First Regiment Rhode Island U.S. Volunteers
Encyclopedia
The 1st Rhode Island Infantry were two regiments of the United States Army, the first of which was raised in 1861 at the beginning of the American Civil War
on a 90-day enlistment, the second during the Spanish–American War in 1898.
) of Hunter's Division (David Hunter
) in McDowell's Army of Northeastern Virginia (Irvin McDowell
). The regiment advanced on Manassas, Virginia
, on July 16-21, seeing action at the First Battle of Bull Run
on July 21. It left Washington, D. C. for home on July 25, and mustered out on August 2, 1861. During its service the regiment lost 1 officer and 16 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded, and 8 enlisted men by disease, for a total of 25.
ordered the call up of 125,000 troops. Rhode Island
was directed by Secretary of War Russell A. Alger
to raise a regiment of infantry from existing militia units in lieu of conscripting 720 individuals to augment the Regular Army as U.S. Volunteers
by letter dated April 25, 1898. On May 2 the state established a camp site at Quonset Point
in Rhode Island, and formally named the site "Camp Dyer
" in honor of Governor Elisha Dyer, Jr.
on May 7, 1898. The regiment began to muster until fully assembled between May 10 and 17, with Colonel Charles W. Abbot Jr., commanding. Initially the unit consisted of forty-six officers and 958 enlisted men. This regiment, the only infantry regiment raised on Rhode Island during the war was constituted of several militia infantry units in Rhode Island.
The unit was assigned to the 3rd Division, Second Corps
and reported for duty at Camp Alger
, Virginia
, from late May. However the regiment and the rest of Second Corps left Camp Alger in early August, 1898, due to a typhoid fever
epidemic. The regiment relocated to another part of Virginia at Thoroughfare Gap
in an attempted run from the virus. However, conditions in Thoroughfare Gap resulted in dysentery
and malaria
, and the unit eventually relocated to Camp Meade, Pennsylvania
with the rest of Second Corps in August, 1898. The overcrowded conditions forced the relocation of the 3rd Brigade of the 2nd Division of Second Corps to Camp Fornance, South Carolina
.
The regiment was mustered out of federal service on March 30, 1899 at Columbia, South Carolina
. The unit returned to Providence
and handed over colors to Governor Elisha Dyer
after a parade past city hall on April 1, 1899. At the time of muster-out, the regiment included forty-five officers and 1,039 enlisted men. During its term of service, the unit lost eleven enlisted men who died from disease and one enlisted man who died as the result of an accident. Thirty-five more enlisted men were discharged for disability. Interestingly the unit also had thirteen enlisted men court-martialed and eighty-nine men deserted the regiment.
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...
on a 90-day enlistment, the second during the Spanish–American War in 1898.
1st Rhode Island Volunteer Infantry Regiment
Organized in Rhode Island in April 1861, the regiment moved to Washington, D. C., on April 20 and 24, 1861. After duty at Camp Sprague in the defences of Washington, on July 16 it was attached to Burnside's Brigade (Ambrose BurnsideAmbrose Burnside
Ambrose Everett Burnside was an American soldier, railroad executive, inventor, industrialist, and politician from Rhode Island, serving as governor and a U.S. Senator...
) of Hunter's Division (David Hunter
David Hunter
David Hunter was a Union general in the American Civil War. He achieved fame by his unauthorized 1862 order emancipating slaves in three Southern states and as the president of the military commission trying the conspirators involved with the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.-Early...
) in McDowell's Army of Northeastern Virginia (Irvin McDowell
Irvin McDowell
Irvin McDowell was a career American army officer. He is best known for his defeat in the First Battle of Bull Run, the first large-scale battle of the American Civil War.-Early life:...
). The regiment advanced on Manassas, Virginia
Manassas, Virginia
The City of Manassas is an independent city surrounded by Prince William County and the independent city of Manassas Park in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Its population was 37,821 as of 2010. Manassas also surrounds the county seat for Prince William County but that county...
, on July 16-21, seeing action at the First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run, also known as First Manassas , was fought on July 21, 1861, in Prince William County, Virginia, near the City of Manassas...
on July 21. It left Washington, D. C. for home on July 25, and mustered out on August 2, 1861. During its service the regiment lost 1 officer and 16 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded, and 8 enlisted men by disease, for a total of 25.
1st Regiment, Rhode Island Volunteers
Under proclamation signed April 23, 1898, President William McKinleyWilliam McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
ordered the call up of 125,000 troops. Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
was directed by Secretary of War Russell A. Alger
Russell A. Alger
Russell Alexander Alger was the 20th Governor and U.S. Senator from the state of Michigan and also U.S. Secretary of War during the Presidential administration of William McKinley...
to raise a regiment of infantry from existing militia units in lieu of conscripting 720 individuals to augment the Regular Army as U.S. Volunteers
United States Volunteers
United States Volunteers also known as U.S. Volunteers, U. S. Vol., or U.S.V.Starting as early as 1861 these regiments were often referred to as the "volunteer army" of the United States but not officially named that until 1898.During the nineteenth century this was the United States federal...
by letter dated April 25, 1898. On May 2 the state established a camp site at Quonset Point
Quonset Point
Quonset Point, also known simply as Quonset, is a small peninsula in Narragansett Bay in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It is contained entirely within the town of North Kingstown. "Quonset" is a Native American word likely meaning "small long place".Quonset Point was the location of Naval Air...
in Rhode Island, and formally named the site "Camp Dyer
Camp Dyer
Camp Dyer, Quonset Point, Rhode Island was a temporary camp used during the Spanish American War.-History:Previously a state park, the site had been used for the state militia's summer maneuvers of the First Rhode Island Brigade. Established for the call up of Rhode Island troops during the...
" in honor of Governor Elisha Dyer, Jr.
Elisha Dyer, Jr.
Elisha Dyer, Jr. was a Rhode Island politician who was 45th Governor of Rhode Island from 1897 to 1900. He was the son of Elisha Dyer, Governor of Rhode Island from 1857 to 1859....
on May 7, 1898. The regiment began to muster until fully assembled between May 10 and 17, with Colonel Charles W. Abbot Jr., commanding. Initially the unit consisted of forty-six officers and 958 enlisted men. This regiment, the only infantry regiment raised on Rhode Island during the war was constituted of several militia infantry units in Rhode Island.
The unit was assigned to the 3rd Division, Second Corps
Second Army Corps
The Second Army Corps was a unit of the United States Army raised for the Spanish American War.A defining event of the Spanish American War was the typhoid fever epidemic of July to November 1898. The Army consequently undertook a series of mass-retreats and attempted evasions...
and reported for duty at Camp Alger
Camp Alger
Camp Alger, near Falls Church, Virginia, was established May 18, 1898, for the Spanish American War effort. It was approved by Secretary of War Russell A. Alger for whom it was named.-Location:...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, from late May. However the regiment and the rest of Second Corps left Camp Alger in early August, 1898, due to a typhoid fever
Typhoid fever
Typhoid fever, also known as Typhoid, is a common worldwide bacterial disease, transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, which contain the bacterium Salmonella enterica, serovar Typhi...
epidemic. The regiment relocated to another part of Virginia at Thoroughfare Gap
Thoroughfare Gap (Bull Run Mountain)
Thoroughfare Gap is a water gap in the Bull Run Mountains created by Broad Run between High Point Mountain to the north and Bisquit Mountain to the south...
in an attempted run from the virus. However, conditions in Thoroughfare Gap resulted in dysentery
Dysentery
Dysentery is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the faeces with fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, dysentery can be fatal.There are differences between dysentery and normal bloody diarrhoea...
and malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
, and the unit eventually relocated to Camp Meade, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
with the rest of Second Corps in August, 1898. The overcrowded conditions forced the relocation of the 3rd Brigade of the 2nd Division of Second Corps to Camp Fornance, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
.
The regiment was mustered out of federal service on March 30, 1899 at Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...
. The unit returned to Providence
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
and handed over colors to Governor Elisha Dyer
Elisha Dyer, Jr.
Elisha Dyer, Jr. was a Rhode Island politician who was 45th Governor of Rhode Island from 1897 to 1900. He was the son of Elisha Dyer, Governor of Rhode Island from 1857 to 1859....
after a parade past city hall on April 1, 1899. At the time of muster-out, the regiment included forty-five officers and 1,039 enlisted men. During its term of service, the unit lost eleven enlisted men who died from disease and one enlisted man who died as the result of an accident. Thirty-five more enlisted men were discharged for disability. Interestingly the unit also had thirteen enlisted men court-martialed and eighty-nine men deserted the regiment.
Unit timeline
- May 20, 1898, fully mustered at Camp Dyer, Quonset PointQuonset PointQuonset Point, also known simply as Quonset, is a small peninsula in Narragansett Bay in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It is contained entirely within the town of North Kingstown. "Quonset" is a Native American word likely meaning "small long place".Quonset Point was the location of Naval Air...
, Warwick, Rhode IslandWarwick, Rhode IslandWarwick is a city in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. It is the second largest city in the state, with a population of 82,672 at the 2010 census. Its mayor has been Scott Avedisian since 2000...
. - May 27, departed Camp Dyer for Camp Alger, Dunn Loring, Virginia.
- May 30, arrived in Camp Alger.
- Aug 3, departed Camp Alger for Thoroughfare Gap, Virginia.
- Aug 8, arrived in Thoroughfare Gap.
- Aug 21/22, departed Thoroughfare Gap for Camp George MeadeCamp George MeadeCamp George G. Meade near Middletown, Pennsylvania was a camp established and subsequently abandoned by the U.S. Volunteers during the Spanish American War.-History:...
, Harrisburg, PennsylvaniaHarrisburg, PennsylvaniaHarrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
. - Aug 23/24, arrived at Camp George MeadeCamp George MeadeCamp George G. Meade near Middletown, Pennsylvania was a camp established and subsequently abandoned by the U.S. Volunteers during the Spanish American War.-History:...
. - Nov 13, departed Camp George Meade for Camp Fornance, Columbia, South CarolinaColumbia, South CarolinaColumbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...
. - Mar 1, 1899, unit disarmed, and muster out date set for March 30th.
- Mar 30, mustered out of service at Camp Fornance, departed for Jersey City, New JerseyJersey City, New JerseyJersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
by rail road. - May 31, arrived in Jersey City and embarked aboard the steamer Rhode Island for Providence, Rhode IslandProvidence, Rhode IslandProvidence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
. - Apr 1, 1899, arrived at India Point wharf and paraded past city hall, and turned over colors at Dexter parade ground (unit temporarily rearmed at pier and disarmed at parade ground).
Other units
In addition to the first regiment, the state of Rhode Island raised the following units for the war with Spain:- Light Battery A, 1st Rhode Island Volunteer Artillery.
- Light Battery B, 1st Rhode Island Volunteer Artillery.
- Members of the Rhode Island Naval Militia who served under federal orders.
- Members of Rhode Island who were assigned to the as part of the U.S. Navy.
- Members of the state Rhode Island Militia Hospital Corps who served under federal orders.
See also
- 1st Rhode Island Regiment1st Rhode Island RegimentThe 1st Rhode Island Regiment was a Continental Army regiment from Rhode Island during the American Revolutionary War . Like most regiments of the Continental Army, the unit went through several incarnations and name changes. It became well-known as the "Black Regiment" because, for a time, it had...
, American Revolutionary War unit - Rhode Island in the American Civil WarRhode Island in the American Civil WarThe state of Rhode Island during the American Civil War, as with all of New England, remained loyal to the Union. Rhode Island furnished 25,236 fighting men to the Union Army, of which 1,685 died. On the home front, Rhode Island, along with the other northern states, used its industrial capacity to...
- List of Rhode Island Civil War units