Oxford Boy Becomes Civil War Hero

John Lyman Chatfield was born on Sept. 18,1826, in Oxford, the son of Pulaski and Amanda Tibbals Chatfield.

He spent his boyhood in Oxford and attended the town schools. He had a brother, Benjamin Pulaski Chatfield, who became a mason and worked on the first high school building in Waterbury. This brother went into business for himself and built the Church of the Immaculate Conception and St. John's Waterbury. John worked in partnership with him.

The Chatfield brothers moved from Oxford to Waterbury when John was 25 years old. When he arrived in Waterbury, he joined the City Guard, and  eventually rose to first lieutenant. He held that rank until the attack on Fort Sumter.

President Lincoln called for the first group of 75,000 men, and Chatfield volunteered, along with his entire company. It was one of the first troops accepted by the governor. Chatfield advanced to the rank of major. In June 1861, he was made colonel of the Third Connecticut Regiment. He served for three months with those "3-months volunteers." At the time, very few, if any, people thought the war would last longer than three months.

Lt. Col. Chatfield transferred from the First to the Third Regiment, where he rose to the rank of Colonel.

The Record of Connecticut Men In the War of the Rebellion says, "Colonel Chatfield had the advantage of long experience as a militia officer, was an excellent drill-master and disciplinarian and knew not how to tolerate insubordination in any form."

Chatfield's Third Regiment went to Virginia, and encamped at Falls Church. The group was at the extreme and most exposed outpost of the Union lines. The Third here became joined First Brigade, First Division of McDowell's 'Army of the Potomac.' The unit marched at the head of the column as the Union went 'On to Richmond.' Chatfield's energy and efficiency brought the unit success in the field. 

It headed the column advancing via Centerville to Bull Run. The company was one of few that fought with firmness and courage in that disastrous defeat. Col. Keyes wrote:  "The gallantry with which the ... Third Regiment of Connecticut Volunteers charged up the hill upon the enemy's artillery and infantry was never, in my judgement, surpassed."

The Third bivouacked that night on the very ground it left on the morning of the battle.  About 10 p.m., after the demoralized portion of McDowell's army was far on its way toward Washington, orders were given to continue the march to Falls Church. For the next two days, the Third was worked busily. Without any signs of panic, it saved the camp and garrison equipment and stores abandoned by the other troops. 

When the Third's service was over, the soldiers mustered out in Hartford on Aug. 12, 1861.  Chatfield was not one to idle around once out of the service. During August, he began organizing the Sixth Regiment Connecticut Volunteers.  This was the third Connecticut regiment to volunteer for three years.  The unit mustered into state service at Oyster Point, New Haven, on September 3,1861.  On Sept. 19th, it mustered into federal service at Washington D.C.

In October, it joined with forces under Gen. W. T. Sherman of the Army, and Admiral DuPont of the Navy. This was then the largest land and naval expeditionary force in American history.  Sailing from Annapolis, they faced a terrific storm off Cape Hatterus.  It disabled and wrecked many of the boats.

Eventually the expedition reached Port Royal, S.C. In November,  the Union bombarded Forts Walker and Beuregard. Chatfield's men were among the firs units to land. They took possession of the forts, chasing the fleeing enemy from the island and capturing prisoners. The unit then worked at building fortifications and raising the surrounding country. They captured many supplies for use by the Federal troops.

In January, 1862, the regiment took part in an failed expedition to capture Savannah, Ga.  The regiment sailed in small overcrowded vessels for 16 days.  There was not enough room for all the men to lie down at once and there was vegetables or cooked food.  The hard-tack was full of insects.  The water on board had been stored in kerosene-oil barrels. Soon spotted fever broke out and many lives were lost due to poor provisioning.

By March the regiment was at the siege and capture of Fort Pulaski, on Savannah River, Ga.  It built a battery on Jones Island between the fort and Savannah and it prevented reinforcements reaching the fort. It also prevented the rebel iron-clad 'Atlanta' from passing down the river.  It was a rough assignment, because the island flooded with water at each high tide. Many men suffered disease and hardship. By April, Fort Pulaski surrendered, and the regiment rook up pleasant quarters on Pulaski Island. 

By June, the regiment moved on in an expedition against Charleston, S.C., under General Hunter.  They were without food for three days because the Confederates cut off their supply wagons. When they arrived, they were in a skirmish, followed by the battle of Secessionville, S.C.  Then they served picket and guard duty at the Battle of Pocotaligo.  Here the regiment suffered its first big loss in battle.  Thirty-eight men were killed and wounded. Col. Chatfield was severely wounded while commanding the brigade in October 1862.  He returned to Waterbury to recuperate. Within a few weeks he rejoined his regiment which had been transferred to Jacksonville, Fla. 

The regiment went to Hilton Head in April, and then to Folly Island, S.C. The men prepared for the second attack on Charleston and Fort Sumter, by the way of Morris Island. Chatfield's regiment secretly worked nights for three weeks constructing fortifications.  The brigade built 10 batteries and mounted 48 heavy siege guns in them.  All of this was within 400 yards of the Confederate works on Morris Island.  They surprised the Confederates when the regiment went up Folly River in boats at midnight.  They met stiff resistance and faced heavy fire before they landed at Morris Island, where they faced the enemy guns.  During the next day, the regiment charged and captured 12 prisoners and two battle flags. Though Chatfield's regiment was at the front the entire day, they lost only 10 men.

Next, the Sixth led the charge upon Fort Wagner. In the charge, Col. Chatfield was mortally wounded.  The Color Sergeant Gustave DeBonge was killed, as were six others who took the colors one after the other. Finally Captain F.B. Osborn rescued and saved the flag. The Sixth, almost unaided, held an angle of the fort for about three hours.  ecause no support came, the unit was forced to retire with some of the men captured.  The unit had gone into the charge with 400 men and lost about 140 in the engagement.

Even the Southern opposition recognized the courage of the Sixth - a southern writer wrote in 1886 that  "Across the narrow and fatal strength before the fort, every inch of which was swept by a hurricane of fire, a besom of destruction, the Sixth Connecticut, Col. John L. Chatfield, charged with such undaunted resolution upon the southeast salient, that they succeeded, in the very face of hell, one may say, in capturing it.  What though their victory was a barren achievement? What though for three hours they were penned in, no support daring to follow them? Friends and foe alike, now, as then, must honor and salute them as the bravest of the brave." 

The battle scene, and Chatfield's final injuries, are described in Volume III of the Town and City of Waterbury, Connecticut from the Aboriginal Period to the Year 1895, edited by Joseph Anderson, D.D. That volume describes the last battle of Chatfield as follows: 

"He had reluctantly allowed the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts to have the right of the line in the advance on the fort. Under the concentrated fire of Wagner and Sumter and the batteries of James Island, the Massachusetts regiment, obliquing, left the Sixth uncovered. They advanced steadily and rapidly over the parapets and went down to the bomb-proofs, when the fire slackened and the cry went up that the fort had surrendered.

"But the remnant of the brave Sixth was standing alone. Col. Chatfield was lying on the parapet with his leg shattered below the knee. The rebels charged three times upon the unsupported but undaunted Connecticut men, as if to annihilate them. The color bearer, Sgt. Gustave de Bouge of Waterbury, fell shot through the head in the assault and before the colors could be taken from beneath his dead body eight other men had fallen upon them, dead or wounded. Among those who helped to keep the colors aloft was Col. Chatfield himself who is remembered as the very incarnation of war in that terrible hour. After he had fallen he still encouraged the men to stand their ground in hope of support. And most nobly did they obey for three long hours, retiring one by one only after all hope had vanished and they were but a handful. Col. Chatfield, fearing that they would be captured, attempted to drag himself from the fort, when a shot struck his right hand, in which until that moment he had grimly held his sword... 

"He died at his home August 9. At his funeral business was suspended, flags were at half mast and military delegations from all parts of the state were present . . . " 

Waterbury did not forget its hero. On Sept. 13, 1886, an impressive monument to the Oxford born man was dedicated at Riverside Cemetery. The monument includes a seven foot pedestal, surmounted by a life-size figure in bronze, representing Col. Chatfield as a soldier on duty. The statue was designed by George E. Bissell, a personal friend of Col. Chatfield. 

In his address for the day, Gen. S.W. Kellogg mentioned the last battle of Chatfield, saying, "As he was carried bleeding from the scene of carnage in the strong arms of one of his men, his thoughts went back to his regiment and its colors, so dear to every true soldier. 'Are the colors saved?' he asked. When told that all that was left of them had been safely brought off the field, he replied, 'Thank God for that; I am glad they are safe; keep them as long as there is a thread left."'