Montville's Participation in the Civil War: Part 1

I have to admit that I’ve been a Civil War buff since my father first took me to the Chancellorsville battleground in Virginia. When I became an adult with children, I took them to the various battlefields, from Gettysburg, PA to Petersburg, VA. 

Twenty years later, my son still complains to me that his friends vacationed at Disneyworld while he had to stand in vacant fields as I described strategic military maneuvers.

When my son was in the fourth grade, he wrote a report titled, The Civil War and How it Effected Montville. I saved it over the years and would like to share a small piece of his research.

"There were 140 men who enlisted from Montville to fight for the North during the Civil War.  Out of these men, there were 22 families who sent two or more members to battle.  The families with the most members sent were the Chapel’s, the Comstock’s, the Gay’s, the Johnson’s, the Palmers, the Rudd’s, and the Smith’s.  These people in these families were fathers, sons, brothers, or cousins.

There were 22 men from Montville who were killed during battles for the Northern Armies,.  The places that they were killed ranged from Port Hudson, Louisiana to Winchester, Virginia.  The most Montville men killed at a single battle was five in Port Hudson, Louisiana.

One of the worst battles through the Civil War was the Battle of Fredericksburg.  The men of Montville served bravely however, there were 3 killed at this battle.  Other battles that the Montville men served in were New Market, Gaines’ Mill, Gettysburg, and Appomattox.

Like many different towns in the State of Connecticut, Montville sent it’s share of men to fight for the North.  These men fought bravely and left behind their wives, children, and businesses.  We should honor and remember them for the lives that they gave to end slavery and make all men free.”

My son Ian proved me wrong; he did listen and understood that even his hometown was impacted by the greatest war on American soil. He may never visit another Civil War battlefield, but my guess is that someday when he has children, they maybe stopping at a battle site before heading for Disneyworld.