannon-ball and shell protections, without the excitement of attack and real conflict, was about the most trying work the regiment ever did. Before we left the island. Gen. Ames took the offi- cers of his brigade up into the high tower of the lighthouse, a .short distance below Fort Wagner, where a good view was obtained, through a telescope, of the condition and ruins of Sumter. He then said to them that it had been proposed that his brigade should organize for a night-attack upon said fort, and asked us if he should ask for us the duty. The offi- cers unanimously desired Gen. Ames to solicit the place for us. But such was not to be our task. The navy claimed it as their prize, and made an abortive attempt to capture the fort. Although in ruins as to its walls, it was found to have been nuide stronger than ever by sand-bags and fallen masonry. The at- taek had been delayed too long; the right time was when we volunteered for the duty. After the fall of Wagner till February only one military event deserving notice occurred to the regi- ment. About the middle of October there came by night an urgent order from Gen. Vodgcs, commanding the forces on Morris Island, saying that the enemy were about to make an attack in great force ou its northern and western side by floats down from Seces- sionville, and ordering out the division to resist the attack. On this occasion the Seventeenth was under arms and in line of march twenty minutes before any other regiment rept)rted. This was noted by Gen. .\mes to the colonel of the regiment as highly com- plimentary to his command. But the alarm proved entirely false: no attack was made. The remainder of the fall and winter was spent by the Seventeenth upon the island under drill and on a brief expedition under Gen. Schimmelpfennig to John's Island as a diversion to hfild in check the removal of the troops of the enemy fiirther north to meet and resist some movement of our own forces. There was only a small skirmish on our approach to John's Island, in which several of the regiment were wounded slightly. During a part of the winter Gen. Ames' absence at the North threw the command of the brigade upon (ien. Noble, whose principal task was drilling its six regiments in field-movements. At Cliristnuis and New Year's the Seventeenth re- ceived a heavy consignment from the i)eo|>le of Bridge- port and Fairfield County, who sent boxes to individ- uals and general stores for the hospital and for the good of the regiment. There came a large and varied .supidy, under the care of Lieut. Hayes, their former (pnirtermsuster, and Dr. L. H. Norton. It was wel- come Christmas cheer to gladden the hearts of the soldiers. On the 22d of February, IStU, orders came to strike our tents and make everything ready for Florida. MILITARV HISTORY. 61 The next morning we took tnins])ort for Jacksonville. The repulse of Gen. Seymour's advance into Florida, at the hattle of Olustee, where the Sharps' rifles of Hawlcy's regiment alone saved us from a terrilih' re- verse, hail called for this reinforcement of our lirigade to Florida. On our arrival at Jacksonville generiil orders were issued creating two divisions, of wiiicii Gen. Ames and the forces under him constituted one, Gen. Noble commanding Ames' brigade. The forces advanced outside to the north and west of the ti>wn and intrenched. ,\n attack from the enemy was felt to be possible from any (juarter of that traversible country, and the forces were for a month arousi'd at three in the morning to prepare for an attac'k. About A])ril 15th the whole force at Jacksonville was broken up. Gen. Ames was ordered Nortli to the Army of the Potomac, and his brigade left in Florida. The Seventeenth was ordered to relieve tlie Tentli Connecticut at St. Augustine, and took transport im- mediately for that ancient city. It seemed as if the regiment was to be laid up in lavender for the rest of its service in t)mt lovely, quaint, old place. But the secMii?!'.; iliil not prove the reality; the mass of the regiuLent iLcver had harder or more taxing service thiiii in Florida. The climate in the summer and fall is not particularly healthful. One of the companies of the regiment garrisone<l the old Spanish Fort San Alarco, the others were quartered in the old govern- ment barracks. We had hardly got well settled in our quarters when an order came from Gen. Birney, then com- manding in Florida, for Col. Noble to go with all his regiment, except one company, to Volusia, Fla. The regiment moved on the morning of the 25th of April, and made Volusia after a three days' march. Volusia is liut a haiidet of a few houses on the St. John's River. Afti'r a few days the post was visited by Gen. ]5irney, who had ]ir<]ceeded up the St. John's lliver and disembarked near Pilatka with several regiments, and thus reached our post. At this i)lace (ien. Birney ordered a company of the Seventeenth to be stationed in guard of the crossings of St. John's River at Welaka and Sanders. They had hardly been posted a week before all were gobbled up by the enemy, who la-osscil the river in strong force. They might just as easily have captured the fifty men left at Volusia, Imt were frightened away by the intreuchments made tliere under Capt. Kellogg and the track of an army-wagon, which they mistook for that of artillery. Just after this Gen. Birney was relieved, and ( !cn. George H. Gordon placed in command of l^'lorida. TTnder him Col. Noble was invested witli tlie com- mand of all the country east and south of the St. .lohn's River, and of the forces witliin that area, 'i'liese consisted of two colored regiments, the Seventy- fifth Ohio, and his own regiment. .\bout the 10th of June the Seventeenth, together with other regiments in Gen. Gordon's comman<l. numbering about two thousand men, was organized at Jacksonville for a raid and flank march upon Mc- Gilet's Creek. The expedition started at midnight on trans]iorts under conduct of the navy gunboats, aii<l binding was made about three in th<' morning and march commenced. During all thht day, which was one of the hottest of the season, the regiments marched along the close roads of Florida, and late in the afternoon, after a very fatiguing flank marcli, the force under Gen. Noble joined that of (ieii Gordon, who had marched straight out from Jack- sonviUe. The enemy's works were found to be of no great consecjuence, and, having destroyed its bar- racks and stores, the regiment moved, with the rest of the forces, back to Jacksonville, and thence to St. .\ugustine. Lieut. -Col. Wilcoxson conuuanded the regiment. No sooner had we arrived at .Tacksonville than an order came reversing things. Gen. ( iordon was ordered to the Army of the rotomae, ami ( len. Birney replaced in command of Florida. About the 29th of July, Gen. Birney, still in com- mand of Florida, ordered another raid on the enemy's unseen and insignificant works. ('ol. Noble was ordered with the Seventeenth, and all tlic force under his command, and all the horses in St. .Augus- tine, and all the loyal Floridians, to rendezvous a Picolata, on the St. John's, there to take steamer an<l connect with Gen. Biimey at a point u|ion the Black River. The force was gathered and the conni'ction I made, and proceeded with Gen. Birney to Baldwin, on the Cedar Keys Railroad. Col. X<ilile was at this time placed in command of Baldwin, and, having J under his command a battery of Rhode Island artil- lery, two regiments of colored troops, and other forces, was ordered by Gen. Birney to hold and garrison that place and build a log fort. But Gen. Birney had hardly completed these orders and returned from .Jacksonville to see our condition before news came that he was succeeded by Gen. Hatch.