The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-09-24
BIG TIME
In Hartford on Thursday-Dedicatio
 of First Heavies' Monument


 day, September r. 1897. Hartford saw the greatest parade of veterans of the civil war that ever took place in this state. It was Battle Flag day, when the regimental col0rs carried in the war were removed from the state arse nal to the new Capitol and placed in cases in the main corridor. where they have since remained. Major-General Joseph R. Hawley. now United States senator, was chief marshal of the pa rade, in which were over six thousand old soldiers. and the flags were received by Governor Charles B. Andrews. af- terward chief justice of the state. who died at his home in tttchfeld last week. It is estimated that there were sixty thousand visitors in Hartford that day. -re
 Next Thursday. September 25. Hart ford anticipates entertaining twenty five hundred veterans Of the civil war on the occasion of the dedication of the monument of the First regiment, Heavy artillery, that date, being the thirty seventh anniversary of the muster out of the command. The monument has been erected on conspicuous part of the Capitol grounds, and it is the only regimental monument there, permission for it's erection having been given by the general assembly. It is of Westerly granite, with base pediment and cap stone, the whole weighing about fifty tons. The monument is surnounted by large mortar, weighing ten tons, NEyhin6 tho hv tho regiment in bombarding Petersburg, Va, and was known as the Petersburg Express" The old mortar was given by the ordnance department through the efforts of Colonel c. A. Russell. con- gressman from the Third district. The location is within stones throw of La- fayette Park, where will stand the monument to the Seventh regiment, General Hawley's command when he was a colonel
 The First regiment, Connecticut vol unteers, Heavy artillery, was organized in April, 1861, as the Fourth regiment of infantry, for three months service, un- der President Lincoln's call for seven ty-f1ve thousand men. The regiment was in rendezvous at Hartford when word came that no more three months troops would be accepted and that for ty-two thousand men were needed for three years of the war, under the presi- dents call of May 3. The members im- mediately volunteered for three years service and the regiment was mustered in for three years or the war, and was the first regiment of volunteers mus tered in for that period. Hanging in the Capitol is a silk flag presented by the Sons of Connecticut in California to the first three years regiment from their native state. It was given to the First EIeavies," as the regiment is popularly known. The regiment went to the front under the command of Col onel Levi Woodhouse, veteran of the Mexican war, but was, so poorly equipped and disciplined that it was nearly demoralized Colonel Wood house resigned and Colonel Robert o. Tyler, captain in the regulars, was appointed to the command. He soon brought the regiment to such state of efficiency that it became the model heavy artillery regiment in the volun- teer service. When Colonel Tyler was promoted brigadier-general he was succeeded by Colonel Henry L. Abbott, of the regulars, who was recently re- tired as a brigadier- general of engi- neers, and Is still living. He will at tend the dedication of the monument. The regiment had over t.ree thousand men on it's rolls during its service. and two hundred and twenty men died from wounds or disease. It participated in thirteen engagements, including the sieges of Yorktown, Fredericksburg, Pe- tersburg and Richmond.
 The project for a monument was started several years ago, but lan- guished for lack of funds. Three years ago the matter was taken up by the Veteran City Guard, of Hartford, and the money was soon raised. about six thousand dollars being contributed, one thousand dollars of which was from the state, which gives that sum to any war regiment for a monument. The Hartford City Guard furnished the first company for the regiment. Company A and sixty-three men of that company became officers in course of the war, an unparalleled record, it is believed. All veterans in the state have been invited to parade at the dedication. and the in- dications are that twenty-five hundred will attend. They will be escorted by the First regiment, Connecticut Nation al Guard, and all the local military and naval organizations. Ex-Governor