Regiment History

First New Hampshire Regiment History

February 28, 2001 03:18:46 PM

Washington June 30, 1861

Orders to Major-General Paterson Hagerstown, MD

The RI Battery is order from here to join you at Hagerstown by rail. Colonel Stone's Command, consisting of the First New Hampshire Regiment, First PA. Regiment (Colonel Patterson), Ninth NY Regiment, and five companies of PA Regiment, is order to Join your Column.
The Regulars can not be spare from here.

E.D. Townsend
Assistant Adjutant General

Source: The War of the Rebellion, Volume 2, Series 1 (1880), page734

FIRST REGIMENT Extracted from “A History of the Town of Keene” by S. G. Griffin, Keene NH Sentinel Printing Company 1904

The First regiment of New Hampshire Volunteers was organized by the appointment of Hon. Mason W. Tappan of Bradford, ex-member of congress, colonel; Thomas Whipple, Esq. of Laconia, a veteran of the Mexican war, lieutenant colonel; and Aaron F. Stevens, Esq., of Nashua, major. Rev. Stephen G. Abbott of Bradford, after the war a citizen of Keene, was appointed chaplain. The volunteers from Keene were all in Company G, of which Horace T. H. Pierce was first lieutenant. Leaving Concord on the 27th of May, by the Worcester and Norwich route, the regiment reached New York on Sunday morning, where it was given a hearty reception, and proceeded thence through Baltimore to Washington. It was Generously and even lavishly furnished with impedimenta by the state provided with a military band of twenty-five enlisted musicians; sixteen four-horse baggage wagons, all new, with selected horses and harnesses made specially for military service, each company having one wagon to carry its ponderous cooking range and other baggage. A New York paper in giving an account of the passage of this regiment through the city said: " Accompanying the troops were one hundred and sixteen horses, sixteen baggage wagons, containing tents and provisions for thirty days, and one hospital wagon. There were also in attendance sixteen nurses, who took dinner at the Astor House." On its arrival in Washington it was reviewed by President Lincoln, who complimented it as the best appointed regiment that had yet appeared at the capital. Its uniform, however, furnished by the state, was of grey satinet of poor quality. After encamping for a few days near Washington the regiment joined the forces under Col. Charles P. Stone of the regular army, marched to Rockville, Md., and thence to Poolsville and was employed in guarding the crossings of the Potomac river. On the 7th of July, 1861, it marched via Sharpsburg to Williamsport, forded the river into Virginia, and joined Gen. Patterson's division. After a movement towards Winchester and a retreat to Charlestown, the division marched to Harper's Ferry, and the First New Hampshire recrossed the river and encamped at Sandy Hook. On the 2d of August its term expired, and the regiment returned to New Hampshire and was mustered out of service. Many of its officers and men afterwards joined other organizations and did good service in the war.

First New Hampshire Regiment
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