7th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry
Encyclopedia
The 7th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry was an infantry
regiment
that served in the Union Army
during the American Civil War
. Because it was in the same brigade as the 7th New Hampshire Volunteer Regiment
, both regiments were often jointly called the '77th New England'.
on September 13, 1861. It mustered out on July 20, 1865, and discharged at New Haven, Connecticut on August 11, 1865.
In October and November of 1863, the regiment's status changed. It was equipped as a "boat infantry" for the specific purpose of leading an amphibious night assault on Fort Sumter, South Carolina. Although the 7th trained at Folly Island, South Carolina, the project was ultimately ended because it was deemed impractical.
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
that served in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Because it was in the same brigade as the 7th New Hampshire Volunteer Regiment
7th New Hampshire Volunteer Regiment
The 7th New Hampshire Volunteer Regiment was a Union Army infantry regiment that participated in the American Civil War. It was raised in the New England state of New Hampshire, serving from December 13, 1861, to July 17, 1865....
, both regiments were often jointly called the '77th New England'.
Service
The regiment was organized at New Haven, ConnecticutNew Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
on September 13, 1861. It mustered out on July 20, 1865, and discharged at New Haven, Connecticut on August 11, 1865.
In October and November of 1863, the regiment's status changed. It was equipped as a "boat infantry" for the specific purpose of leading an amphibious night assault on Fort Sumter, South Carolina. Although the 7th trained at Folly Island, South Carolina, the project was ultimately ended because it was deemed impractical.
Total strength and casualties
The Regiment, which numbered 1000 men, lost during service 11 Officers and 157 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 4 Officers and 192 Enlisted men by disease. Total 364.Officers
- Alfred TerryAlfred TerryAlfred Howe Terry was a Union general in the American Civil War and the military commander of the Dakota Territory from 1866 to 1869 and again from 1872 to 1886.-Early life and career:...
, Major General, raised and led the regiment - Joseph Roswell HawleyJoseph Roswell HawleyJoseph Roswell Hawley was the 42nd Governor of Connecticut, a U.S. politician in the Republican and Free Soil parties, a Civil War general, and a journalist and newspaper editor. He served two terms in the United States House of Representatives and was a four-term U.S...
, Lieutenant Colonel - Benjamin F. Skinner, Captain and company commander
- Thomas T. MinorThomas T. MinorThomas T. Minor, was a physician, businessman, civic and political leader and the only person to have been elected as mayor of Seattle, Washington and Port Townsend, Washington and founder of the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway....
, Surgeon of the regiment
Enlisted men
- Pvt. Jerome Dupoy of Redding, ConnecticutRedding, ConnecticutMark Twain, a resident of the town in his old age, contributed the first books for a public library which was eventually named after him.-Government:...
- Pvt. John Rowley of Ridgefield, ConnecticutRidgefield, ConnecticutRidgefield is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. Situated in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains, the 300-year-old community had a population of 24,638 at the 2010 census. The town center, which was formerly a borough, is defined by the U.S...
. He was found guilty of the murder of Pvt. Jerome Dupoy by General Court Martial and hung on September 3, 1864 in Petersburg, VirginiaPetersburg, VirginiaPetersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
. - Pvt. William Norton, Company C
- Pvt. Stephen Walkley, Company A of Southington, ConnecticutSouthington, ConnecticutSouthington is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is part of Connecticut's 1st congressional district. It is situated about 20 miles southwest of Hartford, about 80 miles northeast of New York City, 105 miles southwest of Boston and 77 miles west of Providence...
- Corporal Edward D. Phelps of New Haven, Ct, Company F, 7th Regiment Ct Volunteer Infantry, Captured at Drury's Bluff, 16 May 1864. POW at Andersonville-survived ref: Andersonville, Georgia. Andersonville Prisoner of War Database. Andersonville, GA, USA: National Park Service, Andersonville National Historic Site; Andersonville Prisoners of War [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1999.
Principal engagements
- Battle of OlusteeBattle of OlusteeThe Battle of Olustee or Battle of Ocean Pond was fought in Baker County, Florida on 20 February 1864, during the American Civil War. It was the largest battle fought in Florida during the war.-Background:In February 1864, Major General Quincy A...
- Siege of Fort PulaskiFort Pulaski National MonumentFort Pulaski National Monument is located between Savannah and Tybee Island, Georgia. It preserves Fort Pulaski, notable as the place where, during the American Civil War, in 1862, the Union Army successfully tested a rifled cannon. The success of the test rendered brick fortifications obsolete....
- Battle of James IslandBattle of James IslandThe Battle of Secessionville on June 16, 1862, was the defeat of the only Union attempt to capture Charleston, South Carolina, by land during the American Civil War.-Battle:...
- Battery Wagner
- Battle of Drewry's BluffBattle of Drewry's BluffThe Battle of Drewry’s Bluff, also known as the Battle of Fort Darling, or Fort Drewry, took place on May 15, 1862, in Chesterfield County, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. Five American warships, including the ironclads and , steamed up the James River to...
- Siege of PetersburgSiege of PetersburgThe Richmond–Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War...
- Battle of Chaffin's FarmBattle of Chaffin's FarmThe Battle of Chaffin's Farm and New Market Heights, also known as Laurel Hill and combats at Forts Harrison, Johnson, and Gilmer, was fought September 29–30, 1864, as part of the Siege of Petersburg in the American Civil War.-Background:...
- Second Battle of Fort FisherSecond Battle of Fort FisherThe Second Battle of Fort Fisher was a joint assault by Union Army and naval forces against Fort Fisher, outside Wilmington, North Carolina, near the end of the American Civil War...