1861: Nicholas Taylor Dixon to John Taylor Dixon

A post-war image of Nicholas Taylor Dixon

This compelling letter by Sgt. Nicholas Taylor Dixon (1840-1909) describes his personal eye-witness account of the Battle of Bull Run while serving in Co. E, 2nd Rhode Island Infantry. Historians will recall that it was the 2nd Rhode Island that fired the opening volley in the 21 July 1861 battle and they were one of the last to leave the field, covering the retreat to Washington D. C.—but not without a price. The regiment lost 28 men killed, 56 wounded, and 30 missing that day. Among the killed were Col. John S. Slocum, Major Sullivan Ballou, and Captains Levi Tower and Samuel J. Smith.

The copy of this letter—never before published—was sent to me by David Gates. Nicholas was his great-grandmother’s first cousin. When I asked him why it had not been previously published, he confided that Nicholas’ claim to have personally attempted to stop the bleeding of his wounded Colonel seemed a boastful and uncorroborated claim.

As for Nicholas’ claim, I find the account credible even if uncorroborated by others. There are various accounts of Col. Slocum’s death. Some have him mounted when shot and others have him dismounted. Some have him shot in the head, while others have him shot in the leg. Some have him dying quickly on the field, while some have him carried off the field before he died. When researching the 2nd Rhode Island, I know just the man to go to for answers—my friend Rob Grandchamp. Rob assures me that his research reveals Col. Slocum was killed when dismounted, attempting to cross a fence, that he was shot in the head, and that he was primarily surrounded by members of Co. D at the time. Elisha Hunt Rhodes gives perhaps the best personal account of the Colonel’s death though he claims to have been “the only man near him when he fell.” Rhodes makes it clear, however, that the companies were intermingled by this stage of the fight so it’s very possible that Nicholas may have been nearby. Whether he actually attempted to apply a compress on the Colonel’s head is largely immaterial in my opinion. The only thing certain in my opinion is that everyone’s recollection of the day’s events—given the noise, heat, smoke and confusion of battle—was different and no less credible.

Nicholas (“Nick”) was the son of John Taylor Dixon (1820-1891) and Sarah Ann Curtis (1819-1910) of South Kingston, Washington county, Rhode Island. According to his descendants, Nicholas had an uncle, Anthony Dixon, and a cousin, Henry C. Dixon, who also served in Co. E, 2nd Rhode Island.

For yet another riveting account of the Battle of Bull Run by another member of the 2nd Rhode Island Infantry, go to 1861: Ezra Greene to Susannah (Westcott) Greene published on Spared & Shared 13 back in 2017. See also any of the following published on Spared & Shared:
Hiram Fuller, Co. C, 2nd Rhode Island (1 Letter)
George Abel Lindall, Co. F, 2nd Rhode Island (1 Letter)
John M. Chandler, Co. H, 2nd Rhode Island (5 Letters)
Benjamin G. Wallen, Co. I, 2nd Rhode Island (1 Letter)
Henry T. Blanchard, Co. K, 2nd Rhode Island (3 Letters)
Henry T. Blanchard, Co. K, 2nd Rhode Island (1 Letter)

Isaac P. Rodman, Captain of Co. E, 2nd Rhode Island (mentioned in this letter) leans against the tree behind Gen. Burnside in this image.

[A copy of this letter was provided by David Gates and is published on Spared & Shared by express consent.]

Transcription

Headquarters 2nd Regt. R. I. V., Co. E
Camp Clark
Thursday, July 25, 1861

Dear Father,

Your letter of the 23rd I received last evening. I am glad to answer yours that I am alive and well. Uncle Sam Rodman arrived here last night and told us the news. I am sorry to hear the neighborhood is so filled with anguish on first hearing of the battle. But never mind. Cheer up all of you. We are not at all scared to death yet. We expect to sacrifice our lives—some of us—if we expect to conquer the enemy.

The South is pretty sharp in playing her games on us while with us we have secession generals & guides to lead us into the rebels snare. But I think if our own officers was more careful and go by orders more than by their own forwardness in rushing on two or three days before the appointed time, we would not have to lose our lives so foolish. I would that all of the regiments was like ours & stand up in front of the whole secession army showering shot & shell upon us like hailstones. Capt. [Isaac Peace] Rodman is one of the bravest men that New England can boast of—and Gov. Sprague [too].

Col. [John S.] Slocum was the first man I saw fall. He was off his horse in front of the battle, gave it [the reins] to one of our company to hold—Tom Flaherty. He was getting over a fence within three feet of me & Capt. Rodman and several more of Co. E when a shot struck him in the head from the rebels. [With] my own handkerchief I tried to stop [the bleeding from] his wound for a minute or two but [could] see it was no use. It was fatal & I went to firing again. I never got hit nowhere on the flesh. Got two holes through my tunic and a ball hit the heel of my shoe when I though my heel was knocked off but on looking, it did me no damage.

But I tell you, we fought like tigers until the rebels retreated and we were ordered to go and lie down when they were reinforced & attacked us again. But the Rhode Island regiments & several others which were in the first engagement was not ordered out. We—the 2nd Rhode Island Regt.—was formed in a line of battle when we was the last that retreated.

We are getting along comfortable at Camp Clark at present. The 1st [R. I.] Regt. leaves today or tomorrow for home, their time being out. I suppose we will take their quarters.

I guess I must close. You can see more news in the papers than I can tell you. All of Company E is present but those you have heard was missing & dead. [Corp.] Steph[en] Holland & [Pvt.] Billy Nichols I saw dead on the field. [Henry] L. Jakeways [Jaques] was most dead when I saw him. He is dead, of course, now. John Clark died there. ¹ Church not heard of yet & Esic [B.] Smith. ² Henry Dixon is getting along first rate & J. Dockry.

Give my love to all, — N. T. Dixon

Three soldiers of the 2nd Rhode Island wearing the tunic sometimes called the “Burnside blouse.”

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¹ John Clark was wounded and taken prisoner at Bull Run but survived. He died on 6 May 1864 in the fighting in the Wilderness.

² Corp. Esek B. Smith was wounded at Bull Run and taken prisoner. He died of his wounds in Richmond on 6 August 1861.

1865: Albert Stone to Harriet M. (Lyon) Vallett

I could not find an image of Albert but here is one of George Holt wearing the uniform of the 2nd Connecticut Heavy Artillery. George died of diphtheria in February 1863. (John Banks Collection)

This letter was written by Albert Stone (1845-1933), a wheelwright by trade who lived in Providence, Rhode Island. He married Lydia Ann Sherman after the war and settled in Cranston. Albert was born in Connecticut, as were both of his parents.

Albert Stone served in Co. M, 2nd Connecticut Heavy Artillery. In this letter he describes the regiment’s participation in the Battle of Hatcher’s Run. The battle ensued when Grant attempted to stretch the Union battle lines around Petersburg further west in the hope of disrupting Lee’s supply trains. Although the Union advance was stopped, the Federals extended their siege works to the Vaughan Road crossing of Hatcher’s Run. Grant sent 34,000 men on this expedition and was stopped by about 14,000 Southerners. The Confederates lost about 1,000 men, while the Federals lost 171 killed, 1,181 wounded, and 187 missing. 

The letter was addressed to Harriet M. (Lyon) Vallett who’s son Edward—a member of the Co. D, 2nd Rhode Island Infantry—had recently died of typhoid fever.

Transcription

Near Petersburg, Va. ¹
February 16, 1865

Mrs. Vallett,

I received your letter this morning with the greatest of pleasure and was glad to hear from you but sorry to hear that little Nellie was sick. But I am pretty well at present considering where I have been for the last week and hope these few lines will find you all enjoying the same great blessing.

We have had a pretty tough time for the past week. We started on a Sunday night [7 Feb. 1864] up on the left of the line. We marched about 10 miles that night and stacked arms for the night to to rest. The next morning [8th] we marched still farther left. Long in the afternoon we came in sight of the 5th and 2nd Corps. They was there and was fighting and all of the time we was going, the wounded kept passing us in ambulances. I kept thinking that we was going into [a fight] and sure [enough] we did. ²

It was in the woods where the fighting was [and] the Johnnys was driving us [back]. They marched our division into the woods but we run pretty quick—the shot and shell came so thick—and it was lucky that we did too for the Johnnys was flanking us. They took some of our regiment prisoners and some of the rest of the brigade. There was some killed in our regiment and a good many wounded—several in my company, but I thank God for sparing me once more. ³

We rested that night. It rained about half the night and all the next day so we got wet through. We stood in line [of battle] all day. That night we went into the wood [and] the Johnnys throwed a few shot at us. We went outside of the picket and stood in a line of battle. Pretty soon we had orders to build breastworks and we went to work. About 12 o’clock at night we had orders to get out of that. They told us to keep as still as we could and we marched out of that. On the right of us they was firing all the time to drown [out] the noise that we made. After we got out of there, the next day, they took two forts right in front of us—not no more than a 150 yds from us. If I had knowed that, they couldn’t [have] kept me there long. I won’t right anymore of that.

I have talked with Captain [Stephen] Thurber about Eddie ⁴ and his things and he said that he would see to them. I will see him again as soon as I can. I got Eddie’s letters and sent them by mail home the other day. Eddie died the 12th of Jan which was of a Monday. He was out of his head from the time he left the camp until he died. The doctor said he was raving crazy just before he died. He died about 11 o’clock that night. I will send Eddie’s things if I possibly can. If I can get them, I will write so you will know. I guess I will close for the first drum has beat for the roll call so goodbye.

Give my love to all of the folks and enquiring friends friends. Next time you write, let me know how little Nellie and Grandmother is getting along. Excuse mistakes and writing.  From your true friend. Answer if you please. — Albert Stone

Direct to Albert Stone, 2nd Conn. H. Art.  Co. M, Washington D. C.    Heaven bless you all. So goodbye.

¹ Regimental diaries inform us that the camp of the 2nd Connecticut Heavy Artillery at the time was near Warren’s Station, about a mile to the left of Parke Station. In taking this camp, they relieved the 110th Ohio and 67th Pennsylvania of the 3rd Division who moved forward. The camp was just west of the Weldon Railroad and with a “stone’s throw” of Grant’s Railroad.

² Albert is referring to the fighting by the 5th Corps in the vicinity of Hatcher’s Run. The 2nd Connecticut H. A. (part of the 6th Corps) was ordered to provide them with reinforcements on the left. From a regimental diary: “A little before sundown we crossed Hatcher’s Run and moved byt he flank directly into a piece of woods, the 2nd Brigade under Hubbard, leading the division, ad the 2nd Connecticut under Skinner leading the brigade. Wounded men were being brought by [us] to the rear and the noise just ahead told of mischief there.”

³ A regimental diary claimed that there were six wounded in the regiment in the confusion of the battle that evening, “some of them probably by our own men,” and one missing.

⁴ Edward D. Vallett (1846-1865) of Johnston, Rhode Island was mustered into Co. D, 2nd Rhode Island Infantry on 31 October 1864 when he was 18 years old. The winter campaign proved too severe for his strength. He died of typhoid fever on 12 January 1865, and was first buried on Blick’s Farm. He was later reinterred at the Poplar Grove Cemetery. Edward was the oldest son of Horatio Vallett (1818-Aft1880) and Harriet M. Lyon (1825-Aft1900).

1862: Hiram Fuller to Clovis H. Bowen

I could not find an image of Hiram but here’s a ruby Ambrotype (flipped) of William Mowry who served in the 2nd Rhode Island Infantry. [Al Luckenbach Collection]

This letter was written by Hiram Fuller who worked as a carpenter in Boston before enlisting as a private in Co. C, 2nd Rhode Island Infantry, on 2 October 1862. Hiram was from Glocester, Providence county, Rhode Island. We know from the letter that he was married and had one child by December 1863.

From the regimental records we know that Hiram was transferred from Co. C to Co. A during his term of service and was mustered out of Co. A on 22 June 1865 on a surgeon’s certificate of disability.

Nothing more could be found on Hiram or his family with certainty but I thinker’s likely he was the son of Joshua Fuller (1804-1888) and Sarah Brown Horton (1807-1881).

Hiram wrote the letter to Clovis Hildovis Bowen (1801-1875) who served as the town clerk of Glocester for 32 years. The letter was penned just one week before the Battle of Fredericksburg.

Sadly it appears that Hiram was scammed out of his enlistment money and state aid intended for his wife and child.

Transcription

Camp near Rappahannock River
December 7th 1862

Mr. Clovis H. Bowen
Dear Sir,

Yours of November 27th was duly received in which you ask for information in relation to my enlistment. I should of answered you before but have been on the march ever since the receipt of your letter. I think there was 7 of us started from Boston in the evening train (all strangers to each other) for Providence [and] enlisted the next morning—sworn in same A. M., received $25 personally of Capt. Silvy as advance government bounty, then went to a store for our clothing [and] from there to the recruiting office where we found some orders which I very carelessly neglected to read. But one of the recruits said he had read them and it was an order for our state bounty of $200 which was represented to us as we were then going direct to the barracks that we had not time to go for but did not tell us the bounty was to be paid us in the barracks, or that it was $300 instead of $200.

There was a man by name of Brown, I think, and two other men came from Boston with us—Jenks & several others with them—who seemed to be all combined together in the business. This Brown promised me $200 bounty from State, $25 from government, $4 per week from City of Providence, but contrived to put us into Glocester by representing that it was just the same thing & all the same bounty. They came to the barracks & took the $330 so I got $200 of Brown. I went to the clerk with him to get the $300 & he gave me $200, so I received in al $225 & they received $100 for my fare from Boston and one night’s hotel bills & they agreed to have my bounty papers all fixed for me before I left Providence. But as I heard that Jenks got paid from your town, I think that it was for enlisting us. It’s been a regular swindling game & if they undertake to do anything of that kind, they will have to get it as best they can.

I should like to have you find out what kind of an order that Mr. Eddy has got but not pay him anything. The order was only to cover that $200 from State. I must be very foolish to give them my family’s aid, a wife and one child who are entirely dependent on me & $13 per month is a very small sum for them. The recruiting officers are all strangers to me and as I am ver much limited for time & our adjutant & Colonel are very busy in the army, I will. ascertain when Jenks is to return to the regiment but will you ascertain of Eddy to tell him that he cannot claim anything for I do not know him.

Soon as I can see our descriptive list, I will find out how many are in your town’s list. My ink is froze & I make poor show for writing today.

This from your obedient [servant] in haste, — Hiram Fuller

P. S. My family reside in Boston, 125 Myrtle St. Please write as soon as convenient & direct as before & oblige. — H. F.

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