8 CVI on Facebook

I have moved a lot of the information I have gathered on the 8th CVI onto a Facebook page. It can be accessed here:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/8th-Connecticut-Volunteer-Infantry/256048451141863?ref=tn_tnmn

Members of Stanley Post #11

The following names of soldiers of the 8th Connecticut were members of Stanley Post #11 of the Grand Army of the Republic in New Britain, Connecticut. Stanley Post was named after New Britain native, Lieutenant Theodore Stanley (Co. F, 14th Connecticut) who was mortally wounded at the Battle of Fredericksburg.

The names are obtained from the Post records which are housed at the New England Civil War Museum in Rockville, Connecticut. www.newenglandcivilwarmuseum.com

Company A

Sergeant Francis Hart

Private George C. Root

Company B

Private Thomas Smart

Company C

1st Lieutenant Charles T. Andrews

Musician Theodore Brockway

Private Ebenezer Hackney

Private Napoleon B. Remington

Private Albert H. Cross

Company I

Private Lucius Fox

Company K

Private Bartholomew Bailey

The Dead Buried at Antietam (Part 1)

During a recent visit to the Antietam Battlefield, I ventured into the National Cemetery for the first time. I had always wanted to go there, but for some reason never did. As I finished my battlefield tour, I made a point to go over and visit the Connecticut section and see if I could locate soldiers of the 8th Connecticut. I was very suprised to find many of the headstones, unreadable. Seemingly forgotten. So for a serious of posts, I will post an image of one of the gravestones of the soldiers of the 8th Connecticut who is buried at Antietam National Cemetery with a brief history of their service.

This is the grave of Henry E. Strickland. Grave# 1115. His residence at the time of his enlistment was New Hartford, Connecticut, a town in the hills of Litchfield County. When he mustered into Company A, he was given the rank of Sergeant, which he would hold up until Antietam. Sometime during the assault upon the Harpers Ferry Road, he was struck in the left thigh. His wound would prove to be mortal and Strickland would die on October 10, 1862, twenty-three days after the battle.

Members of the 8th Connecticut on Local Civil War Monuments, Part I

After the war many small towns and cities raisied money to erect monuments to honor their citizens who volunteered to protect the Union. Today starts a series of posts showcasing those monuments who mention a member of the 8th Connecticut Regiment.

Today's monument is located in Union Park in Middletown, Connecticut. The monument erected in 1874 bears the name of one soldier from Company K, John K. Doolittle. Doolittle first enlisted in May of 1861 and served in Co. B of the 3rd Connecticut Regiment. The 3rd Connecticut saw limited action in the First Battle of Bull Run before returning home in August to muster out.

A little less than two months after returning home, John enlisted again . After enlisting, he was mustered into Company K, one of the 8th Connecticut's flank companies. He would be present during Burnside's eastern North Carolina campaign in 1861. Company K was kept especially busy with constant duty on the skirmish line. When the regiment was transferred to Virginia in the summer of 1862, Doolittle was with them. Marching northward and then westward to counter Robert E. Lee's 1862 Maryland invasion, the 8th Connecticut was engaged at Antietam where Company K was deployed on the regiment's left flank during the "Final Assault." During the assault upon the Harper's Ferry road, Company K briefly captured the abandoned guns of the Pee Dee South Carolina Artillery. As A.P. Hill Division launched its assault, Company K was forced to abandon the guns and fall back to the regiment. The regiment continued to stand its ground alone in front of the Harper's Ferry Road for over 20 minutes being attacked on three sides. Eventually it was forced to retire back to the Lower Bridge.

The regiment lost almost half its strength that day, including Doolittle who had been wounded in the knee. As the Army of the Potomac gave chase to the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia after the battle, Doolittle remained in the Sharpsburg area in a field hospital. He would remain there until October 9th, when he succumbed to his wound and died.

Private Lucius Fox (Company I)

I found and purchased this image of Private Fox off of eBay a few months ago. It isn't everyday that you find something on there related to the 8th Connecticut that's affordable. So I almost had to buy it. I'm still looking for my g-g-g grandfather who served in Company G. If anyone sees anything belonging to a Michael Farley, please let me know.

Lucius Fox enlisted as a Private on September 27, 1861 in the small town of Washington, Connecticut. Washington is located in the northwestern hills of Litchfield County. Fox was one of twelve Washington men who served in the 8th Connecticut during the course of the war. Eleven served in Company I and one served in Company E. Company I was basically a company made up of Litchfield County men.

When Fox enlisted he signed up to serve three years. When the opportunity came to re-enlist as veterans in the winter of 1863, Fox declined. He finished his three year term on September 26, 1864 when he was mustered out.

Private William S. Reed (1861-1864)

I wandered into Preston City at around 6:00pm last night (April 7) after having some time to kill before my class at 7:00pm. As I drove into the center of town, I saw a cemetery to my left up on a hill. So I decided to check it out and see what I could find. Well I found not one but two members of Company G buried there. Phineas Davis and William Reed. But for today's post, we'll focus just on Reed.


William S. Reed resided in Preston City, Connecticut when the was broke out in 1861. At age 31, he enlisted for three years service on September 30, 1861 and was mustered into Company G, the "Stonington Company" that same day. He went on to serve at places such as New Berne, South Mountain, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Suffolk, Port Walthall Junction, Drewry's Bluff, Cold Harbor, and Petersburg. He was mustered out of the army on September 20, 1864, just a few days before the attack on Fort Harrison.

He died on May 19, 1905 at the age of 72. He was buried at Preston City Cemetery in Preston, Connecticut.

If you wish to visit Reed's grave today, its pretty easy to find. If you enter the cemetery at the main gate off of Shetucket Turnpike (Rt. 165), the grave is located just off to the left at the bottom of the hill. You're not able to drive to the grave, you'll have to walk up to it.

The National Colors

I wanted to apologize to my readers for taking such a long break. Graduate school has taken up quite a bit of my time. Now that the semester is winding down, I have a little bit more free time on my hands.

Today, I wanted to write very briefly on the present status of the 8th Connecticut's National Colors.

Thankfully the colors of the 8th Connecticut have been preserved and are on permanent display at the Connecticut State Capitol, located in the Hall of Flags. Two of their national colors are on display here. Also, nearby is their state colors. (Those will be shown in a later post.)

If you are looking for one of the regimental colors carried by any Connecticut unit, this would be the first place I'd look for them.

I apologize for the quality of the picture below. I think I might have to make another trip down there soon to try and get a better shot. When I do I will post it on here.

The Eighth Connecticut's National Colors, the one they carried at Antietam, is the one on the far left.