Greenwich in the American Civil War

[1] Greenwich soldiers fought in almost every major Union campaign, including Bull Run, Gettysburg and the siege of Petersburg.

They worked and lived alongside their white employers on Greenwich farms, performing the same labors and receiving the same pay.

[5] By 1863, as the war was dragging on and Northern morale ebbed, the town of Greenwich increased the bounty to $300 per recruit and the term of service was extended to three years.

Major Mead lead the first contingent of Greenwich volunteers into the Union ranks; approximately fifty five young men, averaging 21 years in age.

[8] The 10th regiment saw action in the coastal campaign during the early years of the war, which culminated with the siege of Charleston.

The 10th went on to fight the trench battles of Richmond, earning praise from Union generals and Ulysses S. Grant.

The 10th regiment was active at the war's very end, when they blocked Robert E. Lee's attempt to escape from Virginia.

The 17th fought in the siege works fronting Fort Wagner,[12] Charleston's strongest defensive fortification.

The 17th finished its military service in Florida, with major engagements at Welaka and Saudners and at Dunn's Lake.

[15] Mr. Fox was awarded the Medal of Honor for an act of bravery in the battle of Fort Hudson, Louisiana, on June 14, 1863.

In the battle, Nicolas Fox ran a deadly gauntlet of enemy fire to bring water to wounded Union soldiers, suffering from intense dehydration.

He participated in most of the important engagements of the Civil War, including the battles of Gettysburg, Fredericksburg, Vicksburg, Antietam and Bull Run.

The town of Greenwich contributed a total 437 men to twenty-six Connecticut regiments during the Civil War.