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Civil War Archive of Connecticut Volunteer, with Descriptions of the Battle of Fredericksburg and Service in Southeastern Virginia and North Carolina
Civil War Archive of Connecticut Volunteer, with Descriptions of the Battle of Fredericksburg and Service in Southeastern Virginia and North Carolina
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Description:

Civil War

Civil War Archive of Connecticut Volunteer, with Descriptions of the Battle of Fredericksburg and Service in Southeastern Virginia and North Carolina

 

This small archive includes three Civil War diaries written by Joel E. Griffin of the 15th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry in 1862, 1863, and 1864. Griffin provides daily entries of his life in the regiment, weather, illnesses, and especially interesting accounts of the regiment’s participation in the Battle of Fredericksburg and in the Confederate siege of Suffolk, Virginia. His 1864 diary ends with the regiment in New Bern, North Carolina. Within a few months, nearly the entire regiment, including Griffin, had been captured by Confederates at the Battle of Wyse Fork, near Kinston. The archive also includes a pocket Methodist hymnal and copy of John Bunyan’s "Pilgrim’s Progress", together with a Bible given to a young child in Massachusetts in 1925.

 

Archive of three Civil War diaries and three associated books. Preprinted diaries for 1862, 1863, 1864, with daily handwritten entries. Approximately 140 pp. each, 3.25" x 5". 1862 diary lacks back cover and cover flap and has spine damage; 1863 diary has spine and cover damage, lacks cover flap and pages for December 27-31; 1864 diary has intact cover and flap, a few loose pages. John Bunyan, "The Pilgrim’s Progress from This World to That Which is to Come" (New York: American Tract Society, n.d.), 376 pp., 3.75" x 6", with ownership signature of “R. M. Decker Jr / So. Norwalk / Conn / Dec 11th 1865.” Spine missing and covers detached; interior staining. Richard M. Decker Jr. (1846-1887) worked in a hat factory in Fairfield, Connecticut, as an adult. "Hymns for the Use of the Methodist Episcopal Church, Revised Edition" (New York: Carlton and Lanahan, 1849), 714 pp., 2.25" x 3.25", with ownership signature on inside front cover of “Joel Griffin.” Front cover detached, some damage to spine, title page missing.  "The Holy Bible" (American Standard Version) (New York: Thomas Nelson, 1901), with inscription, “Presented to Renfield Lamphere upon his graduation from the Primary Dep’t, June 14, 1925 Newton Centre Methodist Church / Ralph E. Davis / Minister.” Approximately 1,064 pp., 4" x 6". Some edge damage to cover. Renfield D. Lamphere (1917-2010) was born in Boston and grew up in Newton, Massachusetts. His wife Dorothy Marietta Morehouse (1915-1997) was a granddaughter of Joel E. Griffin.

 

Joel E. Griffin (1843-1934) was born in New York, and his mother died in 1859. He lived with his father and siblings in 1860 in New Haven, Connecticut, where he worked as a railroad fireman. He enlisted as a private in Company C of the 15th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry on July 16, 1862. He fought in a minor skirmish at Long Bridge, prior to the Battle of Antietam. He was taken prisoner at the Battle of Wyse Fork in North Carolina in March 1865, and transported over the next two weeks to the infamous Libby Prison in Richmond. After spending three days in the prison, Griffin and the other members of his regiment were paroled to the Union Army down the James River and transported to Annapolis, Maryland. Griffin was mustered out with his regiment on his twenty-second birthday in June 1865, and discharged at New Haven on July 12, 1865. In 1866, he married Marietta Nash (1850-1923), and they had ten children between 1868 and 1890. In 1870, Griffin was a machinist in New Haven, and by 1880, he had moved to Bridgeport, Connecticut.

 

Sheldon B. Thorpe acknowledged the value of Griffin’s “complete diary and excellent memory” in assisting Thorpe to write "The History of the Fifteenth Connecticut Volunteers in the War for the Defense of the Union, 1861-1865", published in 1893.

 

Excerpts

-          Pocket Diary for 1862. Includes first-hand account of the Battle of Fredericksburg.

July 16, 1862: “Went to Plainville. It is very warm. Quit work on the R—R—d. and enlisted in Capt Smith’s company Henry Davies went with me, and were sworn into the U.S. Service.”

July 28: “I like soldiering quite well.”

August 2: “We were mustered in today.”

August 7: “Got paid $10.00 state Bounty today.”

August 8: “We were payed off today. $5.00 Town bounty.”

August 25: “Were mustered into the U.S. Service.”

August 30: “Stayed in Baltimore last night. We started from Baltimore for Washington at 7 A.M. Arrived in Washington at 12. M. started for camp at Arlington Heights at 5. P.M. where we arrived at 6.45. P.M. have no tents.”

November 8: “The weather cool and clear. We got our stove and fixed our bunks. Did not have to do duty. The snow fell about 4 inches deep yesterday.”

December 5: “It snowed considerable today. We started at 9. A.M. We marched 15 miles yesterday & the same to-day. We arrived at our camp at Liverpool Point at 3. P.M. and had a hard days march today.”

December 9: “I washed my clothes, and we marched before I got them dry. Marched six miles to the front.”

December 10: “Our Brig started for Fredericksburg at 9 A M. arrived there at 3.P.M.”

December 11: “Our forces commenced shelling the Rebels at 6.A.M. I have 92 rounds of cartridge Co C numbered 58 men & 64 the Color Guard included  Our forces kept shelling Fredericksburg all day until dark.”

December 12: “Our Brig commenced crossing the river at 9 A M.... Firing commenced early with artillery. The Rebels shelled us at 3 P.M. and wounded some men in Co. B. Our Brig crossed the bridge at 6 P.M and stayed in the main st of the city all night.”

December 13: “We stayed in the city last night. every thing quiet up to 9.A.M. Weather pleasant. There was terrible artillery firing and musketry fighting all day Our Brig went on the field at 6.P.M. but our Regt had orders to stay under a hill close by all night.”

December 14: “Our Regt marched back to the city at 7.A.M. The fighting commenced at 6 A.M. & ceased at 10.A.M.”

December 15: “It was quiet all day. The Rebels threw some shells into the streets. But did but little injury. We were draw[n] up in line of battle back of the city at 9.P.M. and lay there about an hour and fell back across the river at 12 mid night to our old camp.”

During the Battle of Fredericksburg, the 15th Connecticut was a part of the 2nd Brigade of the 3rd Division of the IX Corps under the command of Brigadier General Orlando B. Wilcox. The IX Corps at that time had a total of 31 regiments and five batteries.

December 18: “This is the coldest day we have had yet. I do not feel well. I have the dioreoh [diarrhea] very bad & a hard cough.”

 

-          Pocket Diary for 1863.

January 18, 1863: “John Fields died this morning. He is the first man that has died in our Co.”

January 23: “Our forces fell back today it is very mudy the pontoon boats got stuck in the mud.”

February 6: “We marched at 9 oclock A.M. went on the cars to Aquia Creek arrived there at 10½ P.M. Went on board the Steamer Lewis & stayed all night.”

February 7: “We started at 1 P.M. for Fortress Monroe, arrived there at 11.P.M. & anchored for the night.”

February 8: “We started from Fortress Monroe at 12 noon & arrived at Newport News at 2 P.M. landed and went into barracks.”

February 28: “Went to the Dr was excused, my eyes feel better We were mustered for two months pay.”

March 21: “I went to the Dr’s got some powders for the diarehia & a ration of whiskey.”

April 13: “Our artilery comenced firing at 11.A.M. & continued all day.”

April 15: “The artilery & infantry kept firing all day  I went to the Drs was ex and gave me some medicine.”

April 22: “Genl’s Halleck & Dix came here yesterday  I feel better to day. Our Regt were to march at 8 but it was countermanded. There were more troops arrived last night.”

April 23: “Sharpshooters fired lively this morning  Shelled the Rebels quite lively all night.”

April 24: “There was an attack made on the Rebels by our forces at 2 P.M. and we drove them to their batteries. Our Regt had 4 wounded. Our forces behaved gallantly. Our forces fetched in some prisoners & cattle & hogs.”

May 4: “Our forces recrossed the river, & more fresh ones went out last night. We are driving them before us. Our Cavelry has been almost to Blackwater. They are in full retreat.”

On April 11, 1863, Confederate Lieutenant General James Longstreet’s forces moved against the Union garrison, commanded by Major General John Peck, at Suffolk, Virginia, just a few miles north of the North Carolina border. Major General George Pickett’s forces probed the Union lines and drove in the pickets, but found the Union position too strong for a frontal attack. The Union navy under Rear Admiral Samuel P. Lee sent in two flotillas from the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron to provide naval support. Peck had General George W. Getty of the IX Corps defend his left flank along the Nansemond River. On April 19, Union soldiers took a steamer to Hill’s Point, where the Confederates had erected a fort, and captured the fort and 130 prisoners without firing a shot. After holding the fort for two days, the Union troops abandoned it and returned across the river. On May 3, Longstreet discontinued the siege to join General Robert E. Lee at Chancellorsville, more than 120 miles to the northwest.

May 26: “Vicksburgs reported taken by the union forces the report is offered by signed by U.S. Genl Grant.”

June 9: “Capt Smith gave his concent for me to drive an ambulance.”

June 15: “The rest of our Regt were payed off this morning.... 12 of our Company were put in the guard house for being absent from Roll Call.”

June 24: “I went in the Elizabeth river bathing & claming  I got two dozen round clams. I had them boiled for supper.”

July 27: “There were quite a number in the guard house, Cause beer.”

September 17: “A deserter from Spears Cavelry was shot to-day.”

October 26: “We built an addition to our tent & built a chimney.”

October 29: “I got some brick.... Finished our chimney.”

November 9: “A detail shot (of our Reg F) two deserters of the 8th C. V. at 11.A.M. The 8th 11th 15th 16th CV were present.”

November 23: “A detail of Colord troops & a Lieut were picking up negros for soldiers.”

November 26: “There is a report that Genl Grant has captured one corps of Genl Braggs army, Coll Tolls furnished the whiskey.”

 

-          Pocket Diary for 1864.

January 14, 1864: “Capt Smith and a large detail of our Regt & of the 8th went to Norfolk to get some skedadlers.”

January 21: “Started at 9 A.M. Went on the Steamer transport S. R. Spaulding started from Portsmouth at 10 P.M. 4 Cos of the 16th went with us.”

January 22: “I was sea-sick, a great many were sea-sick. Passed Cape Hatteras at 5.P.M.”

January 23: “Arrived at Moorhead City at 10 A.M. and landed. Left Moorhead City at 5 P.M. & arrived at New Bern by cars at 7 P.M. Left Newbern at 10 P.M. on the Thos Collyer for Plymouth N.C.”

February 3: “Left the wharf on the Thos Collyer at 7 P.M. for Newbern.”

April 27: “The rebels showed themselves on the hill at 8.A.M. We commenced firing on them. The 1st N.C. Vols. Marched at 11 A.M. Our Co took charge of the Ft. The 6th R.I. Battery came at 5.P.M.”

April 28: “Lay by the guns all night & commenced shelling them at sunrise. Sent out a Co of skirmishers & brought in the two that were killed yesterday.”

May 10: “The report is the army crossed the rapidan & Lee fell back to Richmond  Petersburg reported captured & burned.”

June 20: “Our Regt started at 7 A.M. Went on the cars to Batchelors Creek several other Regts & some batteries are going with them.”

June 23: “Our Regt returned to Batchelors Creek last night  they captured 16 prisoners.”

July 16: “2 Years ago to-day I enlisted.”

September 7: “Fifty seven recruits came to our Regt.”

September 9: “One Hundred guns were fired at Fr. Totten in honor to the capture of Atlanta.”

September 22: “7 died down town to day.”

September 23: “Two Commisary Buildings were burned today to prevent the spreading of the fever.”

October 6: “Capt Smith died of the Yellow Fever, and was buryed with military honors.”

October 7: “Seven died in our Regt the last 24 hours. Sperry died this morning.”

October 17: “No rations came, and a hungry set we are.”

October 29: “Lieut. Thompson died. He was in command of our Co. He was buryed with military honors.”

December 11: “Came on to a picket post at 10 A.M. Had a skirmish with the Rebels within three miles of Kinstown, and drove them out of their works. Went into camp at 5.P.M.”

 

A monument to the 15th Connecticut Infantry at the New Bern National Cemetery honors members of the regiment who died in combat at the Battle of Wyse Fork/Kinston in March 1865, as well as approximately 70 men who died of disease at New Bern.

 

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

 

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