The "Twenty-Seventh"

In Short

Following the 27th Connecticut Volunteers through their brief nine-month term of service, this regimental history chronicles an ordinary group of citizen-soldiers thrust into the crucible of the Civil War. From early encampments near Washington to the devastating losses at Fredericksburg, the entrapment at Chancellorsville, and the triumphant defense at Gettysburg, the narrative records both collective endurance and individual sacrifice. It has lasted as an intimate, meticulously detailed memorial honoring ordinary men who answered a national call and left an indelible record of their service.

The Story

The journey begins in the autumn of 1862 as the regiment settles into camp near Washington, cutting pine logs for winter quarters before sudden marching orders disrupt their routine. They move toward the front, experiencing the high-strung anticipation of untried soldiers facing the roar of artillery and the smoke of battle. At Fredericksburg, they encounter the terrifying reality of war, watching pontoon bridges span the river under sniper fire and suffering staggering casualties that leave one third of their number dead or wounded on the field. Afterward, they endure the miserable winter camp near Falmouth, where dashed hopes and muddy delays stall further campaigns.

With the arrival of spring, the regiment crosses the Rappahannock into the dense, tangled landscape of Chancellorsville. There, a sudden and desperate encirclement shatters the command, resulting in the capture of eight companies who are marched off toward Richmond on meager rations of flour and water. While the captured men experience the grim reality of Confederate custody and eventual parole through Libby Prison and Annapolis, a small remaining band of uncaptured companies retreats and presses onward to the north.

This resilient remnant joins the relentless forced marches of June 1863, crossing the Potomac and covering immense distances through Maryland villages to meet the advancing Confederate army. At Gettysburg, operating under General Hancock and General Brooke, the diminished regiment takes its position on Cemetery Ridge, using bayonets and tin plates to scrape together rudimentary intrenchments. When the massive artillery cannonade precedes the desperate infantry assault of Pickett's Charge, they stand firm under ferocious fire, fulfilling Hancock's prophecy that they would carry home the honors of the greatest battle on the continent.

Following the triumph at Gettysburg, the regiment marches back, gathers for final ceremonies, and is mustered out of service in July 1863 after completing five hundred miles of marching. Yet the narrative refuses to close without accounting for the heavy human cost. Extensive records follow, detailing individual casualties, promotions, company rosters, and heartfelt poetic tributes and prose memorials to fallen leaders like Colonel Merwin and Captain Jedediah Chapman. The story concludes not merely as a record of tactical movements, but as a solemn ledger of lives given, friendships forged, and a community transformed by historic sacrifice.

How It Unfolds

The voyage begins The narrative opens near Washington where raw volunteers build comfortable winter log huts before being abruptly ordered to strike tents and prepare for a rapid movement. False starts and severe storms test their patience as they acclimate to the uncertain rhythm of military life.

To the front The regiment encounters its first major baptism of fire during the brutal bombardment and river crossings at Fredericksburg. One third of the men fall in action, leaving a deeply saddened camp to grapple with the grim realities of war and the subsequent winter delays in the mud near Falmouth.

The Chancellorsville disaster Spring brings a fresh advance across the Rappahannock, ending abruptly when enemy forces completely surround and capture eight companies of the regiment. These captive soldiers endure meager flour rations and a grueling march toward Richmond before eventually receiving their parole.

The march to Gettysburg Meanwhile, the small uncaptured remnant of the regiment joins grueling forced marches northward through Maryland villages to intercept the Confederate invasion. They arrive at Gettysburg exhausted but resolute, ready for the defining conflict of their service.

The final defense On Cemetery Ridge, the men scratch together shallow earthworks with bayonets and tin plates to withstand a devastating artillery cannonade. They hold their ground steadfastly through the historic crisis of the battle, earning high praise from commanding generals.

The muster out Following the conclusion of the campaign, the survivors return home for a public reception and formal discharge in July 1863. The volume closes with comprehensive rosters, casualty lists, and memorials honoring those who did not return.

The People

The narrative centers on citizen-soldiers whose lives are irrevocably altered by military service. Colonel Merwin leads the regiment with steadfast dedication, facing the ultimate test alongside his men before his life ends tragically. Captain Jedediah Chapman rises from first lieutenant to lead the surviving company remnant with steady discipline and courage, ultimately falling at Gettysburg just as his captain's commission is issued. Colonel Bostwick assumes critical command responsibilities during the harrowing encirclement at Chancellorsville, refusing to yield until escape is proven impossible. General Hancock and General Brooke provide pivotal leadership, offering steady encouragement and high praise to the diminished ranks during their darkest hours.

Among the enlisted men, soldiers like Lieutenant Bailey, Private John Rawson, and numerous company members experience the raw hardships of combat, capture, and disease. They begin as eager, untried volunteers fueled by patriotic enthusiasm and idealism, but through grueling marches, heavy losses in battle, and the brutal trials of imprisonment or camp sickness, they are transformed into hardened, battle-tested veterans. Those who survive carry the permanent emotional and physical scars of a nation divided, while those who perish are immortalized through detailed rosters and tender memorial tributes written by their surviving comrades.

In Its Own Voice

Describing the desolate landscape where previous encampments stood, the author captures the vast scale of military mobilization across the Virginia countryside:

A large barren plain was covered far and wide with the huts and débris of a portion of McClellan’s army, which encamped here in the winter of 1862.

Reflecting on the grueling nature of meager sustenance during their march toward Richmond after capture, the text notes the stark contrast in provisions:

In silent suspense we advance and receive--three pints of flour apiece.

Evoking the poignant sorrow of returning home without fallen comrades, a verse from the book's commemorative poetry mourns the heavy cost of the war:

But ye’re not all here, and we’ll look in vain For the smiles that will greet us never again; And the quivering lip and tearful eye Mutely ask you where our treasures lie.

What It's Really About

Beneath its tactical chronicle of marches and engagements, the book explores the profound cost of civic duty and the quiet heroism required of ordinary citizens in times of national crisis. It examines how patriotic idealism is tested and transformed by the brutal realities of industrial warfare, disease, and captivity. The text questions the unbearable weight of survival when so many comrades remain behind in southern graves, meditating on the moral and spiritual fortitude that sustained men through unimaginable suffering. Ultimately, it argues that a nation's true glory rests not merely in military victory, but in the enduring memory and sacrifice of those who stood firm at their posts when tested by fire.

Why Read It Today

Readers interested in authentic, first-hand accounts of the American Civil War will find this volume deeply compelling. It offers a rare, unvarnished look at military life stripped of romantic embellishment, reflecting both the camaraderie and the grinding monotony of a nine-month campaign. Reading it feels like walking alongside the soldiers through freezing mud, dense wilderness, and chaotic battlefields, absorbing their quiet resilience without modern sentimentality.

The book does not shy away from the stark difficulties of its era. Modern readers may occasionally find the period's formal prose style, archaic phrasing, and extensive casualty ledgers demanding to navigate. Yet these very elements provide an invaluable historical texture, anchoring the human experience in undeniable facts. What stays with you long after closing the book is the profound sense of accountability to the past—the realization that behind every statistical casualty or roster name lies an individual life utterly transformed. It remains a moving testament to ordinary men who endured extraordinary trials, offering a timeless reflection on duty, loss, and community memory that resonates powerfully today.