Connecticut 7th Infantry Regiment

HISTORICAL NOTES:
The Connecticut 7th Infantry Regiment was organized at New Haven, Connecticut, on September 13, 1861.

In October and November 1863, the regiment's status changed. It was equipped as a "boat infantry" for the specific purpose of leading an amphibious night assault on Fort Sumter, South Carolina. Although the 7th trained at Folly Island, South Carolina, the project was ultimately ended because it was deemed impractical.

It mustered out on July 20, 1865, and discharged at New Haven, Connecticut, on August 11, 1865.The Regiment lost during service 11 Officers and 157 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 4 Officers and 192 Enlisted men by disease. Total 364.

Members of Note:

Frederick H. Dyer, drummer boy. Later author of Dyer's Compendium of the War of the Rebellion

Pvt. Jerome Dupoy of Redding, Connecticut

Pvt. John Rowley of Ridgefield, Connecticut. He was found guilty of the murder of Pvt. Jerome Dupoy by General Court Martial and hung on September 3, 1864, in Petersburg, Virginia.

Pvt. William Norton, Company C

Pvt. Stephen Walkley, Company A of Southington, Connecticut

Corporal Edward D. Phelps of New Haven, Ct, Company F, 7th Regiment Ct Volunteer Infantry, Captured at Drury's Bluff, 16 May 1864. POW at Andersonville-survived ref: Andersonville, Georgia. Andersonville Prisoner of War Database. Andersonville, GA, USA: National Park Service, Andersonville National Historic Site; Andersonville Prisoners of War [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1999.

Pvt. Thomas W. Leslie of Southington, enlisted Sept. 5 1861, Co. A, as Pvt. Thomas W. Lesley (subsequently corrected to Leslie), was wounded at the June 16, 1862 Battle of Secessionville, James Island, South Carolina, and was subsequently medically discharged Aug. 8, 1862 and returned home. His recuperation from his wounds was sufficient for him to enlist in 1st CT Cavalry Reg, Co L, on December 21, 1863. At some point he transferred to the Veterans Reserve Corp and stayed there until mustered out in Sept. 1865.

OFFICERS:

Alfred Terry, Major General, raised and led the regiment

Joseph Roswell Hawley, Lieutenant Colonel

Benjamin F. Skinner, Captain and company commander

Thomas T. Minor, Surgeon of the regiment

ASSIGNMENTS:
Organized at New Haven September 13, 1861. Left State for Washington, D.C., September 18, thence moved to Annapolis, Md., October 5. Attached to Wright's 3rd Brigade, Sherman's Expeditionary Corps, to April, 1862. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, Dept. of the South to July, 1862. District of Hilton Head, S.C., Dept. of the South to September, 1862. District of Beaufort, S.C., 10th Army Corps, Dept. of the South, to January, 1863. Fernandina, Fla., to April, 1863. District of Hilton Head, S.C., 10th Corps to June, 1863 (Cos. "A," "B," "I," "K"). St. Helena Island, S.C., 10th Army Corps, June, 1863 (Cos. "A," "B," "I," "K"). 2nd Brigade, Folly Island, S.C., 10th Corps (Cos. "A," "B," "I," "K") to July, 1863. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, Morris Island, S.C., 10th Corps (Cos. "A," "B," "I," "K'), July, 1863. 1st Brigade, Morris Island, S.C., 10th Corps (Cos. "A," "B," "I," "K") to August, 1863. Regiment at St. Augustine, Fla., till August. 3rd Brigade, Morris Island, S. C., 10th Corps to October, 1863. St. Helena Island, S.C., 10th Corps to November, 1863. 1st Brigade, Morris Island, S.C., 10th Corps to December, 1863. St. Helena Island, S.C., 10th Corps to February, 1864. Hawley's Brigade, District of Florida, February, 1864. 2nd Brigade, Ames' Division, District of Florida, to April, 1864. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 10th Army Corps, Dept. of Virginia and North Carolina, to May, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 10th Army Corps to December, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 24th Army Corps to January, 1865. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, Terry's Provisional Corps, Dept. of North Carolina to March, 1865. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 10th Army Corps, Dept. of North Carolina, to April, 1865. Abbott's Detached Brigade, Dept. of North Carolina, to July, 1865. SERVICE:
Sherman's expedition to Port Royal, S.C., October 21-November 7, 1861. Capture of Forts Beauregard and Walker, Port Royal Harbor, November 7. Duty at Hilton Head, S.C., till December 18. Reconnaissance on Hilton Head Island November 8. Expedition to Braddock's Point November 10-11. Moved to Tybee Island, S.C., December 18 and engaged in fatigue duty building batteries for the reduction of Fort Pulaski till April 10, 1862 (Cos. "B," "G" and "I" on Dafuskie Island March 20 to April 11). Manned Batteries Totten, Halleck, Sherman, Lincoln and Stanton. Bombardment and capture of Fort Pulaski April 10-11. Garrison duty at Fort Pulaski till May 27. Operations on James Island, S.C., June 1-28. Battle of Secessionville June 16. Evacuation of James Island and movement to Hilton Head, S.C., June 28-July 7. Duty at Hilton Head till September 30. Expedition to St. John's Bluff, Fla., September 30-October 13. Expedition to Pocotaligo, S.C., October 21-23. Action at Frampton's Plantation, Pocotaligo, October 22. Duty at Hilton Head and Beaufort, S.C., till January 8, 1863. Moved to Fernandina, Fla., January 13, and duty there till April 12, and at St. Augustine, Fla., till August 2, then moved to Morris Island, S.C. Cos. "A," "B," "I" and "K" detached April, 1863, and moved to Hilton Head, S.C. Expedition against Charleston, S. C., April. Occupation of Folly Island, S.C., June 3. Attack on water batteries, Morris Island, S.C., July 10. Assault on Fort Wagner July 11. Siege of Fort Wagner July 11-September 7. Regiment joins from St. Augustine, Fla., August 5. Capture of Forts Wagner and Gregg, Morris Island, S.C., September 7. Operations against Fort Sumter and against Charleston till October 16. Man Batteries Stevens, Strong, Weed and Kearney. Moved to St. Helena Island, S.C., October 16. Boat duty at Folly Island October 29-November 17. At St. Helena Island, S.C., till February, 1864. Veterans on furlough January 15 to February 27. Moved to Jacksonville, Fla., February 5-7. Expedition into Central Florida February 8-28. Battle of Olustee February 20. Duty at Jacksonville, Fla., till April 13. Moved to Gloucester Point, Va., April 13-20. Butler's operations on south side of the James and against Petersburg and Richmond, May 4-28. Swift Creek or Arrowfield Church May 9-10. Chester Station May 10. Operations against Fort Darling May 12-16. Proctor's Creek May 13. Battle of Drewry's Bluff May 14-16. On the Bermuda Hundred lines May 16-August 13. Attack on picket line June 2. Petersburg June 9. Bermuda Hundred June 14. Port Walthal June 16-17. Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond June 16, 1864, to January 3, 1865. Demonstration on north side of the James August 13-20. Battle of Strawberry Plains Deep Bottom August 14-18. In trenches before Petersburg August 25 to September 28. Moved to north side of the James September 28. Battle of Chaffin's Farm, New Market Heights, September 28-30. Darbytown and New Market Roads October 7. Darbytown Road October 13. Battle of Fair Oaks October 27-28. Detached for duty at New York City during Presidential election of 1864, November 2-17. Duty in trenches before Richmond till January 3, 1865. Second expedition to Fort Fisher, N. C., January 3-15. Assault and capture of Fort Fisher January 15. Half Moon Battery January 19. Sugar Loaf Battery February 11. Fort Anderson February 18. Capture of Wilmington February 22. North East Ferry February 22. Duty at Wilmington, N. C., till June, and at Goldsboro till July. Mustered out July 20, 1865, and discharged at New Haven August 11, 1865. ROSTERS:

The roster of this regiment contains the names of 2976 men.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

REFERENCES:
Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion