Civil War Meeting – Far right: Captain George M. Barnard

THE DOCUMENT IS SIGNED BY PARTRIDGE AS CAPT (OF “C” Co.) IN THE 16th MICH INFANTRY, DATED 
“AT RAPPAHANNOCK STATION, VOLS. THIS 23rd DAY OF DECEMBER 1863.”

THE DISCHARGE IS FOR SGT. JAMES J. NELLIS, [WHO ROSE IN RANK TO CAPTAIN], “I” Co., 16th MICH. 
INFANTRY, and WAS WOUNDED-IN-ACTION AT THE BATTLE OF THE WILDERNESS ON MAY 7, 1864.  HE WAS 
ULTIMATELY PROMOTED TO CAPTAIN ON JULY 7, 1865.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF THIS DOCUMENT: About a month and a half before the date of this discharge 
(Dec. 23rd, 1863, the 16th Michigan fought valiantly at the Second Battle of Rappahannock Station in Fauquier 
County, Virginia on November 7, 1863;  Union General John Sedgwick, under the command of General George Gordon 
Meade, led a stunning successful surprise assault against Confederate forces, capturing nearly 1,600 
prisoners and forcing General Robert E. Lee to retreat below the Rapidan River. 

BIOGRAPHY OF GEN. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN PARTRIDGE

His image has gone from obscurity to hero to something in between, but the fact remains, Bay City’s Gen. Benjamin Franklin Partridge answered the call when the nation needed men like him to save the Union.

Partridge, a man who had amassed a small fortune and lost it in the economic Panic of 1857, had been the sheriff of brand new Bay County as the nation descended into war, said Gerald Pergande, a Bay City attorney who has extensively researched Bay County history and authored a number of papers on local Civil War figures.

Pergande noted that Partridge used the title of General, or at least didn’t discourage being called General, but he never held that rank during the fighting.

“He was brevetted the rank of brigadier general after the war, which was a courtesy to him for his service,” Pergande said.

Partridge’s military career began shortly after Fort Sumter was attacked 150 years ago this week.

“He was the sheriff here and when the war broke out, he resigned and started recruiting men for a military unit called the 1st Michigan Lancers,” Pergande said. “He wanted to enlist a hundred men or so and form a company to take to Detroit.”

He managed to get quite a few to sign up and they joined the Lancers which had been organized in Detroit. When it was learned, however, that a Canadian was in charge of the regiment, the governor refused to accept it as part of the state’s militia, Pergande said.

“What happened was many of the men were sent to other units, and some were included in the 16th Michigan Infantry, with Partridge joining as a lieutenant,” he said. “Once it was organized, the 16th Michigan was sent east to Washington, D.C.”

Pergande said that he has done extensive research over the years on Partridge’s life and his view of the man has changed. At first, when just looking at his military record, he appears to be a heroic figure, but there was more to the man’s personality than that.

“I discovered that while he was a war hero he might not have been a very likable person,” Pergande said, noting Partridge was involved in a lot of business ventures, some unsuccessful, prior to the war.

Partridge was born in Macomb County in 1822 and didn’t get much formal education until the age of 14, but was intelligent enough to learn quickly, eventually studying law and mathematics. He became a civil engineer and surveyor and in 1845 he married Olive M. Wright and moved to Bay City — known then as Lower Saginaw — in 1854.

According to the 1883 History of Bay County, one of the earliest compilations of Bay area residents, Partridge began purchasing wooded acreage for two lumber mills he built. He purchased quite a bit of land in Bay City and just south of it in the village of Portsmouth, now the South End. However, the economic crash took his fortune away and he had to sell everything to pay off creditors.

He went back to work as a surveyor and engineer, and was hired as the county surveyor before becoming sheriff, serving for 18 months before resigning to join the service.

His personality was reserved, sometimes considered harsh. He was a lifelong, hard-line temperance man, opposed to alcohol in any form outside medicine.

After the war, he added to land he had purchased south of Bay City in what became a reorganized Portsmouth Township, and was elected its first supervisor. His farm straddled Tuscola Plank Road — later M-15 — a wooden toll road which he helped get constructed.

“He wasn’t exactly well liked I gathered,” Pergande said. “As an officer, his men called him “Old Pheasant” which wasn’t meant to be complimentary. One of his problems was he was put in charge of a company of soldiers in the 16th Michigan which largely was a Flint outfit and the men didn’t like having this Bay County guy giving orders.”

Pergande added that the officers who had been in charge of the regiment were let go because they were War Democrats and the governor was a Republican and Partridge was a Radical Republican. So that didn’t set well with the men either.”

Regardless of their feelings, the men of the 16th fought in every major battle and dozens of lesser ones, throughout the war.

At Gettysburg, the men of the 16th might have changed their view of Partridge. On the second day of the battle, the regiment was on Little Round Top, about to face a full-scale attack by a half-dozen Confederate regiments.

“It was kind of a scandal, but there was a Lieutenant Colonel in charge of the 16th who ran away and some of the flag bearers followed him, so a couple of the companies followed the flag and they all left, but Partridge stayed and kept the rest of the men there,” Pergande said.

Out of ammunition, Partridge’s men set their bayonets to meet the attack, which certainly would have ended badly for them, but a newly-arriving New York brigade counter-attacked in a charge down the hill, stopping the Confederate assault.

Pergande said Partridge was a hero of that battle and of others, some in which he was wounded. The worst came after he was promoted to major and placed in charge of the 83rd Pennsylvania.  During the battle of Peebles Farm in Virginia on Sept. 30, 1864, he was shot through the neck while leading his troops and the bullet struck the 6th cervical vertebrae, causing paralysis.

“He was allowed to come back home to recuperate, which he did for a few months,” Pergande said.

Partridge’s condition improved, allowing him to return to duty and this time was placed in charge of the entire 16th Michigan regiment. He led the troops at the siege of Petersburg and was present at Gen. Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court House.

He then was promoted to colonel and placed in charge of seven regiments at Louisville, Ky. He was in charge of the court martial proceedings there for several months before being discharged.

Back home, there was a bit more evidence that, even though he was a war hero, he wasn’t popular with everyone.

“He had some problems within the Republican Party here and they weren’t always pleased with him,” Pergande said.

Still, he helped organize the first county fair, which was held annually on grounds at Washington Avenue and First Street, a space designated as Washington Park. He was chairman of the county Board of Supervisors for a time and was a commissioner of the state land office.

“His life came to a sad ending, though,” Pergande said. “He had a fire in his barn and when he went to put it out, he became trapped in it and barely survived, suffering burns. It led to his ill health and eventually his death.”

Partridge died on Oct. 19, 1892, at the age of 70. He had one of the largest funeral processions the county had seen, with a military burial and Masonic ceremony in Elm Lawn Cemetery.

He was survived by his wife, three daughters and a son.

Bay City Civil War profile: Gen. Benjamin Franklin Partridge By Tim Younkman | The Bay City Times Apr. 09, 2011

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CIVIL WAR SERVICE SUMMARY- GEN. BENJ. F. PARTRIDGE

Residence Bay City MI; 38 years old.

Enlisted on 10/12/1861 at Bay City, MI as a 2nd Lieutenant.

On 1/14/1862 he mustered into "H" Co. MI Lancers 

He was Mustered Out on 3/20/1862 at Detroit, MI

On 3/20/1862 he was commissioned into "I" Co. MI 16th Infantry 

He was Mustered Out on 7/1/1865 at Jeffersonville, IN

He was listed as:

 Wounded 7/1/1862 Malvern Hill, VA

 Wounded 7/2/1863 Gettysburg, PA

 Wounded 9/30/1864 Poplar Grove Church, VA

 Wounded 2/6/1865 Hatcher's Run, VA

 Wounded 3/31/1865 Gravelly Run, VA

Promotions:

 1st Lieut 3/20/1862 

 Capt 4/16/1863 (As of Co. C)

 Major 6/1/1864 

 Colonel 9/30/1864 by Brevet 

 Lt Colonel 9/30/1864 

 Colonel 12/17/1864 

 Brig-General 3/31/1865 by Brevet 

Intra Regimental Company Transfers:

 4/16/1863 from company I to company C 

 10/1/1863 from company C to company I 

Other Information:

born 4/19/1822 in Shelby, Macomb County, MI

died 10/19/1892 in Bay City, MI 

Buried: Elm Lawn Park Cemetery, Bay City, Bay County, MI

After the War he lived in Bay County, MI

Sources:

 - Record of Service of Michigan Volunteers 1861-65

 - Dyer: A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion

 - Heitman: Register of United States Army 1789-1903

 - Brevet Brigadier Generals in Blue

 - Photo collection of Massachusetts Commandery of MOLLUS

 - Union Blue:  History of MOLLUS

 BIOGRAPHY OF COLONEL GEORGE M. BARNARD JR.

George Middleton Barnard was born on 21 October 1835 in Brookline, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, USA, child of George Middleton Barnard and Susan Livingston Tilden. He was educated at Boston Latin School in Boston and then attended Harvard College as a member of the Class of 1857, but left the College in April 1855. From a moneyed family in Boston, which invested in Cotton as one of its business ventures, he was a 24 year-old resident of Boston when he was commissioned as a 1st Lieutenant on August 20, 1861 and was mustered into Company C of the 18th Massachusetts Infantry on January 14, 1862.

George was placed in command of Company C on August 23, 1862. He participated in the Peninsula Campaign in the spring of 1862, including the siege of Yorktown. He was slightly wounded at the Second Battle of Bull Run on August 30, 1862. He saw further action in 1862 at Antietam and Fredericksburg. He was promoted to the rank of Captain on Nov. 1, 1862. Beginning in March 1863 he was on detached service as Assistant Commissary Muster until he was mustered out of military service on Sept. 2, 1864. During 1863 he was engaged in actions at Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Mine Run Campaign, and Rappahannock Station. George was brevetted Major, Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel on June 22, 1867 to date from March 13, 1865 for "gallant and meritorious service" at the Battle of the Wilderness (Major), Petersburg, Va. (Lt. Col.) and at the battles of Fredericksburg and Gettysburg, and "for faithful and meritorious services during the war" (Colonel).

Following his military service, George married Ellen Russell, the sister of Lt. Warren Dutton Russell of the 18th Mass. Infantry, who was killed at Second Bull Run, and the daughter of James D. and Sarah Ellen (Hooper) Russell, in Boston on Dec. 28, 1865. George and Ellen were the parents of Sarah Livingston, born Nov. 19, 1866; and Maud Russell, born Oct. 10, 1868.

He became a member of the firm of George M. Barnard & Co. in Boston and then was employed by the City of Boston, first in the office of Registrar of Voters and then as a bookkeeper and record clerk in the office of Building Inspector.

He was a member of the Massachusetts Military Historical Society, Military Order of the Loyal Legion, Society of the Army of the Potomac, the Temple and Officers Clubs, Secretary of the Fifth Army Corps Association, and the Somerset Club in Boston.

George died on Dec. 1, 1898, the result of injuries incurred when he was thrown from his carriage a week earlier at the Mattapoisett, Plymouth County, MA train station. His body was cremated at the Massachusetts Crematory. There is a gravestone at the Cushing Cemetery, Mattapoisett. His wife Ellen died at Naples, Italy on Feb. 18, 1903.

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CIVIL WAR SERVICE SUMMARY- GEORGE MIDDLETON BERNARD

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LETTER FROM CAPT. GEORGE M. BARNARD, JR., C. C, TO HIS FATHER

On this day in 1862, the 18th Massachusetts was engaged in the Battle of Fredericksburg. The following was written by Capt. George Barnard to his father, describing his involvement in the battle

Near Fredericksburg Dec. 16, 1862

Dear Father,

I again announce to you my safety after another tremendous battle. On Thursday morning at 4 oclk we were aroused and marched to the edge of the river, stood in the mud all day, 179 cannon banging away into the city and being discharged nine thousand times, still we couldn’t get across and at night bivouacked in some woods. The next morning we waited all day, bivouacked at night and the next morning at about eleven we marched over the pontoon bridge through the city, on to the battle field arriving there at about half past twelve. There had been sharp fighting all the morning so that the ground was strewed with the dead and dying when we arrived and shot and shell flew about us in abundance.

I may here mention that no one seemed to have any idea of what we were to do, or where to go. At last Gen. Griffin ordered our regiment as far to the right as we could possibly go and by some blunder we were detached from the rest of the brigade. Two lines of troops were behind us and then Gen. Griffin ordered our Regiment to charge upon the batteries. In spite of the misgivings which I have always had and written to you in former letters as to this movement, the whirring of the balls had an exhilarating effect and I never felt in better spirits, while with each burst of a shell my head felt clearer and every movement increased my desire to have a slash and pay off some old scores of Bull Run. We charged in line of battle two deep right over Meaghers Irish Brigade, then lying down, straight up a long hill and about fifty yards beyond a brick house. When we reached the house our line had to break in order to pass it and after we did pass it we were met by such a storm of shot, shell and musket balls as literally to knock us back and break us all to pieces. Although we lost very heavily while rushing over the hill, as soon as we reached the brow we were met by the concentrated fire of, I should think, a whole division of Rebs most beautifully posted, those of our men who were not hit started on a retreat and I had considerable exercise in whacking them with my sword. While charging, I supposed of course that we were supported and followed by the two lines which were behind us and the Irish Brigade over which we had charged but by some blunder, or cowardice, our little regiment was left all alone. After a short distance Col. Hayes succeeded in rallying the men and maddened and furious at the abominable treatment we had received we obtained a ready permission to charge again and moving by the left flank for a short distance, away we went again, right over several regiments lying down, till we got to the top of the ascent where the Philadelphia Corn Exchange Regt. was hugging the ground. Then ensued the most splendid scene I have ever witnessed. Fancy a long ascending plain covered with thousands of troops in three regular lines all lying down when loading and standing up when firing over each other’s heads, the smoke making it like night and every one of the thousands of muskets being discharged emitting a brilliant flash while the hissing and screaming of the shot and shell over our heads from the enemy and the deafening roar of the musketry exceeded all description. We were at last ordered to retreat and the ground was so covered with dead and wounded that it was literally impossible to move without trampling upon them. After retreating for a short distance we again reformed but the enemy throwing their shell into us and every one else having retreated we marched to the city, it now being pitch dark. We took into battle about 300 men and lost in killed and wounded 162; of our seventeen officers we had two killed and twelve wounded. And after we were in the city after tumbling and wading through the mud we could muster but 43 men and seven officers. As we could find nothing of our brigade we decided to make a desperate effort to cut out way to it or at least take some revenge upon our gray coated friends and we started out again to the battle ground where by good luck we found Col. Barnes who placed us with our brigade which had seen but little fighting in this battle excepting the Philadelphia Corn Exchange Regt. We laid down in the dark, upon the ground, wet with blood, amongst the dead and wounded, in the cold night air with no covering or shelter and in sound of the enemy’s voices, it reminded me of Victor Hugo’s description of the night at Waterloo in “Cosette.” I picked up a saddle which gave me some protection from the cold ground but the groans and screams of the wounded not to mention the intense cold and our wet clothes, precluded sleep. This was a dreary night and to make it still more pleasant as soon as day broke a tremendous shower of bullets whistling close over our heads informed us what sort of a Sunday we were to pass. All day, from the crack of dawn till dark at night we laid flat on our bellies; every man who raised an arm or leg, drawing a furious fire, no one could communicate with us until night when at about twelve o’clk we were relieved and marched back to the city and satisfied our famished systems with hard bread and salt pork, laid on the ground, allowed to light no fires and at four oclck were aroused, marched behind some buildings, waited all day, at night made a slight change in our position and at four oclk this morning to my surprise, mortification and disappointment, were marched back in a pouring rain from the city to our old camping ground which we occupied before the advance last Thursday morning. I did not expect any success from the movement but still hoped that we might have one more slap at the Rebels who so far have had everything their own way.

I lost another orderly Sergeant, making the fourth orderly Sergeant I have lost in the Company, and after the first charge could find out of the seventeen men whom I took into the fight but three. It is a fact that our regiment has gone nearer to the enemy, and our colors (of which a small rag is left) have been beyond any colors in this battle, at this, the strongest position of the Rebels at the very centre of their line exactly behind Fredericksburg.

It may afford you some gratification to know that I was most highly complimented upon the filed, not only by the General Commanding, but by many of the officers and by the cheers of the men. In future please direct your letters to me as Captain.

This is all that I can say of a cheerful nature.

It is said in the army that I am bullet proof, I attribute it entirely to my Mother’s prayers. Nothing else could have saved me.

The color guard, one after the other was killed as soon as they took the colors from their dying comrades. Capt. [George C.] Ruby [Co. B] was killed in this his eighteenth battle. I now occupy his tent. Lieut. [James B.] Hancock [Co. A] was blown to pieces by a shell. [1st Lieut. William G.] Hewins is with me wounded. The other officers are in hospitals.

Col. Hayes threw his arms about me and almost cried at this wicked murder and it is no satisfaction to me that I led brave men to useless death. I wish no more responsibility. I consider the army demoralize. I am told that even Hooker considered the enemy’s position so strong that it was absurd to attack it. We have certainly given them all the time they wanted to fortify a naturally strong position.

I am sick of these infernal blunders but we don’t blame Burnside as we consider that he was forced into it by the government and cursed fools at the North. To write all the details would only be sickening. I have always believed and still do, that we can never succeed until we have a military dictator for the war. To guide an army by the voice of the press and the people is as absurd as for a Colonel to be guided by the opinions of his regiment. We have had almost two years of war and the people are as great fools as ever. Where are we now? It is said that we have 20,000 killed and wounded in this battle, probably exaggerated.

Perhaps now, after this unparalleled campaign of ten months, the North will let us go into winter quarters as our men (a few) have been frozen to death in their tents.

I have received by mail “St. Denis,” an Atlantic Monthly and some papers, also my jacket from Nason which is a comfort.

I am so tired that I must now take some sleep.

My health is good.

Yours Truly

George M. Barnard Jr.

 CIVIL WAR SERVICE SUMMARY: CAPT. JAMES J. NELLIS

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