Fathers from Gardiner sought the 16th Maine’s dead at Fredericksburg

New Year’s 1863 proved bitter for Gardiner resident John Berry. He was a lumber dealer, with real estate worth $2,800 and a personal estate worth $2,500, according to the 1860 U.S. census. Four sons lived with Berry and his same-age wife, Mary; the oldest boy, 17-year-old George H. Berry, worked as a clerk, possibly in […]

The 23rd Maine builds a Maryland subdivision

A wealthy and populous District of Columbia suburb, modern Montgomery County in Maryland borders the District and Prince George’s County to the southeast and Frederick County to the northwest. Housing construction involves complex zoning laws and the latest building, electrical, and plumbing codes, and no one starts building a dwelling without all the requisite permits […]

Chickens don’t fly at Christmas

With Christmas 1862 approaching, relatives and friends of Maine soldiers serving far afield packed and shipped boxes filled with holiday goodies. Women knitted warm socks and mittens and cooked and baked food for their menfolk so far away. Everything went carefully into a wooden box carefully marked with its recipient’s name and address (if only […]

Button Man

In late January 1863 “a shrewd, sharp Connecticut Yankee made his appearance at the State House,” reported a Portland Daily Press correspondent using the handle “Jonathan.” He regularly reported legislative and political activity (not always one and the same) occurring in Augusta. The Connecticuter — yes, it’s a legitimate term — carried “a rubber blanket, […]

When the firing squad misses …

If at first the firing squad does not succeed, then shoot, shoot again. Circa mid-August to early September 1863, Edward Elliott and Charles Eastman willingly took cash — probably at the going rate of $300 apiece — to act as substitutes for draftees. The two men “were sent out from Boston” to join the 14th […]

The son of “Stuttering Pat”

Five Patrick Kelleys appeared before recruiting officers in Maine and enlisted in the army during the Civil War. Four likely exhibited an Irish brogue when speaking English. The fifth Patrick Kelley possibly spoke English with the developing Aroostook County dialect that added “r” to words lacking that letter (such as “Ka-tar-din”). Whatever his accent, this […]

A soldier named Benn, Benj, or whatever

Known as “Benn” or “Benj” (depending on the printed record), his full name was Benjamin P. Webb, and he unknowingly displayed perfect timing to miss his regiment’s Götterdämmerung at Antietam. According to Caribou historian George Whitneck, Benjamin P. Webb was born to Converse L. and Emily (French) Webb in St. Albans on February 4, 1834. […]

A soldier named Milo

He was one of a kind, the soldier named Milo Keech. Born to Hazen and Abigail (Swan) Keech in St. Johnsbury, Vermont in 1833, Milo moved eastward to Bethel with his family about 10 years later. The town’s 1850 census indicated that he was 17, living with his parents (Hazen was a millwright) and four […]

A soldier named Moses

Moses Davis rubs shoulders with Joseph Simpson, a comrade these past 160 years. They probably knew each other way back when; if not, they have certainly had time to introduce themselves. Joe’s from Waterville, by the way. Moses has probably made acquaintances with his other next-door neighbor, Samuel C. Brookings, a youngster from Pittston. He […]

A soldier named America

A soldier named America sallied forth from northern Aroostook County to defend the United States in midsummer 1863. History also identified him as Americus, but America F. Bartlett he was — even if, given his patriotic first name, he possibly was less than enthusiastic about military service. America was a 22-year-old laborer from Forestville Plantation […]