Sykes' Regulars

[lelliott19]

In another thread, @MackCW mentioned an ancestor John Marr

John Marr was shot in the back at Gettysburg when his regiment was ordered to about face and march away from Wofford's Georgians.

I believe, but have not yet confirmed, that this John Marr was a member of the 17th US Regulars. Being interested in the regiments confronted by Wofford's Georgia brigade, I did a quick newspaper search and turned up a couple of interesting accounts. Up first, the reminiscences of Matthew Frederick Kippax (b. 1847)

Kippax's memoirs sound legitimate, but according to pension records, he served in A&D 17th US Regulars beginning in 1917, so perhaps he was writing on behalf of the 17th Regulars, with information provided by someone else who was there? Or maybe he was there, but his name was misspelled and so no record could be found of his service prior to 1917? Either way, it's an interesting account. EDIT TO ADD: I found evidence of service in 1865 at age 17 - still looking. EDIT TO ADD AGAIN: Found it! Enlisted April 7, 1862 at age 14.

His occupation is listed as "Factory Boy" and his height is listed as 47 1/2 inches. That's less than 4 feet tall!!!

The other article I ran across is the report of casualties in the 17th US Regulars sent back to the local Portland ME newspaper, which I posted in the previous thread.

The Portland Daily Press. (Portland, ME), July 10, 1863, page 2.

 

[Mark Roth]

"For two years the U.S. Regulars taught us how to be soldiers. In the Wheatfield at Gettysburg, they taught us how to die like soldiers."

 

[Seduzal]

Thanks for sharing this awesome article. Another awesome piece of Civil War history's mysteries found .

 

[MackCW]

"For two years the U.S. Regulars taught us how to be soldiers. In the Wheatfield at Gettysburg, they taught us how to die like soldiers."

Yeah, to have the stones to about face and march away in front of the enemy. My God.

 

[redbob]

There are two excellent books on the Regulars in the Civil War, they are: Sykes' Regular Infantry Division, 1861-1864 by Timothy J. Reese (AoP) and That Brave Body of Men by Mark W. Johnson (AoT). The Regulars were the "go-to" troops when the chips were down.

 

[MackCW]

Just found this out, on another note, apparently the 17th was making rounds around Vermont looking for skilled laborers and recruited John on his doorstep enticing him with a $40 dollar bounty and $16 dollar a month pay. It's visible under Fold3 under Margaret Marr.

 

[MackCW]

There are two excellent books on the Regulars in the Civil War, they are: Sykes' Regular Infantry Division, 1861-1864 by Timothy J. Reese (AoP) and That Brave Body of Men by Mark W. Johnson (AoT). he Regulars were the "go-to" troops when the chips were down.

I have both ordered .

 

[rpkennedy]

"For two years the U.S. Regulars taught us how to be soldiers. In the Wheatfield at Gettysburg, they taught us how to die like soldiers."

That's one of the best quotes from the Civil War.

Ryan

 

[Tom Elmore]

The 17th U.S. Infantry at Gettysburg was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel James Durell Greene, Jr., an 1849 graduate of Harvard College. He invented a .53 caliber breech-loading rifle that bears his name.

Captain Dudley H. Chase of Company A contributed to the 17th's history in: War Papers of the Indiana Commandery of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS), 1898 (1992 reprint by Broadfoot Publishing Company); and in a National Tribune article of July 2, 1891, p. 3. He was born in Logansport, Indiana and graduated from Cincinnati Law School in 1858.

The letters of John F. Martin, 17th U.S., can be found at the Bentley Historical Library in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Major William G. Moorhead, who was wounded, passed through the line of the 155th Pennsylvania while headed to the rear.

Lieutenant Edward Stanley Abbot of Company A, an alumnus of Harvard and Norwich University, served as the brigade ordnance officer at Gettysburg. The 17th's Quartermaster was 1st Lieutenant Frank E. Stimson, an 1858 graduate of Norwich University.

Chauncey M. Allard, a corporal in Company B, lived in Castle Hill, Maine. He was wounded in three places and lay on the field for two days, until July 4. (National Tribune, November 29, 1888, p. 5 and March 17, 1887, p. 3)

The 17th, like other U.S. Infantry regiments, had a large number of foreign-born soldiers at Gettysburg, including:
2nd Lieutenant Frederick E. Grossman, born Germany, present.
Barnee McNamee, Company B, born Ireland, killed.
Robert Perkins, Company B, born England, killed.
Patrick Mehan, Company C, born Ireland, killed.
William Duffy, Company D, born Ireland, mortally wounded.
Fairy Sclem [Schlem?], Company G, born Germany, mortally wounded.
William Cahill, Company H, born Ireland, killed.
Michael Landers, Company H, born Ireland, killed.
2nd Lieutenant William Ewing, born Scotland, wounded.

 

[MackCW]

I'm probably going to really start going after this, especially Ayres division in action at the Wheatfield. Going to start by tracking down the Martin letters and the efforts of Dudley Chase.

 

[Tom Elmore]

I'm probably going to really start going after this, especially Ayres division in action at the Wheatfield. Going to start by tracking down the Martin letters and the efforts of Dudley Chase.

The 17th U.S. was known as "The Maine Regulars," and enlisted in the counties of Aroostook, Penobscot and Cumberland, Maine; Erie, New York and Wayne, Michigan. It was organized at Fort Preble at Cape Elizabeth, Maine in 1861. Companies A, C, D, G and H of the 1st Battalion and Companies A and B of the 2nd Battalion (total seven companies) were present at Gettysburg. (source: Union Casualties at Gettysburg, by Travis W. Busey and John W. Busey)

Knowing this, I would look for accounts and information in historical societies, libraries, etc. in the above-mentioned counties.

Edit: Also, look at the Maine Historical Society in Portland and the Special Collections Department of the Raymond H. Folger library in Orono, Maine.

 

[MackCW]

Just found out a wild story about my ancestor (not Gettysburg related) that I posted here concerning his enlistment in the 17th U.S: The Deception of John Marr

 

[Belfoured]

I have both ordered .

Johnson's book is important because a large part of what attention gets paid to the Regulars tends to focus on the Army of the Potomac.