Bristol County, Massachusetts - Chapter 7: Taunton in the Civil and Spanish Wars, 1924

Chapter 7: Taunton in the Civil and Spanish Wars

How much of history has been of war, and how little of peace. And yet, through all the continuing strife and bloodshed, the spirit of optimism points away and onward to eventual independence and freedom. 'Taunton well comprehended the issues that were suddenly flashed before the nation in thé explosion of Civil War - the unity of States and the liberation of a race of people from the shackles of slavery. Whole-hearted were the expressions here of loyalty in securing the right of way to these issues; universal was the answer of the soldier. From today's summit of a very broad and general view, we appreciate all the performances of the Taunton "Boys in Blue" during that critical period. Yet from that very hilltop, though our individual losses seemed irreparable, despite the final victory, we now as heartily grant the devotion of the "Boy in Gray" to his cause that was lost. For has not there been a marching together of the sons of both, since then?

There still remain in Taunton a few of the grand old guard who remember the alarm and the summons of April, 1861, the quick recruiting and muster to arms, the din of the drums of war, the continuous appeal of speakers in street and hall, and the day's change from citizen to soldier. Every schoolboy is aware how the Civil War was precipitated, and how every city, town and village, North and South, armed for whatever struggle there was to come.

Yet, as early as January, 1861, the persistent rumors of war caused the Massachusetts military authorities to acquaint themselves with the condition of the active forces in cities and towns, and, with Governor John A. Andrew in co-operation, to start enlistments, fill up quotas, and make exertions to record the standing of all companies. So that when Governor Andrew, on April 15, 1861, called for 1500 men in this State to get under arms, the commanders of the Third, Fourth, Sixth and Eighth regiments were instant in reply. It was a sudden call for Taunton, but the Taunton Minute-Men, - the Light Guard - were alert and away the next morning, with the town awake to the fact of the presence of war. And it was so in every section of New England.

Company G, Fourth Regiment, M. V. M., led the way April 16, 1861, upon receipt of orders, and the departure by train that day was a glorious yet sad send-off; though the echoes of the salvos of the cheering and the speech-making have never died away. And even while the men were entraining for their destination, there were patriots in the crowd of onlookers distributing some of the first of such papers in the State for the benefit of the families of the soldiers of Taunton. Without the knowledge of any member of the company, two subscription papers were started, one being taken by Thompson Newbury, the other by George M. Woodward. Mr. Woodward himself afterwards made the statement that when the company marched to the station to take the train which left the town at about eleven o'clock that morning, more than $6000 had been subscribed as a guarantee fund to be drawn upon by assessments as the money should be needed; and the sum was increased by subsequent subscriptions until it amounted to over $12,000. There were men of all creeds and professions in that first company, and among them was James M. Cushman, last of the old town clerks, and destined to be the first of Taunton's city clerks.

It came about that an honor at the very outset should be credited to this Taunton Light Guard, for, upon arrival with the regiment at Fortress Monroe on April 20, Company G was on the right of the line, with Captain Timothy Gordon as senior officer, and thus it has been spoken of as having been the first company in the Civil War from the North to enter Virginia. The three months' service of the company included its share in the engagement at Big Bethel, on June 9, the mustering out taking place July 22.

It seemed from that time onwards that the town had become as one big recruiting camp, with every available office on the Main street hired by the recruiting officers, and all halls, as well as the highways, themselves, in continual use for drilling; with eloquent military leaders always talking up the immediate necessity for enlistment; with benefit concerts providing liberally as might be for the cause; and with women gathering to sew and to plan for the comfort of the soldiers in camp and field, their work in behalf of the Sanitary Commission being among the most laudable undertakings of the time.

Then in 1862 there was established at Lakeville, nearby, Camp Joe Hooker, where a number of companies mobilized preceding the call to larger camps and actual service. There, at the call for nine months' regiments, went Companies G and K, the Fourth Regiment thus again volunteering; and thence they departed, December 17, 1862, Colonel Henry Walker in command, to the Department of the Gulf, under Major-General Nathaniel P. Banks.

Before this and succeeding companies had left for the front and camp, they were remembered with the most and the best that Taunton could bestow upon her soldier boys; and promises were made and kept for the maintenance of the families of the enlisted men. On certain specified occasions, too, many an officer was made the recipient of sword, epaulettes and pistols from admiring friends and former employers or co-workers. In the line of gift-making it is recalled how, at the beginning of the war, the citizens of Taunton through Hon. Marcus Morton presented Major Robert Anderson, commander of Fort Sumter, Charleston Harbor, S. C., with an elaborate and costly sword, in recognition of that officer's signal courage and patriotism.

The desperate encounters at Port Hudson in March, 1862, found the Fourth Regiment, in which Charles H. Paull was senior captain, to the fore. On June 14th that year, occurred that disaster that brought sorrow to many Taunton homes, and in which Captain William H. Bartlett, of Company K, was killed, while in charge of two companies from the Fourth, and three from other regiments, engaged in carrying hand grenades. Captain Bartlett was one of the tireless workers in the early recruiting days, and in all wartime effort while he was in Taunton, and no one was more highly regarded. It is for him that the Post No. 3 of the Grand Army of the Republic, in Taunton, was named. At the death of Captain Bartlett, the command of Company K devolved upon Lieutenant John H. Church; and Lieutenant Philander Williams became quartermaster upon the promotion of Lieutenant L. J. Lothrop to the brigade staff. After performing garrison duty, the regiment embarked for Boston August 14, and was mustered out of the service August 28.

The Seventh Massachusetts Regiment was one of the notable regiments of the war, and its performances are enthusiastically recalled by townsmen and veterans at this hour - veterans who continue annually to gather at Taunton, for reunion and reminiscence. The enrollments of the companies here in 1861 were of the most stirring nature. General Darius N. Couch, of Taunton, a veteran of the Mexican War, was the first colonel of the Seventh Massachusetts, and he received his first introduction to Governor John A. Andrew, by Hon. Samuel L. Crocker, one of Taunton's leading citizens. Under his direction ten companies were organized, at first known as the Fifteenth Regiment of Infantry, First Division; this was on May 21, 1861. On May 29th, the officers of this regiment, as commissioned, were: Colonel Darius N. Couch, of Taunton; Lieutenant-Colonel Charles W. Green, of Fall River; Major David E. Holman, of Attleboro. The title of the Fifteenth was then changed to the Fourth, and soon after to the Seventh. The regiment then encamped at Camp Old Colony from the latter part of May, 1861 to July 12, it having been mustered into the service, June 15. Meantime on July lst, the regiment marched over to Taunton Green, where it was presented with a handsome silk national flag by Edmund N. Baylies. After participating in the July 4th celebration on the Green, the regiment broke camp on July 12th, and on the 15th arrived at Washington, D. C., where it was quartered at the Capitol. Participation in great battles and long marches followed, for four years - the Seventh having its full share on the Peninsula, at Fredericksburg, and Antietam, in 1862; at Fredericksburg and Gettysburg in 1863; Chancellorsville, Wilderness, Spottsylvania, North Anna River and Cold Harbor, in 1863-1864. The regiment was mustered out of service on Taunton Green, July 5, 1864, and those of its members whose terms of service had not expired at the date of the muster-out of the regiment, were transferred to the Thirty-Seventh Regiment.

Other regiments in which Tauntoi men were enlisted in numbers were: the Eighteenth M. V. I., mustered in, August 24, 1861, and mustered out, September 2, 1864, its members whose terms of service had not expired at the muster-out being transferred to the Thirty-Second Regiment; the Twenty-Second M. V. I., mustering in, October 5, 1861, and mustering out October 17, 1864, with the exception of Company E, which mustered out October 20, 1864. Those in that regiment whose term of service had not expired were transferred to the Thirty-Second Regiment. The Twenty-Ninth, M. V. I., whose companies were mustered in, and left the State at different times, also had many Taunton men. Re-enlisting as a regiment, it was mustered out July 29, 1865; also the Thirty-Third, M. V. I., mustered in August 13, 1862, and out, July 11, 1865; the Thirty-Ninth, M. V. I., mustered in September 4, 1862, and out, June 2, 1865. The Forty-Eighth, M. V. I., with its own organization of eight companies, was completed April 25, 1864, and mustered out July 14, 1865.

Company C of the Twenty-Second Massachusetts, whose officers and non-commissioned officers had seen service in Company G, Fourth Regiment, was recruited in Taunton in the summer of 1861, was named the "Gordon Guard," after Captain Timothy Gordon, and served for three years in the Army of the Potomac. The roster includes mostly those men who lived in Taunton, and the company was of no cost whatever to the town, as money was contributed and aid given in many ways by Hon. Henry Williams, Hon. Samuel L. Crocker, Captain Timothy Gordon, S. N. Staples and William H. Phillips.

gressional District for the draft in May, 1863, John W. D. Hall, of Taunton, was commissioned provost-marshal, ranking as captain of cavalry; Nathaniel Wales, of Stoughton, was commissioner; and Henry B. Hubbard, M.D., was surgeon of the board. The first draft was held in Templar Hall, July 15, 1863, and 334 names were drawn for the quota of Taunton. During the call and drafts, Taunton furnished 1652 men.

One of the last acts of the city government of 1888 was to provide money for a bronze memorial tablet that was cast in 1889, and placed in the corridor of City Hall, to preserve the names of the 141 soldiers who died in the Civil War.

Members of the brave old guard lived to see and some of them to share in many ways, two other conflicts - the Spanish-American and the World Wars. Freely, they gave money and equipments, as well as many members of their families. But their own self-sacrifice is one of the unforgettable martial deeds of all time. From the wars of colonial self-assertion through the absolute national independence won in the Revolutionary struggle, and past the war of civilians for the liberation of a struggling race - thus far had proceeded crusading Taunton of the Old Colony.

Spanish-American War. - Toward empire and aggrandizement, as some asserted; toward the world's larger liberty, through United States intervention, as many believed, this country assumed the weight of the responsibilities of civilizing the islands of the sea. The War with Spain was a war for freedom, also, and for deliverance from the bondage of oppression.

Taunton's share in that war was that of the frontiersman, - the soldier on guard, and in momentary readiness for whatever further summons might come. Therefore, on April 18, 1898, the call for a company of volunteers was opened at Elks' Hall, with Captain A. S. Eldridge, formerly in command of Company G, as chairman of the meeting, and William H. Reed as secretary. Those who were enrolled at that time were as follows: Captain A. S. Eldridge, Richard H. Butler, Frederick H. Walker, Charles H. Seekell, Joseph H. Chaisty, J. Lucey, E. K. Vanderwarker, Frank A. Sullivan, T. E. Hatch, Richard Marley. On April 21, Captain (now Major) Norris O. Danforth was ordered by Colonel Charles Pfaff to receive all available recruits for increasing the enrollment to one hundred; and Captain Danforth requested the local newspapers to display a bulletin for recruits to be enrolled at the armory. That night there were thirty recruits enrolled, and Captain Eldridge advised his men to fill out the ranks of Battery F, first. Charles H. Seekell being the first man to sign hisname. The opening gun in the War with Spain was fired April 22, and as a result the number of recruits for service increased to over forty. That day a meeting for the formation of a company of naval reserves was held, with an enrollment of twenty-five; but this contingent was not required in the service.

The House passed the declaration of war, April 25, in one minute and forty-five seconds, by a unanimous vote; and Captain Danforth received a telegram at 5:10 o'clock that evening to assemble his command immediately; and through the squad system they fell into line, with every man present or accounted for. The local company, Battery F, with the Fall River and New Bedford companies, were the first reporting for duty in Boston next morning outside of the South Armory.

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The departure of Battery F for its tour of duty at Fort Warren was an occasion of much patriotic enthusiasm, the company being escorted to the depot by the veterans of the Grand Army and the cadets. The aldermen and common council, the mayor presiding, passed a joint resolution pledging support to President McKinley, and promising that the families of the soldiers would be cared for, and their positions retained for them. Battery F, with Batteries E, I and M, remained at Fort Warren until September 19, 1898, and were then ordered to Framingham, where they remained until October 5, and were then ordered home for a furlough of thirty days, being mustered out November 14 by Lieutenant John B. Hains, now colonel of field artillery, U.S. A. The First Regiment of Heavy Artillery lost but one man by death - Henry A. Williams, of Battery F.

At the muster-out, a number of men re-enlisted, some going to China, some to the Philippines: William A. Dobson served as a lieutenant in the Twenty-Third Infantry in the World War; Captain Frank A. D. Bullard, corporal in 1898, went as captain of the Ninth company in the World War.