Civil War Combat Generals
The Norwich men highlighted on this page were all senior officers in the Union Army or Navy. They came from all walks of life. When they first joined the Civil War effort, some were teenagers and some were in their sixties. They were merchants, lawyers, and regular citizens with a desire to abolish slavery and protect their family.
Soon after the war began, Governor Buckingham sent William A. Aiken to deliver important messages about the status of Connecticut’s readiness to join the Union’s to President Lincoln. Aiken later fought in the Battle of Port Royal and became the Quartermaster General of Connecticut.
At the beginning of the war Daniel P. Tyler was one of the very few men in Norwich with professional military training. Upon hearing of the war, he came out of retirement and fearlessly led me into battle at the First Battle of Bull Run.
Henry Birge, a merchant in Norwich, volunteered for service at the very beginning of the war. He became the leader of a group of men who volunteered for a mission that meant, almost certain death. For his leadership and bravery, he was given the honor of Brevet Brigadier General.
James B. Coit was the son a sea captain in Norwich. He fought in many battles, rose in the ranks step-by-step, and led many soldiers into battles. Coit was wounded multiple times, but, each time returned to action. Ultimately, he lost his arm. He was given the honor of Brevet Brigadier General and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Brevet Brigadier General William G. Ely led Norwich troops throughout the war in many capacities. He was one of the leaders of the most successful escapes from the Confederate Libby Prison.
Brigadier General Edward Harland was one of the most successful Union officers from Norwich. He led troops in the capacity of Company Commander, Brigade Commander and Division Commander. He fought in the war from the beginning until the end. He was present at many key battles such as First Battle of Bull Run, Antietam and the Siege of Suffolk.
Rear Admiral Joseph Lanman, another Norwich native, made Norwich proud for his 47 years of service in the U.S. Navy. He and men under his command fought valiantly at the attack on Fort Fisher.
All these leaders answered the call-to-duty and were an inspiration to those under their command and their families, back home in Norwich.
Brigadier General Daniel P. TYlEr
Daniel P. Tyler IV was the first commanding officer of Connecticut’s first volunteer infantry regiment. He served in the Civil War for the Union Army in many capacities from 1861 to 1864. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Tyler was a 62 year-old civilian living an abundant life in Norwich. He had been in the business of iron manufacturing and had served as the President of the Norwich & Worcester Railroad Company for five years (1840-1844).
Moreover, he was also a retired officer of the United States regular army; one of the very few men in Norwich with knowledge in the art of warfare. As a young man Tyler graduated from West Point with a specialty in artillery. His father, Daniel P. Tyler III, was a veteran of the Revolutionary War Battle of Bunker Hill.
When the call-to-arms first sounded, Tyler responded immediately, even though he had been retired from the Army for 27 years. Tyler volunteered to become an aide-de-camp to Brigadier General Robert Patterson in April 1861.
Soon thereafter, at Governor Buckingham’s request, he served briefly as the colonel of the 1st Connecticut Volunteer Infantry Regiment. When General Winfield Scott, the commanding general of entire U.S. Army, saw how well-trained and how well-equipped Tyler’s troops were, he recommended Tyler to be promoted to the rank of brigadier general. On May 10, 1861, he became the Brigadier General of the Connecticut State Volunteers.
First Battle at Bull Run
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Brigadier General Tyler commanded the First Division in Brigadier General Irvin McDowell’s Army of Northeastern Virginia. They fought in the first major battle of the Civil War, the First Battle of Bull Run. Many civilian observers came to view, what they believed, would be the battle that would end the war.
At the onset of the battle, Tyler’s assignment was to distract rebel positions. But, after his secret position was discovered, an overwhelming number of rebels forced Tyler’s men into a full retreat. Private David C. Case was struck by a canon ball and became the first of many Norwich soldiers to sacrifice their lives to stop slavery.
The battle turned out to be a confused endeavor, fought with inexperienced troops on both sides. It ended with 481 Union soldiers and 387 Confederates dead. There were almost 5,000 casualties.
General Tyler’s military engagements were not all successful. His division was assigned to General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia and fought at the Battle at Harper’s Ferry. At the conclusion of the battle, Tyler was forced to surrender to Lieutenant General Stonewall Jackson. As a result, he and his 8,000 men were captured. His soldiers became part of a prisoner exchange agreement and were sent to Camp Douglas, the Union Army Prison Camp. General Tyler took temporary command of the camp in September 1862. He was relieved of command in November 1862.
From April 1861 to April 1864 Tyler served the Union Army in many capacities. The complete list of his Civil War service record can be found HERE.
After Tyler resigned his commission, he removed from Norwich to Red Bank, New Jersey. He later moved to Alabama and founded the town of Anniston, named for his daughter-in-law. One of granddaughter’s became the First Lady of the United States. His daughter, Gertrude Elizabeth Tyler was Edith Carow Roosevelt’s mother.
He is buried in Anniston, Alabama and his wife Emily Lee Tyler is buried the Yantic Cemetery in Norwich.
Prabook.com
CivilWarTalk.com
The complete list of sources may be found by clicking the “Bibliography” button, and, then typing “Daniel P. Tyler” in the SEARCH box.
circa 1894
Brigadier General William A. Aiken
William A. Aiken was Governor William A. Buckingham’s chief aide during the Civil War and later became a prominent businessman in Norwich.
William Aiken was born in Manchester, Vermont and attended both private and public school. When the Civil War broke out he enlisted in the navy and became an acting assistant paymaster.
Only 10 days after the Civil War broke out, William Aiken received orders from Governor Buckingham to deliver important messages from Buckingham, in Connecticut, to President Abraham Lincoln in Washington. The journey to deliver the documents, which began on April 22, 1861, was dangerous, perilous and involved several modes of transportation. The dispatches informed Lincoln of Connecticut’s support. Aiken later said that news of Connecticut’s support and the expected arrival of Union troops, both cheered and relieved the president.
On August 10, 1861 Aiken was commissioned in the U. S. Navy as acting paymaster. Shortly thereafter, he was assigned the steam gunboat Curlew at the Charleston Navy Yard. On November 1861, he saw active duty in the Battle of Port Royal. This battle was one of the earliest amphibious operations in the war. In early 1862 Aiken was promoted to brigadier general and appointed as the Quartermaster General of Connecticut by Governor Buckingham.
Not only did General Aiken become Governor Buckingham’s chief aide, he also became his son-in-law. Only 16 months after delivering the dispatches to Lincoln, Aiken married Buckingham’s only surviving child, Eliza Coit Buckingham , on August 28, 1861. They made their home at 157 Washington Street, in Norwich, a gift from Governor Buckingham to the new couple. Over the years, they were blessed with seven children.
After the war General Aiken worked awhile for the Norwich Lock Manufacturing Company. He then purchased, and was sole proprietor of the Norwich Nickel & Brass Company. The company flourished throughout the remainder of Aiken’s life.
In 1888 he served as the first president of the Norwich Board of Trade. Aiken was also the chairman of the trustees of Otis Library for twenty-five years.
Both William and Eliza live long, fruitful lives. William died at the age of 96 and Eliza died at the age of 85. They are both buried in the Yantic Cemetery.
“The Norwich Memorial: The Annals of Norwich, New London County, Connecticut in the Great Rebellion of 1861-65”, (1873), pp 145, 171, 174
“Norwich, The Rose of New England”, (1894), page 24, by C. B. Gillespie
The complete list of sources may be found by clicking the “Bibliography” button, and, then typing “Aiken” in the SEARCH box.
Brevet Major General Henry W. Birge
Henry Warner Birge was born in Hartford on August 25, 1825. His mother’s sister Eliza Ripley Buckingham, was married to Governor William A. Buckingham. Henry and his wife, Eliza Meech Birge, the daughter of a wealthy Norwich family, lived in Norwich. Prior to the war Mr. Birge was a merchant in Norwich.
In April 1861, Birge was commissioned as a major in the Union Army by his uncle, Governor William A. Buckingham. Major Birge’s service to the Union Army began as an aide to Buckingham in charge of organizing Connecticut’s first regiment of three-year troops. Prior to that time, the term of the enlistment period was only three months.
On May 23, 1861 he was assigned to the 4th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry Regiment, stationed in Maryland. However, by November his unit had not been in contact with any enemies, so Birge resigned so that he could take command of the 13th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry Regiment ,(13th CVI), which formed on January 7, 1862.
The unit was assigned to the Department of the Gulf and was deployed to New Orleans. In February 1862, Birge was commissioned as a colonel and was placed in command of defenses in New Orleans.
Colonel Birge and his 13th CVI’s occupation of New Orleans was fairly low key, however, by December 1862, Major General Nathaniel Banks was forming a 35,000 man force, with the intent of moving against the Confederate stronghold at Port Hudson on the Mississippi River. Colonel Birge was placed in command of the 3rd Brigade of the 4th Division of General Banks’ Department of the Gulf. The 13th CVI Regiment was one component of Birge’s brigade.
On May 26, 1863 the Union forces unsuccessfully attacked at Port Hudson. Subsequently, on June 14, 1863 a second assault failed disastrously. After these failed attempts, General Banks called for 1,000 volunteers who would be given special training to launch one final, desperate, attempt to take the fort. The historian for the 13th CVI called it the mission of Forlorn Hope, due to its inherent danger.
Colonel Birge volunteered to command an elite party to storm the port. The party was made up of carefully chosen volunteers, mostly men from the 13th CVI, organized into two battalions of eight companies each. All the men were well aware that the mission would be extremely dangerous and many would not return. They trained daily for its undertaking and on June 28, Birge and his 67 officers and 826 enlisted men (241 from the 13th CVI) reported for duty. The attack was planned for July 7, 1863. Fortunately, the assault never occurred due to the Confederate forces surrender at Vicksburg on July 4, 1863.
The regimental history called the Forlorn Hope group one of the most heroic undertakings of the Civil War, an “impeccable memorial of the self-sacrifice and courage of the men, and their leader, both of whom the country had every reason to feel proud”.
Colonel Henry W. Birge was promoted to brigadier-general and placed in charge of volunteers on September 19, 1863. He commanded a brigade, and at times a division, in the Red River Campaign in the spring of 1864. In General Banks’ report of the campaign, he wrote that “General Birge, as in all actions in which he has been engaged, deserved and received the highest commendation.”
On February 25, 1865, President Lincoln nominated Henry W. Birge for the award of Brevet Major General for his services in General of the Army Philip Sheridan’s campaign in the Shenandoah Valley. The United States Senate confirmed the award on March 3, 1865. Birge resigned his commission from the army on October 18, 1865.
CivilWarTalk.com
“The Norwich Memorial: The Annals of Norwich, New London County, Connecticut in the Great Rebellion of 1861-65”, (1873), page 15, by Malcom McGregor Dana
The complete list of sources may be found by clicking the “Bibliography” button, and, then typing “Birge” in the SEARCH box.
Brevet Brigadier General James B. Coit
James Bolles Coit was born in Norwich on September 29, 1836. He was the son of sea captain William W. Coit and his wife Nancy Ann Bolles. Coit worked with Frank Chester to raise the first of many volunteer Civil War soldiers in Norwich. Shortly after the first mass meeting of Norwich citizens, on April 12, 1861 at Breed Hall, Frank Chester, a bookkeeper at the Thames Bank, and James B. Coit raised Norwich’s first military company. After Colonel Hugh H. Osgood, Governor William A. Buckingham’s aide-de-camp, endorsed Frank Chester as leader, the Buckingham Rifles were born.
Frank Chester, being acquainted with use of firearms, was chosen to lead the group, and Coit was the first to volunteer. The 43 members of the Buckingham Rifles enlisted for a 90-day period and fought together as Rifle Company A of the 2nd Connecticut Voluntary Infantry, led by Lieutenant Colonel David Young, a lawyer in Norwich.
Info Source 1 states :“He [James B. Coit] fought in the first major battle of the war at Bull Run on July 18, 1861. During the battle, his actions gained him a battlefield promotion to sergeant major. When the 2nd Connecticut Regiment mustered out after three months, Coit asked for and gained authority from Gov. William Buckingham to begin recruitment of another regiment, the 14th Connecticut Infantry Regiment. Coit became a 1st lieutenant in Company K for a three-year tour of duty.
During his service in the 14th Regiment, he fought in major battles of the war, and was wounded five different times, but was out of action a minimum of time. The 14th fought in numerous battles during the Civil War, most notably: Antietam, Gettysburg, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Bristoe Station, Mine Run, Wilderness, Morton’s Ford, Laurel Hill, Spotsylvania, North Anna River, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, Deep Bottom, Reams Station, and Hatcher’s Run. Few regiments fought in more significant battles, and Coit was present at all.
He was wounded numerous times at Antietam; he was wounded again at Morton’s Ford, and then was severely wounded in his wrist at the battle of the Wilderness. He suffered another injury at Deep Bottom and once more at Petersburg. Unfortunately, as a result of the severity of his injuries, Coit lost his arm. He was discharged on Sept. 9, 1864.”
Throughout his military career James B. Coit was promoted time and time again for his brave actions and leadership abilities. He rose through the ranks, step-by-step, from Private to Lieutenant Colonel. His promotions were a testament to his gallant, heroic efforts. He never gave up, even after being wounded several times.
Six months after he resigned his commission, James B. Coit was brevetted Brigadier General, US Volunteers on March 13, 1865 for “gallant and meritorious services at the battle of the Wilderness, Va.“
After the war Coit returned to Norwich, married Annie Willoughby and resumed his legal practice. He became a successful prosecutor for the government and he was actively engaged in the establishment of the Gettysburg National Park.
While living in Washington, D.C., he served as Chief of the Old War Division of the United States Pension Bureau from 1885 to 1889. Coit died in December of 1894 at the age of 58 and is buried in the Arlington National Cemetery.
“Historically Speaking: Norwich General was Outstanding Soldier”, (05/30/2021), by Vic Butsch
“Norwich and The Civil War”, (2015), page 87-88, by Patricia F. Staley
“The Norwich Memorial: The Annals of Norwich, New London County, Connecticut in the Great Rebellion of 1861-65”, (1873), pp 41,62, by Malcom McGregor Dana
The complete list of sources may be found by clicking the “Bibliography” button, and, then typing “James B. Coit” in the SEARCH box.
BrevEt Brigadier General William G. Ely
William Grosvenor Ely was born in West Killingly, Connecticut, graduated as a civil engineer at Brown University, and completed his education in France and Germany. At the beginning of the Civil War he was employed by a New Jersey firm that had sent him on an assignment to Cuba. But, upon hearing about the war, he returned to the United States and enlisted as a 90-day volunteer in the 1st Connecticut Volunteer Infantry Regiment.
He rose quickly through the ranks. Will was promoted to 1st lieutenant within a week of his enlistment and became the Regimental Commissary of Subsistence officer. Within a month he was promoted to Captain and was assigned as the Adjutant for Colonel Erasmus D. Keyes’ 1st Brigade of the First Division, commanded by Brigadier General Daniel P. Tyler. He was engaged at the First Battle of Bull Run and it was reported that he spent 27 hours in the saddle during the battle.
After the First Battle of Bull Run, Ely returned home and recruited men, mainly from Windham County, to form a new company. The company was integrated into 6th CVI Regiment and on September 4, 1861, William G. Ely became its commander when he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. On November 7, 1861, Ely and his unit participated in the Battle of Port Royal in South Carolina when they sent ashore to secure the Union victory.
On July 24, 1862, he was promoted to the rank of Colonel and was commissioned to command the 18th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry Regiment. The 18th CVI Regiment was the first regiment mustered into service in Norwich, near the site of present-day Three Rivers Community College. For this reason, the 18th CVI Regiment was regarded by Norwich’s citizens as peculiarly their own. Many of the officers of the 18th CVI Regiment were from Norwich and more than 250 Norwich men volunteered for a three-year enlistment in the regiment.
On June 13, 1863, at the Second Battle of Winchester in Virginia, Colonel Ely commanded the Second Brigade under Major General Robert H. Milroy. The Confederate army’s strength at Winchester was 12,500 and the Union’s was only 7,000. The Union suffered 4,443 casualties while the Confederate causalities were only 269.
The 18th CVI Regiment fought so ferociously that when Colonel Ely presented his sword in surrender to Confederate Brigadier General James A. Walker, the general commented, “You have made us a good deal of trouble this morning”. After Walker saw the damage to Ely’s sword, caused by a cannonball during the battle, he said, “You deserve to keep this – here are the marks of bravery and honor. I will give orders that it is returned to you”. The sword was shipped to Libby prison and then later to Ely’s father in Norwich.
On June 27, 1863, a New York Herald correspondent, who witnessed the Battle at Winchester wrote:
“I wrote you a few days since of the capture of Col. Ely, of the Eighteenth Connecticut Regiment. A braver or cooler officer never stood under shoulder straps or faced a foe. After charging the enemy over fences and through lots, he marched his men back over the ground where so many of their comrades had been place hors de combat [out-of-action] with as much precision and care as thou they were on dress parade.”
Escape from Libby Prison
February 1864
Colonel Ely and many of his men were taken prisoner while advancing in a charge on the Port Royal Turnpike. As a result, Colonel Ely became a prisoner in Libby Prison in June of 1863. However, on February 9, 1864, Colonel Ely, and 108 other officers, dug a 53-foot tunnel and escaped. It was one of the most successful prison escapes of the Civil War.
Many of the men made it back to join the Union army, but, Ely was recaptured forty-two miles away, only half a mile from the Union forces. He was returned, barefoot and half-clad, to a dungeon. Colonel Ely was paroled and exchanged for Confederate prisoners on March 24, 1864.
After Colonel Ely was paroled he rejoined the Union army and took command of the Second Brigade, Second Division, Nineteenth Army Corps, at the Battle of Piedmont on June 5, 1864.
Colonel William G. Ely resigned his commission on September 18, 1864 and was brevetted Brigadier General, US Volunteers on March 13, 1865 for “meritorious services during the war”.
After the war, he returned to Norwich and married Augusta Elizabeth Greene, the daughter of Norwich industrialist and former mayor, William P. Greene. William G. Ely became the President of the Reade Paper Company and treasurer of the Falls Company Cotton Mill and the Shetucket Company in Norwich.
He died on November 13, 1906 and is buried in Yantic Cemetery, along with his wife Augusta.
“William Grosvenor Ely (1836-1906)”, by WikiTree
Bendann Brothers, Library of Congress
The complete list of sources may be found by clicking the “Bibliography” button, and, then typing “William G. Ely” in the SEARCH box.
Brigadier General Edward Harland
Edward Harland, a Norwich native, became one of Norwich’s most highly respected Civil War leaders. He served in the Union Army throughout the war and fought in nine battles. He led Connecticut volunteer soldiers in battles as commander of a company, a regiment, a brigade and a division.
As 90-day volunteers, Captain Harland’s Norwich Rifles fought together in the First Battle of Bull Run, the first major battle of the Civil War. After the enlistment period ended, Harland recruited men from Norwich to fill the ranks of the 8th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry Regiment. The regiment mustered in Camp Buckingham, Hartford in September 1861, with Colonel Edward G. Harland as their leader.
After leading the 8th CVI regiment in the Battle of New Bern, the Siege of Fort Macon and the Battle of South Mountain, his unit was called upon to join in the Battle of Antietam. This battle turned out to be the bloodiest day in American history, with 23,000 men either killed or wounded on September 17, 1862 at Antietam. A detailed description of Norwich’s soldiers’ involvement in the battle can be found HERE.
During the battle the 3rd Division commander, Brigadier General Isaac P. Rodman was mortally wounded. As the senior ranking field officer, Col. Harland assumed command of the 3rd Division and successfully led it during the final assault.
After the battle, Colonel Harland was replaced as division commander, and became the Commander of the 2nd Brigade of the 2nd Division. He was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General on November 29, 1862 and his unit fought at the Siege of Suffolk. After this battle General Harland was reassigned to several commands. His last engagement was at the Battle of Wyse Fork in March 1865. Harland resigned his commission on June 22, 1865 and returned home to Norwich.
Edward G. Harland’s Norwich roots ran deep. Through his mother, Abigail Hyde Harland, Ned (as his friend called him) was a descendant of both Samuel Hyde and William Hyde, two of Norwich’s original 35 proprietors. His grandfather was Thomas Harland, the very successful watch and clockmaker in Norwich.
After the war, at the age of 33, Harland resumed his law practice. He represented Norwich in both houses of the Connecticut Legislature and was a probate judge for the Norwich district. Ned Harland held several other public positions and was one of the corporators of the William W. Backus Hospital.
Info Source 1 states :
“In all the relations of life and citizenship he has so borne himself as to merit the esteem, love and respect of his fellow-citizens. One has only to read between the lines to judge of the worth of such a man of the community.
General Edward Harland never married. He is buried in Yantic Cemetery in Norwich.
“Genealogy and Biographical Record of New London County Connecticut”, 1905, pp 248-250, by J. H. Beers
“The Norwich Memorial: The Annals of Norwich, New London County, Connecticut in the Great Rebellion of 1861-1865”, (1873), page 188, by Malcom McGregor
The complete list of sources may be found by clicking the “Bibliography” button, and, then typing “Edward Harland” in the SEARCH box.
Rear Admiral Joseph Lanman
Like many of the Norwich men who volunteered for service during the Civil War, Joseph Lanman came from a well-known, prestigious Norwich family. His father, Peter Lanman, was a merchant in Norwich and his uncle, James Lanman, served as Norwich’s fifth mayor from 1831-1834.
Joseph Lanman must have been an adventurous lad because he entered the navy as a midshipman on January, 1, 1825 at the age of 13. He proudly served in the U.S. Navy before, during and after the Civil War. By the time he retired, he had earned the rank of Rear Admiral and had served for 47 years.
Most of the approximately 1400 men who volunteered for service in the Civil War became soldiers. However, more than 80 Norwich volunteers became sailors. The most esteemed of these was Joseph Lanman.
Young Lanman performed his duties with ability and faithfulness throughout the first years of his naval service. He served on several ships and quickly rose through the ranks. He was promoted to the rank of captain in 1861. By August 29, 1862 he was promoted to commodore and assigned to the steam-sloop Lancaster of the Pacific squadron. In 1863, he was assigned to command the frigate Minnesota of the North Atlantic blockading squadron, in 1864.
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Commodore Lanman led the 2nd division of Admiral David Porter’s squadron at the two attacks on Fort Fisher near Wilmington, North Carolina. In January 1865, under a barrage of cover fire from the Minnesota, 240 sailors from Lanman’s ship were sent in as a landing party. They successfully assaulted the fort and placed it in the hands of Union forces. Fort Fisher was the last major stronghold of the Confederacy, and, provided tremendous strategic value to the Union. In Admiral Porter’s official report, Commodore Lanman was commended for leading the 2nd line of the 2nd attack on the fort.
After the war, Lanman was promoted to rear-admiral on December 9, 1867 and became the commandant of the Portsmouth Navy Yard. He later commanded the South Atlantic squadron on the coast of Brazil.
AcademyStamp.com
“The Norwich Memorial: The Annals of Norwich, New London County, Connecticut in the Great Rebellion of 1861-1865”, (1873), page 10, by Malcom McGregor
The complete list of sources may be found by clicking the “Bibliography” button, and, then typing “Joseph P. Lanman” in the SEARCH box.