Remembering the young men of Woodbridge and Bethany who fought in the Civil War

In October 2012, the people of Woodbridge gathered on the town green for a ceremony and reenactment to honor the local men who fought and died in the Civil War. This event, organized with the help of the Amity & Woodbridge Historical Society, and with the participation of students from Beecher Road School, came after extensive research into the lives of local soldiers who had perished in the war. The effort compiled a list of those who never returned home, preserving their names and stories for future generations. The local men who fought were primarily from the 6th, 10th, 14th, 15th, 27th, and 31st Connecticut Infantry Regiments. The ceremony provided an opportunity for the community to reconnect with this history and reflect on how the war’s legacy continues to shape our town today.

The 6th Connecticut Infantry Regiment saw heavy losses early in the war. Theodore Gibbons, age 16, was one of the first casualties from Woodbridge, dying on October 7, 1861. A year later, during the Battle of Pocotaligo on October 22, 1862 at Hilton Head, South Carolina, Bruce Baldwin was wounded, and later died of his injuries on November 11, 1862 at age 24 (a previous essay describes his burial place). Similarly, Willis C. Thomas received a gunshot wound in the right thigh that same day at Pocotaligo. Sergeant Leonard Peck and four others carried him back to the field hospital where he died 16 days later at age 18 or 19. He was buried at Beaufort National Cemetery in South Carolina. Fighting alongside them in this regiment was 22 year-old John Justus Warner, who survived the war and came home to Bethany to marry the young widow of a fellow soldier, Edgar Smith of the 10th regiment) who was not so lucky.

The 27th Connecticut Infantry Regiment suffered catastrophic losses at Fredericksburg, Virginia. The battle occurred just three months after most of its men had enlisted. Three young soldiers from Woodbridge died that day; Andrew Boyden Castle, age 33, James George Clinton, age 18, and Garry Burr Sperry, age 27, were all killed in action on December 13, 1862, making it one of the deadliest days for Woodbridge soldiers in the war. Also serving in this regiment was Andrew Castle's brother-in-law, Isaac Bradley, who fought in Company E of the 27th. Isaac survived the war but returned home sick from his time in Libby Prison, ultimately dying from tuberculosis in early 1866.

The 14th Connecticut Infantry Regiment lost Judson E. Sperry at 38 shortly after the Fredericksburg battle. He died on January 2, 1863, likely from wounds or illness sustained during the campaign. He was buried at Fredericksburg National Cemetery in Virginia.

The 15th Connecticut Infantry Regiment lost Arthur L. Johnson age 26, who was wounded and captured at Kinston, North Carolina, on March 8, 1865, and died a few weeks later on April 3, 1865, in Guilford, North Carolina.

The 31st United States Colored Troops saw its Woodbridge soldier Junius Payne killed in action at Petersburg, Virginia, on July 30, 1864, a critical moment in the war's final year. This was the date of the engagement known as the Battle of the Crater at which the Union lost 504 men, and the Confederates lost 361 men. The 2003 film Cold Mountain depicts the Battle of the Crater in its opening scenes.

The 10th Connecticut Infantry Regiment saw multiple deaths from Woodbridge soldiers over a span of two years. John Donoven, age 18, died at Morris Island, South Carolina, on September 30, 1863. Just a few weeks later Henry M. Tuttle, age 20, also died at Morris Island on October 24, 1863. Jesse Hull Rice, serving in Company F of the 10th Connecticut Infantry, was wounded at the Battle of New Bern on March 14, 1862, suffering a severe gunshot wound to his left arm that permanently crippled him (his story is described in a previous essay). Henry Fletcher Merwin, who fought in Company A of the 10th Connecticut, was wounded at Kinston, North Carolina, when a Confederate bullet severed two fingers. He survived his injury, though it caused chronic pain for the rest of his life. He later went on to be elected as Woodbridge First Selectman (a previous essay describes Henry's life story).

My own family's experience of loss during the Civil War involves my great-great grandfather, Jerome Andrew Downs (1838-1904), who served in  Company K of the 10th Connecticut. Both his son, Jerome Jr., and grandson, Stanley Hotchkiss (Tucker) Downs, would go on to serve the Town of Bethany in the role of First Selectman. But first, Jerome senior had to make it back from his time as a soldier, serving shoulder to shoulder with several other boys from his hometown of Bethany. His sister Mary Esther Down's young husband Edgar Giles Smith was one of Jerome's fellow soldiers in the 10th Regiment, Connecticut Volunteers. Edgar was in Company A while Jerome served in Company K.

On May 14, 1864, during the Battle of Fort Darling near Drewry's Bluff in Virginia, Edgar was killed in action at age 19. This battle was a significant part of the Union's efforts to advance toward Richmond, the Confederate capital. The 10th Connecticut Infantry played a crucial role that day, engaging in rearguard actions to protect other Union regiments during the assault. Despite these efforts the battle proved a decisive win for the South, becoming a symbol of Confederate resistance — and Drewry’s Bluff, where Edgar died, remained a key defensive position until 1865, when Richmond finally fell to Union forces.

Edgar Giles Smith's service and ultimate sacrifice is a reminder of the bravery and dedication exhibited by the soldiers of the 10th Connecticut Infantry. It fell to his fellow soldier in the 1oth, his brother-in-law Jerome, to write home informing his sister of the sad news. Immediately after learning of Edgar's death, Mary wrote a letter to her and Jerome's sister Sarah in which she shared her anguish:

May 22nd 1864

Dear Sister and Brother,

It is with a sad heart I now address you. I received a letter from Jerome yesterday (date May 15th written near the battle field), written last Sunday containing sad intelligence. Edgar my Edgar has fallen. He is no more. He fell in battle a week ago yesterday and was buried on the field just after sunset. O! my god have mercy in this trying hour of affliction. The brave boy fell in your power. But I must remember there are others beside myself to mourn the loss of loved ones. It seems and yet — perhaps it is all for the best. I cannot give you the particulars because Jerome had not time to write them. They had been fighting several days and still the bloody work was going on. He was engaged with his face to the foe. At the time the fatal bullet hit him Jerome was not over twenty yards from him on a line with him: yet he knew nothing about his being hit until he came out of action. O! would I see you now Dear Sister in this my first great grief of life. You would I know bestow upon me all the sympathy and consolation.

All day Saturday and expected to be under fire Sunday. This has been to me the saddest day of my life. Never did I feel so disconsolate as the present time. However, I have one thing to comfort me. We hope to meet again.

Laura Beecher [a cousin who died at age 26] was buried last Tuesday. Hoping this will find you both in good health.

I remain your affectionate sister Mary. Please write when you receive this. Have you ever had a letter from Edgar? He wrote in one of my letters that he should write you when he had time. I want you to come home when convenient.

I remain yours affectionately,

Sister Mary

While Edgar's body was eventually returned home to be interred alongside family at the Christ Episcopal Church Cemetery in Bethany, Jerome would continue on with the 10th Connecticut throughout the term of his enlistment. Just a few months later, in September that year, his father Kneeland Downs (1809-1864) died while his only son was far from home. This news must have been difficult for Jerome to learn, likely coming too late for anything but private mourning. It was not until another year had passed that the family finally would welcome home the returning men of the 10th Regiment, after they took part in the Siege of Petersburg, where the regiment endured grueling combat leading up to the end of the war.

For those who survived, the war did not end when they returned home. Many suffered from physical wounds, disease, and emotional trauma, and their post-war lives were likely deeply affected by their experiences as young men. The persistent impact of the war on the larger community at home is exemplified in the story of the Bradley and Clark family.

Jason Wyllys Bradley (1809–1888) was an active figure in Connecticut politics during the mid-19th century. He was state senator for Connecticut's 5th District, elected as a member of the Whig Party on April 5, 1847. As a member of the Connecticut General Assembly, he participated in legislative activities pertinent to the state's governance during the war period. His contributions extended beyond his term as senator, as he was appointed Paymaster General of Connecticut, a position that involved overseeing the financial affairs of the state's military forces.

Isaac Bradley, Jason's only son, fought in Company E of the 27th Connecticut Infantry (a previous essay describes Jason's search for his son after the battle of Fredericksburg). Captured and imprisoned at the infamous Libby Prison, Isaac returned home after his liberation from Libby Prison and discharge from service, sick with consumption. Soon after his return, his wife Frances Castle Bradley gave birth prematurely, and their infant son Birney died in March 1865 (in a previous essay, a letter to Frances from her nephew refers to the death of this baby). Frances herself succumbed to tuberculosis in September 1865 and just a few months later, Isaac died on January 6, 1866, leaving the family to grieve the loss of their son's entire family. His father commemorated him with a large monument that tells his story in the Old Bethany Cemetery. Many years later, Jason chose to be buried beside his son, surrounded by family members.

Isaac’s brother-in-law, Andrew Boyden Castle who served in Company E of the 27th Connecticut Infantry also perished in the war during the Battle of Fredericksburg. He is buried beside Frances and Birney in Christ Episcopal Church Cemetery in Bethany, marking another chapter of loss for this local family.

Isaac’s story is recorded in several letters that document the personal impact of the war. The above linked letter from December 25, 1862, written by his father Jason Wyllys Bradley, expresses relief upon hearing that Isaac survived the Battle of Fredericksburg. Another, written by France's nephew Dwight Andrewew Sperry on April 4, 1865, records the grief surrounding the death of Isaac and Frances’ infant son Birney. These artifacts, as well as the young widow Mary Downs Smith's letter, offer deeply personal perspectives on the suffering endured by local families during the Civil War. By remembering these families, we ensure that the stories of Woodbridge’s Civil War soldiers are not forgotten.

A third family letter, written by Issac to his sister Althea Bradley Clark also describes his experiences during the war. This sister and her son carried forward the family’s story. Althea married Dwight Noyes Clark (1829-1922) in 1866. He was a cattle dealer and an influential member of the Woodbridge Congregational Church. The family maintained strong ties to both towns, with properties in Woodbridge, including the historic tavern built by Noyes' great-grandfather, Elioenai Clark (1763-1847), along the Litchfield Turnpike.

Althea and Dwight's only child, Noyes Dwight Clark (1869-1937), would go on to follow in his grandfather Jason's footstep, serving as State Representative to the Connecticut General Assembly. In his will, Noyes left a monetary bequest to establish public libraries in Woodbridge and Bethany. His gift reflected the values of education, civic responsibility, and community enrichment—ideals championed by his grandfather, the state senator, and influenced by the sacrifices of his uncle, Isaac Bradley, who fought and suffered in the Civil War.

In this way, a soldier’s sacrifice and a family’s perseverance was transformed into something lasting and tangible — places of learning and gathering that continue to serve the descendants of the very community Isaac fought to preserve. By sharing the stories of these men who fought in the Civil War we see that their lives are commemorated not only in monuments and historical records but in some of our public institutions, like the libraries in Woodbridge and Bethany as well as the leadership positions in town government filled by these men and their descendants.