"Youth, pride in such a service, and the novel duties and scenes in which they were soon to act gave the "enchantment of distance" to a life filled with hardship, danger, and death."

Colonel William H. Noble

Contents

Introduction

Major Allen G. Brady

Sgt. Edwin O. Harrison

Lt. Hanford Hayes

Hubbell's in the 17th

Pvt. Timothy Donovan

Musician Henry Huss

Sgt. Isaac Crissy

Pvt. Francis H. Ferry

Pvt. George S. Ferry

Surgeon Robert Hubbard

Chaplain William K. Hall

Robert Hubbard, M.D., was born in upper Middletown, now the town of Cromwell, Conn., April 27, 1826, being the son of Jeremiah and Elizabeth Hubbard. His father was a sea captain for many years in the West India trade, but finally left the sea and gave his whole time to the cultivation of his farm. He was descended from a prominent line of the Hubbard family which came to Boston about 1634, and afterwards removed to the vicinity of Hartford or Middletown. The mother of Robert Hubbard was Elizabeth Roberts, whose father was a farmer of Middletown, Conn., and whose land possessions included the beautiful site now occupied by the Connecticut Hospital for the Insane.

Robert Hubbard was reared on the farm, attending public school winters, as was the custom of the time, until he was seventeen years of age, when he entered the academy at Cromwell, Conn., Mr. Jared O. Knapp—afterwards a clergyman—being principal, and whose special favor was of great value to the young student, who gave every energy to the improvement of his opportunities for education, during the two succeeding years, employing his vacations on the farm ad in other ways to replenish the continued depleted treasury. At the end of three years he had prepared himself, and entered Yale College in 1846. At the end of the Freshman year he was offered the position of principal in the Durham Academy, which he accepted intending to return to college after securing funds for that purpose. During the first year in the academy he continued his college studies, but was then induced by Doct. Benjamin Fowler to enter upon a course of medical study, and at the end of the second year in the academy he entered Doctor Fowler’s office as a medical student. From the first he manifested peculiar aptness in this study, and hence success in it was no difficult attainment. At the end of one year with Doctor Fowler, he removed to New Haven and entered the office of Doct. Nathan B. Ives, where he continued his studies, and also attended Medical lectures at Yale College, where he graduated in 1851, as Valedictorian of his class.

In the autumn of 1851 he settled in Bridgeport as a physician and hung his sign in the shutter of a drug store in Wall Street and boarded with Capt. Hinman, then proprietor of the City Hotel. He rapidly secured friends and an established practice and in May, 1854, formed a co-partnership with Doct. David H. Nash, which continued successfully for seventeen years. On April 25, 1855, he married Cornelia Boardman, youngest daughter of Sherman and Sophia Hartwell, and they have one son and two daughters, all residents of Bridgeport.

In 1861, upon recommendation of the State Medical Society, he was appointed by Governor Buckingham one of the eight Medical Examiners of Surgeons and assistant Surgeons for regiments raised in this state. In 1862 he was commissioned Surgeon of the 17th Regiment Conn. Volunteer Infantry. After a few months service in this capacity he was promoted to be Surgeon of brigade under General Howard and shortly before the battle of Chancellorsville was promoted to be Surgeon of General Devens’s division. For meritorious conduct at Chancellorsville he was again promoted to Medical Inspector—assistant medical director—on his staff. At the battle of Gettysburg he served as Medical Director in charge of the 11th Corps, after which he joined his regiment at Collett’s (Catlett’s) Station, Va. When the 11th Corps was ordered to Lookout Mountain he again served as its Medical Director under General Hooker and in that capacity took part in the battles of Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge and Ringold. Shortly after this campaign he was forced, on account of ill health, to resign his commission and return to his practice at Bridgeport. In 1870 a severe attack of sciatica impelled him to spend some months in Germany. In 1871, his wife, Mrs. Hubbard, died, and the same year his partnership with Doctor Nash was dissolved. In 1874 and also in 1876 he represented the city of Bridgeport in the General Assembly, and twice he was nominated on the republican ticket for the 4th Congressional district. In 1879 he was elected president of the Connecticut Medical Society. In 1883 he spent the summer in European travel, and again in 1885 he went abroad for a short time. Doctor Hubbard, notwithstanding his thirty-five years of constant labor in his profession is still engaged in active labor as a physician.

Additional:

During the compilation of this most valuable work, after a life of usefulness and philanthropy, the mortal remains of Dr. Hubbard, Connecticut’s greatest physician and surgeon, was laid to rest.

Dr. Robert Hubbard, M.D., was a native of Cromwell, Conn., and was born April 26, 1827. He was the son of Jeremiah and Elizabeth Hubbard; both of whom descended from old colonial families. His schooling was garrnered in his native village, when his labors were not needed at the farm; and at the age of seventeen he entered the Academy at Cromwell. Here he prepared himself for a course in college; entering Yale in 1846. After a year of study, he left the university to accept a position as Principal of the Academy at Durham. He was then persuaded by Dr. Benjamin Fowler to take up the study of medicine; and in 1851, after attending a course of lectures at Yale University, he graduated with the distinguished honor of being valedictorian of his class.

After receiving his diploma, he came to this city to begin active practice of his profession; and his success, though difficult at first to overcome the prejudice of a young physician, was eventually beyond his expectations.

In 1855 he married Miss Cornelia Hartwell, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Sherman Hartwell.

At the breaking out of the Civil War, Dr. Hubbard, upon the recommendation of the State Medical Society, was appointed by Governor Buckingham to the post of examiner of the candidates for appointment, as Surgeon and Assistant Surgeon for the regiments raised in Connecticut. In 1862 he went to the front as Surgeon of the 17th Connecticut Volunteers. After serving untiringly in most of the principal battles, and reaching the important rank of Medical Inspector, ill health made his retirement necessary, and he then returned to Bridgeport to resume his practice.

Dr. Hubbard took a prominent part in political affairs, and in 1874 and 1876, was elected as one of the city’s representatives in the General Assembly. The Connecticut Medical Society, recognizing great ability, elected him President of that organization, which office he held from 1879 to 1883. Since then he has gradually given up active practice, confining himself only to consultations and to patients who would not be treated by any other physician.

The demise of Dr. Hubbard was a sad blow to Bridgeport, and his charity and benevolence will not be forgotten, and now, “After life’s fitful fever, he sleeps well.”