History of Company F, 1st Regiment, R.I. Volunteers, during the spring and summer of 1861

In Short

Drawn from a thirty-year-old daily journal, this firsthand account traces the mobilization, camp life, and combat experiences of Company F, a volunteer unit from Newport, Rhode Island, during the opening months of the American Civil War. From their rapid formation in April 1861 to their deployment in Washington, skirmishes in Virginia, and the chaotic trial of the First Battle of Bull Run, the narrative records the daily realities of citizen-soldiers. It endures as an intimate, ground-level window into the idealism, endurance, and sacrifice of ordinary men thrust into historic conflict.

The Story

The narrative opens in April 1861 following the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter and President Lincoln's call for seventy-five thousand volunteers. In Newport, Rhode Island, Company F responds instantly, leaving behind benches, desks, and farms to assemble within an hour. Following patriotic send-offs, religious services, and heartfelt farewells, the men board the steamer Perry and travel to Providence, where they join Rhode Island's first regiment under the command of Colonel Burnside. Equipped with light blue blouses, grey pants, and woolen blankets, they depart for New York and Washington, navigating transit through Baltimore and arriving at the capital to quarter in the Patent Office, drill before the President, and establish Camp Sprague.

Camp life quickly introduces citizen-soldiers to the friction between civilian habits and army discipline. Between target practice, dress parades, and guard mounts, the men invent clever ways to prank overly officious officers, such as tripping rigged tin plates over tent entrances. In June, the regiment joins an expedition toward Harper's Ferry, marching through Pennsylvania and Maryland, where they face hostile local crowds and tension before returning to Washington for further drills and parades before General Winfield Scott and President Lincoln. Throughout these months, the reality of military strain begins to show through desertions, discharges for disability, and strict camp regulations.

By July, rumors of an advance into Virginia materialize. The regiment marches toward Fairfax Court House, clearing felled trees and establishing pickets. Days later, they converge on Centreville and prepare for major engagement. On the morning of July 21, the regiment advances toward the sound of the guns at the First Battle of Bull Run. Attached to the fighting line on Buck's Hill, Company F endures four hours of intense combat, holding their position, losing color sergeants and comrades to enemy fire, and briefly exchanging volleys under the confusion of a disguised Confederate regiment. Despite exhaustion and severe losses, they maintain their ground until ordered back during the wider Union retreat.

Returning to camp, the men piece together their battered ranks, welcoming back stragglers—including a soldier who successfully hid and rescued the regimental flag—while mourning those killed or wounded in battle. Their three-month term of enlistment having expired during the campaign, the soldiers complete their final duties before returning home to Newport in late July. Flooded streets and closed churches greet the veterans as grieving townspeople honor the dead and welcome the survivors. In August, the company travels to Providence to receive their final pay and formal muster-out. Though Company F dissolves, the survivors maintain lifelong bonds through annual reunions, preserving the memory of their service until the final man departs.

How It Unfolds

The call to arms Reacting to the fall of Fort Sumter and President Lincoln's Proclamation, Newport citizens instantly form Company F. Within an hour, men abandon their civilian trades to march through cheering streets and board steamers for Providence.

Off to the front The regiment receives a silk banner from the ladies of Providence before sailing toward New York and Washington. After navigating transit routes and swearing oaths into federal service, they establish quarters in the Patent Office.

Life in camp At Camp Sprague, daily routines involve drills, guard duty, and religious services alongside lighthearted pranks played on officers. Men navigate the difficult transition from civilian life to strict military regulations amidst hot weather and growing pains.

Expedition to Harper's Ferry The regiment embarks on a ten-day march through Maryland and Pennsylvania as part of General Patterson's forces. They encounter hostile local crowds in towns like Frederick City before returning smoothly to Washington camp duties.

The advance to Bull Run Troops push past obstructed roads toward Fairfax Court House and Centreville ahead of a major offensive. On the morning of July 21, the brigade moves out under a waning moon to meet the enemy at Buck's Hill.

Battle and aftermath Company F endures four hours of fierce combat, suffering casualties and losing multiple color bearers before the broader Union army retreats. Survivors straggle back to camp, recover the regimental flag, and pack for home.

Return to Newport Steaming back to Newport in late July, the veterans are met by massive crowds and emotional church-free greetings. They are formally mustered out in August, concluding their service with local parades and enduring annual reunions.

The People

Captain George W. Tew leads Company F through its rapid organization and maintains steady command under heavy fire at Bull Run, assisting Governor Sprague when his horse is shot. Colonel Burnside shapes the regiment into a disciplined fighting force, guiding them through hostile territory, addressing grievances over guard duty, and leading the fierce combat at Buck's Hill without breaking resolve. Governor Sprague accompanies the troops, displaying visible dedication by riding as an aide until his horse is killed beneath him during the battle. Private Theodore W. King, a mere boy who sneaks out of a hospital to rejoin his company, fights manfully before falling mortally wounded. Color Sergeant Charles Becherer and Color Corporal Albert N. Burdick successively carry the regimental flag into the thick of battle, both suffering wounds before other privates step up to rescue the banner. John Fludder distinguishes himself during the retreat by secretly tearing the dropped regimental flag from its staff and carrying it back to camp hidden on his person. These figures evolve from ordinary citizens and eager volunteers into seasoned veterans tested by the raw chaos of war, carrying permanent scars, memories of fallen comrades, and deep bonds that outlast their formal military service.

In Its Own Voice

Reflecting on the swift mobilization of the company, the author describes their departure from civilian life:

Like the minute men of Revolutionary times, they left their bench, their desks, and farm, at the call to arms.

Describing the regiment's departure from Providence, Colonel Burnside acknowledges the symbolic weight of their banner:

I know that the gallant men I carry away will prove themselves worthy of the beautiful banner presented to them by you.

Summarizing the heavy emotional toll of the conflict at the conclusion, the author honors his fallen comrades:

A large portion of its members have left the city, and many have been carried to that silent camp where they "sleep their last sleep, have fought their last battle; no sound can awake them to glory again."

What It's Really About

The book explores the sudden transformation of a democratic, civilian society into an organized military machine under the immense pressure of national crisis. It questions how ordinary citizens—artisans, clerks, and farmers—adapt to strict military discipline and the violent realities of modern warfare. Beneath the chronological record of marches and skirmishes lies an argument about civic duty and patriotism. The narrative emphasizes that the survival of the Union depended entirely on the promptitude and moral steadfastness of these early volunteers, who answered the call before bureaucratic systems were fully formed. Ultimately, it examines the heavy human cost of war, measuring national preservation not just in tactical maneuvers, but in individual sacrifice, lost youth, and enduring community memory.

Why Read It Today

Readers interested in the granular, everyday realities of the American Civil War will find this firsthand account deeply rewarding. Reading it feels like sitting across from an aging veteran who insists on recording every minor detail, from the exact brand of field rations to the humor of pranking camp officers. The prose is unpretentious, direct, and firmly rooted in a daily journal kept amidst the chaos of 1861. Modern readers should note that the text reflects nineteenth-century period attitudes and occasional dry administrative reporting, such as extensive rosters and dates, which can slow the narrative momentum. Yet these very elements provide its unique value, stripping away romanticized historical distance. What stays with you is the striking humanity of the soldiers—young boys sneaking out of hospitals to rejoin their units, men arguing over guard details, and exhausted survivors smuggling a torn regimental flag back to safety in their coats. It offers an irreplaceable, unvarnished look at what it truly felt like to answer history's call when the nation stood on the brink.