SEVENTEENTH CONNECTICUT
The Record of a Yankee Regiment
IN THE WAR FOR THE UNION
From the Journal of William H. Warren, Private, of Co. C
No. 20 - IN FLORIDA
February 23rd the regiment left Folly Island for Florida, and arrived in Jacksonville at noon the next day. General Gilmore in command in Florida had been whipped by the enemy, and our brigade was sent on to reinforce him.
We remained in Jacksonville, or rather, on its outskirts, until April 16th.
March 5th we got word that Captain Allen of Company F had been promoted to be major of the regiment.
April 12th the Seventh Connecticut, in camp near us, left Florida. Our regiment escorted them to the boat, and the two regiments heartily cheered each other.
April 16th our brigade was broken up, and we were scattered. Our regiment went to St. Augustine, where it relieved the Tenth Connecticut.
April 25th five companies started into the state, toward the St. John's River. On the way nine men came up to us, two of them mounted. They said they had been in the confederate army, but had deserted. Two of them were in the battles of Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. They deserted in the last fight and found their way back to Florida. The nine had a field of corn planted for sustenance, but hearing of the approach of the rebel commander, Dickson, they had left their field and came to us. They knew Dickson would hang them.
The regiment remained here during the rest of its term of service. The duty was light, and the boys enjoyed themselves thoroughly---as soldiers. It was barrack duty all the time, and somewhat monotonous, but it was much better than the suffering of the field; although we did have two serious engagements with the enemy which will now be detailed.
The first of these was
FINNEGANS RAIDS
In June 1864 Gen. Gordon, after he took command, centered all the troops in Florida in the vicinity of St. Augustine and Jacksonville, placing Colonel Noble in command of the district east of the St. John's river.
General Gordon ordered Colonel Noble with the Seventeenth, and a command of 1,200 men to concentrate at Jacksonville, and on transports supplied by the navy, proceed up to McGirts's Creek, make a landing by night and thenext day reach the rear of Camp Milton, an extensive fortification of the enemy. The enemy had notice of our approach by a scout and fled. Camp Milton was between Jacksonville and Baldwin.
Next morning General Gordon commenced his return to Jacksonville with the troops under Colonel Noble, and about the same number that had come from Jacksonville under Colonel Shaw. On the way back there was a sharp attack by the rebs, when several were killed, but none from the Seventeenth.
Upon our arrival at Jacksonville it was found that General Birney was placed in command of Florida, and General Gordon relieved. Soon after General Birney's arrival he sent Col. Noble an order to take all his force under him, together with his regiment---except a company to garrison the fort---and all the native scouts he could mount, and proceed with them at once to Picolata, on the St. John's river, whence with other troops coming from Jacksonville, under Gen. Birney, proceeded down the St. John's to Magnolia, thence up the Black river by boat and march to Milton, where the night was passed. Next morning the march was made for Baldwin, which was reached on third day, the rebels disappearing upon our approach. Here the regiment remained a week or two, when a portion of them were ordered to Magnolia, and the balance under Lieut. Col. Wilcoxson, after remaining at Baldwin several weeks, were ordered on an expedition by the Sands Lake and Bellamy road, destroying on their route the Cedar Keys R.R. and made Magnolia after four days' march. The expedition came back to Magnolia with several wagons loaded with cotton drawn by mule teams, about 100 contrabands, large quantities of burnt cotton, and some cotton gins. At Magnolia the regiment remained some time in garrison at this port with other regiments. At Baldwin Gen. Birney was relieved and Gen. Hatch was put in command.
RAID TO DUNN'S LAKE
Soon after the above raid Col. Noble was ordered to take the Seventy-fifth Ohio, that was mounted, down on the east side of the St. John's to break up several recruiting stations of the rebels. Colonel proceeded from Magnolia up the St. John's with the steamer Hatte Brock to Dunn's Lake, and through said lake to near Braddock's farm, and proceeded thence to the head of Dexter lake in aid of the mounted expedition. After this raid, Colonel went back to Magnolia and stayed a while. The part at Magnolia was then broken up, the gunboat on the river removed, and the only part left on the St. John's was the detachment of the Seventeenth at Picolata.
The first week in May Companies B, F, G, H and K did scout duty. May 9th Companies G and F returned to camp, leaving the other companies behind to guard captured property.
May 19, twenty-four members of Company B, stationed at Welaka, were captured by a mounted squad of Dickinson's command. Company B's men were completely surprised, and the capture was made without a shot being fired.
May 21, in the afternoon, orders came to march. We drew ten days' rations, eighty crackers. At 4 p.m. we left Augustine, marched twenty-one miles to a picket post, which we reached at 1 o'clock in the night.
At 7 a.m. the 22nd we started again, and marched in all 31 miles that day. It was a hard march, a large number of the men falling out. We remained here during the 23rd. On the morning of the 24th we started back and marched to the "Twenty-one mile house", where we camped the first night out. It was another severe march. At 4 o'clock p.m. of May 25th we got back into St. Augustine.
On the 28th Companies H and K arrived in St. Augustine from the scout that proved so fatal to Company B.
About the first of June there were many reports afloat which sent us here or there; but all united in taking us out of St. Augustine.
It appears that when we were out on our second raid one of the generals took a dislike to us. He reported that we were no fit for city duty, as we were without discipline. A negro regiment was ordered to relieve us. When the citizens heard of it they signed a paper petitioning that we might remain. This was sent to General Foster, commanding the department, and he ordered the colored regiment elsewhere.
July 19th the 17th and 75th left for Picolata on the St. John's, above Jacksonville. Reached there in the morning of July 20th.
July 22. Four companies of the regiment are encamped about a mile and a half from here, companies A, E, F and H. They are to go to Baldwin and Lake City. July 27 a gunboat came for us, and early in the morning of the 28th took us to Palatka, twenty-five miles above Picolata. We approached Palatka with considerable caution as it was not known how large a force of the enemy might be there. When in gunshot of the place the boat fired a shell over the town. In a moment a man was seen to come out of a house, mount a horse and gallop away. No one else appeared. Two small boats were lowered and manned, and started for the dock dragging a rope net after them. They were fishing for torpedoes. None were found. The gunboat followed after them, to the dock. Here we unloaded, and occupied a brick building near the dock. A family occupied a house close to us, and these were the only white people in the place.
July 31st a boat arrived bringing Companies B and D, and fifty men of the Fourth Massachusetts cavalry.
We stayed in Palatka until August 4th, and it was a pretty lively visit. We had several scouting parties out, and all of them were driven back by the enemy. In one party Lieut. Ruggles and Company K, was captured.
August 4th we left the place. The man on the lookout of the vessel saw about fifty mounted confederates approach the town as we moved away.
SEVENTEENTH CONNECTICUT
The Record of a Yankee Regiment
IN THE WAR FOR THE UNION
From the Journal of William H. Warren, Private, of Co. C
No. 20 (PART 2) - IN FLORIDA
Companies A, E, F and H were stationed at Magnolia, and Companies C, D, and K were quartered at Picolata.
August 22nd the wife of Lieutenant Ward, quartermaster of the regiment, died in St. Augustine. She joined her husband just two months before. Officers of our regiment and of the Seventy-fifth Ohio acted as pall bearers. She was ill but a week. Her death produced a marked effect upon the regiment. The funeral was very largely attended by both citizens and soldiers. She was buried in the cemetery by the side of Confederate General Hendel.
August 27th, Companies F and H arrived in St. Augustine.
August 29th the couralescent at St. Augustine were sent to join their respective companies at the outer stations. I was one of the squad. We marched slowly under the direction of Major Allen. Captain Ayres and Lieutenant Harvey accompanied us. It was night when we reached Picolata.
At the close of August the regiment was quartered as follows: Companies A, B,C, I and K at Picolata. Companies D, E, F, G and H at St. Augustine.
There was considerable complaint in Picolata at this time, of the quality and quantity of the rations. Surgeon Stocking and Major Allen both actively interested themselves in remedying this evil.
On September 8th, the major and several others went down to the river and shot an alligator. He was ten feet and three inches in length. Of this five feet were tail and two feet were head. On the evening of this day Captain Ayres and Lieutenant Harvey, with a detail of men, departed in boats. The next morning they returned, bringing with them a guerrilla whose name was William Phillips.
Three men of Company I got a pass September 12th, and went after oranges. From the orange grove they took a boat to go across the river. When nearly across they were seen by the camp guard, and several cannon shots were fired after them. Lieut, Harvey with a squad of men went in pursuit of them, believing they were the enemy. When they were brought to camp Major Allen had them tied up by their thumbs.
The rations had not improved so far. For breakfast we had hardtack and coffee. Even on the march in Virginia we fared better than this.
The following order was issued to Company C at this time. It will prove interesting reading to the Danbury and Bethel readers of THE NEWS.
Headquarters Co. C, 17th C.V.I.
Special Orders, Sept. 15, '64
No. 1. Hereafter this company will be divided for its regulations as follows:
By order of HENRY QUIEN,
Capt. Commanding, Co. C
17th C.V.I.
A queer incident took place on September 16. A sutler had a big box of small boxes of sardines. The night after his arrival the big box was broken open and fifty small boxes were taken therefrom. When this was known Major Allen was in a rage. The theft was entirely in antagonism to military discipline, and while the Major was one of the easiest and best natured of men in all the ordinary calls upon his nature, he was a strict disciplinarian. He determined he would find out who had purloined these sardines. A number of men were detailed on extra duty, and were told they would be kept there until the thief was known. At the same time an active search of their quarters was made; but not a sardine could be found.
That night, when the picket was relieved, a private of Company A, (the Major's own town, Norwalk), just off duty, was seen taking a box of sardines from beneath the floor of his tent. The act was reported to headquarters. Another search was instituted, and this resulted in finding the missing boxes. They were hidden in the sand near Company A's cook house.
| [Return to top] | [Return to Previous Page] | [Go To Next Page] |