United States Regiments & BatteriesConnecticut


1861
The 3rd Connecticut Infantry Regiment  was organized at the Fairgrounds in Hartford
May 14 Mustered in for three months service at New Haven under the command of Colonel John Arnold, Lieutenant Colonel Allen G. Brady and Major Alexander Woodstock
May 19 Left State for Washington, D.C. on the steamer Cahawba
May Attached to Mansfield’s command, Dept. of Washington for duty at Camp Corcoran.

Colonel Arnold resigned and was replaced by Lieutenant Colonel John Chatfield of the 1st Connecticut Infantry Regiment , who was promoted to colonel. The regiment’s own Lieutenant Colonel Brady took this badly and refused to recognize Colonel Chatfield, and was deprived of his sword for his insubordination, although he was honorably mustered out at the end of his service and went on to honorable service in the 17th Connecticut Infantry.

June 24 Crossed the Long Bridge into Virginia and marched to Falls Church. Attached to Key’s 1st Brigade, Tyler’s 1st Division, McDowell’s Army of Northeastern Virginia
June 1-3 Advance to Vienna and Falls Church, Va.
June 4- July 15 Picket duty at Falls Church
July 16-21 Advance to Manassas, Va.
July 17 Occupation of Fairfax C. H.
July 21
Battle of Bull Run, or Manassas

Commanded by Colonel Chatfield, the regiment lost 4 men killed and 10 men wounded.

According to General Keyes’ official report,

At about two o’clock P. M., General Tyler ordered me to take a battery on a height in front.  The battery was strongly posted and supported by infantry and riflemen, sheltered by a building, a fence, and a hedge.  My order to charge was obeyed with the utmost promptness.  Colonel Jameson of the Second Maine, and Colonel Chatfield of the Third Connecticut Volunteers, pressed forward their regiments up the base of the slope about one hundred yards, when I ordered them to lie down, at a point offering a small protection, and load.   I then ordered them to advance again, which they did, in the face of a movable battery of eight pieces and a large body of infantry, toward the top of the hill.  As we moved forward, we came under the fire of other large bodies of the enemy, posted behind breastworks, and on reaching the top of the hill the firing became so hot that an exposure to it of five minutes would have annihilated my whole line.

The gallantry with which the Second Regiment of Maine, and the Third Regiment of Connecticut Volunteers, charged up the hill upon the enemy’s artillery and infantry was never, in my judgment, surpassed.

The regiment fell back to Centerville in good order, then was ordered to continue to Falls Church.

July 22-23 The regiment worked with the 1st and 2nd Connecticut Infantry Regiments to strike the deserted camps of other regiments, saving large quantities of arms and equipment.
August 12 The 3rd Connecticut Infantry Regiment was mustered out at Hartford.