The 21st Connecticut Infantry Regiment was an

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

that served in the Union Army during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

Service

The 21st Connecticut Infantry Regiment was organized at

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of the county of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. It lies by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. The population of the Norwich ...

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

, on September 20, 1862, to serve for three years, under the command of

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

Arthur H. Dutton. The regiment was attached to 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division,

IX Corps 9 Corps, 9th Corps, Ninth Corps, or IX Corps may refer to: France * 9th Army Corps (France) * IX Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars Germany * IX Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German ...

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the primary field army of the Union army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the Battle of ...

, to January 1863. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, IX Corps, to April 1863. 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division,

VII Corps 7th Corps, Seventh Corps, or VII Corps may refer to: * VII Corps (Grande Armée), a corps of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars * VII Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army prior to and during World War I * VII ...

Department of Virginia The Department of Virginia and North Carolina was a United States Military department encompassing Union-occupied territory in the Confederate States during the Civil War. In 1863, it was formed by the merging of two previously existing departm ...

, to July 1863. 3rd Brigade, Getty's Division, Portsmouth, Virginia,

Department of Virginia and North Carolina The Department of Virginia and North Carolina was a United States Military department encompassing Union-occupied territory in the Confederate States during the Civil War. In 1863, it was formed by the merging of two previously existing departm ...

, to October 1863. Heckman's Command, Newport News, Virginia, Department of Virginia and North Carolina, to February 1864. Defenses of New Bern, North Carolina, Department of Virginia and North Carolina, to March 1864. Sub-District of the Pamlico, North Carolina, Department of Virginia and North Carolina, to May 1864. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, XVIII Corps, Department of Virginia and North Carolina, to December 1864. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, XXIV Corps, Department of Virginia, to June 1865. The 21st Connecticut Infantry mustered out of service June 16, 1865.

Detailed service

Left Connecticut for Washington, D.C., September 11. Duty at Arlington Heights, Virginia, Defenses of Washington, D.C., November 1862. March to Falmouth, Virginia, November 7–19. Battle of Fredericksburg, December 12–15. Burnside's 2nd Campaign, "Mud March," January 20–24, 1863. Moved to Newport News, Virginia, February 6–9, then to Suffolk, Virginia, March 13. Siege of Suffolk April 12 – May 4. Chuckatuck and Reed's Ferry, Nansemond River, May 3. Siege of Suffolk raised May 4. Reconnaissance to Chickahominy June 9–16. Moved to Portsmouth, Virginia, June 16. Provost and guard duty at Portsmouth and Norfolk November 10. Moved to Newport News November 10, and duty there February 1864. Expedition up the James River to Fort Powhatan January 24–25. Smithfield February 1. Moved to Morehead City, North Carolina, February 3, then to New Bern February 12, and duty there, Plymouth, and Washington, North Carolina, April. Near Blount's Creek April 5. Moved to Portsmouth, Virginia, April 28. Butler's operations on south side of the James River and against Petersburg and Richmond May 10–28. Swift Creek, or Arrow field Church, May 10. Operations against Fort Darling May 12–16. Battle of Drewry's Bluff May 14–16. At Bermuda Hundred May 17–27. Moved to White House, then to Cold Harbor May 27–31. Battles about Cold Harbor June 1–12. Before Petersburg June 15–18. Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond June 16, 1864 to April 2, 1865. Hare's Hill June 24–28, 1864. In the trenches at Bermuda Hundred August 25 – September 27, 1864. Chaffin's Farm, New Market Heights, September 28–30. Fair Oaks October 27–28. Duty in trenches before Richmond March, 1865. Expedition to Fredericksburg March 5–8, and up the Potomac River March 11–13. Moved to White House March 13–18, then to Signal Hilt, before Richmond, March 24–26. Occupation of Richmond April 3. Moved to Columbia April 28, and duty there June.

Casualties

The regiment lost a total of 175 men during service; 5 officers and 55 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded; 1 officer and 114 enlisted men died of disease.

Commanders

* Colonel Arthur H. Dutton * Lieutenant Colonel Thomas F. Burpee - commanded during Bermuda Hundred Campaign and Cold Harbor, promoted posthumously to colonel * Lieutenant Colonel James F. Brown - commanded during the Appomattox Campaign *

Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

Hiram B. Crosby - commanded during the Siege of Suffolk

Notable members

* Private Wallace A. Beckwith, Company F -

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

recipient for action at the

Battle of Fredericksburg The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. The combat between the Union Army, Union Army of the Potomac commanded by Major general ( ...

* Corporal F. Clarence Buck, Company A - Medal of Honor recipient for action at the

Battle of Chaffin's Farm A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

William Stone Hubbell, Company A - Medal of Honor recipient for action at the Battle of Chaffin's Farm * Corporal John Gideon Palmer, Company F - Medal of Honor recipient for action at the Battle of Fredericksburg Congressional Medal of Honor Society profile
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References

* Dyer, Frederick H. ''A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion'' (Des Moines, IA: Dyer Pub. Co.), 1908. * Hatch, Terry. ''Two Yankees in Georgia: A True Tale of Whaling, War and Survival in the 1800s'' (S.l.: 1stBooks), 2003. * Hubbell, William Stone, Delos D. Brown, Alvin Millen Crane
''The Story of the Twenty-First Regiment, Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, During the Civil War, 1861–1865''
(Middletown, CT: Press of the Stewart Print. Co.), 1900. ;Attribution *

Notes

{{reflist Military units and formations established in 1862 Military units and formations disestablished in 1865 21st Connecticut Infantry Regiment 1862 establishments in Connecticut