The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-04-30
THE GUILFoRD BATTERY.
Its Fine Record-Its Patriotic Fire Still
Burns Brightly.


Its Fine Record-Its Patriotic Fire Still
Burns Brightly.
Concerning the Guilford battery, a
fine organization which did most hon
orable service in the War of the Re-
bellion and from the first platoon of
which thirty-one men volunteered for
the present war last Wednesday even
ing, an excellent letter is furnished the
Shore Line Times by a "Guilford Vet
eran," of which the following is a part:
Of the battery General Terry said: 1T
will not say it was the best battery in
the service, but it is the best one I have
ever seen in or out of the service" 1t
went out from Guilford to the war
thirty-six men-under Major William
Y. Seward. It's first two years of SER
vice was in the southern department
and the last year of it's service was in
the Virginia campaign under Grant. 1t
was one of the first organizations to
enter Richmond after the surrender
Most of the Guilford members of the
battery served from three to four
years.
Soon after the battery returned from
the war, in 1866, General Russell, then
in command of the state militia, sent
for one of the returned members of the
battalion, Edward Griswold to meet
him at his home in New Haven. There
Mr.. Griswold found with General Rus
sell Governor Buckingham and his
adept General Morse, Colonel Kellogg
of the Second regiment and other mill
tary men. Governor buckingham stat
ed that he desired to organize a light
| battery which would be under the COM
mand of some one who had had expert
ence in that arm of the service, and Of
| fered Mr.. Griswold the command of a
| section to be raised in Guilford. Mr..
| Griswold thanked him, but said that he
| felt as though he had done his part,
with three years in service, but agreed
| to enlist the men and leave 1t to them
| to say who should be their commander.
He recruited the section, seven of his
comrades of the old battery being
among the number, and Mr. Griswold
was unanimously elected it's command
| tI. I1e SeENeu WIFI IL SlA years anu re-
tired with the satisfaction of the bat
tery's efficiency being reported by the
brigade inspector as excellent in every
part and at the head of the list on the
| state reports.
| L. o. Chittenden was next in COM
mand, then John B. Hubbard, then Will
liam H. Lee, who commanded it for q
| long period and with much success.
| Next came Arthur S. Fowler, Barlow
Honce and George r. Fowler, the latter
| at present in command of the Guilford
| platoon, and Barlow Honce as captain
of the battery which includes the Bran
ford platoon.
ways spoken of the Guilford battery in
| the highest terms, and General Hawley
| has often claimed that it was the most
efficient light battery in the militia of
| the United States 1T is now on the
! verge of being called into active SER
| vice. The spirit, and it is an enthusi-
! astic one, of the members of the bat
terry is to preserve the reputation of the
battery and to make record that shall
| equal if not excel that of the old bat
! terry, of which this organization is an
offspring. 1t has been sustained for
nearly thirty-three years, which Is
| longer than the record of existence of
any military organization formed in
any country town in oar state. The
battery boys will volunteer, as did the
Guilford boys in 81, from patriotism.