17th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry Regiment

United States Regiments & Batteries > Connecticut

The 17th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry Regiment was organized in the summer of 1862 and fought  at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg with the Army of the Potomac. It then transferred to the Department of the South and fought in South Carolina and Florida until the end of the wat. The regiment lost 5 officers and 48 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 1 officer and 74 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War. It is honored by two monuments at Gettysburg.

1862
August 28 Organized at Bridgeport
September 3 Left State for Baltimore, Md. Attached to Defenses of Baltimore, Md., 8th Corps, Middle Dept.
October Duty at Fort Marshall, Defenses of Baltimore. Attached to 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 11th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac
October 15 At Tennallytown, building Fort Kearney
November 3-12 March to Thoroughfare Gap and Chany
December Duty at Brook’s Station. Va.
1863
January 20-24 “Mud March”.
April 27 Chancellorsville Campaign
May Attached to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 12th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac
May 1-5
Battle of Chancellorsville
June 11-July 24 Gettysburg Campaign
July 1-3
Battle of Gettysburg

The regiment was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Douglas Fowler until he was killed on July 1st. Major Allen Brady then took command. It brought 386 men to Gettysburg, of whom 20 were killed, 81 wounded and 96 missing.

From the monument on Howard Avenue

Erected by the survivors of the 17th Regiment Connecticut Volunteers, 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 11th Corps, in memory of their gallant comrades who fell here on the 1st day and on this battlefield on the 2nd & 3rd days of July, 1863. Lieut. Col. Douglas Fowler, Sergt. Samuel Comstock, Priv. Elephalet Mead, William S. Gregory, Corpl. Henry Burns, Priv. Michael Fox, William W. Westlake, Calvin Nobles” Capt. James E. Moore, Sergt. William O’Douchy, August E. Bronson, Bethel S. Barnum, Priv. Frank J. Benson, Theodore Blackman, Smith Delevan, Daniel H. Purdy” “Priv. Richard B. Taylor, Rufus Warren, Joseph S. Whitlock, Corpl. Alvah E. Wilcox, Priv. William F. Bradley, John R. Booth, Stephen C. Crorut, Wilbur B. Morgan, John W. Metcalf

From the Wainwright Avenue monument:

After a fierce contest with Early’s Division at Barlow’s Knoll on July 1st, marked by monument there, this regment formed in the line of battle on East Cemetery Hill and on the evening of July 2nd, took position here and was engaged in repulsing the desperate night assault of Haye’s and Hokes Brigades.

Monument to the 17th Connecticut Infantry at Gettysburg

Monument to the 17th Connecticut Infantry at Gettysburg
July 11-13 Hagerstown, Md.
August 1-12 Moved to Folly Island, S.C.; Attached to 2nd Brigade, Gordon’s Division, South End Folly Island, S. C., 10th Corps, Dept. South
August 15-
September 7		 Siege operations on Morris Island, S.C., against Forts Wagner and Gregg, and against Fort Sumter and Charleston.
September 7 Capture of Forts Wagner and Gregg
1864
February Moved to Folly Island, S.C., and duty there, operating against Charleston, S.C., Attached to 1st Brigade, Ames’ Division, District of Florida, Dept. South
February 6-14 Expedition to John’s and James Islands
February 22 Ordered to Jacksonville, Fla.
April 15-17 Moved to St. Augustine, Fla., and duty there; Attached to District of Florida, Dept. South
May 19 Action at Welaka (Detachment)
May 31-June 3 Expedition to Camp Milton
June 2 Action at Milton
July 18 Companies A, C, I and K at Picolata, St. Johns River
July 22 Companies A, E, F and H moved to Jacksonville
July 23-28 Companies A, E, F and H participated in Expedition to Baldwin
July 24 Whitesville
September 28 Expedition to Enterprise
October Attached to 4th Separate Brigade, District Florida, Dept. South
1865
May and June Companies C, F and H at Lake City, Fla., and G and I at Tallahatchie
June 9 Moved from St. Augustine to Jacksonville
July 7 Duty at Jacksonville
July 19 The 17th Connecticut Infantry Regiment mustered out