The "Twenty-Seventh": A Regimental History

A thorough, first‑hand chronicle follows the rise of a Connecticut volunteer regiment from its hurried organization in the summer of 1862 through its early trials on the Peninsula and the march toward Washington. The author paints the climate of national urgency, the flood of enlistments promised by the President’s call, and the blend of farmers, mechanics, teachers, engineers and even a Yale‑trained color bearer who set aside their ordinary lives for the battlefield. Poetic touches, such as a Homer quotation, set a dramatic tone as the troops move from camp at Terry to the grim realities of war.

The work is divided into concise chapters that trace each major movement—camp life near the capital, the brutal clashes at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, and the anticipation of Gettysburg—while including meticulous records of casualties, officer rolls and promotions. Readers gain a vivid sense of the regiment’s diverse makeup and the personal sacrifice evident in the early engagements, offering a compelling window onto the human dimension of the Civil War’s first pivotal year.