Soldiers Biographies, Page 2

13. Sergeant David Colburn, 2^nd New Hampshire Infantry, U.S.A.

After the terrible Battle of Fredericksburg in December 1862, the 2^nd New Hampshire was camped on the banks of the partially frozen Rappahannock River. Tough camp life after a hard fought battle took its toll on many men, but David was a good soldier and performed his duties so well that he was promoted while at this camp to the rank of sergeant. His advancement in rank did not stop there for he received another promotion on May 1, 1863 to 1^st sergeant, right on the eve of the Battle of Chancellorsville, Virginia. The 2^nd New Hampshire saw hard fighting in that battle but he came through it unharmed.

When the march toward Pennsylvania began, David was in charge of the enlisted men of his company. After several days of strenuous marching, the 2^nd New Hampshire found itself near the town of Gettysburg. On the afternoon of July 2, the regiment was given its assignment- a position in a peach orchard near the Emmitsburg Road. That afternoon, David’s qualities of leadership and bravery would be needed more than at any other battle.

14. Corporal James Meredith, 3^rd Virginia Cavalry, C.S.A.

James Meredith was one of Stuart's boys. James always had great respect for the cavalry. He grew up on a small Virginia tobacco farm and was fascinated by the local militia, the "Dinwiddie Guards" also called the "Dinwiddie Cavalry". The Dinwiddie Cavalry specialized in mounted drill and put on spectacular demonstrations for the local townsfolk. It was no surprise to his family when on May 29, 1861, soon after the 3^rd Virginia Cavalry regiment formed, 21 year-old James took the best horse from the barn, placed his saddle on it and rode into Dinwiddie Courthouse to enlist with Company I. If James had to go to war, why not go to war with style?

By late February 1862, however, James was tiring of the typical assignments the cavalry was given. Picket and outpost duties along with the occasional scouting assignment were getting very tiresome. The glamour of dashing headlong into the enemy atop a gallant steed with saber glistening in the sun was not the reality James was living. The cavalryman’s job was in fact a lot of hard and boring work. Long days in the saddle followed by even longer days out of it. By the spring of 1863, Robert E. Lee was making plans that would add some excitement to the lives of the men of the 3^rd Virginia Cavalry. Soon after the Battle of Brandy Station, General Stuart's horsemen set out to screen the movements of the Confederate army as it marched toward the Shenandoah Valley and Pennsylvania. James Meredith was among his troop, tall in the saddle of his favorite horse and eager to find the adventure that came with riding a raid against the Yankees. He had no idea that he and his boys were setting out on one of the most grueling and controversial campaigns of the war, one that would almost destroy the 3^rd Virginia Cavalry near the little country cross-road town of Gettysburg.

15. Private Phillip Bennett, 7^th Wisconsin Infantry, U.S.A.

On September 21, Phillip's regiment set out by train to Washington D.C. and arrived there on October 1st. The Union capitol bustled with nervous officials and worried civilians who believed that Confederate armies were about to pounce on the city. Phillip and his comrades may have felt like heroes sent to defend the seat of government as they marched to a camp located near the forts and defenses surrounding the city. The 7^th Wisconsin Infantry remained there, joined by other regiments from Wisconsin and Indiana to form a brigade of western troops, until March of 1862. The western brigade was first moved toward Manassas, but later spent time dealing with thick Virginia mud and guarding or repairing railroads before moving into Fredericksburg, Virginia in early May.

About this time, Phillip’s brigade received a new commander, General John Gibbon who quickly saw that Phillip and the other soldiers needed better direction. Gibbon believed that drill and discipline would help to produce better soldiers. As one of the veterans of the brigade remembered, "There were early morning drills, before breakfast, forenoon drills, afternoon drills, evening and night drills, beside guard mounting and dress parade." Gibbon also felt that his brigade should stand out. Phillip and his comrades were ordered to purchase several new items and draw a distinctive uniform from the quartermaster that included white canvas leggings and regulation dress coat, topped off with the regulation "Hardee Hat" of black felt, with a stiff brim. One side of the brim was tacked up with a brass eagle, and it sported a black ostrich feather. Some of the men, upset at having to spend their clothing allowance on these "unnecessary" items, outfitted General Gibbon’s horse in a pair of leggings in protest. The General, though, wanted his men to have an espirit de corps, or group spirit, based on uniform, discipline and drill. He knew that it would serve them well in a major battle.

At the end of August, Phillip saw his first large battle. Second Manassas was a three-day fight that left every surviving field officer of the 7^th wounded. These were high losses and the brigade overall lost more than 1/3 of the men engaged in the battle. In September, Phillip and the men of the 7^th again took severe punishment in the battles of South Mountain and Antietam, losing about 147 men. For their determined stands on these fields, however, the brigade had earned the respect of the army command, which gave it the nickname "The Iron Brigade". The Iron Brigade lived up to its reputation at the battles of Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. Weeks after Chancellorsville, they began to move north, following the Confederates into Pennsylvania. Their distinctive nickname was also known by the southerners who would be startled by their sudden appearance on the morning of July 1 near the small town of Gettysburg.

16. Private Lucas Meredith, 3^rd Virginia Infantry, C.S.A.

Lucas may have been burning to avenge the Union army for the destruction they caused by invading his home, but he had been handpicked by his regiment to carry the flag and not a musket into battle. The men of the color guard were considered to be the bravest of the outfit, since the flag was a colorful and prominent target for the enemy, and carrying it meant almost certain death. Lucas must have felt mixed emotions of pride and fear that warm afternoon in Pennsylvania. But there he was, at the front of the 3^rd Virginia Infantry with his flag unfurled, as 13,000 fellow Confederates stepped away from the woods and onto the open field. Was this the proper place for someone who had been a simple farmer only a few years before? Almost a mile away was the entrenched forces of the Union army and as the smoke began to clear away, the eyes of those Northerners probably fell on Private Lucas Meredith and his red Virginia battleflag.

17. Sergeant Conrad Mehne, 27^th Indiana Infantry, U.S.A.

Conrad liked his surroundings enough to stay for a good while. At the end of ten years, he applied for naturalization, intending to become a citizen of the United States and on October 10, 1856, he officially became an American citizen. Two weeks later, on October 23^rd, he was married. In the five year period that followed, he and his wife Elizabeth had two sons. John was born to the couple in 1858, and Conrad had a namesake in October, 1861. When Conrad went off to war that September, he did not know if he would ever return home to see his youngest son.

Certainly a married man of Conrad’s age (38) and situation did not have to go off to war. He must have felt very strongly about the cause to make him take up a musket and volunteer. Perhaps it was his memories of life in Europe, and his dreams that things would be different in America. One could speculate that he felt the need to defend his country, his chosen land, from forces that threatened it. All that we know for sure is that on September 12, 1861, he enlisted as a Private in Company K of the 27^th Indiana (Foot) Volunteers. His age and maturity were valuable assets to a man in his circumstance, and he rose to rank of sergeant. On the march to Gettysburg, Conrad must have thought of his sons, now ages 4 and almost 2, back home in Indiana.

18. Private John Howard Roberts, 5^th Texas Infantry, C.S.A.

Such was the attitude of many Texans toward their Northern foes. Many people, from both North and South, felt that the Civil War would be a short struggle. Oh how these people would be proved wrong after four years of terrible conflict and nearly one million casualties! John Roberts enlisted in the "Dixie Blues" at the young age of fifteen. The legal age for joining the army was eighteen but a lot of boys found a way around this problem. They would take a slip of paper, write the number 18 on it, and slip the paper into their shoe. When the officer asked if you were "over eighteen" the boys could reply "yes" without bothering their conscious.

The "Dixie Blues" was assigned to the 5^th Texas Infantry Regiment as Company E. The 5^th was in the "Texas Brigade", as it came to be known, and travelled to Virginia where it would fight in most of the major battles with the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. By the time of the Battle of Gettysburg, John Roberts would have been transformed from a teenager who had never been outside Texas to a hardened combat soldier. John, like so many other people, would forever be changed by the war. How do you think becoming a soldier would have affected you?

The photo that you see was taken in 1861, at the beginning of the Civil War, when John enlisted in the Confederate Army. When you look at the picture of John what do you see him wearing? A pistol? a knife?

What kind of clothes is John wearing? Is it a uniform or civilian clothes? In the early war period, a lot of soldiers went to war in their everyday clothes, much like you wear to school. A few months later the men were issued uniforms. Now, look at his belt buckle. What is on the buckle? John made this buckle from a silver cup by hammering it into this shape.

John would look a lot different after two years of war. His army uniform was probably a grey jacket and trousers, the pistol replaced by a rifle, the knife discarded, and maybe a beard in place of his cleanly shaven face. The attitude that many young men had at the beginning of the war "One southern man can whip ten Yankees" was soon replaced by the cold reality that war was hardship and sadness, exhaustion and sacrifice.

19. Private Henry F. Long, 17^th Pennsylvania Cavalry, U.S.A.

Henry did not at first enlist in the Union army until friends invited him to join Captain John B. McCallister’s cavalry company. Henry enlisted with his friends in Company I, 17^th Pennsylvania Cavalry on September 26, 1862. After joining the army, he realized that "I was no longer privileged to do as I pleased, but had to obey the orders of my superiors, right or wrong." The army was camped at Acquia Creek, Virginia where Long was detailed as an orderly for the commander of the Fifth Army Corps, Major General George G. Meade. Private Long served with General Meade during the Chancellorsville Campaign but soon after rejoined his regiment.

In June, Henry and his regiment were part of John Buford’s cavalry division, and their job was to patrol in front of the Union army to try to determine the location and possible strength of General Robert E. Lee’s army as it marched into Pennsylvania. Long and his comrades spent many hours in the saddle on dusty Virginia roads until the crossed the Potomac River into Maryland. Though the Union army had a day to rest near Frederick, Maryland, Henry's regiment did not get the chance to take a break. General Buford set out with his troopers and headed northward, where they scouted northern Maryland and finally crossed into Pennsylvania. Henry must have felt some urgency when he realized that the Confederates were on his native soil. The war had been confined to Virginia and now he was going to fight in his own state. The 17^th Pennsylvania Cavalry rode through Gettysburg on June 30 and the citizens turned out to wave and cheer the horsemen in blue. Long’s "patriotic heart was stirred because of our warm reception." Suddenly the word was passed down through the ranks: Confederates have been spotted just west of town! Henry tightened his belt and pulled in the reins of his horse as they rode out the Mummasburg Road west of Gettysburg to find the enemy that had invaded his home state. Henry and his fellow soldiers would see plenty of Confederates early the next morning.

20. Sergeant Samuel Holland, 9^th Virginia Infantry, C.S.A.

In October 1861, Company E received their assignment. They were to leave their training camp and proceed to tiny Craney Island, which is just off the coast of Norfolk, Virginia. Company E was to protect the vital port of Norfolk from invasion by Federal warships, but no invasion came that year. Life on Craney Island was boring for Samuel and his fellow soldiers. Everything they did fell into a routine- wake up at 6:00 a.m. with marching and drilling, have breakfast, march and drill, have lunch, then spend the afternoon drilling and working in small groups. At 5:00 p.m. they ate dinner and spent the evenings reading mail from home, playing cards, or reading the local newspaper. On March 9, 1862 the boredom and routine on Craney Island ended. From his "front-row seat" Samuel and the men of Company E witnessed the passing of an era: the end of the wooden warship. The ironclad C.S.S. Virginia was steaming out of port to do battle with the Federal ironclad, U.S.S. Monitor. The duel between these two iron giants ended two hours later in a draw. The war had come to Craney Island. The men of Company E were mere witnesses to war that day, but in the months ahead they would be active participants.

On April 21 the men of the 9^th Virginia saw Confederate dead for the first time; the Battle at South Mills, Virginia had been fought only days before. For the rest of April and most of May, the 9^th Virginia was engaged in skirmishing with the Union forces around Norfolk. Some of the fighting was done near Samuel’s family farm. On May 26^th the regiment got good news: they were joining a new brigade commanded by a fellow Virginian named General Lewis A. Armistead. Life in the new brigade was hard. General Armistead was tough on his men and demanded a lot from them. Samuel and many other men of the 9^th Virginia started to develop a strong pride in the brigade and its hard work.

But Samuel saw his friends die horrible deaths in several battles. He would never forget the Battle of Seven Pines or Malvern Hill. The 9^th Virginia would see action in August 1862 at 2^nd Manassas and suffer casualties at South Mountain. After the Battle of Antietam, the 9^th Virginia retreated south to the safety of Virginia. Many of Samuel’s friends died fighting the pursuing Federal army. In late October, the 9^th reached Culpeper Courthouse, Virginia, with most of the men without shoes, and many men covered with lice. From there the regiment moved on to Fredericksburg. Samuel saw men killed by the hundreds at that battle; he even killed many himself. Following the battle the 9^th Virginia went into winter camp. On June 9, 1863 Samuel Holland would begin one of the most dramatic episodes of his military service and put his life on the line again near a quiet, little Pennsylvania town called Gettysburg. Samuel Holland had followed his brother Robert into the army looking for adventure and excitement. What he found at Gettysburg was a nightmare.

21. Private Alonzo C. Hayden, 1^st Minnesota Infantry, U.S.A.

The regiment enlisted for just three months, since most thought the Civil War was going to be quickly decided. By all accounts, Alonzo and his comrades were free to go back home at the end of the three-month term, but instead, on May 10, they elected to re-enlist for three years. Everyone realized that the war was going to last much longer than three months. On June 21, 1861 the regiment left Fort Snelling for Washington, D.C., and then took part in almost every major action of the Army of the Potomac. In January 1863, Alonzo contracted an illness, possibly mumps, and was sent to hospitals in Philadelphia and Washington. until June 1863. But even this 6-month illness could not stop Alonzo from performing his duty and seeing his commitment with the 1^st Minnesota through. Certainly his illness and the extended bed rest weakened Alonzo, but he rejoined his regiment in June 1863, just in time to begin the long march and heavy fighting his regiment would find at Gettysburg.

22. Private William Mays, Parker's Battery, Virginia Light Artillery, C.S.A.

Compared to Virginia,which had been ravaged by years of war, Pennsylvania seemed like a land flowing with milk and honey to Parker's men. William Mays walked with his comrades along the Pennsylvania roads, bordered by rich farms that had stone houses and barns larger than any he had ever seen. After months of low rations in Virginia, the soldiers of Parker's Battery were enjoying everything that this rich land had to offer; yet General Lee had others plans for his soldiers than to just wander through Pennsylvania. As Parker's men marched into Adams County, William and his mates could hear the far off boom of cannon near the small town of Gettysburg. The horses and artillerymen strained to pull the heavy guns into the shade of a farmer's grove of trees but there was very little time for man and animal to rest. The battery went into action on the afternoon of July 2, dueling with Union artillery stationed in a peach orchard not quite a mile away. Beyond this orchard rose two hills that locals called the Round Tops. The end of the day brought the end to some terrible fighting and Parker's men spent a fit full night on the battlefield, the air filled with the groans of the wounded and dying. The next day dawned warm and sunny. Late in the morning, Captain Parker ordered his men to take their guns forward to a location near the Peach Orchard that they had fired upon the day before. There, they were going to participate in one of the greatest artillery barrages of the war to soften up the Union line for the main Confederate attack that afternoon- "Pickett's Charge". Soon after one o'clock, the Confederate guns opened fire and William was at his usual post in the battery. Never before had he or his friends witnessed such a scene as one remembered, "The earth seemed to leap from its foundation, the atmosphere seemed to quiver, and mother-earth was embraced."

23. Sergeant Charles H. Phelps, 5^th New Hampshire Infantry, U.S.A.

The son of Horace and Betsy Phelps, Charles was born in Amherst, New Hampshire in 1842. On May 7, 1860, the members of the Lawrence Engine Company (a local fire fighting organization) voted to accept Charles as a member. Less than a year later, the Civil War began at Fort Sumter, far away from Amherst, New Hampshire. However, on April 23, 1861, the citizens of Amherst held a meeting at the town hall where 16 young men, including Charles, volunteered for military service. The volunteers were soon mustered into service and joined the 5^th New Hampshire Infantry Regiment. It was said that the men of the 5^th New Hampshire were bigger than average- above 5 feet 8 inches tall, and the average age was 26. All the new soldiers were considered to be well educated, "earnest, honest, reliable men," and fine representatives of the state.

Charles was promoted to sergeant in Company I of the 5^th New Hampshire, apparently a natural leader even though he was younger than most of the other men in the company. The regiment participated in the battles of the Seven Days’ Campaign near Richmond in May 1862, and at Antietam, September 17, 1862, where the regiment lost one-third of those present. On December 13, 1862, at the Battle of Fredericksburg, Charles received a bullet wound in the side just above the hip bone. He was sent to a military hospital at Fort Schulyer, New York for treatment but rejoined his regiment the following April just in time to take part in the Chancellorsville Campaign. Charles' regiment came out of this battle having lost a number of good men, and though he was probably still weak from his Antietam wound, Charles was still with his company. The 5^th only had time for a short rest before they were ordered to break camp and prepare to march. On the morning of June 14, the regiment left camp to begin a long, tiring march northward, headed toward a bloody appointment with Confederates from Georgia in a wheat field at Gettysburg.

24. Captain Isaac Stamps, 21^st Mississippi Regiment, C.S.A.

Isaac and Mary were an exceptional couple, and very much in love. Isaac was the nephew of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, and Mary was the daughter of Senator Benjamin Humphreys. Both attended law school in New Orleans, and Isaac became a very successful lawyer in southwestern Mississippi and Louisiana. When the war began, Isaac rallied to the cause of the Confederacy. Since he had helped to organize Company E of the 21^st Mississippi Infantry Regiment, Isaac was made its captain. Mary’s father was the colonel of the regiment. With her loving hands, Mary made the Confederate uniforms that Isaac wore, and he carried into battle the sword that his uncle had carried in the Mexican War, 20 years earlier. Mary was able to see Isaac once or twice on leave during the first years of the war. They must have been thankful for each precious moment when Isaac managed to survive the battles of First Manassas, Second Manassas, Fredericksburg, Antietam, and Chancellorsville.

In June of 1863, General Lee began to push his men northward. Just before he left for the march, Isaac saw Mary once more, explained that he believed they would never see each other again, and asked that she be sure to have his body returned to Rosemont for all eternity. She promised and kissed him goodbye. Within a few short weeks, Isaac would be in the fight of his life at Gettysburg.

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