Maine Genealogy
Source: William Berry Lapham, History of Woodstock, Me.: with family sketches and an appendix (Portland, Me., 1882).
[p. 115]THE WAR OF THE REBELLION.At the election of President in 1860, Woodstock gave a large majority to the Republican ticket. The anti-slavery sentiment in this town had been developing for some years. It found expression in the majority the town gave Fremont in 1856, and in the still larger majority it gave Lincoln in 1860. When the war broke out in 1861, the patriotic feeling in Woodstock speedily hushed what little opposition there was, and during the four years of the contest there was really but one feeling manifested—that of loyalty to the National Government. The town promptly responded to every call that was made for men; not grudgingly, but with right hearty good will. For the first call of seventy-five thousand men for three months, Maine only furnished one regiment, and while a large number in Woodstock were ready to go, they could not be received, because preference was given to companies already organized, and Woodstock had none. Six of our citizens, however, mostly young men, went and joined the Norway company. Their names were: Charles W. Farnum, Thorndike H. Sawyer, Lewis H. Stephens, William F. Jewell and Nathan C. Knapp. The following are the names of Woodstock men that served in other Maine organizations:SECOND REGIMENT.Anson G. Bowker.FIFTH REGIMENT.Phillip Abbott, Horace C. Berry, Corp., Caleb Bessee, Jr., Geo. W. Ricker, Ezra Ridlon, Fessenden Swan, Cyrus Thurlow, Enoch Whittemore, Jr., and Alanson M. Whitman.EIGHTH REGIMENT.Andrew Jackson, William W. Leavitt.NINTH REGIMENT.Sumner C. Farnum, Charles G. Perkins, Corporal.[p. 116]TENTH REGIMENT.Horace C. Berry, Corp., Luther Briggs, Henry F. Cole, Joseph W. Cummings, Aaron D. Cotton, Amos S. Bryant, Alpheus Fuller, Wm. H. Fuller, Levi D. Jewell, Isaac F. Lapham, Fessenden Swan, Edward K. Young, James L. Perham.TWELFTH REGIMENT.John H. Abbott, Charles D. Rowe, James Russ and James P. Russ.THIRTEENTH REGIMENT.Samuel Robbins, Leander S. Swan.SIXTEENTH REGIMENT.Gilbert M. L. Whitman.SEVENTEENTH REGIMENT.Hiram Andrews, Luther B. Farnum, Wm. F. Harding, Charles P. Jackson, Alvan H. Marr, Dustin B. Ricker, Geo. W. Whitman, Barnet Thorn.TWENTIETH REGIMENT.Geo. H. York, Caleb Bessee, Jr.TWENTY-THIRD REGIMENT.John L. Noyes, Galen G. Bowker, Joseph H. Davis, Wm. F. Jewell, Gilman A. Whitman, Consider F. Farrar, Albert Green, Henry Jordan, Jr., Robert B. Taylor, Thomas J. Whitman, and Wm. B. Lapham, private, Commissary Sergt., 2d Lieut. and 1st Lieut., Co. F.TWENTY-NINTH REGIMENT.Horace C. Berry, Sergt., and Henry F. Cole.THIRTIETH REGIMENT.Robert H. Doughty.THIRTY-FIRST REGIMENT.Oscar F. Whitman, Charles H. Packard.THIRTY-SECONiD REGIMENT.Charles H. Chase, Wm. F. Jewell, Sergt., Nathaniel H. Fuller, Chas. W. Farnum, Oscar F. Whitman, John E. Lapham.[p. 117]FIFTH BATTERY.Cyrus A. Andrews, Samuel W. Benson, Wm. H. Proctor.SEVENTH BATTERY.Wm. B. Lapham, First Lieut., Alfred H. Briggs, John M. Bryant, Lorenzo Billings, Charles M. Bixby, Alpheus Fuller, Levi D. Jewell, James B. Mason, James H. Pratt, Albert Billings, Ezra Ridlon, Jr., Francis F. Stevens, Luther Briggs and Isaac F. Lapham.FIRST MAINE SHARP SHOOTERS.Charles B. Bessee.
Besides the above, several men enlisted from Hamlin’s Gore, which has since been annexed to Woodstock. Wm. H. Pearson served in the 10th and 29th Maine; Oliver Millett, in the 31st; John A. Buck, in the 10th; Eben A. Kimball, 10th; Stephen L. Ethridge, 27th; Charles H. Buck and George Buck in the 15th.
There were also several Woodstock men who were temporarily away and served in other regiments. James M. Lapham A served three years in the 36th Massachusetts; George Lucius Berry, son of Leonard, of this town, was in a Massachusetts regiment, and was shot dead in action. Napotem B. Whitman served in a Wisconsin regiment, and died of wounds or disease.
Great effort has been made to have this list complete, but, after all this care, it will not be strange if it contains errors. Some Woodstock men served on the quotas of other towns, and on the books of the Adjutant General are credited to those towns, thereby rendering it impossible for me, not personally acquainted with them, to determine their place of residence. Woodstock also had credit on the books of the Adjutant General for several soldiers never furnished by the town; they probably came from Woodstock, New Brunswick. These have been omitted from the lists so far as known. It is sincerely hoped that no Woodstock soldier has been omitted from this list; if there has been, it is because he could not be traced. This large number, very[p. 118]large in proportion to the adult population of the town, will stand here as an enduring monument of the patriotism and devotion of the little town of Woodstock during the terrible struggle of 1861-5, when our national unity was threatened by rebels in arms.
