My Great-Granduncle. Thomas was the son of Giles Connell and Catherine "Kitty" Tinnin, pioneer settlers of Sumner and Robertson Counties, Tennessee.
Along with many other Robertson County boys, Thomas enlisted in the 14th Tennessee Infantry (Company C) in May, 1861 (17 years old). The regiment was yoked with the 1st and 7th Tennessee regiments to form what was later known as the "Tennessee Brigade" and specifically at Gettysburg,"Archer's Brigade," memorialized with two separate monuments on the Gettysburg Battlefield. In July, 1861 the brigade boarded trains east and was attached to the Army of Northern Virginia. It remained so for the duration of the war, never being broken up. In addition, the men of the 14th re-enlisted as an entire regiment in January, 1864. The 14th figured prominently in many of the major battles in the east, including all of those that pitted Generals Lee and Grant against one another. It also fought under Stonewall Jackson from the summer of 1862 until his death at Chancellorsville. Major battles engaged in included:
Seven Pines (May 31-June 1, 1862)
Cedar Mountain (August 9, 1862)
2nd Manassas (August 28-30, 1862)
Antietam (September 16-18, 1862)
Fredericksburg (December 11-15), 1862)
Chancellorsville (April 30-May 6, 1863)
Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863)*
The Wilderness (May 5-7, 1864)
Spotsylvania (August 21, 1864)
Cold Harbor (May 31-June 12, 1864)
Seige of Petersburg (June-December, 1864)**
Appomatox Campaign (March-April, 1865)***
*After General Archer was captured on day 1 at Gettysburg, his brigade was placed under the command of Col. B Fry of the 13th Alabama and became part of General Pettigrew's command during Pickett's Charge. The 14th was on the far right of Pettigrew's line, next to Pickett's left and in the thick of the fighting. The 14th alone lost 4 color bearers during the charge and their regimental battle flag was the only one planted over the stone wall marking the Federal line.
**Thomas was wounded in the thigh in October, 1864 during the Petersburg campaign (Battle of Peebles Farm).
***The regiment fought its last battle on April 2, 1865 (during which A.P. Hill was killed) and on the 9th 1st Sgt. Connell was one of only 34 enlisted men from the 14th Tennessee remaining to stand with General Lee when he surrendered to Gen. Grant at Appomatox Courthouse.
Thomas was parolled at Appomatox and returned home to Springfield, nearly 4 years after his departure as a 17 year old. On October 9, 1868 he married Mary Margaret Fiser. They had three children, Ambrose (1869-1889, named for General Ambrose P Hill), Kitty (1871-1930), and Tinsley (1875-1905). Thomas was in the lumber business in Springfield and died in 1888 at just 44.
Along with many other Robertson County boys, Thomas enlisted in the 14th Tennessee Infantry (Company C) in May, 1861 (17 years old). The regiment was yoked with the 1st and 7th Tennessee regiments to form what was later known as the "Tennessee Brigade" and specifically at Gettysburg,"Archer's Brigade," memorialized with two separate monuments on the Gettysburg Battlefield. In July, 1861 the brigade boarded trains east and was attached to the Army of Northern Virginia. It remained so for the duration of the war, never being broken up. In addition, the men of the 14th re-enlisted as an entire regiment in January, 1864. The 14th figured prominently in many of the major battles in the east, including all of those that pitted Generals Lee and Grant against one another. It also fought under Stonewall Jackson from the summer of 1862 until his death at Chancellorsville. Major battles engaged in included:
Seven Pines (May 31-June 1, 1862)
Cedar Mountain (August 9, 1862)
2nd Manassas (August 28-30, 1862)
Antietam (September 16-18, 1862)
Fredericksburg (December 11-15), 1862)
Chancellorsville (April 30-May 6, 1863)
Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863)*
The Wilderness (May 5-7, 1864)
Spotsylvania (August 21, 1864)
Cold Harbor (May 31-June 12, 1864)
Seige of Petersburg (June-December, 1864)**
Appomatox Campaign (March-April, 1865)***
*After General Archer was captured on day 1 at Gettysburg, his brigade was placed under the command of Col. B Fry of the 13th Alabama and became part of General Pettigrew's command during Pickett's Charge. The 14th was on the far right of Pettigrew's line, next to Pickett's left and in the thick of the fighting. The 14th alone lost 4 color bearers during the charge and their regimental battle flag was the only one planted over the stone wall marking the Federal line.
**Thomas was wounded in the thigh in October, 1864 during the Petersburg campaign (Battle of Peebles Farm).
***The regiment fought its last battle on April 2, 1865 (during which A.P. Hill was killed) and on the 9th 1st Sgt. Connell was one of only 34 enlisted men from the 14th Tennessee remaining to stand with General Lee when he surrendered to Gen. Grant at Appomatox Courthouse.
Thomas was parolled at Appomatox and returned home to Springfield, nearly 4 years after his departure as a 17 year old. On October 9, 1868 he married Mary Margaret Fiser. They had three children, Ambrose (1869-1889, named for General Ambrose P Hill), Kitty (1871-1930), and Tinsley (1875-1905). Thomas was in the lumber business in Springfield and died in 1888 at just 44.
My Great-Granduncle. Thomas was the son of Giles Connell and Catherine "Kitty" Tinnin, pioneer settlers of Sumner and Robertson Counties, Tennessee.
Along with many other Robertson County boys, Thomas enlisted in the 14th Tennessee Infantry (Company C) in May, 1861 (17 years old). The regiment was yoked with the 1st and 7th Tennessee regiments to form what was later known as the "Tennessee Brigade" and specifically at Gettysburg,"Archer's Brigade," memorialized with two separate monuments on the Gettysburg Battlefield. In July, 1861 the brigade boarded trains east and was attached to the Army of Northern Virginia. It remained so for the duration of the war, never being broken up. In addition, the men of the 14th re-enlisted as an entire regiment in January, 1864. The 14th figured prominently in many of the major battles in the east, including all of those that pitted Generals Lee and Grant against one another. It also fought under Stonewall Jackson from the summer of 1862 until his death at Chancellorsville. Major battles engaged in included:
Seven Pines (May 31-June 1, 1862)
Cedar Mountain (August 9, 1862)
2nd Manassas (August 28-30, 1862)
Antietam (September 16-18, 1862)
Fredericksburg (December 11-15), 1862)
Chancellorsville (April 30-May 6, 1863)
Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863)*
The Wilderness (May 5-7, 1864)
Spotsylvania (August 21, 1864)
Cold Harbor (May 31-June 12, 1864)
Seige of Petersburg (June-December, 1864)**
Appomatox Campaign (March-April, 1865)***
*After General Archer was captured on day 1 at Gettysburg, his brigade was placed under the command of Col. B Fry of the 13th Alabama and became part of General Pettigrew's command during Pickett's Charge. The 14th was on the far right of Pettigrew's line, next to Pickett's left and in the thick of the fighting. The 14th alone lost 4 color bearers during the charge and their regimental battle flag was the only one planted over the stone wall marking the Federal line.
**Thomas was wounded in the thigh in October, 1864 during the Petersburg campaign (Battle of Peebles Farm).
***The regiment fought its last battle on April 2, 1865 (during which A.P. Hill was killed) and on the 9th 1st Sgt. Connell was one of only 34 enlisted men from the 14th Tennessee remaining to stand with General Lee when he surrendered to Gen. Grant at Appomatox Courthouse.
Thomas was parolled at Appomatox and returned home to Springfield, nearly 4 years after his departure as a 17 year old. On October 9, 1868 he married Mary Margaret Fiser. They had three children, Ambrose (1869-1889, named for General Ambrose P Hill), Kitty (1871-1930), and Tinsley (1875-1905). Thomas was in the lumber business in Springfield and died in 1888 at just 44.
Along with many other Robertson County boys, Thomas enlisted in the 14th Tennessee Infantry (Company C) in May, 1861 (17 years old). The regiment was yoked with the 1st and 7th Tennessee regiments to form what was later known as the "Tennessee Brigade" and specifically at Gettysburg,"Archer's Brigade," memorialized with two separate monuments on the Gettysburg Battlefield. In July, 1861 the brigade boarded trains east and was attached to the Army of Northern Virginia. It remained so for the duration of the war, never being broken up. In addition, the men of the 14th re-enlisted as an entire regiment in January, 1864. The 14th figured prominently in many of the major battles in the east, including all of those that pitted Generals Lee and Grant against one another. It also fought under Stonewall Jackson from the summer of 1862 until his death at Chancellorsville. Major battles engaged in included:
Seven Pines (May 31-June 1, 1862)
Cedar Mountain (August 9, 1862)
2nd Manassas (August 28-30, 1862)
Antietam (September 16-18, 1862)
Fredericksburg (December 11-15), 1862)
Chancellorsville (April 30-May 6, 1863)
Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863)*
The Wilderness (May 5-7, 1864)
Spotsylvania (August 21, 1864)
Cold Harbor (May 31-June 12, 1864)
Seige of Petersburg (June-December, 1864)**
Appomatox Campaign (March-April, 1865)***
*After General Archer was captured on day 1 at Gettysburg, his brigade was placed under the command of Col. B Fry of the 13th Alabama and became part of General Pettigrew's command during Pickett's Charge. The 14th was on the far right of Pettigrew's line, next to Pickett's left and in the thick of the fighting. The 14th alone lost 4 color bearers during the charge and their regimental battle flag was the only one planted over the stone wall marking the Federal line.
**Thomas was wounded in the thigh in October, 1864 during the Petersburg campaign (Battle of Peebles Farm).
***The regiment fought its last battle on April 2, 1865 (during which A.P. Hill was killed) and on the 9th 1st Sgt. Connell was one of only 34 enlisted men from the 14th Tennessee remaining to stand with General Lee when he surrendered to Gen. Grant at Appomatox Courthouse.
Thomas was parolled at Appomatox and returned home to Springfield, nearly 4 years after his departure as a 17 year old. On October 9, 1868 he married Mary Margaret Fiser. They had three children, Ambrose (1869-1889, named for General Ambrose P Hill), Kitty (1871-1930), and Tinsley (1875-1905). Thomas was in the lumber business in Springfield and died in 1888 at just 44.
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