Connecticut — To commemorate Memorial Day, we celebrate tributes to Connecticut’s participation in the Civil War, both at home and on a crucial battlefield.
First, we see the monument erected in 1884 to the 14th Connecticut Regiment near the Gettysburg Stone Wall, where the unit fought for the Union on the third and decisive day of fighting. Photo courtesy of Joseph and Joshua Prignano, Connecticut residents.
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The inscription tells us that the 14th was fielded as part of the Army of the Potomac on September 7, 1862, and mustered out on May 31, 1865. In between, the 14th saw action in what now seems like an incredible number of many important conflicts, including not only Gettysburg, but also Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, the Wilderness Campaign, Spotsylvania, and Appomattox.
A total of 366 on the 14th gave what President Lincoln later called in a cemetery near the stone wall, “the last full measure of devotion.”
The Fourteenth Connecticut Monument at Gettysburg. (Jose Prignano)
We return to Connecticut and an officer who began the war on the 14th: Captain Thomas Burpee, who is honored each year on the Thursday before Memorial Day at his final resting place at Grove Hill Cemetery in Vernon.
That day, members of the Alden Skinner Camp No. 45 of the Sons of Union Civil War Veterans and the New England Civil War Museum place flags on the headstones of 145 local Civil War veterans buried in Grove Hill.
A service at Burpee’s grave follows. A wreath is placed on his tombstone and an honor guard fires a volley.
Museum archives tell us that Burpee (1830-1864) was born in Stafford, married Adeline Harwood in the early 1850s, and the couple had three children. The family was living in Vernon when the Civil War broke out and Burpee enlisted as a Captain in Company D on July 14, 1862, according to the museum.
He was transferred to the 21st Connecticut Infantry in September and quickly rose to major and then lieutenant colonel, according to museum records.
On June 5, 1864, Burpee was recommended for promotion to colonel, but four days later he was fatally wounded by a Rebel sharpshooter while inspecting pickets during the Battle of Cold Harbor. He died two days later without ever receiving the promotion from him.
Captain Thomas Burpee is honored each Memorial Day week. (Chris Dehnel/Patch)
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Picture Connecticut is a weekly series featuring images of the state, past and present. Here are past images:
2024
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The Circus, Hartford
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Amerbelle Spillway, Rockville
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The ECSU Gallery, Willimantic
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Great Captain’s Island, Greenwich
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Bobblehead Madness, Storrs
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Bobby Sands/Hunger Strike Memorial, Hartford
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Mr. Jonathan goes to Hartford, Hartford
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The latest discount airline, New Haven
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State groundhog arrested, Manchester
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Historical wartime sutures, Willington
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Big Business Week in CT, statewide
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The Market at Guilford Food Center Guilford
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Main Street at night, Middletown
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The Bear of Hide and Seek, Tolland
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The MLK mural, Manchester
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The summit of Mount Southington, Southington
2023
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All religions meet in Town Park, Vernon
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Riverside Igloos, Milford
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The TPC Pro Shop, Cromwell
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Santa’s House, North Pole, uh, Northern Connecticut
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Mile 4 Funnel, Manchester Road Race, Manchester
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UConn Lacrosse Giving Back, Connecticut River Valley
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Capitol Grounds Tour, Part 3, Hartford
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Capitol Grounds Tour, Part 2, Hartford
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Capitol Grounds Tour, Part 1, Hartford
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The Doughboy, East Hartford
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Walt Whitman’s Stone, West Hartford
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The Covered Plane, Hartford County
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The Big Pink Chair, Ellington
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The Notch, Granby
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The CT 9/11 Memorial, Westport
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Vintage petrol pump, Somers
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Tobacco harvest, East Windsor
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Late afternoon by the lake, Coventry
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Fogarea, New Haven County
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Judy Black Memorial Park and Gardens, Washington Depot
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Connecticut River Police Boat, Rocky Hill
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The first dentist, Windsor.
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The Frog Bridge, Willimantic
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World War Bridge Rapids, Putnam
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The Peeking Cow, Tolland County
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The Ivy Lacrosse Tournament, New Canaan
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The runway at Bradley International Airport, Windsor Locks
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The Underground Railroad, Unionville
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The Cow Carousel, Ellington
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Charles Island, Milford
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State Veterans Cemetery, Middletown
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Glastonbury-Rocky Hill Ferry, Glastonbury/Rocky Hill
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The old county jail, Tolland
- And more
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The Sunken Garden, Farmington
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Lafayette Tour Monument, Vernon
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The Pinchot Sycamore, Simsbury
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Bob’s Discount Furniture Studios, Manchester
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