William Hallett - Newburyport and the Civil War

Published by The History Press

Charleston, SC 29403

www.historypress.net

Copyright 2012 by William Hallett

All rights reserved

Front: Frederick Douglass. Library of Congress; Caleb Cushing. Authors collection; Albert Pike. Library of Congress; USS Marblehead. Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy.

First published 2012

e-book edition 2012

Manufactured in the United States

ISBN 978.1.61423.310.7

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Hallett, William.

Newburyport and the Civil War / William Hallett.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

print edition ISBN 978-1-60949-448-3

1. Newburyport (Mass.)--History--19th century. 2. Massachusetts--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Social aspects. 3. Newburyport (Mass.)--History, Military--19th century. 4. Newburyport (Mass.)--Social life and customs--19th century. 5. United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Social aspects. I. Title.

F74.N55H18 2012

973.7097445--dc23

2011046699

Notice: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. It is offered without guarantee on the part of the author or The History Press. The author and The History Press disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Contents

Preface

My earliest recollection of ever hearing the phrase Civil War was in my grandmothers kitchen on Bromfield Street. I must have been about five or so, and as I sat at the table, my father across from me and Gram by the sink, someone walked in (I believe my aunt) with a gift. It was a wooden music box with a diorama of a Confederate boy-soldier with a musket, a small cannon with cannonballs stacked and a small worm rail fence.

The adults began talking about the item, and though lacking details on the conversation, I do recall hearing words and phrases such as blue, gray, brother against brother and Robert E. Lee. Even at this young age, I was curious about the brother-against-brother concept. I knew from family history what war was and that men who go to war might not come home.

Growing up with a strong interest in American history, its not surprising that after visiting Gettysburg as an adult, I was bitten by the Civil War bug. This led me to reenacting, an involvement in Civil War roundtables, living histories, a collection of countless books (many I have yet to read!) and meeting with a variety of historians from all over.

People familiar with Newburyport, Massachusetts, know that just a ride or a walk immerses you in history. From High Street to Market Square, to the churches and the side streets with antique homes, the history is what draws people here from afar.

My wife, Elizabeth, and I were walking near downtown on some side streets one day, and I made a comment regarding the placards on some of the homes that described a certain captain or prominent citizen who lived there from dates about two hundred years ago or more. I remarked that these houses were here during the Civil War and that its too bad that there isnt a listing or directory of the people from the Civil Warwho they were and what they did.

Her reply was short, but it stopped me in my tracks and caused me to think. She asked, Why dont you write it? The result is the book you are currently holding. From the idea of a directory to a compilation of people and events, all connected with the Civil War and Newburyport, it became much more than I ever could have thought. The work on this book led me to meet new people, see artifacts and items that I didnt know existed and connect some of these people in Newburyports history to my own family history.

I also learned that certain things that I thought were part of the history werent. On the other side, many things that I didnt know were connected to Newburyport actually had ties, and sometimes in huge ways.

In compiling a book like this, certain parameters must be made. The book is called Newburyport and the Civil War after all. This excludes other neighboring towns, only because I wanted to keep the story focused. I omitted Fort Nichols at the mouth of the river because its in Salisbury. I omitted heroes from Amesbury, Rowley, Ipswich and West Newbury (such as Ben Perley Poore). Caleb Huse could be argued as a Newbury resident, but though he was born in Newburyport and his father lived in Newburyport when the war broke out, its only through his stepfamily that hes connected with the Coffin Housean abode just yards from the town line with Newburyport. In fact, one time Huse ran into Caleb Cushing on a train and mentioned how the two were from the same town. This book is only a sampling of people and events. The memorial at Atkinson Common lists more than 1,400 names, and I cover a fraction here.

Several people helped me in this effort. Cecile Pimental at the Newburyport Archival Center on Saturday mornings, along with Michael Bulger, offered some place to start and continued with tidbits of interest over time. Scott Nason not only became a new acquaintance but also allowed me to borrow an 1890 one-of-a-kind handwritten book from Newburyports GAR Hall, which held a wealth of stories. Craig L. Symonds, professor emeritus of the U.S. Naval Academy, stopped me from going crazy trying to locate the Merrimack (there were more than twenty ships/boats named Merrimack) with one e-mail. Craig not only told me that the famous ship from the celebrated ironclad battle was actually built in Boston, not Newburyport, but also followed that by introducing me to Naval History and Command, the official history program from the Department of the Navy. These people are treasures, with information on many naval aspects and persons. Mark Bingham, a teacher and photographer in Portsmouth, was great at providing me with a photo I needed. Dick Simpson provided me with a great old book on Albert Pike. Another invaluable source of help was Paul Jancewicz. Jancy is a kindred spirit, and Liz and I know that any chat with him or visit will not be short, as we all love this history. Jancy had some wonderful information, and without him, this book would fall short. He is truly a great friend.

I must also thank Ghlee Woodworth for her help, ideas and advice on making books. The Historical Society of Old Newbury and the Massachusetts Historical Society both had wonderful photographs and samples, which are peppered throughout this book, but HSON had the local ones that made my jaw drop. Thanks, Jay Williamson! A late entry into the mix was a photo from Joe Callahan. It was a sharp, clear image, and I still find myself lost in the picture and the faces that look back.

One person above the others deserves the most thanks: my wife, Elizabeth. Her encouragement and support convinced me that I had the talent to write a book and fill a void in local history.

By the way, the song the wooden music box played, all those years ago, was Dixie.

PHOTOGRAPHIC CREDITS

EHphoto by Elizabeth Hallett.

HSONcourtesy of the Historical Society of Old Newbury.

JCcourtesy of Joe Callahan.

LOCcourtesy of the Library of Congress.

MBphoto by Mark Bingham.

MHScourtesy of the Massachusetts Historical Society.

NHCcourtesy of Naval Historical Center (Department of the Navy).