Battle of Hanover Court House | Spared & Shared 23

The following letters were written by Dixon Greene Conn (1840-1921) who enlisted first in the 5th North Carolina Infantry but when the regiment was reorganized in early May 1862 as the 15th North Carolina Infantry, they elected a new slate of officers and sent the old ones home. The reorganization took place near Yorktown and the regiment was one of the last to leave that stronghold before abandoning it to the Yankees. They served as the rear guard on the march to Williamsburg but were then sent to Kent Court House without engaging in the fight. “After several days of slow and tedious marching through rain and mud, occasional marches and skirmishes, with little to eat but parched corn, the regiment crossed to the south side of the Chickahominy River and encamped on the turnpike to Mechanicsville. As the Union army extended its lines to the right a portion of the regiment on picket duty at Ellyson’s Mill, and had a small engagement, capturing a few prisoners, with no loss to the regiment. On the 30th and 31st of May the regiment marched and counter-marched almost constantly between Mechanicsville and Seven Pines, and on Sunday morning, June 1st, was formed in line of battle to the right, near Fair Oaks, to reinforce and renew the attack at that point. Before advancing the order was countermanded and the.regiment took position on the Nine Mile Road above Fair Oaks, where it remained under daily fire from the enemy’s batteries” until the start of the Seven Days Battles. [Source: North Carolina in the American Civil War]

Dixon Greene Conn’s obituary informs us that he was born in Franklin county, North Carolina, on 13 March 1840 and was educated in a private academy in Louisburg in which he also served as an instructor.At the outbreak of the Civil War. he enlisted in Co. L, 5th N. C. Vols., which was the first company that went out of Franklin county. He reenlisted in Co. L. 15th N. C. Troops and next in Co. K, 32nd N. C. Regiment. He was wounded seven times in the war, five times at Malvern Hill. On account of his wounds, Dixon was discharged from the Confederate Army early in 1863 at Richmond; but before completing his convalescence, being refused active combatant service, he volunteered in the Confederate Navy and served on the Indian Chief, on which he was master at arms. From this ship he later transferred to the Pee Dee at Cheraw, South Carolina. He was taken prisoner on 6 April 1865 and confined on Craney Island for several months.

Dixon wrote the letters to his older sister, Mary Eliza Conn (1833-1914) who never married and was residing in Galloways, Franklin county, North Carolina at the time of the 1860 US Census.

Over the years I have transcribed several letters by members of the 15th North Carolina. They include:
George W. Mock, Co. F, 15th North Carolina (CSA 1 Letter)
Leander Mock, Co. F, 15th North Carolina (CSA 1 Letter)
Theophilus Thomas Spaugh, Co. F, 15th North Carolina (CSA 1 Letter)
Solomon Tesh, Co. H, 15th North Carolina (CSA 1 Letter)
Daniel Wilson, Co. H, 15th North Carolina (CSA 1 Letter)
Daniel Wilson, Co. H, 15th North Carolina (CSA 2 Letters)
William H. H. Tyson, Co. M, 15th North Carolina (CSA 1 Letter)
William H. H. Tyson, Co. M, 15th North Carolina (CSA 1 Letter)

Letter 1

My regiment has reorganized for two years longer. I will give you a list of my staff and company officers.

15th Regt. North Carolina TRoops

Staff—-
H[enry] A. Dowd, Colonel
Jas. McCrae, Lieut. Col.
W[illiam] H. Yarborough, Major
W. H. Ballard, Adjutant
Company Officers—-
J[ames] I. Foster, Capt.
W[illiam] R. Young, 1st Lieutenant
R[obert] E. Ballard, 2nd Lieutenant
D. G. Conn, 1st Sergeant
J. H. Howard, 2nd Sergeant
P. H. Winston, 3rd Sergeant
H. N. Jasper, 4th Sergeant
J. W. Whiliss [?], 5th Sergeant
R. C. Martin, 1st Corporal
B[enjamin] C. Arrington, 2nd Corporal
T. H. Leigh, 3rd Corporal
J. S. Tuthill [?], 4th Corporal

Our old officers were not reelected; consequently they were sent home.

When you write, direct to D. G. Conn. Co. L, 15th N. C. Troops, Richmond, Va.

Tell me whether you know anything of Joe May—whether he is in camp at Raleigh. Again my respects to all. — D. G. Conn

Letter 2

Richmond, Virginia
May the 28th, 1862

Affectionate sister,

Although I wrote you yesterday, I think it necessary on account of a certain circumstance to write a few words again today. I want you to let me know immediately whether you received a letter from me written about the 18th April. I gave it to Algernon Strother to be mailed on the way as he was going home. He says the marks rubbed off (it being backed with a pencil) and he directed it to Louisburg to you, and sent it I suppose out to Pa’s. In it I gave you permission to try to have me discharged. I am very sorry it was miscarried. By all means, do not try it now. I would not have you try it now for no amount. But I would be glad if you could get that letter. But I think it doubtful as I suppose Pa has it. Nothing more. Write immediately. — D. G. Conn

Yesterday evening there was a fight about three and a half hours to our left about three miles distant. ¹ I have not learned the result yet. I could hear it very distinctly. All calm this morning. My best love to all, — D. G. Conn

¹ This may be a reference to the Battle of Hanover Court House who took place during the afternoon of May 27, 1862.

The following letter was written by Charles E. Pettis, a native of Vermont, who enlisted at Erie as a private in September 1861 to serve in Co. K, 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry. He was discharged for disability in mid-September 1862. His residence was given as Garland, Warren county, Pennsylvania.

Charles’ letter, dated 2 June 1862 during the Peninsula Campaign, makes reference to the recent fighting at Hanover Court House, where the 83rd Pennsylvania, part of Fitz John Porter’s V Corps, clashed with Branch’s North Carolinians. Being outnumbered three to one, the Confederates suffered a decisive defeat at Peake’s Crossing. The letter suggests that the victory was facilitated by the inferior weaponry and lack of enthusiasm among the North Carolinians.

The original tintype of the 1st State Colors of the 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry with colorbearer Alexander Rodgers. The CDVs of the image were copy shots of this tintype. From the collection of Captain John Sell of the 83rd in the archives of CalState Northridge.

[Note: This letter is from the private collection of James Campbell and was offered for transcription and publication on Spared & Shared by express consent.]

Transcription

Camp near the Chickahominy
June the 2, 1862

Dear Friend James,

I now take my pen in hand to answer your welcome letter which come to had in due season. I am well at present and I hope that when this letter reaches you it will find you enjoying good health. Well James, I must give you a few details of what have been going on since I last wrote to you. We are about five miles from the heart of rebeldom. Yesterday our men fought pretty near all day. Our men were victorious. ¹

Jim, I wish you were here to see the rebel pimps run when we begin to shell them. I must give you a little account of the fight that I was in at Hanover Court House. It was a hard fight. I thought the killed and wounded on our side was about 75. As near as I can find out, the rebels loss was about twice the number. We took a good many prisoners. The rebel troops that we fought was mostly North Carolina chaps. They said they were glad to be taken prisoners. They were armed with the old musket that our men fought in the revolution. They were very poorly dressed and said they had not enough to eat.

While we was out there, we destroyed the rebels railroad bridge and tore their telegraph and we captured a large amount of tobacco and sugar. We killed a large supply of fresh meat. The weather is very warm here. Corn is about eight inches high. Winter wheat is all headed out. I think that before next Saturday that Richmond will be in our hands. I hope so.

Well James, I don’t know that I can give you any more news this time. You must write very soon. Yours truly, C. E. Pettis

to James Upton

¹ See Battle of Seven Pines.