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Marty, Reverend Eiss, Honored Veterans, Distinguished Guests,
Fellow Citizens:
Men from Middletown served in the Colonial militias first
formed in the early 17th Century even before the town was officially
incorporated. They fought in the Pequot War of 1637, King Phillips
War of 1675, Queen Anne's War, King George's War, The French
and Indian War, and in countless skirmishes and struggles that
have no names. During the Revolution, privateers who learned
their trade on the Connecticut River raided the enemy sea routes
and attacked British ships. The 6th Connecticut Regiment of the
Line was raised by General Samuel Parsons and participated in
the capture of Ft. Ticonderoga and the ill-fated Quebec expedition.
Later, Col. Return Meigs, born in Middletown, led the Regiment
in the great raid at Sag Harbor, Long Island for which he won
the thanks of the Continental Congress and a ceremonial sword
of honor.
During the War of 1812, Middletown citizen Captain Thomas
MacDonough, one of the greatest Naval heroes in American history,
and buried in the Riverside Cemetery, led the outgunned and outnumbered
flotilla that won the Battle of Lake Champlain in 1814. It was
a battle of such intensity that a British veteran of Nelson's
victory at Trafalgar described that famous fleet action as "a
mere flea bite compared to this." MacDonough's victory secured
Northern NY and Vermont from enemy invasion and is counted among
the most strategic victories in our history.
It was during the Civil War, however, that Middletown's contribution
and sacrifice reached the pinnacle. The several monuments in
our town bear silent witness to the cost. More than 950 men out
of a population of less than 9,000 marched away. Company A of
the 2nd Connecticut Volunteers were all Middletown men. Company
G of the 4th Connecticut was made up entirely of Wesleyan students
and faculty. The 24th was raised in Middletown and served honorably
in the Western Theater. The 29th was a so-called "colored"
Regiment made up of African-Americans, many of whom came from
Middletown and the surrounding towns. It had the honor of being
the first Regiment to march into Richmond after its capture in
1865.
Perhaps the most famous unit of all was Company B of the 14th
Connecticut Volunteers, whose complement of 101 men included
94 from Middletown. It served in the II Corps of the Army of
the Potomac and its battle honors are a history of the War: Antietam,
Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Cold Harbor, the
Wilderness, Appomattox, 34 Campaigns and battles, in all. Among
the more than 100 sons of Middletown who did not return were
Elijah Gibbons, the man who raised Company B and its first Captain,
and MG Joseph Mansfield, XII Corps Commander who fell at Antietam.
His monument and his home have become a focal point for the preservation
of our town's history.
During WWI, more than 1,500 residents served and almost 40
did not return. Their names are listed on the plaques on the
new Inn at Middletown. The 102nd Regiment of the 26th, or "Yankee",
Division boasted many Middletown men on its rolls. On April 20,
1918, in the first major engagement between American and German
forces, the men of Company C won an important victory in the
Lorraine Sector at very great cost. Seven of our fellow-citizens
fell that night.
In World War II, men and women from Middletown served all
over the globe and their graves mark the peaceful cemeteries
in many fields. Among them was MG Maurice Rose, the greatest
Connecticut soldier in our history, commander of the famed 3rd
Armored Division, born on Main Street, and killed in action on
March 30, 1945, just before the end of the war.
In other wars and struggles, before and since, in Korea, the
Cold War, Vietnam, the wars in the Gulf, and in deployments and
duties in service of freedom, our fellow-citizens have served
and some have fallen. Today we remember them, and celebrate them
and their service and sacrifice. They were they are the best
among us. They protect us and preserve our liberty. Thank you
and God bless our country and our community.
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