Morning journal and courier., 1891-05-12
TIT WAS rHIRrY YEARS AGO.

Memorable Day in the City of Films l Wars Grim Visage In the Land | The sound of Fife and Drum and
 ofthe Tread of Troops Going Forth
 to Battle for the Union = Intense
 Public Interest. .~
 Just thirty years ago Sunday what a different scene did New Haven present, for there was the excitement of war whose proportions were known hardly moro than by mere conjecture and a gen. eral state of dire uncertainty. It was on that day, Friday, May 10, 1861, the citi- zens turned out en masse to bid the Sec ond regiment, Connecticut veterans, three months troops, farewell on it's departure for the seat of war. There are few now who know the doings of that day, save as they read it in history. The day was warm and pleasant, just like Sunday. For two weeks preceding the Second regiment had been encamped at Brewster park, now the Elm City Driving park, awaiting their turn to be called ',~ At last on the Friday mentioned the order to leave for the front came and early ! in the afternoon the regiment marched
  ed, the right resting on Chapel street and the left on Elm. Here they were pre- | sented with flag by the citizens of New Haven7 which was received by Colonel, afterwards General Terry. After few addresses the line of march was again | taken up down Chapel and State streets to Long wharf, at the end of which was the | steamer Cahawba, waiting to transport | them to the south.
 oe4 41na a;4 | during that march is beyond description. 1 There was hardly room in the street to l march; everybody was rushing up to shake l hands with some one or more of the regi- l ment, to carry knapsack and everything l done to make the men about to enter the l war feel that those at home had and would do all in their power to support them. l Conspicuous in the regiment were the Grays. The young Grays were escorted by the veteran Grays. The city presented 1 gay scene with it's masses of bunting,
 flags and streamers everywhere. New Haven did indeed present vastly differ ent appearance thirty years ago yesterday, and what difference was there in the mental state of each!
 The following facts concerning that de- | parture for the front may be of interest,
 which have been taken from MT. J. B. Lucke's history of the Grays:
 The steamer Cahawba was large ocean
 craft, which had run between New York
 and southern ports but now is in the en- ! pIoy of the government as 8 transport l The boat lay at the end of Long wharf | and cast off about midnight, and at that
 hour the wharf was dense mass of peo-
 pie, who watched the black form of the ! receding boat till she was lost to view ir ! the darkness At o'clock in the morn
 ing she was rounding Montauk Point. All
 the next day there was heavy sea, whicE
 caused the young soldiers no little dis
 comfort. Early Sunday morning the
 steamer was off the Jersey coast, thu
 weather fine and most of the men in ex cellent spirits. While appropriate religious of steamer and full rigget ship, supposed to belong to thu
 enemy, changed the peaceful scen'
 and instantly preparations were made fo
 war. But now a new foe appeared whicl was to be dreaded even more than the oth
 CT. The Cahawba was on fire. Colone
 Terry, calm and collected, assembled ant posted fire guard composed chiefly 0 old iremen, a number of them Grays, ant among them was Chief Hendricks. It wa a few moments of dreadful suspense, the, came the welcome news that the fire wa extinguished. The strange vessels proved ! to be an English vessel and the othe ! an American packet, both bent on peace full missions.
 By Tuesday the Caham ba had steamed up the Potomac as far as the national capi tai, where the troops disembarked, and af ter spending two hours in sight seeing 3 fell into line and marched to Glenwood ol ! Camp Trumbull where they went int
 camp. This was about mile and a hal 3 distant from Washington. The Grays a | mt 1arHf Ina fire | night. Sergeant Hendrick and Corporal ! Cornwall and Blake were on duty. Car tain Osborn was officer of the day an o Lieutenant T. L. Northrop officer of th y guard.
 @ The First Connecticut were encampe
 near by. The Grays found no little plea.
 ure in their stay at this camp for they re
 ceived very pleasant attentions from seces = dwellers in mansions not far distant, ,whe1 @ | also dwelt beautiful young ladies. Whil h | here in camp the Grays received a vis
 one day from ex-Captain James M. Towr ' send, ex-Lieutenant Walter Osborne an :. H. Lee Scranton, proprietor of the Tor | tine hotel. The visitors were given roy, welcome and an interesting letter was pull
 lished in the COURIER soon after, writte
 by Captain Townsend, concerning th f. visit.
 The Second Connecticut regiment, ir | lduGry, (GuTeo moutus) was, uho Cuo II II S r recruited from volunteer militia. It nun
 bered 6S0 men, armed with Sharp's rifles with the exception of two companies . which were armed with U. s. Springfel . I muskets. Colonel Alfred H. Terry o
 New Haven was placed in command c
 resiment. The regiment was present g
 the battle of Bull Run, where both officer s | and men acquitted themselves with hono1 ! The regiment was mustered out of servic
 on the Eth day of August, 1861, at Ne'
 Haven.