Wednesday, December 26, 2012
The next two men were the last casualties from Coventry in the year 1862. They were not killed by the enemy but they died from disease, which killed more soldiers than the enemy.
James A. Cole was born in 1840 in Scituate, RI, the son of James B. and Eliza A. (Tennant) Cole. In 1860 he was living in Coventry Centre with his parents and worked as a farmer. He enrolled from Coventry on Nov. 11, 1861, and mustered in Dec. 2, 1861. He was a Corporal in Battery C 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery. On Sept. 18, 1862, at the age of 21 years 11 months 23 days old he died of Chronic Diarrhea at Fortress Monroe, Virginia. There is a gravestone in Coventry Historical Cemetery #109 Section E, Pine Grove Cemetery, in Coventry which was purchased by his father in 1863. His brother, George Cole, also served in the Civil War. Charles Henry Cahoone was born in Scituate, and was the son of Oren and Hannah (Cook) Cahoone. He was 5 …
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
The next four men in the series were all casualties on the same day during the Battle of Antietam, which is still considered the bloodiest battle in American History.
Willard P. Wilcox was born in West Greenwich and was the son of Varnum P. and Martha Wilcox. In 1860 he was a resident of Summit where he worked as a laborer. Willard enrolled September 5, 1861, and mustered in October 30, 1861, as a Corporal in Company B 4th Rhode Island. He was 25 years 4 months old when he was killed in action at Antietam on September 17, 1862. Willard is buried in the Antietam National Cemetery, Sharpsburg, Maryland. Six other Coventry Men served in the 4th Rhode Island in the Civil War – John Matteson, Edward McDonald, Samuel Myrick, Cromwell P. Myrick, Josiah and Jeremiah Moon. The only one to survive was Jeremiah Moon. John A. Matteson was born in 1822 in Coventry and was the son of Cory and Elizabeth (Potter) …
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
In this part of the series I will discuss the next three Coventry men who died in service in the year 1862.
James H. Horton was born in Thompson, CT, the son of Andrew and Mary Horton. He was married October 25, 1861, to Abbie F. Hawkins, daughter of Philip Hawkins and Sarah Ann Weaver. They were married by Charles C. Shippee, Minister of the Gospel. Abbie was a cousin of Richard S. Hawkins who also died in the Civil War. At the time of his enlistment James was a resident of Coventry and his occupation was a Sawyer. He was enrolled as a Private on December 2, 1861, at Providence and was mustered in December 21, 1861, in Company G 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery. In July 1862 he was hospitalized at Harrison’s Landing, VA. On August 24, 1862, at the age of 23 years 11 months and 8 days he died of Typhoid in Philadelphia, PA. He has a grave …
Friday, August 3, 2012
In this part of the series I am continuing by discussing the next four Coventry men who died in service in the year 1862.
James B. Jordan was born in Coventry in 1832 and was the son of Mary Jordan but at the time of his enlistment he was a resident of Warwick. James enrolled and mustered in June 5, 1861, in Providence by Colonel Loomis as a Private in Company A 2nd Rhode Island. He served with Samuel P. Sweet and Peleg W. Card who were also soldiers from Coventry, who died while serving in the Civil War. According to the history of the regiment, he died on June 25, 1862, the first day of the Battle of Oak Grove in Virginia at the age of 30 years old. However, other sources say he died of disease contracted in camp. No grave marker has been located in Coventry. George W. Fiske was born in Coventry and was …
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
In this part of the series we will begin by discussing three of the 16 men who died in service in the year 1862.
Samuel Myrick was born in Pawtucket, MA, which is now Pawtucket, Rhode Island, the son of Joseph and Eunice (Jencks) Myrick. He was married to Sarah E. Hopkins, daughter of Elisha and Wealthea (Tillinghast) Hopkins, in Cranston on November 27, 1851, by Elder John Tillinghast. He worked as a painter before the Civil War and lived in the village of Washington in Coventry. He enrolled September 5, 1861, and mustered on October 30, 1861, into the 4th Rhode Island Infantry Company B with his brothers Cromwell and Solomon. He was killed in action March 14, 1862, in the Battle of New Bern in North Carolina and was the first man from Company B to die. According to men who served with him, he was of pleasant disposition and would share his snuff …
Friday, May 25, 2012
In honor of Memorial Day I thought I would take my readers back to Memorial Day in 1912. Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day.
This Memorial Day took place 47 years after the end of the Civil War so there were still veterans left to honor the memory of soldiers, sailors and marines who served and died during it. In the Pawtuxet Valley, the Grand Army of the Republic McGregor Post #14 located in the Temple of Honor Hall in Phenix, RI, organized the celebration for Sunday, May 26th, to honor Dr. John McGregor for whom the McGregor Post was named. The parade formed at Post Hall on Phenix Square and Quartermaster John Burdick, Officer of the Day, led it to Parker Hill where a ceremony was held at the grave of Dr. McGregor. Jerry B. Foster led the service assisted by Quartermaster Burdick and Patriotic Instructor Elisha R. Watson. Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address was …
Friday, April 6, 2012
Exploring the life of a female artist who lived in the village of Potterville.
In the mid to late nineteenth century the town of Coventry was home to a female artist named Phebe Ann Low Hammett. She was the daughter of Alexander R. Hammett and Eunice Ledyard and was born in Coventry around 1821. The Rhode Island American newspaper published the marriage of Alexander and Eunice on Feb. 27, 1820, in Warwick. Some of Phebe's ancestors were the founding families of Coventry and Warwick, such as the Hammett, Stone and Gorton families. Her father owned a large farm and was a member of the Coventry Town Council. The wealth and status of her parents gave her the opportunity to become better educated than other women of her generation. She and her brother would have attended the district school located across the street …
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
In honor of Black History month, we highlight the lives of two historical men who lived in the Town of Coventry.
Slavery in Rhode Island was common up until the end of the revolutionary war when it was abolished by the Rhode Island General Assembly and both Boston Carpenter and Christopher Greene had served as slaves in homes and on farms in Rhode Island. One received his freedom by enlisting in the American Revolution and the other was granted his freedom by the Town Council of Coventry. The age and birth place of Boston Carpenter is unknown; however, as his death is listed as 1814 at the age of 66 that, one could estimate his birth date to 1748. As African Americans had not received their freedom in Rhode Island prior to the American Revolution, it is presumed that Boston Carpenter was a slave. As most slaves took on their master’s family name…
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
In this series we will be discussing the 49 men whose deaths were recorded in the Coventry Rhode Island Vital Records during the Civil War. Some of these men were buried in local Coventry Cemeteries while others were buried in National Cemeteries.
Peleg W. Card was born December 18, 1841 in Coventry, married Mary, worked as a house carpenter, and was a member of the Kentish Guards before the war. He was the son of Gideon B. Card (mentioned in Spring Lake article) and Sophia A. Tarbox. Peleg was enrolled and mustered in as a Private on June 5, 1861, in Company H the 2nd Regiment Rhode Island Volunteers*. According to his death certificate he was 20 years, eight months and three days when he died July 21, 1861, from wounds received at the 1st Battle of Bull Run, Virginia. This was the first engagement that he was involved in. His death was reported in a letter home by his cousin, Ezra Greene, who served with him. According to the letter Peleg lived about an hour after he had been …
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
The fourth in the series of the brave men from Coventry who bravely fought for their country.
When I began this series of articles, I was under the impression that the Joseph Taylor that is buried in the Greenwood Cemetery in Coventry was the recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor. However, during my research I learned that the Joseph Taylor who earned the Congressional Medal of Honor is actually buried in Edson Cemetery in Lowell, MA. The Joseph Taylor that received the Congressional Medal of Honor was from Burrillville, RI, when he enlisted on August 11, 1862, not Coventry. He was not even quite 15 years old when he enlisted but lied and said he was 18 after his father, William J. Taylor gave permission. In the History of the Seventh Squadron Rhode Island Cavalry, Mr. Taylor gave an account that he was born December 16…
Andrew D. Boisvert
4:49 pm on Friday, December 28, 2012
The Confedetate soldier was the subject of a book called "Lost Soul" by Les Rolston. The Greenwood Cemetery has quite a large collection of Civil War burials. I had the honor of flagging the graves one Memorial Day. more ›