Colo. Freeman Conner, Battle Report.

Numbers 200. Reports of Lieut, Colonel Freeman Conner, Forty-fourth New York Infantry.

HDQRS. FORTY-FOURTH NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS, July 6, 1863.

LIEUTENANT: I have the honor to submit the following report of the action taken by this regiment in the engagement on July 2: About 4 p. m. our regiment, Colonel J. C. Rice commanding, was placed in position on Round Top hill, with the Eighty-third Pennsylvania on our left and the Sixteenth Massachusetts on our right. Company B was immediately thrown out as skirmishers. When they had advanced about 200 yards, they met the enemy advancing in three lines of battle. Orders were immediately given by Captain L. S. Larrabee, commanding the company, to fall back upon the battalion. It was while executing this order that that faithful and brave officer was shot through the body and instantly killed, being the first officer that this regiment ever had killed in battle. The enemy continued to advance until the first line came within about 40 yards of our line. Upon their first appearance we opened a heavy fire upon them, which was continued until they were compelled to retreat. After they had disappeared in our immediate front, we turned our fire upon those who had advanced in the hollow to our right, and continued it until we were out of ammunition.

After we had been engaged about one hour, Colonel Vincent, commanding brigade, was wounded, and the command fell upon Colonel J. C. Rice, and the command of the regiment upon myself. We remained in our position until the next morning about 8 a. m., when we were relieved by Colonel Hayes, Eighteenth Massachusetts. We were then moved to the right about three-eights of a mile, and formed in line of battle, the Sixteenth Michigan on our left and the Twentieth Maine on our right. I regret to add that in addition to Captain Larrabee, whose death I have already noticed, the officers are called upon to mourn the loss of First Lieutenant Eugene L. Dunham, Company D, a brave and efficient officer, who was instantly killed during the heavy firing from the enemy in our front. Captain William R. Bourne, Company K; Captain Bennett Munger, Company C; Adjt. George B. Herendeen; First Lieutenant Charles H. Zeilman, commanding Company F, and Second Lieutenant Benjamin N. Thomas, Company K, were wounded, the latter, it is feared, mortally. It affords me great pleasure to be able to state that both officers and men behaved with the greatest coolness and bravery, not a single case of cowardice having come to my ear.

Most respectfully, your obedient servant,
FREEMAN CONNER,Lieutenant Colonel, Comdg. Forty-fourth New York Volunteers.

Names of those from the 44th., New York Infantry.

RICE, JAMES C—Age, 30 years. Enrolled, September 3, 1861, at Albany, to serve three years; mustered in as lieutenant-colonel, September 13, 1861; as colonel, July 4, 1862; discharged, August 23, 1863, for promotion to brigadier-general,
U. S. Vols.; commissioned lieutenant-colonel, September 3, 1861, with rank from same date, original; colonel, July 21,1862, with rank from July 4, 1862, vice S. W. Stryker, resigned.

CONNOR, ( Conner ) FREEMAN.—Age, 25 years. Enrolled, August 8, 1861, at Albany, to serve three years; mustered in as captain, Co. D, September 13, 1861; as major, July 4,1862; as lieutenant-colonel, July 14, 1862; wounded in action, December 13, 1862, at Fredericksburg, Va.; discharged for wounds, April 3, 1863; reinstated and mustered in as lieutenant-colonel, May 12, 1863; wounded in action, May 8, 1864, at Laural Hill, Va.; mustered out with regiment, October 11, 1864, at Albany, N. Y.; prior service as first lieutenant, Co. D, Eleventh Infantry; commissioned captain, October 12, 1861, with rank from August 12, 1861, original; major, July 21, 1862, with rank from July 4, 1862, vice E. P. Chapin, promoted; lieutenant-colonel, September 9, 1862, with rank from July 14, 1862, vice E. P. Chapin, promoted colonel, One Hundred and Sixteenth Regiment; commissioned colonel but not mustered, September 5, 1863, with rank from August 27, 1863, vice J. C. Rice, promoted.

DUNHAM, EUGENE L.—Age, 23 years. Enrolled, August 8, 1861, at Albany, to serve three years; mustered in as first sergeant, Co. D, August 30, 1861; mustered in as second lieutenant, August 19, 1862; promoted first lieutenant, April 16, 1863; killed in action, July 2, 1863, at Gettysburg, Pa.; commissioned second lieutenant, November 11, 1862, with rank from August 19, 1862, vice H. D. Burdick, resigned; first lieutenant. May 30, 1863, with rank from April 16, 1863, vice B. K.. Kimberley, promoted.

BOURNE, WILLIAM R.—Age, 26 years. Enrolled, August 20, 1861, at Albany, to serve three years; mustered in as first sergeant, Go. K, September 5, 1861; mustered in as second lieutenant, May 14, 1862; as first lieutenant, December 18, 1862; as captain, January 11, 1863; wounded in action, July 2, 1863, at Gettysburg, Pa.; discharged for disability, October 9, 1863, at Washington, D. C; commissioned second lieutenant, July 21, 1862, with rank from July 4, 1862, vice O. D. Gaskill, promoted; first lieutenant, January 14, 1863, with rank from December 18, 1862 vice 0. D. Gaskill, resigned; captain, February 25, 1863, with rank from January 11, 1863, vice 0. A. Woedworth, resigned.

MUNGER, BENNETT.—Age, 41 years. Enrolled, August 11, 1862, at Albany, to serve three years; mustered in as captain, Co. C, October 3, 1862; wounded in action, July 2, 1863, at Gettysburg, Pa.; discharged on consolidation, October 11, 1864; commissioned captain, November 11, 1862, with rank from October 14, 1862, vice W. H. Revere, resigned,

HERENDEEN, GEORGE B.—Age, 27 yearn Enrolled, August 16, 1861, at Albany, to serve three years; mustered in as private, Co. D, August 30,1861; promoted sergeant-major, October 6, 1861; mustered in as second lieutenant, Co. I, April 1, 1862; as first lieutenant, Co. B, August 19, 1862; as first lieutenant and adjutant, February 10, 1863; mustered out with regiment, October 11, 1864, at Albany, N. Y.; commissioned second lieutenant, April 19, 1862, with rank from April 3, 1862, vice E. D. Spencer, resigned; first lieutenant, January 14, 1863, with rank from August 19, 1862, vice C. E. Royce, promoted; first lieutenant and adjutant, February 25, 1863, with rank from December 18, 1862, vice H, Kelley, promoted.

ZEILMAN, CHARLES H.—Age, 24 years. Enrolled at Albany, to serve three years, and mustered in as first sergeant, Co. F, August 8, 1861; as second lieutenant, July 25, 1862; as first lieutenant, December 25, 1862; •wounded in action,
July 2, 1863, at Gettysburg, Pa., and May 5, 1864, at the Wilderness, Ya.; mustered out with company, October 11, 1864, at Albany, N. Y.; commissioned second lieutenant, October 28, 1862, with rank from July 25, 1862, vice J. B.Webber, appointed adjutant, One Hundred and Sixteenth Infantry; first lieutenant, January 14, 1863, with rank from December 21, 1862, vice 0. W. Gibbs, promoted; captain, not mustered, January 27, 1864, with rank from September 20, 1863, vice G. E. Royce, appointed lieutenant-colonel of colored troops.

THOMAS, BENJAMIN N.—Age, 19 years. Enrolled, August 20, 1861, at Albany, to serve three years; mustered in as private, Co. C, October 5, 1861; promoted corporal, January 1, 1862; sergeant, May 1, 1862; first sergeant, August 1, 1862; transferred to Co. K, October 26, 1862; mustered in as second lieutenant, December 27,1862; wounded in action, July 2,1863; died of his wounds, July 8, 1863, at Gettysburg, Pa.; commissioned second lieutenant, January 11, 1863, with rank from December 27,1862, vice W. R. Bourne, promoted.

LARRABEE, LUCIUS S.—Age, 24 years. Enrolled, August 8, 1861, at Albany, to serve three years; mustered in as first
lieutenant, Co. B, August 10, 1861; as captain, September 19, 1861; wounded in action, August 30, 1862, at Groveton, Va.; killed in action, July 2, 1863, at Gettysburg, Pa.; prior service as first lieutenant in Co. F, Eleventh Infantry; commissioned first lieutenant, October 12, 1861, with rank from August 8, 1861, 'Original; captain, October 12, 1861, with rank from September 31, 1861, vice S. W. Stryker, promoted.

Update 12-9-2012.

The following information is given by Linda Mott.

Col. Conner, S W. Stryker, and Capt. Lucius S. Larrabee were all former members of the Chicago Cadets, a militia group formed during the late 1850’s in Chicago, IL. The group was led by Col. Elmer Ellsworth and utilized French military tactics called “Zouave.” The Chicago Cadets of 1859 aka Chicago Zouave Cadets were so successful with their displays that the group went on a whirlwind tour across 21 US cities, principally, New York City, Boston and West Point the summer of 1860. Ellsworth, resigned from the group shortly after the tour, but would later remember his cadets when war was declared. He asked Conner, Stryker, Larrabee and Ed Knox (also there’s about 6 more Chicago Cadets) to help train his NYC firemen recruits the (11^th NYVI) after war was declared in April of 1861. These 4 men and the other 6 were given positions of 1^st LT in the 10 companies formed. Ellsworth appointed the fire chiefs who had signed on as the Company Captains. Not all of the men Ellsworth asked to help would stay with the 11^th NYVI. However Conner, Larrabee and Knox remained through the 1^st Battle of Bull Run in July 21, 1861, later resigning not long after. They again appear with the 44^th NYVI formed in Aug. of 1861. The rest you’ve posted with the exception of Ed Knox who isn’t mentioned in the Battle Report.

The Battle Report about the action at Gettysburg must have been difficult for Col. Conner to write. He and Lucius Larrabee had been together since the late 1850’s in Chicago, IL.

Linda Mott.