u/Aromatic_Bowler2500

Monument dedicated to the 2nd Rhode Island Volunteers located on Sedgwick Avenue, their position on July 4.

The regiment, commanded by Colonel Horatio Rogers, Jr., was in reserve for the entire battle, being moved continuously, but never engaging in action. They were always close to the fight and had casualties.

The Casualties:
1 Dead
5 Wounded
1 Missing

An excerpt from the book: The Second Rhode Island Regiment: A Narrative of Military Operations, by Augustus Woodbury, published in 1875.

July 3

"The day," says Colonel Rogers, in a letter published at the time, "was a busy one for us, for at dawn we were up and moving, and wherever the fighting was thickest there the second brigade was sure to be sent, to reinforce the line when hard pressed. But, though we had to traverse the bloody, fatal field through shot and shell, time and again, first to the centre, then back again, then retrace our steps, then to the right, and so on, we were not called on to fire a shot. In Lee's grand attack it rained shells, and the field fairly justified the cheap prints of battlefields, where bursting shell fill the air, men are running to and fro, dead and wounded men literally piled up, riderless horses dashing off in every direction, and wounded animals are tearing along at full speed. It was fearful...

This photo of "Music Boys" training at Fort Adams is from the Civil War. The fort was the home of the 15th United States Infantry Regiment during the war.

We know of at least 21 child musicians who trained at the fort.

Today, we introduce Charles Theodore Pachebel, one of the earliest Newport organists identified in our research.

Born in Stuttgart in 1690. Pachelbel's documented story takes shape in 1733, when he was living in Boston, Massachusetts. That year, he was invited to Newport to assist with the instillation of a new organ at Trinity Church in Newport. He remained in Newport for several years, serving as the church's organist.

By the late 1730s, Pachelbel had relocated to Charleston, South Carolina, where he spent the remainder of his life. He died in 1750.

The 1733 Trinity Church organ is part of the collection at the Newport Historic Society.

And if you think you recognize the last name, he is the son of the well-known German composer Johann Pachelbel.

Want to learn more about Newport's church music history? Reach out and we would love to share what we have!

Joseph Dyre (1744 - 1820) owned a store in Newport, Rhode Island. He and his son offered evening music classes to the people of Newport as well.

He is buried in the Common Burying Ground in Newport.

Joseph Dyre owned a store in Newport, Rhode Island in the late 1700s. He also taught music classes with his son.

He is buried in the Common Burying Ground in Newport.

This sheet music was composed to celebrate Charles Barr, the man who skippered the yacht to both wins about the Columbia.

The Columbia was built by the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company, in Bristol, Rhode Island for J. Pierpont and Edwin Dennison Morgan, of the New York Yacht Club.

The music was composed by Charles F. Mutter and published in Baltimore, Maryland.

The two musicians who served together in Company G are buried not far from each other in the Common Burying Ground, in Newport, Rhode Island.

Robert Williams and Albert Smith both enlisted in the regiment on October 30, 1861.

Williams, from Newport, died on April 19th, 1862, in Carolina City, North Carolina. The cause of death was typhoid fever. His body was brought home to be buried.

Albert Smith would rise to the rank of Principal Musician of the 4th Rhode Island Volunteers in 1864. He was transferred to Company A and then when the regiment was mustered out in the fall of 1864, he reenlisted in the 7th Rhode Island Volunteers and served until the end of war. Smith died on August 14, 1887.

Thompson enlisted in the Navy at a musician at the age of 16 in 1906. He was a trombone player!

By the time he retired from active duty in 1947, he was a Rear Admiral.

On December 7, 1941, he was the Executive Officer of the Battleship Nevada at Pearl Harbor. He was placed in command of the battleship after the attack. He went on to serve as an Assistant Naval Attache in London and commanded a cruiser in the Aleutian Islands.

He died on August 17, 1953, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Thompson enlisted in the Navy at a musician at the age of 16 in 1906. He was a trombone player!

By the time he retired from active duty in 1947, he was a Rear Admiral.

On December 7, 1941, he was the Executive Officer of the Battleship Nevada at Pearl Harbor. He was placed in command of the battleship after the attack. He went on to serve as an Assistant Naval Attache in London and commanded a cruiser in the Aleutian Islands.

He died on August 17, 1953.

We’ve been working on a project to preserve and digitize old Newport sheet music; waltzes, marches, and songs that haven’t been heard or performed in over a century. I thought this community might appreciate seeing a few examples.

We love the cover art, and have worked on adding historic photos of Newport to each video.

If you’re interested in more of the collection, we’ve started putting it online here:

The Music of Newport — Historic Music of Newport - Preserving Newport's Musical Heritage

German immigrant Theodore Beyland enlisted in the Army on October 7, 1861. He was 14 years old. Beyland served as a drummer in the 15th Infantry Band until the fall of 1864 when he was discharged at Fort Adams in Newport, Rhode Island.

Shiloh, Chickamauga, and Missionary Ridge were some of the battles he fought in.

What did regimental band members do during battle? They served as stretcher bearers, medical aids, and much more.

2 Child Drummers were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for their actions during the Civil War.

Orion Howe for his actions at Vicksburg
William Johnston for his actions during the Seven Days Battle.

Joseph Finch was born in 1763 and served as a fifer in the American Revolution. He went on to a career as a ship captain, importing alcohol and other goods to Newport (not always legally...)

In 1814, he and his wife ran the Long Wharf School, a free school for poor children. The first year 25 boys were instructed, and 40 attended the next year.

Future mayor of Newport, Rhode Island, Henry Bedlow, composed at least two songs during the Civil War. We think he wrote them to be performed by the United States Naval Academy Band in Newport. Philip Pfeiffer, a member of the Academy Band, arranged them both.

Hear The Conscript Mother's Song and the other piece The Loyal League Quickstep and learn a little about Mayor Bedlow:

The Musical Mayor — Historic Music of Newport - Preserving Newport's Musical Heritage

The Yacht America was commissioned in 1851, owned by a group of New York Yacht Club charter members, included Commodore John Cox Stevens.

She sailed to England that year to race, and to make a long story short, won a trophy presented by Queen Victoria. That trophy would become the America's Cup trophy.

During the Civil War, the America served initially in the Confederate Navy, named the Camilla. The Union Navy got her back and restored her original name.

The Lovell General Hospital was operated by the United States Army during the Civil War. Over 2000 wounded soldiers, both Union and Confederate, came through the hospital located in the Melville district of Portsmouth. More than 200 soldiers (and a few civilians) died and were buried in a cemetery nearby. In 1868, the graves were moved, most ending up at Cypress Hill National Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York.

Among the dead, were:

Willaim S. Brown, Bugler, 6th Maine Artillery, died July 16, 1862

Philip Walther, Musician, Comapny E, 151st N.Y. Infantry, died August 18, 1863

William S. Lamback, Musician, Company D, 57th P.A. Infantry, died July 7, 1864

During the Civil War, the entire Naval Academy moved to Newport, Rhode Island. The midshipmen initially stayed at Fort Adams but later moved to the Atlantic House Hotel on Bellevue Avenue.

The band is in front of the Atlantic House in this photo. The band was made up of musicians who came to Newport, and a number of Rhode Island musicians, including the Bandmaster, William F. Marshall.

Marshall, an immigrant from England, was a musician in the American Band of Providence before the war. That entire band enlisted together to become the 1st Rhode Island Volunteer Regiment Band. They saw action at the first Battle of Bull Run. He later became the Bandmaster of the 3rd Rhode Island Heavy Artillery Band, before joining the Academy Band in Newport.

After the war, he stayed in Newport. He died in 1890 and is buried in the Island Cemetery.

The Atlantic House is long gone. Today, the Newport Elks Lodge is located there.

A shout out to the Yacht America that gave the America's Cup her name!

Photo from the New York Public Library

The grave of Newport, Rhode Island native Joseph T. Sweeney. It was sadly knocked down, but thankfully with the inscription side up!

Sweeney served in New York regiments during the Spanish-American War and the Philippines Insurrection.

After his service he became a poet and actor using the name Gordon Johnstone. Much of his poetry was used as song lyrics during the First World War.

"There is No Death" was one of his poems and the title of a book of his poetry that was published in 1925.

He is buried in St. Mary Cemetery, in Newport, Rhode Island.

The hospital was operated by the United States Army from 1862 to 1865. It was located in the Melville area of Portsmouth, Rhode Island.

Thousands of wounded soldiers, both Union and Confederate were sent to the hospital and over 200 died there. They were originally buried nearby, but in 1868 most of the graves were moved to Cypress Hills National Cemetery, in Brooklyn, New York.

The Navy used the area as a coal station and then the site became the home of a PT boat training station. Today the area is a yachting center.

The photo is from the Library of Congress.