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518:. The original regiment was mustered out of the service on June 9, 1864, while the recruits were mustered out on July 13, 1865. 1,282 men served in the Seventh Rhode Island; 220 died. On March 13, 1865, General Ulysses S. Grant formally gave his permission for the Seventh Rhode Island Volunteers to paint the following engagements upon their colors where they had fought and died: Fredericksburg, Vicksburg, Jackson, Spotsylvania, North Anna, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, Weldon Railroad, Poplar Spring Church, and Hatcher’s Run.
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fifty paces from the sunken road. Their flag became the farthest advanced banner in the Ninth Corps. After remaining on the field for seven hours, the
Seventh was relieved and returned to Fredericksburg. 570 officers and men went into the fight, 220 became casualties; including over 50 dead. As the regiment assembled after its charge, all Colonel Bliss could say to his battered regiment of young Rhode Islanders was "you have covered yourself with mud and glory." Bliss would be nominated for promotion to
251:. The largest push for recruits came in August, with some towns offering incentives as high as four hundred dollars for men to enlist; though the large bounties encouraged many to come forward, large numbers joined to preserve the Union. Many of their officers were known to them by their first name. They attained their positions through political influence or past experience in the service. In short time one thousand young Rhode Islanders had gathered at Camp Bliss.
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was hit in the chest by a shell, sprinkling pieces of his body all over members of the
Seventh. After halting in the middle of the field to fire their Enfields, the Seventh surged forward in an attempt to flank the wall; they were repulsed by "a perfect volcano of flame." They halted one hundred and
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In
November the Seventh moved to Fort Sedgwick, also known as Fort Hell as it was the closest fort at Petersburg to the Confederate line. The men lived underground in shelters known as “bombproofs” to escape the murderous fire outside. The Seventh remained here until April 2, 1865, when they helped
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with only one hundred and twenty-five men present for duty. As they were constantly under fire, at least one member of the regiment was killed or wounded every day in July and August. On June 20, 1864, Company H mustered one man present for duty; only two commissioned officers remained, while most
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and other volunteer regiments. Some were politicians and gentlemen from the hierarchy of the state. The majority were fifteen- to thirty-year-old farmers and mill workers from southern and western Rhode Island who enlisted in the regiment under the call of
President
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companies mustered ten men, some commanded by corporals. With such a reduced number men, the
Seventh Rhode Island was pulled off the line and acted as engineers for the Second Division, Ninth Corps. Colonel Bliss was thrown from his horse at Spotsylvania, so
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only lasted for two months, forty-seven Rhode
Islanders lost their lives; only two were killed in action. In August they were recalled to Kentucky. The Seventh entered Mississippi with slightly over three hundred men; over half would be infected by disease.
426:. They spent several weeks entrenching around Vicksburg before being sent to Jackson, in order to prevent Confederates from reinforcing the Vicksburg garrison. Here they defeated the Rebels at the Battle of Jackson. Though the
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on this day. In addition the
Seventh was clothed in the full uniform of the United States Army; a feature of their coats being a very high collar. On September 10, the regiment left Rhode Island and proceeded to
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reduced the regiment even further. Even in the worst of weather, one company of the regiment was constantly on picket duty along the river. A respite came in mid-February when the Ninth Corps was transferred to
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contained twenty-four pieces of artillery. The
Seventh Rhode Island went in at 12:20 on the afternoon of December 13, 1862. Almost immediately, Rhode Islanders were being killed and maimed. Lieutenant Colonel
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was one of the worst defeats of the Civil War for the
Federal Army. The Army of the Potomac had to attack across a wide open plain to reach a Confederate division entrenched behind a sunken road. In addition,
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760:. The Union Army: A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal States, 1861–65 – Records of the Regiments in the Union army – Cyclopedia of battles – Memoirs of Commanders and Soldiers. Vol. I.
332:. The city lay in their path to attack Richmond. Burnside waited for over two weeks for pontoons to allow his army to cross. The result would be the near destruction of the Seventh Rhode Island.
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a month earlier. The
Seventh remained encamped at Pleasant Valley, Maryland, for three weeks, perfecting its drill, while losing several members of the regiment to disease and the elements.
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assumed command of the Army of the Potomac. On November 15, the Seventh fought its first engagement, holding a key bridge against Confederate cavalry. Later that month they arrived at
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issued general orders for the raising of the 7th Rhode Island Infantry Regiment. This regiment was to be the last three-year infantry regiment to be raised in
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498:, the Seventh was held in reserve. They remained in their entrenchments throughout August and September, losing even more men. On September 30, 1864, the
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The Seventh Rhode Island Volunteers was mustered into the service of the United States to serve for three years on September 6, 1862. They also drew
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442:’s Confederate guerillas. Following this, the regiment was again summoned to Virginia in April 1864 as reinforcements to the Army of the Potomac.
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Military Affairs and Regimental Histories of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, And Delaware
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510:. In addition, men returned to duty and recruits arrived from Rhode Island. By December, over three hundred men were available for duty.
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They spent a miserably cold and wet winter as the provost marshal in Lexington, Kentucky. Here they protected the loyal citizens against
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and was to be the destination for the recruits for the regiment. Many men came to Camp Bliss in the summer of 1862. Some were
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Seventh Rhode Island Infantry. Files. United States Army Military Historical Institute. Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania.
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Seventh Rhode Island Volunteers. Regimental Books and Papers. Rhode Island Historical Society. Providence, Rhode Island.
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was killed or wounded. In these two engagements nearly one hundred Rhode Islanders fell. The Seventh was in reserve at
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Seventh Rhode Island Volunteers. Regimental Books and Papers. Rhode Island State Archives. Providence, Rhode Island.
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462:. From this day on the Seventh was engaged in combat nearly continuously. On May 18 and again on May 23 at the
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At this time only two hundred and fifty men were on duty. The Seventh returned to Virginia and crossed the
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Following the Battle of Fredericksburg, the Seventh Rhode Island returned to its winter camp across the
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for his actions. Many of his enlisted men would receive promotions for their actions on the field.
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Here they remained for several weeks before joining the First Brigade, Second Division,
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Hopkins, William P. "The Seventh Rhode Island Volunteers: 1862-1865." Providence, 1903.
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The Civil War Letters of Alfred Sheldon Knight. "Camp Chase Gazette." September, 2006.
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for 300,000 men to defend the Union following a series of humiliating defeats in
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615:: Dyer Pub. Co. pp. 33, 229, 353, 354, 356, 357, 1635, 1787.
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This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the
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This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the
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some eighty-five years earlier. Food and money was scarce, while
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on the road to Richmond. They were held in reserve at the
324:. In early November, Ninth Corps commander, Major General
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Units and formations of the Union Army from Rhode Island
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Rhode Island U.S. Volunteer Infantry Regiments 1861-1865
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The Longest Night: A Military History of the Civil War
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559:The 8th Regiment never completed its organization.
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320:again embarked upon another campaign to capture
458:on May 5–7, yet were heavily engaged May 12 at
514:storm into Petersburg and then pursued Lee to
506:. In November they were consolidated with the
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276:and had attained the rank of captain in the
764:: Federal Publishing Company. p. 248.
403:. From here they were again transferred to
264:To command them, Governor Sprague selected
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605:A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion
491:was commissioned as lieutenant colonel.
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407:when Burnside was given command of the
278:Eighth United States Infantry Regiment
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238:veterans, or had seen service in the
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528:List of Rhode Island Civil War units
818:1862 establishments in Rhode Island
751:Federal Publishing Company (1908).
508:4th Rhode Island Volunteer Infantry
193:7th Rhode Island Infantry Regiment
180:9th Rhode Island Infantry Regiment
175:5th Rhode Island Infantry Regiment
98:Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
19:5th Rhode Island Infantry Regiment
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713:West Point Atlas of American Wars
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719:Frederick A. Praeger Publishers
500:Battle of Poplar Springs Church
300:on October 6, encamped outside
667:(1st ed.). New York, NY:
482:. In mid June they arrived at
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709:Esposito, Vincent J. (1959).
36:May 22, 1862 to June 9, 1865
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272:. Bliss was a graduate of
218:On May 22, 1862, Governor
422:’s army as they besieged
414:In June the Seventh left
304:following the victory at
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534:Notes/References/Sources
456:Battle of the Wilderness
337:Battle of Fredericksburg
330:Fredericksburg, Virginia
312:Battle of Fredericksburg
230:was erected in southern
93:Battle of the Wilderness
78:Battle of Fredericksburg
460:Spotsylvania Courthouse
516:Appomattox Court House
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113:Battle of Fort Stedman
654:McPherson, James Alan
600:Dyer, Frederick Henry
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285:Enfield rifle-muskets
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123:Assault on Petersburg
103:Battle of Cold Harbor
669:Simon & Schuster
496:Battle of the Crater
466:every member of the
428:Mississippi Campaign
362:Mississippi Campaign
316:In late October the
302:Sharpsburg, Maryland
236:Mexican–American War
108:Battle of the Crater
650:McPherson, James M.
494:On July 30, at the
405:Lexington, Kentucky
318:Army of the Potomac
118:Appomattox Campaign
380:Falmouth, Virginia
376:Rappahannock River
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370:Vicksburg memorial
322:Richmond, Virginia
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240:United States Army
208:American Civil War
83:Siege of Vicksburg
728:978-0-8050-3391-5
717:. New York City:
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298:Ninth Corps
292:outside of
266:Zenas Bliss
259:Zenas Bliss
206:during the
144:Zenas Bliss
71:Engagements
807:Categories
687:2001034153
621:B01BUFJ76Q
566:References
484:Petersburg
290:Camp Casey
274:West Point
232:Providence
228:Camp Bliss
204:Union Army
139:commanders
132:Commanders
51:Allegiance
770:694018100
695:231931020
626:August 8,
396:pneumonia
392:dysentery
214:Formation
737:60298522
656:(2001).
602:(1908).
522:See also
446:Virginia
306:Antietam
270:Johnston
249:Virginia
200:regiment
197:infantry
166:Previous
142:Colonel
65:Infantry
592:Sources
452:Rapidan
388:typhoid
202:of the
195:was an
137:Notable
41:Country
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744:2020
733:OCLC
723:ISBN
702:2020
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628:2015
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